Networking Grand County for 20 Years!

Middle Park Medical Center is proud to co-sponsor The Fall 2011 Networking Session at the CSU Extention Hall in Kremmling (at the Kremmling Fairgrounds) on Thursday, November 3, 2011 from noon - 2:30.

RSVP Today: dianalrau@cs.com or call 887-3095

Here is some more info:

DEAR
NETWORKING PARTICIPANT:

Once
again it’s time for the FALL
semiannual NETWORKING SESSION
- the time to meet people countywide from chambers of commerce, towns,
government entities, and organizations that sponsor and hold events and
activities. These sessions are scheduled
twice a year, spring and fall, to promote communication in our rapidly changing
county through the knowledge of people involved. People meet together to announce plans for
the upcoming season and connect names with faces. People exchange addresses and phone numbers,
and suddenly everyone knows who to call to get things done. Hopefully, people now talk to each
other.

This
interaction has been so helpful to the development of the county that the Kremmling Area Chamber of Commerce and the
Middle Park Medical Center – Kremmling Memorial Hospital District, the
Grand County Board of Commissioners, and I are joining together to make this
happen once again. You are invited to
the FALL 2011 NETWORKING LUNCHEON TO BE HELD THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD, FROM
12 NOON TO 2:30 PM at the CSU EXTENSION HALL on the Grand County
Fairgrounds in Kremmling. A
simple lunch will be served starting at 11:30 AM.

Remember, in addition, we have a NETWORKING SERVICES FAIR of local
valley businesses (printers, computer consultants, DJ services, etc) who want to
provide services to your activity or group.
This is being done nowhere else and we hope it will continue to interest
you. We will have a maximum of six
booths and these booths will be available from 11 am throughout the session
until breakdown at 3:30 pm. Please plan
to visit these booths to talk individually with providers. REMEMBER, these booths are designed for those
who need more space or more time to talk with other coordinators attending the
luncheon.

BE
PREPARED WITH SCHEDULES AND HANDOUTS for the upcoming season for about 60 people
and bring your business cards.
IMPORTANT: Each person has only three minutes to speak, and our
hosts will make a presentation during the program. Allow lots of time to talk with people afterwards, at least a half an
hour. If you are no longer the contact
for your organization, please advise who should be on our mailing list. We suggest limiting your representatives to a
maximum of two per organization. Feel
free to add to our mailing list. If your
organization would like to sponsor an upcoming networking session, please ask
for details.

Please RSVP for the luncheon by THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 20011
TO:

Diana Lynn Rau (Home and business)

Mercury International dba The Travel
Society
PO
Box 757, Fraser, CO
80442

970-887-3095-Business 887-3086-fax e-mail: dianalrau@cs.com

October Visiting Specialty Doctor Schedule

General Surgery

Oct 6 & 20th Kremmling

Cardiology

Oct 4 Kremmling

Oct 25 Granby

Dermotology & Plastic Surgery

Oct 10 & 24 Kremmling

Orthopaedics

Oct 4 & 18 Kremmling & Granby

Internal Medicine

Oct 5, 12, 19, 26 Kremmling

Ear, Nose & Throat

Oct 13 Kremmling

Urology

Oct 21 Kremmling

OB-GYN

Oct 27 Kremmling

Chiropractor

Oct 4, 11, 18, 25 Kremmling

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month - 2011

Mammograms are preformed Monday through Friday call (970) 724-3181 to schedule. Also, consider coordinating the mammogram on
the same day as your Well Woman Exam offered at Timberline Family Practice,
Granby & The Clinic at Middle Park Medical Center Kremmling.

When Middle Park Medical Center, Granby opens on January 1, 2012, the Diagnostic
Imaging Services Department will have digital mammography available.

Until then, join the hundreds of Grand County residents who schedule their mammogram
at the hospital in Kremmling.

Uninsured or Underinsured?
Middle Park Medical Center understands that the costs
of medical care can act as a barrier to patients seeking care for vital medical
services. MPMC recognizes the need to make certain key services as affordable
as possible in order to better enable the utilization of those services by
individuals who do not have insurance or who are seeking care for services not
covered under their specific plan.
Middle Park Medical Center has financial assistance
programs available.
Contact Patient Financial Counselors at (970) 724-3442
for more information.

