Act FAST

May is National Stroke Awareness Month as started on May 11, 1989 by President George Bush when he signed the Presidential Proclamation 5975. The mission of National Stroke Awareness Month is to educate the public on strokes through campaigns such as the FACES of Stroke.

A stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery or a blood vessel breaks, interrupting the flow of blood to an area of the brain. Depending on where the blood flow is interrupted, brain cells are damaged and start to die causing the loss of abilities controlled by that area of the brain. Abilities include speech, movement and memory, and the damage varies depending on the severity of the stroke.

Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in America and a leading cause of adult disability. What many people don’t realize is that up to 80% of strokes are preventable. There are several different types of strokes which you can read more about on the National Stroke Association website.

A key thing people need to be knowledgeable on is a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA). This is an event where people experience stroke symptoms that last 24 hours or less. While most people are not left with permanent brain damage from a TIA, it’s important to see a doctor immediately as more than 40% of TIA victims will go on to have a stroke as early as 2 days after their TIA.

The symptoms of a TIA and stroke are basically the same. Someone having a TIA or stroke may experience one or more of the following symptoms:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness loss of balance or coordination.

What do you do if you suspect someone is having a stroke? The National Stroke Association outline four steps to follow to determine whether they could be having a stroke or not with Act FAST. What is Act FAST?

1. Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
2. Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
3. Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?
4. Time: If you observe any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Stroke symptoms include:

• SUDDEN numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg – especially on one side of the body.
• SUDDEN confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
• SUDDEN trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• SUDDEN trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
• SUDDEN severe headache with no known cause.

In 2010, Saline Memorial Hospital (SMH) joined the Arkansas SAVES (Stroke Assistance Through Virtual Emergency Support) program, which links rural hospitals to stroke specialists at UAMS and Sparks Health System in Fort Smith via live, two-way video 24-hours a day.

This partnership ensures immediate neurologic care for all patients coming in through the SMH Emergency Department. Each patient showing signs and symptoms of stroke is assessed to determine if they are a candidate for tPA. tPA is a drug called tissue plasminogen activator which works by dissolving blood clots and restoring blood flow.  tPA can greatly increase a patient’s chances of recovery.

Dr. David Lipschitz of the Healthy Aging Center at Saline Memorial Hospital talks losing weight and Weight Watchers in this short video.

Changing your weight and diet can drastically change both your health and your life if done correctly. Aside from improving your shape, a healthy diet can decrease the chances of diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Where do you start? Trying to find and maintain the right diet for you is hard. Many people lack the motivation to keep the diet going in the long term to not only get the results they want but actually keep themselves at their goal. Clinical research has shown Weight Watchers to be a very effective program which helps you to find the right diet plan for you and provide you the moral support to maintain the diet and reach your goals. Weight Watchers consider the most important factor in changing your lifestyle is learning how to eat what you like in moderation.

Dr. David talks to Weight Watchers about changing your diet.

A native of South Africa, where he received his MD and PhD degrees, Dr. David Lipschitz is one of the best known geriatricians in the United States. Consistently ranked as one of the ‘best doctors in America’, Dr. Lipschitz is affectionately known by his patients and on television as Dr. David. He is currently the medical director and practices in the Healthy Aging and Memory Centers at Saline Memorial Hospital in Benton, Arkansas

Dr. David aims to educate people about aging, empowering people with the tools to live longer, happier, and healthier lives. As Dr. David will tell you “There is nothing an older person cannot do.”

As part of his ongoing mission to empower the public, Dr. David has a nationally syndicated column, “Life Long Health.” and a 26-part award-winning program on the PBS network entitled “Aging Successfully with Dr. David.”  He has also written two books, “Breaking The Rules of Aging” and “Dr. David’s First Health Book of More (Not Less),” both of which have been widely acclaimed.

You can watch Dr. David on his own TV program, the Dr. David Show on Fridays at 12:30 PM on KARK, Channel 4, where he answers questions from the viewers. Additionally Dr. David is also featured on a Health News segment on the 5PM news on Fridays and has appeared on national television including the TODAY Show and CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood. As if that wasn’t enough, Dr. Lipschitz also has a weekly medical radio show on KARN-AM called “ReCenter Your Life”, which is broadcast live on 102.9FM from KARN.

Can’t wait until Friday? Watch his series of Healthy Aging guidance videos now on Saline Memorial’s YouTube Channel.

Last year’s National Hospital Week

Saline Memorial Hospital has one team of 1,020 co-workers providing excellent care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for over 58 years. In order to appreciate our hard-working and dedicated team, Saline Memorial is celebrating National Hospital Week, May 12-18, 2013.

Come and join us in the celebration!

