| Ladies
Night Out next week
As part of their second Susan G. Komen for the Cure grant St. Mary’s Hospital and Clinics is sponsoring a Ladies Night Out at their Cottonwood Medical Clinic on Wednesday, February 10 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. All women of all ages are welcome. The focus of the evening event is to provide women with an evening designed ‘just for them.’ In addition to goody bags for every attendee and chances to win door prizes women who attend will have an opportunity to talk with female health care providers and ask questions about their own health. They can also have a female wellness exam. The Komen grant will cover the cost for Idaho County residents who have not had an exam within the past year and are uninsured or underinsured. If a woman has insurance that will cover the cost of the exam the company will be billed. “We will keep the source of payment strictly confidential,” said Shari Kuther, RN. “We want to provide an atmosphere that is fun and non threatening for women. We’re encouraging mothers to bring their daughters; girlfriends to come together; aunts to bring nieces and neighbors to bring neighbors. We’re also hoping the evening hours would be more convenient for working women.” Women wanting a wellness exam that evening should call the clinic, 962-3267, to schedule a time. Staff will also be available during the event to schedule mammograms. The Komen grant will also cover mammograms for eligible women. “During our last grant we had a number of women who were diagnosed with breast cancer who might otherwise have not made an appointment,” said Stephanie Wagner, SMH Clinics Coordinator. “We also worked with them to identify funding sources to help cover the cost of treatment.” The award was made possible through the Boise affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. It will provide free mammograms for 40 women and cover the cost of wellness exams for 100 women. They also awarded North Central District Health Department a grant to raise breast cancer awareness and to educate women in the area. “Sometimes no news can be good news, but that is not the case with healthcare,” said Kuther. “You really have to identify health issues early because it can make a huge difference in terms of treatment and outcomes. I hope women will avail themselves of this opportunity to focus on their health and wellness.” SMH Cardiac Rehab open house Feb. 17 February is the month for hearts whether it’s Valentine’s Day or National Heart Month. The St. Mary’s Hospital Cardiac Rehab program is focusing on the latter with an event highlighting cardiac health and wellness. The staff is inviting everyone, including former patients to their Open House on Tuesday, February 17th from 1:00 to 3:00. 
The afternoon function will include presentations by Dr. Jeremy Ostrander, Medical Director, SMH Cardiac Rehab Program and by Jill Anderson, APRN, MSN, CCNS, a clinical nurse specialist in cardiology at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise. She will appear for a 30 minute presentation, plus a question and answer session via the SMH RP-7 robot. Her talk will provide information on pathophysiology or why some people have heart attacks and others do not. She’ll also cover risk factors, medications, diet and activity guidelines, symptom recognition and what to do in an emergency. “We’re fortunate to have Jill’s expertise available to us locally through the use of our robot. She has a wealth of experience working with people to promote good cardiovascular health,” said Dr. Ostrander. Free blood pressure checks and Body Mass Index (BMI) readings will be available as well as an O2 saturation test performed by Faunda Butler, SMHC Respiratory Therapist. Coupons will also be available for a free lipid panel (cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL and ratios). The coupons can be redeemed within thirty days at the SMH Labs in Cottonwood or Kamiah. Results will be mailed to the participant’s home and given to their health care provider. “We’re offering the coupons because results are more reliable when you fast from midnight prior to the blood draw. The coupons allow people to set up morning appointments,” said Dr. Ostrander. Mary Watson, RN, Cardiac Rehab Coordinator, encourages people of all ages to attend. “You’re never too old or too young to learn as much as you can about caring for your heart and learning about heart healthy habits. I’ve ordered handouts about the signs and symptoms of heart attacks and strokes and controlling your blood pressure. We’ll also have wallet cards where people can fill in their blood pressure readings and placemats that feature the plate method for nutritional guidelines.” The SMH Cardiac Rehab program is the only one between Boise and Moscow. They work closely with cardiologists from Heart Clinics Northwest and Spokane Cardiology. The staff work with a variety of patients including people who’ve had a coronary artery bypass, stent placement, valve repair or replacement, stable angina or a heart attack. “Through our program we not only actively monitor patients who’ve experienced a cardiac event, but continue to work with them during the maintenance phase,” said Watson. “We focus on education including nutritional guidance, portion control, and making healthy eating choices. We consistently monitor medications, blood pressure, oxygen level, heart rate and rhythm. These are important items to know not only for our patients, but the general population. We are sponsoring our Open House to raise people’s awareness about their own cardiovascular health and how to preserve it.” The cardiac rehab program also performs exercise treadmill testing and installs King of Hearts and Holter monitors to track cardiac activity to help physicians diagnose potential cardiac issues. The Open House will be held in the in the room adjacent to the Cardiac Rehab Center within the hospital close to the chapel. Everyone is encouraged to attend this free event. For more information or questions contact Mary Watson, RN, 962-3251 extension 2233. |
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