In preparation of a
mammogram remember the following:
·
If caffeine increases the tenderness of your
breasts, you may want to reduce or eliminate caffeine from your diet for two
weeks before your mammogram.
·
If you have premenstrual breast tenderness, schedule
your mammogram when your breasts will be less tender. Possibly the week after your menstrual cycle.
You know your body best!
·
Do not use any lotion, powder or deodorant
on your breasts or under your arms the day of the exam.

*Middle Park Medical Center – a proud sponsor of
Team Grand Lake’s Komen Race for the Cure
since 2006.

Schedule your yearly mammogram by calling: (970) 724-3181

New Quick Lab Menu and Improved Pricing

QuickLab
Order Form/receipt

Complete
Blood Count/CBC _____$10.00

Basic
Metabolic Panel/BMP _____$20.00

Diabetes
Screen (fasting Glucose) _____$20.00
Hemoglobin
A1C (Diabetes compliance) _____$35.00

Lipid
Panel (must be fasting 8-12 hrs) _____$21.00
Fasting (# Hours): ___________
Liver
Panel _____$66.00
Pregnancy
Test (serum) _____$12.00
Prostate
Specific Antigen _____$28.00
Thyroid
Stimulating Hormone/TSH _____$26.00
Blood
Type (ABO, RH) _____$10.00


Urinalysis _____$20.00

All tests on blood include the following additional charge:
Blood
Draw
_____$
5.00

Electronic Health Records at Middle Park Medical Center

Middle Park Medical Center today announced
it has selected Healthland as its healthcare information system (HIS) partner to
improve patient care and hospital performance. The hospital, a 19-bed facility
serving all of Grand County and a portion of northern Summit County, will
implement the Healthland's secure electronic health records (EHR) solution for
its critical access hospital and family practice clinic in Kremmling, its family
practice clinic in Granby as well as its new medical facility in Granby upon its
January 2012 grand
opening. "Our decision to move forward with an EHR solution will
transform the way we deliver community healthcare," said Cole White, Middle Park
Medical Center Chief Financial Officer. We consider this purchase a long-term
investment to enhance our quality of care and improve our processes, all while
elevating patient satisfaction." An electronic health record is
secure electronic documentation of patient health information generated in any
healthcare setting within the healthcare system. The record includes important
information such as: patient demographics, progress notes, medical history,
medications, immunizations and laboratory data. An EHR solution enables
healthcare providers to quickly, easily and securely access a comprehensive view
of demographic, historical and clinical patient information from all care
settings. The system's unique single patient chart is accessible in real time,
creating operational efficiencies, improved departmental and organizational
communication, and reduced cost by more effectively managing patient records and
optimizing reimbursement while ensuring regulatory
compliance. "Eventually, patients will leave their family
practice doctor's office not only having a summary of the visit, but also an
estimate of their bill." said Marie Johnston, health information managment
manager. In case of an emergency room visit, the doctor will have quick access
to important patient health information which may enhance
treatment. Middle Park Medical Center, Kremmling has already
begun the first phase of its EHR implementation, beginning with training. The
hospital, (formerly known as Kremmling Memorial Hospital) and it's clinics,
(Timberline Family Practice in Granby & Mountain Valley Medical Center in
Kremmling), plan to go live with the EHR by the end of the
year. Healthland's solutions are developed specifically for
small community and critical access hospitals. In addition to satisfying new
government regulations regarding adoption of electronic health records, this EHR
solution will deliver the results clients have come to expect - providing new
efficiencies and opportunities to improve patient care, while cutting costs that
directly impact the bottom line.###

History

Here's a wonderful story sent to us recently:

Doc Ceriani laid down his pen, leaned over the desk, squinted his eyes and repeated, "Two hours and twenty mintues?" I replied, "Well, I didn't know it was labor the first twenty minutes!" He nodded I imagined. I'd just reounted my history, answering his questions regarding my first delivery two years earlier in Illinois. As my second projected date appraoched, Doc (Ceriani) spoke to my husband (Jim Taussig): "At the very first sign of a contraction, get her here ASAP!" We lived 20 minutes from Kremmling.

It was a pleasant midnight, June 30, 1952, when in robe and slippers, graphsing a toothbruth, I went out to the car and we drove over the condemned bridge near the Mayhoffer. Jim carried me into the hospital, Annie Cantril phoned Doc and he ran across the street from his house wearing robe and slippers.