Sunday, May 12: Sundaes on Sunday – There will be ice cream sundaes available for our weekend co-workers from 5pm-7pm in the SMH cafeteria.

Tuesday, May 14: Popcorn and Coke – Take a break and come enjoy an afternoon snack of popcorn and coke in the HEC Atrium from 2pm-3pm. You will also be able to pick up Hospital Week T-shirts at this time.

Thursday, May 16: Picnic provided by Everett Buick GMC – Thank you to Everett Buick GMC who will be providing us with grilled burgers and hot dogs in the Ambulance Bay. There will also be a photo booth as well as karaoke at the lunchtime picnic from 11am-1pm and a live band at the evening picnic from 5pm-7pm.

Friday, May 17: Wear Your T-shirt Day – Wear your Hospital Week T-shirt to work all day.

There will also be the following discounts for co-workers for National Hospital week, May 13-18:

• 25% off at Larry’s Pizza.
• 20% off freezer items at Just Leave It To Liz. Open Tuesday-Friday, 3-6pm.
• 20% off purchase at Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
• 20% off purchase at Moe’s Southwest Grill.
• 20% off purchase at Rib Crib.
• 20% off purchase at Blush Boutique. Extended hours on Thursday, May 16th, 9am-9pm.
• 10% off purchase at Whole Hog Cafe. Cannot be combined with any other offers.
  

  Last year’s National Hospital Week

Saline Memorial Hospital: Sherry Jensen, Quality and Risk Manager and Debbie Burrow, Chief Nursing Officer

Saline Memorial Hospital (SMH) and three local physician clinics were recently awarded for their efforts to enhance quality for patients. Bryant Medical Clinic, Saline Med-Pedes, Main Street Medical Clinic and SMH were recognized at the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care’s (AFMC) quality conference on April 5th at Embassy Suites in Little Rock.

The Quality Awards are designed to recognize improvement in individual health care organizations’ performance in AFMC’s quality improvement projects.
SMH received the CAUTI Reduction Award which recognizes hospitals that have committed to reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). These hospitals have either reduced their CAUTI standardized infection rate below 1, which means they are better than the national average, or reduced CAUTI’s by 25% during a six-month period.

“Saline Memorial Hospital is committed to enhancing care for patients and our staff is constantly looking for new avenues to improve outcomes,” said Debbie Burrow, chief nursing officer at SMH. “The most important risk factor for developing a catheter associated UTI is prolonged use of the urinary catheter. We have a great group of co-workers, who together as a team, have developed a process to decrease urinary catheter use resulting in reduced infection rates for our patients.”

The three physician clinics all received awards for meeting criteria related to implementing electronic health records.

Bryant Medical Clinic: Stephanie Farmer, APN and Dr. Tyler Nelson. Not pictured, Dr. Chris Skelley.

Saline Med-Peds: Mark Martindale, Joe Martindale and Dr. Beth Milligan. Not pictured, Dr. Janna Jennings.

Main Street Medical Clinic: Dr. Clay Brashears and Dr. Brewer

For patients living with mental illness, finding the right treatment is critical. Although antidepressants serve as a medically approved treatment, they’re not 100% effective for every patient. In an effort to expand mental health services for local patients, Saline Memorial Hospital (SMH) now offers Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), an advance treatment for severe mental illness.

ECT is a procedure in which electric currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure. ECT seems to cause changes in brain chemistry that can quickly reverse symptoms of certain mental illnesses. It often works when other treatments are unsuccessful. Dr. Duong Nguyen is a Board Certified Psychiatrist who performs these procedures at SMH.

ECT is used to treat patients with severe depression, but may also be used for other symptoms including delusions, hallucinations, or suicidal thinking. ECT may also be used for other neurological and psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease.

Clinton Ray, a patient of Dr. Nguyen’s, has been receiving ongoing ECT treatment at SMH since the Fall of 2012. Clinton lives with a condition known as Bipolar Disorder without psychosis and suffers from severe depression.

“Before ECT treatment, I was at the lowest point in my life,” said Clinton Ray. “The side effects of depression would last for weeks and I honestly felt like I had no hope. That’s when I met Dr. Nguyen. He diagnosed my mental illness and immediately started treatment. Over time, my condition progressively got worse. That’s when Dr. Nguyen suggested ECT. This treatment truly saved my life.”

For many reasons, ECT has a social stigma attached to it. Some popular movies depicting psychiatric patients receiving ECT have created a negative public perception of this therapy. As a result, some people react with fear when ECT is suggested as a treatment.

“Much of the stigma attached to ECT is based on early treatments in which high doses of electricity were administered without anesthesia, leading to memory loss, fractured bones and other serious side effects,” said Dr. Nguyen. “ECT is much safer today and uses electrical currents given in a controlled setting to achieve the most benefit with the fewest possible risks.”

