July26 13

AUGUSTA

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Y

es, it’s possible. We are, after all, living in the Garden of Eden, at least from the viewpoint of mosquitoes.

Remember earlier this summer when public health officials were telling us how to eliminate mosquito habitats? One news report that comes to mind was an interview a couple months ago with a member of the city of Augusta’s mosquito abatement team. He held a bottle cap in front of the camera and said, “Even this much water could provide a place for a female mosquito to lay her eggs.”

Well, that was then. This is now. And since then, about 900 zillion gallons of rainwater has fallen on the greater Augusta area.

Searching for bottle caps that might contain water would be like looking for pennies in streets paved with gold. There are puddles and ponds everywhere. It’s like Six Flags for mosquitoes around here.

Should we be concerned?

Mosquitoes are not our friends. The Medical Examiner has written about these little pests more than once. They infect about 700 million people with disease every year, killing more than 5 million each year via malaria alone.

The Augusta area has not been immune: last year there were deaths in the CSRA from West Nile virus.

The good news, though, is that the current local mosquito population explosion is happening among a variety of skeeter known as the Asian tiger mosquito. They’re annoying and they’re numbers are growing by the millions within Georgia, but another variety, the Southern house mosquito, is the main source of West Nile. Entomologists say numbers of Southern house mosquitoes are low in our area so far this year.

Even so, nobody wants a mosquito bite. What’s a body to do?

It may be water, water everywhere, but that’s no reason to ignore standing water. Stopped up gutters, buckets in the yard full of rainwater, old tires in an empty lot, all should be dry.

Mosquito repellents containing DEET are EPA-approved as safe and effective. Wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothing also seems to help prevent bites.

And then there’s this fan to the left.

Fans are great mosquito repellents for a number of reasons. For starters, not everyone enjoys slathering their skin with bug repellent chemicals. A fan is obviously chemical-free and low tech all the way.

But what good does it do?

One of the ways mosquitoes find us is through the carbon dioxide we exhale. Fans disperse CO2 and help make us invisible to mosquitoes. In addition, mosquitoes are very weak fliers. They are literally blown away by the air movement generated by a fan.

According to experts, oscillating fans work best, but a simple box fan works too. Any fan is better than nothing.

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JULY 26, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Seven up!

Editor’s note: Healthcare is a whole new ballgame with the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). How will healthcare providers be affected? What about patients?

And how about employers who provide health coverage as an employee benefit? How will Medicare and Medicaid recipients be affected? Look to this column for the answers.

J

uly of every year marks the Medical Examiner’s anniversary. Issue #1 was published on July 1, 2006, so we’re already into the second issue of year number seven. As always, many thanks are in order.

A publication is pretty worthless without loyal readers, and we are blessed with (conservatively) 30,000 readers every month. It is rare for a week to go by when we don’t get a handful of emails, phone calls and notes in the mail from readers. Thanks to you all, whether we’ve heard from you personally or not.

Another key ingredient: our advertisers. Without them and their loyal support, this paper would not exist. We value each and every one of them, and we hope readers do too. In fact, nothing is more important to the future of this newspaper than for readers and advertisers to make a connection.

It’s no accident that we run seemingly The best way to support the Medical Examiner is by unimportant filler ads like this one. These supporting our advertisers. reminders are extremely important.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT The Medical Examiner may be the only major publication in the CSRA which gets no advertising support from the big players in area healthcare: GRU, Doctors Hospital, Trinity, University, etc. We have never figured that one out, but it makes our existing advertisers and reader support for each of them all the more important.

One other talented group of people deserves our collective thanks: the writers who regularly contribute to these pages: Bad Billy Laveau, Helen Blocker Adams, Russell T. Head, Marcia Ribble, medical student correspondents Ross Everett and Caroline Colden, Medicare expert Trisha Whisenhunt, Pharmacy 411 columnists Chris and Lee Davidson, recently retired Ask a Dietitian columnist Cindy Elias, University Hospital’s dietetic interns and their “Don’t Lick the Beaters” feature, and Money Doctor Bill Cleveland.

Quite a list isn’t it? And we’re not done.

Our last issue featured a plea that is repeated again in this issue. It’s on page 6: as Uncle Sam would say, “I want you.” Yes, you. You! You have a story about some encounter with the medical profession we’d love to hear about for our feature “Medicine in the First Person.” We won’t publish your name if it’s something you want to keep confidential. It might be about you, your child, your grandparents, your spouse. It might be a story from last week or from thirty years ago. It’s all good. Thank you in advance.

And now, let’s head off together in the direction of our 8th anniversary! +

Like this newspaper?

HEALTHCARE REFORM & YOU

by Russell T. Head, CBC, CSA

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGING, PART 2 OF 2

T

he following list is a continuation of our last article outlining the upcoming PPACA/Healthcare Reform provisions that will be effective in 2014.

9. Deductibles - Deductibles for small group plans may not exceed $2,000 for an individual or $4,000 for a family beginning January 1, 2014. Note: HHS may allow a higher deductible if the plan meets minimum value requirements.

Russell Head 10. Out of Pocket Limits – Maximum out of pocket expenses for any group plan will be $6,350 for an individual and $12,700 for a family for the 2014 plan year.

11. Individual Mandate Tax Penalty – This requires individual consumers to have minimal health coverage for themselves and their family. Failure to do so will result in a monthly penalty tax.

12. Wellness Program Discounts – Employer health plans that offer a wellness program will be permitted to increase the incentive discount on employee paid premiums from 20% to 30%. A 50% premium discount can be offered for smoking cessation programs.

13. Clinical Trials – Health plans and insurance companies may not discriminate against an individual for participating in a clinical trial. The plan may not deny or impose additional conditions for an individual’s participation in a clinical trial.

14. Minimal Essential Coverage Reporting

for Employers – All employers offering minimal essential coverage will be required to file information on the plan with the IRS and the plan participants.

15. Medicaid Expansion – States have the option to offer Medicaid to all people who have incomes at or lower than 133% of the federal poverty level. States that participate in the Medicaid Expansion will be reimbursed their additional Medicaid costs by the federal government until 2017.

After that, reimbursements will decline.

If you are on a group health plan, expect to hear from your employer in the next few months about any changes they are making to the health plan before 2014.

Some of the carriers that offer health insurance in the Augusta area are offering early renewals for small groups that renew their current plan before January 1, 2014. If your employer is taking that option, they will be providing information to you about the benefits and costs As outlined, there are many changes that affect both individuals and group plan. Be aware of what you are required to do as a consumer, an employee or a business owner.

For further explanation of the ACA/ PPACA provisions outlined in this article, please refer to the following resources: www.hhs.gov www.irs.gov www.healthcare.gov www.cms.gov Russell T. Head is a Partner and Chief Visionary Architect with Group & Benefits Consultants, Inc., Augusta’s largest, privately held employee benefits consulting firm.

He can be reached at 706-733-3459 or rthead@gandbc.com. Visit Group & Benefits Consultants at www. groupandbenefits.com. +

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JULY 26, 2013

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

by Ross Everett

AMERICA: WHERE DYING IS OPTIONAL

A

s I begin writing this column, I am sure of one thing: I’m going to die. I sure hope it won’t be anytime soon, but it’s inevitable. I’ll get old [or so I hope]. I’ll get sick. I will die.