It was a 45 minute labor. But I continued to hemorrhage. Finally, Doc ordered a drip of vitamin K and I soon felt I was floating around the ceiling. He did a further procedure. Committed me to Nurse Annie and told her to check every hour through the night. What a wonderful change from the big-city hospital in Illinois I thought to myself with great apprecation.

That baby, Rebecca Tussig Eller, now lives on a ranch near Kremmling with her husband and has made me twice a proud grandmother.

*I submit the foregoing per the Middle Park Times article regarding historical memories of the hospital in Kremmling. Please share." Faith Taussig.

Common Toxins Around the House

Common Toxins Around the House

Between the ages of 11 and 17, American children spend nearly two-thirds of their lives inside the home, and you like to think they are safe there. But are there hazards that you are not aware of? Public health experts say “yes.”

CARBON MONOXIDE: The most immediate, potentially lethal danger in the home environment is carbon monoxide. Early symptoms of poisoning are flu-like–headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness–but without the fever.

In too many cases, the first indication is death. That’s why your pediatrician probably asks you routinely whether you have a carbon monoxide detector in the living area of your home.

Carbon monoxide can be emitted from a furnace, gas stove, space heater, dryer or even a poorly functioning wood burning stove or fireplace Warming up an automobile in an attached garage or nearby driveway can also leak fumes into the house.

Whenever carbon monoxide is suspected in your home, make sure everyone goes outside immediately. And then call your gas company.

LEAD poisoning builds up in the body over a period of months or years and can be hard to detect until dangerous amounts have been accumulated. But even small amounts can affect nearly every system in the body and cause serious health problems.

Lead-based paint was banned for use in housing in 1978, but it’s safe to assume that any house built before that date has at least some lead-based paint. When this paint deteriorates and flakes, the risk is high, particularly to children under six who are growing rapidly and likely to crawl on the floor and put their hands and other objects in their mouths.

VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOCs): You may like the smell of volatile organic compounds, but that doesn’t mean they are good for you. Scented petroleum-based detergents are the most obvious source of VOCs, but they are also present in some paints and in pressed wood and particle board cabinets and other furniture.

If your child has asthma, VOCs can make breathing problems worse. And they increase the risk of cancer and other serious health problems. Protect yourself by choosing unscented laundry products and paint and by avoiding plywood and particle board when buying new furniture.

VINYL, PHTHALATES: Phthalates are “plasticizers.” They are industrial chemicals used to make vinyl softer and more pliable, and they are frequently used for toys, food packaging, hoses, raincoats, shower curtains, vinyl flooring, wall coverings, nail polish, shampoo, hair spray and virtually anything with an artificial fragrance, including candles.

FLAME RETARDANTS: Flame-retardant chemicals delay a fire but cannot really prevent one. On the other hand, they have been linked to a number of health problems such as hormone abnormalities, infertility, thyroid problems and learning disabilities. These chemicals are likely to be found in carpet and carpet padding, furniture foam and electronic equipment.

NON-STICK COOKWARE: Non-stick and stain-resistant cookware products are commonly made with polyfluoroalkyl chemicals that have been linked to infertility, ADHD, high cholesterol and thyroid disease. While these chemicals are usually locked into the surface, they can be released when scratches or chips develop. Cast iron and stainless steel offer many of the same cooking benefits at lower cost...and without the risk.

These are just a few of the hidden hazards that may be lurking in your household. As much as 25 percent of all illness worldwide can be attributed to the environment. For that part of the environment that is inside your home, you can delete some of the dangers by making a few simple choices.

Middle Park Medical Center Construction UPDATE: Friday Apr 22, 2011

Middle Park Medical Center: April 22, 2011 Pictoral Blog

Be prepared and informed when an emergency incident occurs in the county

We are publishing this press release to encourage all to sign up for code red from the office of emergency managment. stay informed and be prepared when an emergency incideent occurs in grand county. see details below:

Contact Person: Cpt. Nowell Curran 970-509-9500 ncurran@co.grand.co.us

The Office of Emergency Management wants to talk to you

The Grand County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is proud to announce the public information and warning systems established to provide urgent emergency information to the community. Information provided by Emergency Management enables residents and visitors to be prepared and informed when an emergency incident occurs in the county. Due to the geographically challenging area we live in, no single method of notification works for everyone. This has resulted in, OEM, incorporating several different tools that can be utilized to obtain necessary public information and warning.

www.gcemergency.com is a web site that is managed by the OEM. It provides up-to-the-minute emergency notification and information concerning incidents that affect the community. This site helps instruct and inform residents and visitors of what to do, where to go, or what they need in the case of an emergency.