During the ECT procedure, an electrical current is passed through the brain to produce a controlled seizure that usually lasts less than 60 seconds. The treatment is performed in a hospital setting under general anesthesia so patients don’t feel pain. The full procedure takes between 20-30 minutes.
Before patients have their first ECT treatment, they receive a full evaluation, which includes: A medical history, a complete physical exam, a psychiatric assessment, an anesthesia evaluation, basic blood tests and an electrocardiogram (ECG) to check their heart health. These exams help make sure that ECT is safe for the patient.

“There’s a perception that people just have to endure the symptoms associated with mental illness,” said Nguyen. “However, certain conditions are very treatable. Most people diagnosed with a serious mental illness can experience relief from their symptoms by actively seeking treatment with a licensed psychiatrist.”

ECT treatments are generally given two to three times weekly for three to four weeks — for a total of six to 12 treatments. The number of treatments patients need depends on the severity of symptoms and how rapidly they improve.

“I’m so glad that I had the support of my family and Dr. Nguyen to help me through such a tough time in my life,” said Ray. “For those who are struggling with similar mental illness, I encourage you to consider ECT. I feel better than I have in over 13 years. I have my life back.”

Dr. David Lipschitz of the Healthy Aging Center at Saline Memorial Hospital talks back pain and how we can relieve the pain in this short video.

Back pain is one of the most common problems affecting people over the age of 50. With two categories of back pain, chronic back pain and acute back pain, physical therapy is one of the best ways to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.

A common cause for back pain? Poor posture. Just changing your posture can dramatically reduce back pain. Research also shows that doing regular exercise and cardiovascular exercise three to five days a week can improve back pain.

Dr. David talks with a physical therapist about physical therapy benefits and surgery alternatives.

Join Dr. David Lipschitz from Saline Memorial Hospital’s Healthy Aging Center tomorrow, May 2, at the Coronado Center for a seminar on ‘Day to day care for Alzheimer patients’.

The seminar will begin at 5pm and will be located in The Coronado Center at 150 Ponderosa Way, Hot Springs Village, AR 71909.

Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks.

At the current time, there are no cures for Alzheimer’s. However, drug and non-drug treatments may help with both cognitive and behavioral symptoms. Due to the nature of Alzheimer’s, many patients require consistent care as the dementia progresses into middle- and end-stages of dementia. Dr. David will be talking about the day to day care for Alzheimer’s patients as their dementia progresses through the stages.

Due to limited spaces, please RSVP on 776-6764 in advance.

On Friday, April 26, Saline Memorial Hospital‘s Relay For Life team raised over $2,400 for the American Cancer Society.

The American Cancer Society hosts a series of Relay For Life events all over the country each year. Relay teams camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. During a Relay for Life event, cancer survivors and their family and friends stand together to fight for cancer research, celebrate what they’ve overcome as well as remember those lost to cancer.

Saline Memorial Hospital would like to thank everyone who came out to walk for the Relay For Life team on Friday. With our neon shirts, slap bracelets, side ponytails and shades, we rocked the 80’s look.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a group of diseases characterized by high blood glucose levels that result from defects in the body’s ability to produce and/or use insulin.

Type 1 diabetes is when the body does not produce insulin, the hormone needed to convert sugars, starches and other food in to energy needed for daily life. This is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. Type 1 diabetes affects around 5% of those with diabetes.

With type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Type 2 is the most common type and is prevalent in millions of Americans.

Diabetes Facts:

• 25.8 million people in United States have diabetes. That is 8.3% of the population.
• 7 million people are living with diabetes undiagnosed.
• 79 million people are prediabetic.
• 1 in 400 under 20 years of age have diabetes.
• 11.3% of those 20 years and older have diabetes.
• 26.9% of those 65 years and older have diabetes.
• In 2007, diabetes was a contributing factor to 231,404 deaths.
• Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults aged 20–74 years.
• Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, accounting for 44% of new cases in 2008.
• The risk for stroke is 2 to 4 times higher among people with diabetes.
• About 60% to 70% of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of nervous system damage.
• More than 60% of nontraumatic lower-limb amputations occur in people with diabetes.
• $245 billion: Total costs of diagnosed diabetes in the United States in 2012

What can you do to lower risk of diabetes?

• Eat healthy.
• Lose weight to maintain a healthy weight and BMI.
• Improve your cholesterol numbers.
• Maintain a physically active life.
• Lower your blood pressure.
• Lower blood glucose levels.
• Quit smoking.

CVS Pharmacy are donating $1, up to $25,000, for every photo uploaded to the American Diabetes Association’s Facebook page which captures what living with diabetes means.