I’m not foolish enough to think some breakthrough in science will allow me to live forever.

And not to infringe on anyone’s beliefs or interpretations, but I don’t particularly subscribe to the credo that the good Lord will beam me right out of my scrubs one day, either. No, death is certain. While old Ben Franklin may have been spot on about taxes too, it’s death that I’m choosing to address.

It doesn’t take long to see it in our hospitals, either. Just a couple of weeks into my clinical years, I needed both hands to count the number of people that palliative care is probably the best option for, but whose family instead exhausts every other available measure. It’s sad to see. I recognize it’s a tough

situation for the family as well though, who feel like they owe it to their loved ones to cling to hope and ‘do everything they can.’

Yet, the numbers suggest most of these patients would be happier transitioning to some sort of palliative care. In fact, a study by Kaiser Permanente tracking patients through various end of life care options found that those who pursued palliative care reported a 15% increase in the satisfaction of their care during the last months of their lives.

It’s not that hard to imagine why. Many of those who pursue the anything-and-everything method live the last few months of their lives in the hospital.

They are in and out of the operating room, where they are cut and bruised. Catheters are shoved up from down below.

Various feeding and breathing tubes are shoved down from up above. I’ve already seen a patient lie to a doctor about

vomiting, just to avoid having a nasogastric tube in for a night.

Yet these are what families are calling on to be used for two weeks or more on the off chance their unresponsive family member will miraculously heal by then. While there are exceptions, it’s hard to imagine anyone wanting to live that way.

As I often point out in my articles, there’s a pretty significant economic component that exists as well for healthcare as a whole. As it exists now, approximately 25 cents out of every Medicare dollar is spent on services for the roughly 5% of Medicare patients in the last year of their life. That totaled to about $138 billion for 2012.

Patients who enrolled in palliative care averaged a 45% decrease in costs as compared to regular care patients. That’s nearly half!

For example, in looking at just a few major illnesses some of these Americans face, average costs for palliative care cancer patients averaged 35 percent lower than those who chose other option. A 67 percent decrease was seen for palliative care patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and a 52 percent decrease was seen for palliative care patients with congestive heart failure.

Hospice care is estimated to cut in the neighborhood of $2,400 per beneficiary. And these patients are happier! Yet,

SEE PAGE SIX

What’s your story?

Nearly all of us — even doctors and nurses — are sometimes patients. Perhaps you were recently injured playing your favorite sport, or years ago you somehow got hurt without even leaving your favorite recliner. Maybe you were diagnosed with a dreaded disease, mugged in a dark and lonely parking lot, or you stubbed your toe in the safety of your own bedroom. On the other hand, perhaps you needed medical attention 5,000 miles from home. Whatever your medical experience, we’d like to hear your story for our Medicine in the First Person feature. It can be frightening or funny, ordinary or extraordinary, just a few paragraphs long or quite a lengthy tale, bylined or anonymous. We’ll publish your encounters with the medical profession as often as we receive them. + Send your submissions for Medicine in the First Person to the Augusta Medical Examiner via e-mail: info@AugustaRx.com or to PO Box 397, Augusta, GA 30903-0397. (The Medical Examiner reserves the right to accept, reject, or edit any submission at its sole discretion.)

THE MONEY DOCTOR: FISCAL HEALTH SIX TIMES A YEAR

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The Medical Examiner’s mission: to provide information on topics of health and wellness of interest to general readers, to offer information to assist readers in wisely choosing their healthcare providers, and to serve as a central source of news within every part of the Augusta medical community.

Submit editorial content to graphicadv@knology.net Direct editorial and advertising inquiries to: Daniel R. Pearson, Publisher & Editor E-mail: Dan@AugustaRx.com Augusta Medical Examiner photography: H + D Photography www.handdphoto.com AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER P.O. Box 397, Augusta, GA 30903-0397

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Opinions expressed by the writers herein are their own and their respective institutions. Neither the Augusta Medical Examiner, Pearson Graphic 365 Inc., or its agents or employees take any responsibility for the accuracy of submitted information, which is presented for informational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnosis and treatment, consult your doctor.

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JULY 26, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Hope IS Possible

Shattered lives, but there is always HOPE

Helen Blocker-Adams

T

here is something special about Sunday mornings.

For one thing it’s the Lord’s day and a time to reflect on what has occurred in your life (good or bad) during the past week and to take a hopeful look towards the upcoming seven days. Sunday is the first day of the week and a jump start to what God has already laid out for you to see, accomplish, and experience. Some people wake up Sunday mornings with no

sense of hope and that is a sad thing to even consider.

Our mental health and mental well-being is being attacked every day whether we realize and accept it or not. Of course, there are many who can embrace the negative aspects of life and deal with it better than others.

And then there are sad times when I wake up Sunday mornings and either read a headline, watch the television news or read an email from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Department indicating there has been a killing, a homicide, domestic violence related or youth related or otherwise. This happened this past Sunday.

Reading something this tragic on any day is troubling, but on a Sunday morning it just breaks my heart. By the time you read this, information about this incident will have been all over the news and already forgotten by many. At the time of my writing this column, the names of the victims had not yet

been released. The suspect was identified, caught and suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

There are millions of people hurting all over the world.

Some do not realize they are hurting as badly as they are.

Sometimes that hurt results from an accumulation of circumstances, events, and just plain living with all of its ups and downs. We function in a way to get along and do what we have to do on a daily basis.

We smile, but on the inside the smile is nowhere to be found. I remember an old R&B song by The Temptations called “Smiling Faces Sometimes.” Some of you may remember it. It’s a classic.

Some of the lyrics are “smiling faces show no traces of the evil that lurks within....smiling faces sometimes they don’t tell the truth.....smiling faces tell lies and I’ve got proof.”

Those words really tell a story. The month of July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month and

Stay at home alternatives from the professionals at Right at Home “Right at Home” owners Celeste Hoffman and Kathy Crist introduce therapy dog Snickers to Mrs. Margaret Lista. Photo by Todd Lista.

For more information and a free in-home assessment, call

803-278-0250 or visit www.rightathome.net/csra.

Visit the Medical Examiner blog Rated a very cool 93.6 (on a scale of 100) by the an independent internet blog rating organization.* • Useful health information • Online full-color issues • Weekly Videocations of the Examiner that are • PSA of the Week typo-free (ok, let’s say typo• “I Hate Monday” reduced).

• Saturday “Pet Therapy” • Content that’s consistently • Periodic ad savings offers informative and entertaining www.AugustaRx.com/news

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just because we’re headed into August doesn’t mean that we allow this issue (no matter one’s skin color) to go away. Through this column, in part, I intend to keep the issues and diseases grouped under the mental health/mental illness umbrella on the forefront of people’s minds. It’s so important.

At our 6th annual breakfast last week, Dr. Sarah Vinson, psychiatrist and Founder of www.blackmentalhealthnet. com, gave an incredible speech.

She shared her story of how she decided to go into this profession.

