The magazine of Health Plan Select
Convenient care for your needs
Regional FirstCare at Barrow County opens
Summer smarts!
Your seasonal safety guide
What’s cooking? www.aahps.com
summer 2009
HealthMatters
a m e ss a g e f r o m o u r m e d i c a l d i r e c t o r
The flu: Facts over fiction By Geoffrey P. Cole, M.D., Medical Director, Health Plan Select In writing this article, the single best resource was the timely, accurate information at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Web site, www.cdc.gov. Several weeks will pass between my writing and the publication of Health Matters. For the latest information about seasonal flu and the novel H1N1 flu, please check the CDC’s Web site.
Ñ Facts: Novel influenza A (H1N1) is a new flu virus of swine origin that was first detected in April. The press has labeled novel H1N1 flu as the “swine flu.” The CDC reported 7,927 confirmed and probable cases of this virus subtype within the first 20 weeks of 2009. During that period, novel H1N1 flu was confirmed as the cause of 11 deaths. All influenza virus types from 1993 to 2003 are estimated to cause 36,171 deaths a year. Novel H1N1 flu appears to spread in the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread, mainly through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus. Ñ How it’s transmitted: Seasonal flu viruses and the novel H1N1 flu may spread through large-particle respiratory droplet transmission. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, another person in close contact has a chance of infection. The large-particle droplets only travel a short distance of less than six feet and might stay on contaminated surfaces for an uncertain amount of time. Close contact means having cared for or lived with a person who has influenza or being in a setting where there’s high likelihood of contact with respiratory droplets and/or body fluids of such a person. Examples of close contact include kissing or embracing, sharing utensils, physical exams or any other contact between persons likely to result in exposure to respiratory droplets. Close contact typically doesn’t include activities such as walking by an infected person or sitting across from a symptomatic patient in a waiting room or office. Ñ Vaccines and antiviral agents: Persons at high risk for getting the seasonal flu should get vaccinated in anticipation of flu outbreaks, which usually peak in January. Those at high risk include children ages 6 months to 19 years old, pregnant women, people age 50 or older, adults and children with chronic medical conditions, healthcare workers and residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities. Antiviral agents such as oseltamivir, also known as Tamiflu, and zanamivir, also known as Relenza, can be used to treat novel H1N1 flu. Allow me to emphasize that the recommendations of antiviral agents may change before this newsletter’s publication, and the most datesensitive recommendations are available at www.cdc.gov.
Facts over fiction will yield our best outcomes and better health.
HealthMatters | Summer 09
b e n e f i t b a s i cs
Health plan review: Dependent student eligibility our health plan covers unmarried dependent children under age 19. Once a child turns 19, Health Plan Select (HPS) requires verification that he or she is enrolled as a full-time student in high school, an accredited college or trade school to remain covered. As we near the fall semester, we’d like to remind you to complete the verification form mailed to you by the Member Services Department. If your child has turned 19 and you
cover image © istockphoto.com/ Shanekato; photos on pages 3 and 7 © 2009 Jupiterimages corp. photos on pages 6, 7 and 8 © istockphoto.com/ben blankenburg/mark swallow/judy picciotto/paul gibbings/scott karcich
haven’t received a form, please contact our office. If you wish to request verification directly from the school, make sure the form includes the student’s name and member ID number, the semester/quarter and year enrolled and the student’s enrollment status (part-time or full-time, etc.) When verification has been provided for the fall semester, HPS will update the student’s eligibility (coverage) through December 31. Verification of the winter quarter or spring semester will be required to continue coverage until fall of next year. If at
Reach your health goals!
H
ealth Plan Select is now pleased to provide members with a free health risk assessment. Developed by HealthMedia, the Succeed™ program is confidential, personalized and helps you evaluate your health and achieve your goals. Plus, you can access Succeed anytime, anywhere, online! Succeed is crafted by a team of experts. Based on your responses to questions, you’ll receive customized recommendations to improve your health and quality of life. Succeed aims to understand your unique motivations and challenges as well as how ready you are to change. Your program includes a personalized plan; a lifestyle score and health summary; a medical library; and exercise and stretching videos for your iPod. Ñ Getting started is easy! Go to www.aahps.com, and select the HealthMedia link today.
any point a student stops attending school full time or graduates, coverage ends at the end of the month that the student attended school full time. The Member Services Department must receive verification in January and August that the student is enrolled in school full time (12 hours or more a week for at least five months in the calendar year), or coverage will end. Please refer to your Evidence of Coverage or Summary Plan Description for more information about eligible dependent students.
Are you up to date?
M
ake sure to complete your dependent’s forms. Mail completed forms to Health Plan Select at 295 W. Clayton St., Athens, GA 30601 or fax to (706) 549-8004. If you have any questions, contact our office at (706) 549-0549 or 1-800-293-6260.
