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

This year’s National RX Take Back Day is April 27th. Why should you turn in your old medications?

• Every day more than 2,500 teenagers begin abusing prescription drugs.
• 12-17 year olds abuse prescription drugs more than ecstasy, heroin, crack/cocaine and methamphetamines combined.
• More than 70% of people 12 and older who abuse prescription drugs say they get them from a friend or relative.
• In 2008, more than 36,000 people died from drug overdoses, and most of these deaths were caused by prescription drugs.
• Accidental drug overdose deaths in Arkansas rose 195% in the most recently studied four year period, reflecting the 4th highest increase in the United States.
  
• In the U.S in 2008, parents of children under the age of 5 were forced to make over 99,000 trips to the emergency room due to their children accidentally ingesting prescription drugs.

In order to help protect your family from prescription drug abuse and misuse, Saline Memorial Hospital will be hosting drives where you can exchange your old medications for gift cards or coupons. There will be no questions asked at the drives.

You can drop your old medications off on April 27th 10am-2pm at either of these locations:

Out of seventy-five counties, Saline County ranks 11th healthiest county in Arkansas in 2012. Arkansas is ranked #47 for health out of the 50 states. Although Saline County outperforms state health averages, we still have room for improvement. These improvements start with you, Saline Memorial Hospital challenges you to make healthy choices to make strides towards a healthier community! Here are the USDA’s recommendations on: Quick and Easy Ways to Start

• Saline County  – Population: 99,449 – Life Expectancy: 76.4
  • 11% have diabetes
  • 34.9% are adults over 18
  • 66% are considered overweight or obese
• 16% of Saline County residents believe people taking more responsibility for their lifestyle is the issue having most impact on health
• 55% of total restaurants in Saline County are fast food restaurants. This is higher than both Arkansas & the U.S. benchmark!
• Arkansas ranking of cardiovascular disease as a cause of death in the U.S: 5th
• Total hospital charges in Arkansas for cardiovascular disease: $2.1 billion
• Arkansans who have high blood pressure: 1 out of 3
• Adults require at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity every week
  • i.e. brisk walking or muscle strengthening
  • See how many calories you burn per activity here: USDA Calorie Burner Chart

Get Your Plate in Shape with the USDA’s MyPlate guidelines:

• Foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean protein foods contain the nutrients you need without too many calories.
  • Here are: Five Simple Ways to Cut Calories from the Food Network
  • Here are: Little Tricks to Save 500 Calories from EatingWell
• Make at least half your whole grains whole.
• Make half your plate fruits and veggies.
  • Buy fresh fruits or fruits that are dried, frozen, canned in water or 100% juice.
  • Choose “reduced sodium” or “no salt-added” canned vegetables.
• Vary your protein sources. Include nuts and beans, as well as lean meat, poultry and eggs.
  • Keep meat and poultry portions small and lean.
  • Make seafood the protein on your plate twice a week.

Healthy Eating on the Run:

• You probably eat out a lot – most Americans do. Whether it’s carry-out, food court, office cafeteria or sit down restaurant, there are smart choices everywhere! Here are some tips to help you eat healthy, even when eating out!
  • Portions – Choose: Appetizer, child sized, share with a friend – Lose: Super sized
  • Descriptions – Choose: Baked, braised, broiled, grilled, poached, roasted, steamed – Lose: Batter-fried, pan-fried, buttered, creamed, crispy, breaded
  • Snack – Choose: Smoothie made with juice, fruit & yogurt – Lose: Muffin, bagel, croissant, biscuit
  • Salad Bar & Sandwiches – Choose: Dark leafy greens & other fresh vegetables, whole grain bread, lean meats – Lose: Mayonnaise, creamy or high fat toppings, white bread
  • Sides – Choose: Side salad, fruits, vegetables – Lose: French fries, potato chips, dessert
• If you’re always eating on the go, tuck portable nonperishable foods in your purse, tote, briefcase or backpack for an on-the-run meal.
  • i.e. Peanut butter & crackers, granola bars, fresh fruit, trail mix, single serve packages of whole grain cereal or crackers
  • Get your energy from healthy sources, more from CNN here: Healthy Energy