Becoming a psychiatrist was the farthest from her mind until she witnessed situations in her family that led her to take notice of the grave problem and chronic negative stigma regarding mental illness. Visit her website for much more information on

her and what she’s doing to help reduce that stigma. She was inspirational to say the least.

And based on the comments of the nearly fifty people in attendance, she was the best speaker we’ve ever had.

My friends at NAMI Augusta have an incredible amount of resources at your disposal. You can visit the national website at www.nami.org.

So the next time you see someone smiling, don’t just assume all is well in their world.

Give them a smile back and an encouraging word. It may be just what they needed at that time. + Helen Blocker-Adams is Executive Director of the Southeast Enterprise Institute; mental health advocate; and youth advocate. You can reach her at hba@hbagroup-intl. com or visit her website at www. helenblockeradams.com

JULY 26, 2013

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

WHAT EVERYBODY OUGHT TO KNOW

I

ABOUT THE GREATEST BLUES SONG EVER WRITTEN

f I asked how many of you like blues songs, a big majority, if being totally honest, would respond in the semi-negative. You might say blues is more primitive than, or pales in comparison to, jazz, classical, rock, country, gospel, or whatever is your personal favorite.

Well, let me warp your mind with a little history.

John was financially successful, the driving force behind a solid and proven business. His employees followed his word diligently because he provided for them. He and his family sat in a prominent and preferred church pew. His wife and children doted on him. Society honored him. His social future was assured. He was judicially solid.

In short, he had it made in the shade.

But, no matter how he rationalized, deep down his soul struggled with the self-imposed suspicion of impending doom.

It hounded him incessantly, even in an Atlantic storm where he came to know fear first hand. John feared

not for his life. Nor did he fear for his ship filled with profits. He had ridden out worse storms before. As a sea captain, his seamanship was unquestioned.

But John felt fear in the sudden presence of God. He had followed the law. He had conformed to society. But still, guilt burdened him heavily.

God was not vindictive as He could have (or maybe should have) been. God did not send down lightning to terrify John’s soul or fry his body the way He did with the lost souls of Sodom and Gomorrah. Instead God gave a gift to mankind.

God put it upon John’s heart to write the first -- and best -- blues song ever written.

Blues, you say? Why would God bother with blues? And exactly what is blues?

Blues is when a good man (or woman) has fallen short and feels bad about it, but harbors a glimmer of hope for betterment, even when he knows he does not deserve it.

The first blues song ever written sprang from John’s heart like a bolt of lightning from a thunder cloud: full of

E

TH

Best fire and energy and clarity.

There was no doubting its power.

And this is where I change you non-believers forever. I shall write out the first and last verses of the greatest blues song ever written, so you can feel the power and strength John Newton felt in 1779 aboard a ship laden with slaves in the midst of an Atlantic storm. Back then slaving was an acceptable business whereby the English and Dutch bought slaves from Muslims in Africa and sold them in the New World.

Never mind that the slaves’ life expectancy went up by 50%. Slavery was a bad thing.

John Newton was a changed man. He quit the

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slave trade and spent the rest of his life and fortune working and fighting against the slave trade. He wrote dozens of quality religious songs. None captured the power and greatness of his first song.

Maybe God thought we needed only one blues song and that the thousands that followed were only cheap imitations. And by comparison they are.

Buckle your seat belts. This song will move you. If it does not stir your soul, I feel sorry for you.

Put in your mind the key of E and 2/4 time in the vein of Ray Charles.

Amazing Grace!

How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now I’m found, Was blind, but now I see.

When we’ve been there 10,000 years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ll have no less time To sing God’s praise Than when we first begun.

Yes, Amazing Grace is the first and, by far, the greatest blues song ever written.

Not only did God use John Newton to teach us the blues, God used Amazing Grace

to foretell the existence of black holes in the universe, a couple centuries before our greatest scientist put forth the black hole theory so clearly laid out in the last verse which describes black hole mechanics.

The gravitational pull within a black hole is so strong that when light enters a black hole, it cannot escape and remains there forever.

Therefore, the inside of a black hole must be “bright shining as the sun.” And because light cannot escape, time must stand still within the black hole as clearly pointed out in the last verse.

Think how wonderful Heaven must be as the angels sing backup when Ray Charles plays and sings Amazing Grace.

Yes, Dear Hearts, now you know the greatest blues song ever written.

And if you don’t think so, tonight when you speak with God, you tell God you don’t like his song. But let me know where you live so I can be miles away should He send down lightning to stir your soul. I have no interest in being collateral damage secondary to your disbelief. + Bad Billy Laveau is a retired MD with a pointed sense of humor.

Bad Billy speaks and entertains at public and private events for audiences not subject to cardiac seizure secondary to overwhelming laughter and glee BadBilly@knology.net or 706306-9397

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The Columbia County 2013 Back-toSchool Immunization Walk-in-Clinic Dates: July 29 - August 9, 2010 Times: 8:00 am - 3:30 pm Locations: 1930 William Few Parkway Grovetown, GA 30813 Telephone: 706-868-3330 Requirements for School ages 4-6 Years: • DTAP series • Hepatitis B series • Polio series • MMR (2 doses) • Varicella (2 doses) • Hepatitis A (If born on or after 01/01/06, 2 doses) Also Recommended for ages 11-12 years: • Meningococcal • Hepatitis A series • Tdap (Tetanus and Acellular Pertussis) • HPV series

JULY 26, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Requirements for School K4 & K5 • Hearing, Vision and Dental Screening (form 3300) * Students transferring to Georgia from another state must meet vaccine requirements for attending facilities and schools in Georgia.

Parent(s) must bring the child’s immunization record to the health department to be evaluated by the nurse for vaccine requirements to receive form 3121 for school entry. *

If you are new to our clinics, it is helpful to drop a copy of your child’s immunization records by prior to your visit so we may enter them in the State Immunization Registry System. This allows us to better serve you in a timely manner. +

The goal: fewer kids who look and feel like she does.

WIDE-EYED … from page 3 studies show these services are vastly underused and even underacknowledged by families and health care professionals, alike.

Hope is a powerful thing. It can, perhaps, be the greatest of things in those fighting illness and in the families around them.

Furthermore, no physician can ever say with absolute certainty what will and what will not work throughout the treatment of care. Nor are they capable of putting an expiration date on a sick person. Still, the reality is most of this care is unnecessary, and we can’t afford to keep giving it.

Many other countries have employed advisory boards—made up of numerous experts who use hard, scientific data that examines what treatments have evidence to support their effectiveness—to determine what an insurer will and will not cover in these situations. In America, we have coined the term “death panels” and are outraged at the thought of a bureaucracy of some sort refusing care. Unfortunately, unless our culture begins to grasp and embrace this certain and definitive aspect of life, we may not have many other options. In a 2012 study, researchers found that 69% of patients with metastatic lung cancer and 81% with metastatic colorectal cancer thought the chemotherapy regimen they were on might cure them. Medical science just can’t deliver those outcomes yet. It may always be hard when we only get this one life, to turn down care and embrace death.