Summer 09 | HealthMatters
Immediate care when you By Mike Pilcher
“My husband was working on a project in the garage and cut his hand. It’s a deep cut, but I don’t know if it requires
y 1-year-old is running a 102º F tempera-
stitches or not.”
ture, and my pediatrician can’t fit us in today. I was told that it would be tomorrow morning at the earliest before the doctor
Getting sick or injured is never fun or convenient, and chances are you or someone you know has experienced a
could see us. This can’t wait until tomorrow morning. What
similar scenario: Someone has a nonemergent injury or illness
should I do?”
that needs immediate medical attention, but it’s after regular business hours so your physician’s office is closed.
“Our daughter injured her ankle in a soccer match this
Where can you turn? Athens Regional Health Services recently
morning. We iced and elevated it, but the swelling hasn’t gone
opened Regional FirstCare at Barrow County, bringing walk-in
down. She can’t put any pressure on it. We don’t know if it’s
healthcare to citizens of Barrow and surrounding counties. A
just a bad sprain or if it’s broken. What do we do?”
7,833-square-foot facility, Regional FirstCare at Barrow County is
| Summer 09 HealthMatters | Summer HealthMatters 09
need it
Athens Regional opens Regional FirstCare at Barrow County
open seven days a week. The new site is conveniently located
For non-life-threatening illnesses, injuries or medical
on Highway 316 between Highway 11 and Highway 81 in
conditions, seeking care at a walk-in care facility like Regional
Bethlehem, across from the Target Shopping Center at
FirstCare at Barrow County is a smart choice. “We treat
340 Exchange Blvd. Regional FirstCare facilities are also
acute illnesses and injuries,” says Regional FirstCare Medical
available in Athens, Watkinsville and Jefferson.
Director Navin Patel, M.D. “Our facilities, physician staff and
“Our Regional FirstCare facilities are designed to pro-
administrative staff are equipped to handle these health con-
vide high-quality, affordable, immediate care in convenient
cerns when they arise. Injuries and illnesses don’t keep regu-
locations for a large number of people,” says W. Larry Webb,
lar hours, so neither do we.”
senior vice president at Athens Regional Medical Center.
Regional FirstCare at Barrow County will provide supple-
“With the tremendous growth in both Barrow and Walton
mental care for those times when your primary care physi-
counties, the Barrow County site was a logical choice for
cian’s office is closed and conditions aren’t life-threatening.
our next facility.”
The physicians and staff at Regional FirstCare at Barrow County can work with your primary physician to coordinate
A smart addition
care, letting him or her know when you were seen and what
“The Regional FirstCare facility is a welcome addition
treatment you received. For instance, consider our immedi-
to Barrow and our surrounding counties. The physicians and
ate care facility for medical concerns like sprains or broken
staff provide high-quality healthcare when you need it, whether
bones, bruises, cuts, bronchitis, colds, earaches, fever, insect
it’s after your physician’s office has closed or on weekends,”
bites, joint pain, kidney stones, sinusitis, strep throat, vomit-
says Richard B. Russell Jr., attorney-at-law with Russell, Stell,
ing and pneumonia.
Smith and Mattison, P.C., in Winder. “This facility will only
“We’re able to care for a wide range of acute illnesses
bolster the historical connections that Barrow County and sur-
and injuries that aren’t immediately serious in nature,” says
rounding residents have always had with the first-class medi-
Dr. Patel. “We have highly qualified board-certified physicians
cal care provided by Athens Regional Medical Center.”
and a caring and helpful staff.”
Benefits of walk-in care One convenient advantage to using Regional FirstCare at Barrow County is that you can receive digital X-rays and lab services on-site. “X-rays are performed and read while the patient waits, which allows the physician to respond and treat the condition immediately,” says Dr. Patel. Lab work, such as strep tests, pregnancy tests, urine
Convenient hours!
R
analysis and blood sugar tests, is also conveniently per-
egional FirstCare at Barrow County is here for you. Hours are Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call (678) 963-7171 or visit www.regionalfirstcare.org for more information.
formed and read for patients while they wait. More complex work like blood counts, a chemistry panel or thyroid tests can be done at the immediate care facility but must be sent off to be performed. Other advantages to Regional FirstCare at Barrow County are that wait times and costs are drastically lower than in an emergency room (ER). ER personnel must screen and stabilize the most critical cases first, so if you visit an ER for a sore throat, cough, sprained ankle or minor burn, you may end up waiting behind more serious conditions.
É Regional FirstCare at Barrow County now provides convenient, high-quality walk-in healthcare, close to home!
Summer 09 | HealthMatters
Summer fun, summer safety guide h … the promise of summer: sunny days and lazy evenings, barbecues, picnics and getaways. To make sure those times really are good, heed these seasonal safety tips.