Yoga For The Road:

• Yoga For The Road is strongly influenced by the Iyengar style of yoga. The class relies heavily on props and modifications to make the yoga practice relevant for everyone! Yoga For The Road’s slower, more attentive pace is more processoriented and less goal-oriented. Yoga instructors are more interested in making your practice fulfilling than in making your practice perfect. Yoga For The Road is yoga for living, not yoga for posing. No one is too old, too fat, too injured, or too inflexible to benefit from yoga! Benefits include:
  • Increased flexibility and range of motion
  • Better balance, more strength and endurance
  • Slow the heart rate to lower blood pressure and relieve stress
• Join us for yoga! Bring a yoga mat, wear comfortable clothing and be prepared to practice barefoot. All students are required to sign a liability release prior to practice. Yoga for the Road classes are currently being offered at a limited time promotional price of $5 per hour class. See Yoga for the Road on Facebook or sassyangelac.com for details and class schedule.

Heart Health:

• Heart disease and stroke are two of the leading causes of death in the United States. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death for American women, approx. 422,000 per year. Saline Memorial Hospital has partnered with Million Hearts TM to bring together communities, health systems, nonprofit organizations, federal agencies and private-sector partners from across the country to fight heart disease and stroke.
  • 49% of adults have at least one of these major risk factors for heart disease & stoke: obesity, cigarette smoking, inactivity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and/or diabetes
  • Most risk factors are preventable and controllable. Controlling these risk factors could reduce risk of heart attack or stroke by more than 80%
  • 150,000 heart disease & stoke deaths per year among people younger than 65
• Resources for heart healthy recipes: Mayo Clinic & Heart.org
  • Try the Buffalo Chicken Salad Wrap

Thank you to all who have participated in the 50 Days To 5K Challenge! Please visit the Dietician’s office for your final weigh-in. Go! Running is sponsoring prizes for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place winners of the Challenge.

• 1st Prize – FREE Pair of Shoes ($100 value)
• 2nd Prize – $20 Gift card to Go! Running
• 3rd Prize – $20 Gift card to Go! Running

Benton, AR (February 18, 2013)  -  The Saline Memorial Health Foundation is planning to host the 3rd annual Heart of Saline Recognition Dinner on Thursday, February 21, at Bishop Park in Bryant. The Foundation will be honoring the late Brian Sudderth and Melissa Dockery, both local physicians who passed away in 2012.

“The purpose of the Heart of Saline dinner is to honor individuals who have put community and others above themselves,” said Matt Brumley, SMH foundation director. “Both Dr. Dockery and Dr. Sudderth certainly did just that. Our community is a better place because of their service.”

Proceeds from the dinner will benefit the Saline Memorial Health Foundation which supports the hospital’s mission of providing quality healthcare services to Saline County and surrounding areas. Over the past few years, the Foundation has helped raise funds to build the Hospice House in Bryant, to purchase cardiac monitors for the ambulance service and to provide cardiac medication to indigent patients. They recently started a $1.25 million facility renovation campaign.

“Dr. Sudderth and Dr. Dockery were respected, not just because of their excellent care for patients, but more so for their immense care for people,” said Brumley. “Their desire to serve with compassion and humility certainly impacted our community.”

Tickets to the dinner are $50 each or $400 for a table of eight. Social hour starts at 6:00pm and dinner will be served at 6:30pm. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (501) 776-6746.

Saline Memorial Hospital is a non-profit, community hospital that is sustained through revenue from operations, grants and donations made through the Foundation. For more information about the services offered at SMH, visit salinememorial.org.

You are invited to attend the
Community Health Summit hosted by Saline Memorial Hospital

Thursday, July 12, 2012
7:30 am – 12:00  noon
The Center at Bishop Park
6401 Boone Road, Bryant, AR

Please join us for breakfast and a discussion about the recent Community Health Needs Assessment conducted by Saline Memorial Hospital. During the meeting, we will share the results of our research and with you help, begin to map out a plan to improve the health of our community.