But sitting here as I end this column, I’m sure it’s going to happen to all of us, and it’s a conversation worth having. + Ross Everett is a 2nd year medical student at the Medical College of Georgia. He grew up in Buford, Georgia and graduated from the University of Georgia in 2011. In addition to his coursework, he is interested in health policy, health systems and health management.

Please contact him at wideeyedwhitecoat@gmail.com and Like him on Facebook at Wide-Eyed White Coat.

WE’RE BEGGING YOU

We’re never too proud to beg. What we’re begging for is Medicine in the First Person stories. Our last three have been sent in by the same person, bless her heart. This is odd because everybody has a story of something health or medicine-related, and lots of people have many stories. With your help we can make this a feature in every issue of the Medical Examiner. Send your interesting (or even semi-interesting) stories to the Medical Examiner, PO Box 397, Augusta, GA 30903 or e-mail to Dan@AugustaRx.com. Thanks!

“The cause was a mystery for a long time.”

“And that’s when I fell.” nearest hospital “He doesn’t remember a thing.” “The was 30 miles away.”

“I was a battlefield medic.” “He was just two when he died.”

“OUCH!”

“It was a terrible tragedy.” “She saved “I sure learned my lesson.”

“I retired from medicine my life.” “It seemed like a miracle.” seven years ago.” “We had triplets.” “It was my first year “I thought, ‘Well, this is it’.” NOTHING SEEMED of medical school.”

“They took me to the hospital by helicopter.” TO HELP, UNTIL. . “It took 48 stitches.”

ambulance crashed.”

“Now THAT hurt!” “The “My leg was broken “I’m not supposed to be alive.”

“This was on my third day in Afghanistan.” in three places.”

“I lost 23 pounds.” “Turned out it was just indigestion.”

“At first I thought it was something I ate.” “The smoke detector woke me up.”

Everybody has a story. Tell us yours.

Here’s our “No Rules Rules.” We’ll publish your name and city, or keep you anonymous if you wish. Length? Up to you. Subject? It can be a monumental medical event or just a stubbed toe. It can make us laugh or make us cry. One thing we’re not interested in, however: please, no tirades against a certain doctor or hospital. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

JULY 26, 2013

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Southern Girl Eats Clean

Clean & Healthy Potato Salad

To say that Southerners love potato salad is an understatement. It’s been served at every family reunion, pot luck, church picnic and barbeque I’ve ever attended. Potato salad is a part of our traditions. We all have our secret family recipe for potato salad and most all of them are made with Duke’s mayonnaise.

I am no different, I LOVE potato salad too. My addiction to potato salad is a problem. Why? Because now that I’ve cleaned up my diet, mayonnaise is no longer my friend. I have missed potato salad. Mayonnaise is an un-healthy fat and we try to avoid that in our house now. I know, I know.... you are thinking, “How could anyone not eat Duke’s anymore?” It’s actually very simple. I want to put things into my body that are healthy and nutritional. We are what we eat, right? Plus, I have found different ways to replace mayonnaise with foods that add more nutrition and are just as packed with flavor.

This potato salad recipe is pretty much the same as the one that I used to make, minus the eggs and mayo. I replaced the Duke’s with a healthy, clean ranch dressing recipe I found at www.mywholefoodlife. com. This is another blog that is a great source for whole foods and clean eating. I changed the recipe for the ranch dressing just a little from their version. I added more garlic, parsley and chives, giving it a little green tint, similar to a Green Goddess dressing. This result is amazing and can also be used on a salad, or you can make it a bit thicker to use as a dip for veggies and as a spread for sandwiches.

Ingredients: • 7 or 8 organic red skin potatoes, washed and cut into quarters, skins left on.

• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped • ½ to ¾ cup of Vidalia onion, finely chopped (according to your taste) • 2 Tbsp. of chopped sweet pickles, juice drained off (I use Earth Fare Organic brand, low sugar) • 1 tsp. of cracked black pepper • 1 cup of cashews • ½ - 1 cup of water... approximately • ¼ cup of organic almond milk (I use Pacific brand) • 4 cloves of garlic, crushed • 3 Tbsp. of chives, finely chopped • 3 Tbsp. of parsley, finely chopped • 3 tsp. of white wine vinegar • 2 tsp. of Real Salt, more or less to taste Instructions: • Place the cashews in a small bowl and cover with water. Place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours (or overnight) to soak.

• Place potatoes in a 3 quart pan and cover slightly with water.

• Add ½ tsp. of Real Salt to water and bring water to a boil over medium to high heat.

• Boil potatoes until they are done, approximately 8-10 minutes. Check with a fork to see when they are done. Do not

E CK OUT TH COME CHE

!

A T S U G U A N I S D BEST BAN

overcook.

• Remove from heat, drain and place in a large mixing bowl to cool.

• Once potatoes have cooled, place in the refrigerator for at least an hour. This will keep potatoes firm when you are ready to incorporate the other ingredients.

• Remove potatoes from the refrigerator and cut in to small cubes (approximately ½ inch pieces) • Add chopped celery, chopped Vidalia onion and sweet pickles to the bowl.

• Add salt and pepper to bowl with the vegetables and stir to mix all ingredients.

• To make the dressing.... remove cashews from the refrigerator, drain water off and rinse.

• Place soaked cashews in a

high speed blender along with just enough water to cover the cashews. Blend for 1-2 minutes.

• Place all other ingredients (almond milk, garlic, chives, parsley and vinegar) into the blender and blend for an additional 1-2 minutes.

• Pour ½ cup to 1 cup of the dressing over the potatoes, celery and onion and toss gently to coat all ingredients.

• Serve at room temperature or chilled slightly if you prefer.

Alisa Rhinehart writes the blog www. southerngirleatsclean.com She is a working wife and mother living in Evans, Georgia. Visit her blog for more recipes and information on clean eating. +

W H E R E G R E AT F O O D R O C K S .

AUGUSTA 706-364-WILD

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3035 WASHINGTON ROAD

| W W W. W I L D W I N G C A F E . C O M

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+8

P harmacy 411

OUR NEWSSTANDS Medical locations: • Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Ctr, 15th St., Main Entrance • Dept. of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Uptown Div., Wrightsboro Rd., main lobby • Doctors Hospital, 3651 Wheeler Rd, ER Lobby Entrance • Doctors Hospital, 3651 Wheeler Rd, Employee Entrance (near the Joseph M. Still Burn Center entrance) • Eisenhower Hospital, Main Lobby, Fort Gordon • George C. Wilson Drive (by medical center Waffle House and mail boxes) • GHSU Hospital, 1120 15th Street, South & West Entrances • GHSU Medical Office Building, Harper Street, Main Entrance • GHSU Medical Office Building, Harper Street, Parking Deck entrance • GHSU Hospital, Emergency Room, Harper Street, Main Entrance • GHSU Children’s Medical Center, Harper Street, Main Lobby • GHSU, Laney-Walker Boulevard transit stop, Augusta • Select Specialty Hospital, Walton Way, Main entrance lobby • Trinity Hospital, Wrightsboro Road, main lobby by elevators • Trinity Hospital Home Health, Daniel Village, main lobby • University Health Federal Credit Union/ University Hospital Human Resources, 1402 Walton Way, Main Lobby • University Hospital, 1350 Walton Way, Emergency Room lobby area • University Hospital, 1350 Walton Way, Outside Brown & Radiology/Day Surgery • University Hospital - Columbia County, 465 N. Belair Road, Main Lobby • University Hospital Prompt Care, 3121 Peach Orchard Road, Augusta

Around town:

WOULD PHARMACY BE A GOOD JOB FOR ME?