Sun smarts A great tan may look good, but staying pale is definitely better for your health since skin cancer is directly related to sun exposure. Your best defense is to avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If that puts a crimp in your summer plans, put your second-best defense into action: Apply plenty of sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15; keep your head and body covered in light, loose layers; and wear a widebrimmed hat and sunglasses. If you do get a sunburn,
Water wisdom Don’t leave your common sense at home when you head
apply aloe vera gel right away
beach-, lake- or poolside. Make sure a lifeguard is always
and take acetaminophen to ease
present and keep a close eye on children in the water. Make
minor discomfort. You’ll probably
sure all family members are wearing life jackets when riding
be a little dehydrated, so be sure to
in a boat.
drink lots of water. Cool showers, baths or compresses can soothe the burn and prevent it from worsening. Call your healthcare provider if your skin blisters or if you develop chills, fever or nausea.
Plant patrol The best way to avoid contact with poison ivy, poison sumac or poison oak is to know what they look like. The
Sting savvy If you or your child is stung by a bee, wasp or hornet,
distinctive feature of poison ivy is that its smooth, shiny leaves always occur
remove the stinger and venom sac by scraping it with your
in groups of three. Poison oak is similar;
fingernail or a credit card. Don’t squeeze and pull or you’ll
however, it grows in shrubs and its leaves
release more venom. Wash the site with soap and water and
more closely resemble oak leaves. Poison
apply an ice pack to stop the swelling. Be alert for signs of
sumac is far less common but far more toxic. It resembles a
allergic reaction, such as wheezing, labored breathing, nausea
shrub or a small tree, and its leaves are arranged in groups
or vomiting. Go to an emergency room should any of these
of seven to 13 pointed leaflets. From late summer to early
symptoms develop. (If you or your child is allergic to bees,
spring, the plant has clusters of white berries. If you come
ask your healthcare provider about prescribing an emergency
into contact with any of these plants, wash immediately with
kit and keep it handy when you are outdoors.) To avoid get-
soap and water. Rhuligel, an over-the-counter preparation,
ting stung in the first place, wear white or khaki-colored long-
may help ease itching, and Benadryl, an oral antihistamine,
sleeved shirts and long pants, avoid scented products and
may also bring relief. Note: Wash in chlorine-based detergent
shiny jewelry and never swat at a stinging insect.
any clothing that comes in contact with the plants.
HealthMatters | Summer 09
Your safe-trip checklist
N
othing spoils a vacation like unexpected health problems. Being prepared can take some of the sting out of getting sick while you’re away:
Lyme elimination If you’re planning a family hike, find out if the wooded
¸
Prepare a first-aid kit. Pack travel-size packages of your usual over-the-counter pain reliever, cold and stomach medicine or any other nonprescription drugs you are likely to need; adhesive bandages; antibacterial ointment; and soothing aloe-based lotions.
¸
Pack any prescription medications you take regularly. Carry a few extra doses in case you happen to be waylaid, and ask your doctor for a list of your regular prescriptions.
¸ ¸ ¸
Check medication labels for warnings that might affect outdoor fun. For example, some medications require that you stay out of the sun.
area you’ll be traveling to is Lyme disease country. Deer ticks carrying the virus hang out on plants and leaves close to the ground, so it’s easy to pick one up without realizing it. To avoid doing that, wear long-sleeved shirts and tuck pants legs into knee socks. If you develop flu-like symptoms or a red, bull’s-eye rash after an outing in a wooded area, see your doctor immediately. Taking antibiotics within the first 72 hours will stop the progression of Lyme disease, but if left untreated it can cause heart, joint or nervous system problems.
Road rules A summer road trip is an American tradition, but be careful not to overdo it. Take a five-minute break every hour to stretch your legs and help avoid
Take along a spare pair of eyeglasses or contact lenses, as well as a copy of your prescription. Ask your doctor for the name of a physician you can call while you’re at your vacation destination, if you have a chronic illness.
fatigue. If you know you’ll be driving through desolate territory, keep a cooler with provisions in your trunk and make sure you have basic safety equipment, such as flares, a spare tire and a jack. And, of course, don’t forget to make sure you and your kids buckle up!
get more tips!
F
or more tips on staying healthy this summer, visit www.aahps.com.
Summer 09 | HealthMatters
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healthy eating
Light summer pasta try this fresh, flavorful dish! • 8 ounces spaghetti or shells, cooked, cooled • 1 pound Italian plum tomatoes, chopped • 1/2 to 3/4 cup (2 to 3 ounces) cubed (1/4 -inch) reduced-fat mozzarella cheese • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves or 2 teaspoons dried basil • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley • garlic vinaigrette (recipe below) • olives (optional) Combine pasta, tomatoes, cheese and herbs in a bowl. Garlic vinaigrette (makes about 1/3 cup) • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 2 teaspoons minced garlic • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 1/8 teaspoon pepper Mix all ingredients. Pour vinaigrette over pasta mixture and toss. Add olives. Serves 4
what’s cooking?
F
ind more healthy recipes at www.armc.org—use the keyword search “Recipes for Healthy Eating.”
Per serving: 379 calories, 10.9 g total fat (2.7 g saturated), 7.5 mg cholesterol, 14.2 g protein, 56.8 g carbohydrates, 264 mg sodium Recipe adapted from 1,001 Delicious Recipes for People with Diabetes © 2001. Published by Surrey Books. Available from booksellers everywhere.