As a member of the local business community, we value your input. We hope you’ll make plans to join us. To RSVP or for more details, please call Rebecca Jones at (501) 776-6764 or by email rebecca.jones@salinememorial.org. See below for the SMH Community Health Summit Agenda.

Join us for the first ever Benton Summit to learn what four key organizations are doing to improve our community. Discussion will involve goals and vision for the future and unified efforts to enhance services and promote growth for the citizens of Benton and surrounding areas. This is open to the public and we encourage everyone in the community to attend.

Presentations will be made by the following:
City of Benton:  Mayor David Mattingly
Benton Area Chamber of Commerce:  Executive Director, Gary James
Benton School District:  Acting Superintendent, Dan Jordan
Saline Memorial Hospital:  CEO, Bob Trautman

Date: Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Time: 9:00am – Noon

Location: Benton High School Butler Auditorium

*Coffee and muffins will be served in the cafeteria from 9:00am – 9:30am and the program will start shortly after.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the SMH National Hospital Week Cookout today! The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, and the company was more than delightful. Saline Memorial Hospital would also like to give a special thanks to those who helped cook and serve, as well as to First Security Bank for lending us the amazing Teal Grill.

We have such a wonderful team at Saline Memorial Hospital!

Four Saline County physician clinics were recently recognized for quality excellence at the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care’s (AFMC) annual Quality Awards program. Bryant Medical Clinic, Main Street Medical Clinic, Saline Med-Peds and Family Practice Associates all received the Platinum level award for excellence.

AFMC created the Quality Improvement Awards to highlight Arkansas health care providers who have achieved measurable and sustainable improvement in the care of their patients through implementation of quality improvement projects. All Arkansas physician offices meeting or exceeding the criteria and requirements are eligible for these awards.

The Platinum Award is given to physician offices that satisfy all four of the physician office award criteria, which are: adoption of health information technology, adoption and utilization of population and care management methods, commitment and participation in data reporting quality initiatives and improvement in nationally recognized clinical quality measures.

The award was presented at a dinner April 17, as part of AFMC’s annual Quality Conference in Hot Springs.

“We are extremely proud of these physicians and their commitment to providing high-quality health care for the citizens of Saline County,” said Bob Trautman, Saline Memorial CEO. “They deserve the recognition and we are grateful for the services they provide to our patients.”

The physicians who practice in each of the clinics are listed below:

Bryant Medical Clinic: Dr. Christopher Skelley and Dr. Tyler Nelson
Main Street Medical Clinic: Dr. Clay Brashears and Dr. Jim Ed Brewer
Saline Med-Peds: Dr. Mark Martindale, Dr. Joe Martindale and Dr. Janna Jennings
Family Practice Associates: Dr. Mark Albey, Dr. Lisa Barker, Dr. Evelyn Cathcart, Dr. Jim Cooper, Dr. Sam Taggart, Dr. Kirk Watson and Dr. Kristen Wright.

Kick off this spring season at Saline Memorial’s Spring Fling Vendor Show this Thursday and Friday, April 12-13th from 9am-6pm and 7am-2pm! While winter was a season to cozy up and relax by the fire, spring is the time to rediscover and explore the realms of new hobbies and adventures! So what are you waiting for? Step out that house, take a breath of fresh air, and hang out with us while you pick up all your favorite spring crafts and goods, where a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Saline Memorial Health Foundation. See flyer for details. See you there!

It was a beautiful, chilly morning for the 4^th annual The Beat Goes On 5K Run/Walk held Saturday, February 25 at Saline Memorial Hospital. Over 785 people registered for the race and over 550 came out to run or walk the day of. This was the highest number of participants in four years. The course took participants through downtown Benton and ended at the hospital. The Beat Goes On 5K raised over $22,000 for the Saline Memorial Health Foundation Cardiac Assistance Fund.