P

harmacy is a diverse field of jobs stretching from retail to clinical jobs, with some research and consulting jobs thrown in to make things interesting.

The basic knowledge and skills to get your pharmacy degree start out the same, and then you are free to delve into whatever facet of pharmacy you wish. For the most part pharmacy jobs are ranked high on the pay scale overall and pharmacy is listed as one of the nation’s best jobs.

This being said, the number of schools and pharmacy students are increasing yearly and are threatening to flood the market with job seekers.

This does not mean that a person should not seek a career in pharmacy, but that you should be prepared to seek specialty training and try to find ways to make yourself

unique to employers. This will make you a more marketable commodity.

The traditional pharmacy job is a retail pharmacist working in a drugstore. This requires a mix of skills so that you can run the store, offer advice to patients on medical issues and connect with your customers. So people skills are required in addition to medical knowledge in this situation.

Other jobs, like working as a dispensing pharmacist at a mail order pharmacy may require the same medical knowledge but little face-toface interaction with your customers. Some people may prefer this environment.

Hospitals offer a variety of jobs for pharmacists that may or may not include patient interaction. Clinical jobs in a hospital include medication

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Very little if anything about healthcare is inexpensive, and that includes medicine. Tiny pills can command large prices. Over-the-counter medications may be less expensive, but are they also less effective? Find the answers to lots of your drug store questions in this column written

by Augusta pharmacists Chris and Lee Davidson exclusively for the Medical Examiner.

Ohio Ave.

• Barney’s Pharmacy, 2604 Peach Orchard Rd. • Birth Control Source, 1944 Walton Way • GRU Summerville Student Bookstore • Blue Sky Kitchen, 990 Broad Street • Columbia County Library, main branch lobby, Ronald Reagan Drive, Evans • Enterprise Mill (North Tower), 1450 Greene Street, Augusta • Daniel Village Barber Shop, Wrightsboro Road at Ohio Ave. • Hartley’s Uniforms, 1010 Druid Park Ave, Augusta • International Uniforms, 1216 Broad Street, Augusta • Marshall Family Y, Belair Rd, Evans • Mellow Mushroom, 12th and Broad Streets, Augusta • Southside Family Y, Tobacco Road, Augusta • Surrey Center, Surrey Center Pharmacy, Highland Avenue, Augusta • Top-Notch Car Wash, 512 N. Belair Road, Evans • Wild Wing Cafe, 3035 Washington Road, Augusta

JULY 26, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Wrightsboro Road

management and monitoring and may require an advanced level of medication knowledge.

Anyone considering a pharmacy career should check with people working in each field and see which field sounds the most interesting. A few days spent investigating different jobs will pay off in job satisfaction in the long run. Another way for a highschool student to get their feet wet in pharmacy is to get a job as a pharmacy technician and see the job from the inside.

Within the next seven to eight years there are expected to be an additional sixtyfive to seventy thousand pharmacist jobs added in this country. While that sounds like a lot, there are a number of pharmacy schools putting students out into the workplace so remember the earlier comment about marketing yourself.

The rapidly aging population is adding to the need for pharmacists as is more medication management activities. This activity involves extensive research into a patient’s medication history and working oneon-one to eliminate wasted money and potential drug problems such as side effects and interactions.

Entry levels salaries for pharmacists have risen sharply in the last couple of

decades. This is beneficial to new graduates as they can start making for graduates from ten years ago took years to reach. As a pharmacist a position in the retail setting pays better but has some drawbacks like standing on your feet all day and the possibility of a robbery.

Hospital positions may pay less but in recent years some hospitals have narrowly the pay gap considerably.

This is especially true in the government sector such as the VA and military hospitals.

Depending on the job you select there may be numerous other benefits and chances for promotion.

Just remember that a pharmacy position is a great responsibility in addition to a good source of income.

A pharmacist is responsible for protecting the health and welfare of each and every patient he or she encounter each day. This requires the ability to be serious when the job requires it. Anyone considering a career in pharmacy should talk to your family pharmacist about what to expect. + Written for the Medical Examiner

by Augusta pharmacists Chris and Lee Davidson (cjdlpdrph@bellsouth.net If you have any questions, comments or article suggestions please email us at cjdlpdrph@bellsouth.net

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JULY 26, 2013

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Event supports smokefree campaign

D

30

WHAT: “Smokefree Voices for Augusta� A free concert and supporter rally for the BreathEasy Augusta campaign, which is advocating for smokefree workplaces in Augusta.

WHEN: Tuesday, July 30, from 6 to 9 p.m.

MATERNITY

uring 30 years of performing in smoky clubs and other venues, Augusta entertainer Tony Howard has needed three surgeries on his vocal cords. His doctor attributed those throat issues to the singer’s constant exposure to secondhand smoke.

That’s why today Howard tries to choose smokefree venues whenever he can. And it’s also why he and others like him are supporting a campaign for smokefree workplaces in Augusta.

On Tuesday, July 30, Howard and a few of his friends, including Playback’s Tutu D’Vyne, The Motowners and Mike Swift, will host a special concert in support of BreathEasy Augusta at Applebee’s, 3117 Washington Rd. During the free event, all JULY those interested in smokefree workplaces in TUESDAY Augusta are invited to show their support, sign up for upcoming BreathEasy Augusta events and more.

To find out more about BreathEasy Augusta or how you can help, visit www.BreathEasyAugusta. org or like www.facebook.com/BreathEasyAugusta.

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WHERE: Applebee’s, 3117 Washington Rd. WHY: According to a report by the U.S. Surgeon General, there is no safe level of secondhand smoke. Workers, in particular, who are employed by businesses where smoking is allowed, can be exposed to secondhand smoke for up to eight hours a day, causing numerous health problems. Workers shouldn’t have to sacrifice their health for a job.

In addition, patrons appreciate smokefree environments.

Overwhelmingly, bars and restaurants in other cities who have adopted smokefree ordinances have found that business improves. +

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2 Borrowers should note that 100% mortgage financing will result in no property equity until such time as the loan principal is paid down through regular mortgage payments and/or the property value appreciates. Additionally, if property values decline you could owe more than your property’s value.

3 A down payment may be required if the property is located in a declining market.

4 Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) products have interest rates that may increase after consummation.

The information contained herein is intended as informational material for the sole and exclusive use of the business entities to which it was distributed and is subject to change without written notice.

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+ 10

JULY 26, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Don’t Lick the Beaters and other interesting food facts

by dietetic interns with University Hospital’s Augusta Area Dietetic Internship Program

I

BERRY YOUR HEALTH

t is nothing new that berries — strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, and so on — in their natural and whole state are an excellent source of nutrition. Berries are low in calories, good sources of fiber, vitamin and minerals which are all great. What is even better about berries and what I love about them are their powerful antioxidant properties.