Code Red is a communication tool that works for cells phones as Reverse 911 works for landlines. This service has been especially beneficial to community members and second home owners who may not have a landline phone in their home. In times of evacuation, fire, hazardous material spills, shelters, and drinking water contaminations, the CodeRED system will call your registered mobile phone and playback a recorded message from the Grand County Office of Emergency Management. It can also send text and/or email to inform you of the incident and important instructions to follow. This tool was especially helpful to the Kremmling residents during the water contamination incident in September of 2009. Community residents who were registered were informed of where they could pick up potable water during the crisis and when the water was again safe to drink.

Along with these two communication resources the Office of Emergency Management was awarded two variable message sign boards through a state grant that can be positioned in areas throughout the county. These signs can be used to inform the public of open shelters, flu clinics, evacuations and other urgent situations. In addition to these mobile boards OEM will be placing indoor scrolling messaging boards which will be located in known public gathering places throughout Grand County. The above notification systems are tools that OEM has purchased and maintains to notify the public. These notification systems that OEM uses are provided to the county, free of charge as a public service to the community.

These are all communication tools for the Office of Emergency Management to get the “word” out. There is another available resource for the community to provide helpful information. This is 211 United Way. Through the 211 call center, community members may register so that responders can identify and be prepared to contact people who may not have a vehicle, are on Oxygen or a ventilator, or may be immobilized whether temporarily or permanently.

Residents and visitors can also be informed by the National Weather Service Civil Emergency Message (CEM) broadcast. These messages are requested through the Office of Emergency Management and would broadcast through the NOAA weather radio in the west end of the county, where it is only currently available. The Civil Emergency message will be passed on to TV and Radio stations which would then inform the public either through the radio DJ or a scrolling message at the bottom of your television screen.

The priority and primary goal of the OEM is to keep people safe, knowledgeable and informed in emergency situations. To accomplish that, OEM constantly strives to implement the most up-to-date communication methods available to get the information to the public. OEM encourages community members and stakeholders to utilize these tools that are available to them to help reach a better state of readiness. Registration is made easy through the web link www.gcemergency.com for all of these tools. Or the Grand County Office of Emergency Management is also available to assist with questions or help in registering at (970) 887-2732.

Pictures from the 2011 Middle Park Medical Foundation Dinner

Pictures from the 2011 Middle Park Medical Foundation Dinner

http://www.icontact-archive.com/BLhGr32LdsyDTioSyzeMHWeVrqsGp3dF?w=2

http://www.icontact-archive.com/BLhGr32LdsyDTioSyzeMHWeVrqsGp3dF?w=2&sms_ss=blogger&at_xt=4d56105efb1edd63%2C0

Can babies be delivered in Grand County? (as published in Sky Hi News 2-11-2011

Hello, Eric. I was wondering if there is going to be a delivery service at the new medical center? It would really be nice to not have to go to Denver to have a baby.

The short answer is that it’s possible if there is an emergency, but only in emergency situations. The new facility won’t be able to provide obstetrical services. Granby Medical can also deliver on an emergency basis only as well as the hospital in Kremmling. But as far as planned deliveries, expecting parents will still need to make arrangements elsewhere. For the health of the mom and of the baby, parents need to plan to be at a hospital that is well equipped and has well trained professionals to handle any situation for the delivery of their baby.

The reasons for not being able to offer planned deliveries involve many variables, and unfortunately they just don’t add up to justify the service. Let’s take a quick look at why delivering babies is a service that won’t likely happen for many years, if ever, by local health care providers in Grand County.

According to studies, Grand County has approximately 100 babies born per year within our 1,850 square miles of territory. Even if we offered it as a service, to-be moms and dads who reside here might still choose to have their babies at healthcare facilities in Steamboat Springs, Estes Park, Summit County or Denver. The number of potential monthly deliveries would fall considerably short of the cost to keep the clinicians trained and available around the clock, (because we all know babies decide to be born on their own time, often in the middle of the night and on weekends).