Antioxidants are important in a healthy diet because they act against the damaging effects of free radicals.

Free radicals occur daily in our bodies, but with the consumption of the right kinds of foods we counteract these damage causing agents.

What exactly are free radicals? Free radicals develop from the following environmental and/or lifestyle factors: • Poor Diet • Drugs • Smoking

• Pollution • Stress • Aging • Infection Free radicals are released from healthy cells due to the above factors. They become free to roam and act negatively upon our bodies cells, tissues, vessels, and organs within our body. Free radicals can even damage our DNA, causing drastic changes that could lead to cancer. This is a slow degenerative process, so it’s not something anyone will notice overnight, but rather months if not years into your life. Fortunately, antioxidants disrupt this process with berries being the major and most potent sources of antioxidants.

Berries contain powerful antioxidants such as vitamin C, and polyphenols like anthocyanins and tannins.

Vitamin C needs no introduction, as it is a wellknown component in citrus

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fruits (giving them their acidity) but it is also found in berries. Anthocyanins are what gives berries their red, blue, purple, and violet colors.

Tannins give berries and red wine their tart flavor. There are many more antioxidant compounds in berries that I have not mentioned, but the point is that they all act to stop the damaging effects of free radicals. Each different antioxidant compound has a different mechanism within the body and it would be too lengthy to state what each one’s path of action is. Instead, it’s better to state the benefits on a broader scale. Looking at the big picture, antioxidants in berries are directly linked to therapeutic effects of being cardioprotective, anti-atherosclerotic, anticarcinogenic, neuroprotective, and improving dermal health.

Berry’s antioxidant properties interrupt the development of plaque build up within our blood vessels which is one of the main culprits of developing heart disease and hardening of our arteries (atherosclerosis).

The LDL cholesterol is the “lousy” fat that floats within our blood and soon builds up on the side of our blood vessels. This narrows blood vessel possibly leading to a heart attack if we get too much build-up before there is an intervention. Antioxidants find these lousy fats and prevent them from sticking to the walls

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of blood vessels. This action helps maintain blood flow and flexibility of arterial walls.

Antioxidants have the ability to neutralize various cancerous compounds at the site of digestion. This means they stop these hideous compounds before even entering the blood system. Unfortunately, many carcinogens are still able to enter into our blood system.

Once in our blood system, carcinogens have the ability to alter DNA, turning healthy cells into cancerous ones. This could become rampant and cancerous cells would multiply and spread. Antioxidants continue to work and find cancerous cells and inhibit their growth within our body’s blood system. This either slows or stops the disease process.

Believe it or not, the majority of our brain is made up of fats which is a good thing. These fats within our brains undergo factors that create free radicals the same way other parts of our bodies do. Our brains need protection in order to maintain optimal neurological function. The consumption of antioxidants from berries has been shown to assist in releasing the neurotransmitter dopamine which is lacking in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). This may not prevent the development of PD but may delay the onset of it. It also is suggested that antioxidants have beneficial effects on memory and learning. So maybe berries will even help you remember where you left your cell phone or car keys!

They at least help preserve what memory we do have.

Finally, antioxidants aid in skin or dermal health by acting as anti-aging agents.

Antioxidants such as vitamin C in berries are needed for collagen formation. If you are not familiar with collagen, it is

a protein forming connective tissue within our bodies and is an essential component of skin development and maintenance.

It gives our skin strength.

Inevitably as we age or expose ourselves to harmful agents, wrinkles begin to develop.

This process can be delayed by consuming foods like berries rich in antioxidants. So instead of spending hundreds of dollars on anti-aging lotions, elixirs, serums, or even more drastic measures, just take a stroll down the produce aisle, farmers market, or go berry picking.

Just as there are many different kinds of antioxidants within berries, the benefits are just as extensive. I have only mentioned a few and gone into some details on how berries’ antioxidant properties benefit our health. Other benefits include but are not limited to promoting eye health, aiding in diabetic health, acting as antiinflammatory agents, and many more.

So get up, get moving and get some berries! Now is the time that the majority of them are in season. It is during this time that they are plentiful, plump, sweet and succulent.

And when winter comes, there is no excuse for not getting your berries in as there are excellent berry selections in the frozen food aisle. Just remember to get the frozen berries that have no sugar added to them. The added sugar contributes to unnecessary calorie consumption. The frozen berries contain the same nutritional content as fresh ones since they are picked at peak ripeness, cleaned, and flash frozen.

So get some berries and go ahead and “BERRY YOUR HEALTH” on a daily basis. + — by Judy No University Hospital Dietetic Intern

OUR NEXT ISSUE: AUG. 9

JULY 26, 2013

11 +

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

The blog spot — Posted October 19, 2009 at wired.com

HOW TO WIN ANTI-VACCINE ARGUMENTS “The anti-immunization crowd clings to well-worn myths.

Arm yourself with facts.

MYTH 1: Vaccines cause autism.

FACT: Until 2001, some childhood vaccines included thimerosal, a preservative containing ethylmercury. (Thimerosal isn’t gone from all vaccines — it’s still present in some influenza formulations. But none of the vaccines routinely required for school admission contains thimerosal as a preservative.)

Mercury, of course, can cause neurological damage. But there’s scientific consensus that the amount once used in vaccines — around 50 micrograms per 0.5-ml dose — was far short of toxic. And autism rates have continued to climb, suggesting that there’s either a different cause or, more likely, that a better understanding of the condition has increased diagnoses. A comprehensive review of the research, conducted in 2004 by the prestigious Institute of Medicine, found no evidence of a connection between vaccines and autism. None.

“The Anti-Anti-Shot Argument”

MYTH 2: Vaccines are no longer necessary, because the diseases are no longer a threat.

FACT: The opposite is true. Because of vaccines, diseases that once killed millions are now invisible. But if only a few families stop vaccinating, the illnesses could reemerge in a community.

And the diseases are horrible — mumps and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) cause meningitis, which can lead to deafness, epilepsy, and cognitive impairment. Measles can lead to encephalitis, blindness, and death.

MYTH 3: Scientists are divided about the safety of vaccines.

FACT: By any measure of scientific consensus, there is total agreement: Vaccines are safe, effective, and necessary. Twelve studies have shown that the measles/mumps/rubella vaccine is safe. Many other studies have disproved the theory that the Hib shot is toxic. The few dissenters get lots of attention, but it’s always the same old names.

MYTH 4: Aluminum in vaccines is just as toxic as mercury.

FACT: Aluminum, the most common metal in nature, is perfectly safe in small amounts. (A dose of antacid has about 1,000 times as much as a vaccine does.) Aluminum salts are used in vaccines to increase antibody response. They make it possible to use less vaccine less often.

MYTH 5: Giving too many vaccines overwhelms a child’s immune system.

FACT: This argument echoes the “too much of a good thing” chestnut, but there’s no science behind it. With millions of vaccines administered every year, a handful of allergic reactions do happen. But severe cases are so rare that the CDC cannot calculate a statistical risk for the population — the numbers are just too small.

MYTH 6: Vaccines cause diabetes.

FACT: This idea relies on the flawed work of one doctor, who gathered data on a slew of vaccines and failed to follow standard study protocols. No other study — including those using the same data — could reproduce the results. The CDC and the Institute of Medicine have both dismissed any possible link. This argument also ignores the obvious and well-established fact that diabetes rates in children are climbing because obesity rates are climbing.” +

From THE Bookshelf We live in a very very noisy world. And it isn’t all audible.

There is a constant din of background “noise” from texting, email, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and dozens of other sources. In olden times, newspaper columnists had a voice; Paul Harvey had a voice; Austin Rhodes has a voice. Today, everyone does.

And then there’s literal noise. Television. Muzak.

Ipods and ear buds. Radio.

Author Susan Cain is not content with the noisy status quo. Her bestseller Quiet is the manifesto for a world drowning in its own cacophony of voices.

She explores the historic era a hundred years ago when the loud and brash person became the model for the ideal shaker and mover.

There’s just one problem.

Quiet is an absolute necessity. For everybody.

Including people like musicians who make their living from sound. Beethoven didn’t write his masterpieces with a radio or TV blaring in the background, right?

(Forgive the flawed analogy, but you get the point.)

We need quiet to innovate.

cards.

• If you’re an introvert, staying true to your temperament is the key to finding work you love and work that matters.

• Everyone shines, given the right lighting. For some, it’s a Broadway spotlight, for others, a lamplit desk.

• “Quiet leadership” is not an oxymoron.

We need to celebrate the quiet colleague, the quiet boss, the silent partner. There’s a word for people who are “in their heads” too much: thinkers.

That’s just one of many wise maxims this book brings to light: • Our culture rightly admires risk-takers, but we need our “heed-takers” more than ever.

• Solitude is a catalyst for innovation.

• Texting is popular because in an overly extroverted society, everyone craves asynchronyous, non-face-toface communication.

• Rule of thumb for networking events: one genuine new relationship is worth a fistful of business

Many of us have probably worked for someone whose management style was yelling. People who cannot make a major point without cursing or yelling are, unfortunately, not an endangered species.

That doesn’t mean that quiet and introverted people cannot be good leaders — or simply good and valued employees. Cain extols the virtues of the introvert, and it’s a message many of us need to hear.

As Gandhi expressed it, ”In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” + Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain, 368 pages, published in January 2013 by Broadway Books

the

Music cuts needle stress Reuters Health reported July 20 on a Canadian study which demonstrated that children were less stressed when IV needles were being inserted if music was being played in the room during the procedure.

Among the 42 children aged 3 to 11 in the study, the music group reported experiencing half as much distress during the IV insertion as the non-music group.

Asked to measure pain levels, the non-musical group said their pain increased by two points on a zero-toten scale, while the music listeners reported no increase in pain.

Healthcare providers who were involved in the study also said the IV insertions were more often “very easy” in the musical group compared with doing the same procedure in a quiet room.

Clipping File

The Great Stairs Debate On the heels of New York City’s Great Soda Cup Reduction Initiative, mayor Michael Bloomberg has issued an executive order requiring city agencies to promote the use of stairs for all renovations and new construction.

As reported by a cynic at Gawker.com, “A 150-lb person must climb stairs for 6 hours and 30 minutes to burn the amount of calories in 1 lb of body fat.”

Does that mean the mayor’s newest initiative is a waste of time and mayoral ink?

Far from it. Weight loss is not the only benefit derived from physical exercise: improved muscle tone, better cardiovascular health, and enhanced balance are just the beginning of the benefits. It’s usually quicker to take the stairs than an elevator, too.

The mayor’s encouragement may not result in anyone burning the calories in 1 lb of body fat, but even a little exercise is better than none.

Thinking locally, the Examiner is reminded of the contrast between two area hospitals: University and Doctors. Walk in University Hospital’s main entrance and you’re greeted with a wide staircase leading to the second floor. At Doctor’s Hospital, by contrast, it’s not easy to find stairs even if you’re searching for one.

Bloomberg is simply saying that by design, buildings should at least offer the option to take the stairs. We agree.

Ex-smokers score The Wall Street Journal reports that two federal research economists in Atlanta have found that smokers who have been fag-free for at least a year earn more than smokers — and more than people who have never smoked.

Smokers earn only about 80 percent of nonsmokers’ wages. People who have never smoked earn about 95 percent of the hourly wages of former smokers. +

+ 12

JULY 26, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE EXAMiNERS

THE MYSTERY WORD

+

by Dan Pearson

Nurse, we need to They both work. I think reach this young one of them is a child’s parents. night-shift janitor.

We need to reach one of them right Let’s see.. here’s the away. contact info..

I would hate to wake up a day sleeper.

No problem. I’ll call the non-custodial parent.

THE EXAMiNERS

The Mystery Word for this issue: MAITTEYNR

+

PUZZLE

ACROSS 1. Bobby Jones’ favorite car?

5. Louisiana area 10. NASCAR detergent?

14. Common code 15. Hipbone 16. Like fine wine 17. Tubular pasta 19. Standard for stubbornness 20. Bush Field abbrev.

21. Like some expressions 22. Principal 23. Chooses 25. Type of gun?

27. Lower digit 28. “21st Century ____ Man” (King Crimson album) 32. This should be replaced at the Augusta National 35. Country lad (poet.)

36. Rap Dr. 37. ____ Corner 38. Pound, like a speaker 39. Type of skullcap 40. Fled 41. ______ College 42. Aromatic herb 43. Coming into prominence 45. Leg (slang) 46. Monetary unit of Iran 47. Lost glass shoe 51. Wound aftermath 53. Marathon host city 56. Where The Wild Things___ 57. Dark Angel star 58. Extremely nervous; tense 60. Void preceder 61. Birthmark 62. 15-A plural 63. Brave and noble action 64. Public ______ 65. Scottish Celt

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Click on “Reader Contests”

QUOTATION PUZZLE

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VISIT WWW.AUGUSTARX.COM TO ENTER!

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All Mystery Word finders will be eligible to win by random drawing.

We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!

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N I E E A G H

— Lord Chesterfield

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2013 All rights reserved

DIRECTIONS: Recreate a timeless nugget of wisdom by using the letters in each vertical column to fill the boxes above them. Once any letter is used, cross it out in the lower half of the puzzle. Letters may only be used once.

Black squares indicate spaces between words, and words may extend onto a second line.

Solution on page 14.

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2013 All rights reserved. Built in part with software from www.crauswords.com

DOWN 1. Confronts 2. Deliver a speech 3. Of the kidneys 4. Dr. Rahn 5. Make a pupil grow 6. Downtown Augusta street 7. Large cat 8. Melody 9. Central part of a ship 10. Tenth month of the Jewish calendar 11. Dinosaur type 12. Pastrami purveyor 13. Paradise 18. Disney prototype community (abbrev.)

24. English public school 26. Canned metal 28. Moved back and forth 29. Arrived 30. A pupil’s surrounding 31. Openly oppose 32. Type of devil?