Only ten possible births in Grand County per month is just not enough to keep the highly specialized staff that would be needed to ensure the health of both baby and mother. Some break-even estimates a healthcare facility to provide the service is upwards of 40-100 per month and many of those programs are heavily subsidized. Even then, many are closing due to every increasing liability, demands for expensive equipment and constant training and re-training.

So what can expecting mothers in Grand County do? Several local physicians offer prenatal care, from the time a woman learns she is pregnant up to the birth. Pediatric care after the child is born is also readily available.

Pre-natal care including regular check-ups and a plan is important. Several physicians offer these services which include regular visits so the doctor can listen to the baby’s and the mother’s heartbeat, measurement of the growth of the belly, female checks, urine checks, regular monitoring of blood pressure and conversations with mothers on what to expect every step of the way.

*Note: some information regarding who provides pre-natal care was published, mistakenly in the last paragraph, not included above.

Medication errors averted

Taking the correct medicine in the correct dosage is important—obviously. But mistakes can happen at home, as well as in medical facilities and the results can mean discomfort from side-effects, an allergic reaction or even death.

Take for instance, the morning when I woke up with a splitting headache. With eyes squinted in anguish and further irritated from the sunlight shining through my bedroom window, I stumbled to the medicine cabinet. Only able to crack open a single eye just enough to read the word, “Tylenol”, I hastily grabbed the bottle and fumbled to open the lid. I dumped three pills into my hand and foolishly reasoned that my headache was so bad I could take the extra pill, against the recommended dosage of two, in order to really knock this head-splitter out fast so I could get to work.

This was an especially bad idea considering the fact which I would soon learn with much disappointment. As I brushed my teeth and looked at the bottle again, this time with both eyes fully open, I realized that the three Tylenol I took were actually Tylenol PM, the nighttime, help-you-sleep-quick kind. I had just swallowed three of them early in the morning, before work!

Needless to say my day was a battle of fighting off a strong need to sleep throughout driving, meetings, answering phone calls and tying to complete projects. There was a lot of uncontrollable drooling and head teetering.

Medication errors in hospitals across the nation can have grave consequences. Mistakes can be a result of several factors including misreading labels, misunderstanding drug abbreviations, misunderstanding allergies, lab tests or misreading hand-written notes regarding the patient’s condition or other special instructions. Environmental factors such as poor lighting, heat, noise can be causes of mistakes.

Another reason might be multi tasking and interruptions while a health care professional is administering medications. To prevent this possibility, hospitals such as Kremmling Memorial, have implemented a simple, yet effective strategy, “Non-Interruption Wear”. It is made known to all hospital staff, that when a nurse is wearing an orange satchel, the nurse is not to be interrupted. The brightly colored sash provides a visual reminder to others that the nurse is busy carrying out the critical task of administering medication to a patient.

“This is working well,” said Cindy Callihan, RN at Kremmling Memorial. She says all other employees respect the technique and simply leave the nurse alone until she has completed her drug administration and address her afterwards.

Decreasing the number of interruptions during this critical task allows the nurse to focus solely on the administration of the medication. “This is a simple but mandatory requirement we have implemented to meet one of our National Patient Safety Goals: Safe Medication Administration.” indicates Carmen Covington, RN Staff Development Coordinator for KMHD.

In 1980 there were about 600 medications that were commonly administered to patients in health care settings. Today that number exceeds 10,000 different medications, dosages, and administration routes. The nurse must have a working knowledge of the reason for taking a medication, the physiologic actions a medication has on the body, the potential side effects for the patient based on a variety of patient risk factors, and the patient’s expected reaction to a medication.

Nurses do this in addition to the many other aspects of their daily duties and responsibilities to ensure the provision of safe patient care. So actions we can take to decrease distractions for the nurse will aid them in their effort to administer the right medications to the right patient, at the right time, in the right dose, and the right route to deliver safe patient care.

Patients can also be pro-active in the safety of their medications. Start by asking questions to improve understanding of why certain medications are prescribed. It is also wise to ask for a printed out copy of your prescription along with the reason for taking it, when to take it and the dosage.

Every time a patient goes in to see a doctor, this list should be shared with the physician. Better yet, grab a paper bag, toss in all of your bottles of medications, vitamins and even herbs and show your doctor what you have been taking. These simple, yet effective measures for taking medicine at home, along with the measures taken by hospital medical staff during a hospital stay, both improve safety of taking medication.

MPMC Construction Update January 21, 2011