B T S A

33. Officiating priest of a mosque 34. Worthy of respect and reverence 35. Front of the lower leg 38. Coccyx 39. _____ Gordon (years ago) 41. Tour that visits annually 42. Contaminate 44. Off-color 45. Slick 47. Sweep across strings 48. Ms. Abdul 49. “Mr. Cub” to friends 50. _______ Cinemas 51. Tiger trap?

52. Hint 54. Baking chamber 55. Masters champ Ballesteros 59. Fraudulently manipulate

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by Daniel R. Pearson © 2013 All rights reserved. Built with software from www.crauswords.com

U D O K U

DIRECTIONS: Every line, vertical and horizontal, and all nine 9-square boxes must each contain the numbers 1 though 9. Solution on page 14.

Solution p. 14

Use the letters provided at bottom to create words to solve the puzzle. All the listed letters following 1 are the 1st letters of each word; the letters following 2 are 2nd letters of each word, and so on. Try solving words with letter clues or numbers with minimal choices listed. A sample is shown. Solution on page 14.

1 B 1

M P 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 2 3 4 P U 1 2 3 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

T H 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 4

5

6

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— Author Rex Stout

9

1.BGNPPAS 2.LOUUEE 3.TTTRES 4.SPASH 5.SIRI 6.NAIM 7.SING 8.SET 9.ST

SAMPLE:

1. ILB 2. SLO 3. VI 4. NE 5. D =

L 1

O 2

V 3

E 4

I 1

S 2

B 1

L 2

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by Daniel R. Pearson © 2013 All rights reserved

WORDS NUMBER

1

© 2013 Daniel Pearson All rights reserved.

EXAMINER CROSSWORD

Simply unscramble the letters, then begin exploring our ads. When you find the correctly spelled word hidden in one of our ads — enter at AugustaRx.com

JULY 26, 2013

13 +

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE BEST MEDICINE ha... ha...

A

man told his doctor that as he was getting older he just wasn’t able to do all the things around the house that he used to do. He was worried that something might be wrong.

The doctor checked him over thoroughly, then sighed and said his examination was complete.

The man cut in and said, “Now doc, I can take it straight. Tell me in plain English what’s wrong with me.”

“Well, in plain English,” the doctor replied, “you’re just lazy.”

“All right then,” said the man. “Now give me the medical term so I can tell my wife.”

What’s the difference between a general practitioner and a specialist?

One treats what you have, the other thinks you have what he treats.

Did you hear about the nurse who died and went straight to hell? It took her two weeks to realize that she wasn’t still at work.

What‘s the difference between a nurse and a nun?

A nun only serves one God.

Jack: “My brother was sick and went to the doctor.”

John: “Is he feeling better now?”

Jack: “No, he has a broken arm, two broken legs and three cracked ribs.”

John: “What on earth happened?”

Jack: “The doctor gave him a prescription and told him to follow that prescription no matter what. Well, when he left the doctor, he stopped by his apartment before he went to the drug store. While he was there a breeze blew the prescription out the window.”

John: “His third floor apartment?”

Jack: “Right. And, just like the doctor told him, he followed the prescription.”

Patient: Doctor, will this ointment clear up these red, itchy spots?

Doctor: I never make rash promises.

An older gentleman was on the operating table awaiting surgery and he insisted that his son, a renowned surgeon who had recently married, perform the operation.

As they were about to administer anesthesia, the man asked to speak to his son.

“Yes, dad, what is it?”

“Don’t be nervous, son; do your best and just remember, if it doesn’t go well, if something happens to me and I don’t make it, I want you to know I’ve arranged for your mother to come live with you and your wife.”

Woman: Doctor, I think my dog’s going blind!

Vet: I’m going to have to put him down.

Woman: Oh no! Just for being blind? Why? Vet: Because he’s too heavy for me to hold! +

Why subscribe to the Medical Examiner?

Because no one should have to make a trip to the doctor or the hospital just to read Augusta’s Most Salubrious Newspaper.

+ +

SUBSCRIBE TO THE MEDICAL EXAMINER

The Patient’s Perspective

by Marcia Ribble

F

or all the good doctors can do in helping us to gain and maintain health as we age, there are certain kinds of health-inducing processes and procedures which are solely the responsibility of patients. We can choose the perspectives we seek that inform who we are choosing to become as we age.

One commonly claimed “truth” is that as we age we lose our sense of curiosity. But that certainly isn’t true of all of us.

For many seniors, curiosity is an ongoing driver of how we continue to live into old age.

Many seniors, even as we lose some forms of physical ability, nonetheless remain curious and interested in the world around us.

For some people, that means taking up the less strenuous activity of reading, going off on literary adventures all over the world, unfettered by limbs that no longer are able to climb all the steps of the Parthenon, the Capitol in DC, or the pyramids of Tegucigalpa.

Georgia’s PBS station offers trips to the Georgia barrier islands, and the lives lived in places like Downton Abby.

HGTV will take us on homebuying or renting adventures all over the world. We get up in the morning never knowing for sure where we will go or what we will learn along the way.

Those adventures can pique our curiosity further, and send us off to the computer to investigate more questions developing from our need to know more. How many steps does it take to climb to the top of the Sainte Anne de Beaupre shrine in Quebec? Can we imagine climbing them from the hundreds of photos available online? My Irish Catholic grandmother Marcia Duffy went there, climbed and prayed the steps, a Hail Mary for each step.

But one of the greatest blessings of curiosity is to

Talk is cheap.

Not talking can be deadly.

simply go through life aware of its many unexpected pleasures.

Yesterday, as I was going into the house with some mail and a few groceries, I noticed that some enterprising birds had borrowed my (oops) not-yetput-away Christmas wreath and tucked a brand new nest in the curve at the bottom. It’s a great location, sheltered from sun and storms, and usually quiet even though it’s on the front door. Inside the nest, made mainly with pine straw, they laid three tiny eggs, not much more than an inch long, tiny, perfect, little, off-white eggs. One of my friends, seeing it today for the first time, noted that he thought God put it there for me to enjoy. I am enjoying it. I will continue to enjoy it and look forward to all the changes coming to nest, nestlings, and their parents.

Having something to look forward to is wonderfully healing. It incites joy and refutes the aches and pains of aging, to remind us of the hungry and thirsty child alive in us who still asks why if we listen to her or him. And I have a great reason to leave up the wreath which had added life to it. Can anything be luckier than a wreath birds have chosen to place their lovely nest in? + Marcia Ribble received her PhD in English at Michigan State and retired from the University of Cincinnati.

She taught writing at the college level and loves giving voice to people who have been silenced. She is now teaching again at Virginia College in Augusta. She can be reached with comments, suggestions, etc., at marciaribble@hotmail.com.

By popular demand we’re making at-cost subscriptions available for the convenience of our readers.

If you live beyond the Aiken-Augusta area or miss issues between doctor’s appointments — don’t you hate it when that happens? — we’ll command your mail carrier to bring every issue to your house!

DOING RESEARCH?

NAME ADDRESS CITY

The Medical Examiner website has a zillion links to useful and informative sites of all kinds. Visit

STATE

ZIP

Choose ____ six months for $16; or ____ one year for $32. Mail this completed form with payment to Augusta Medical Examiner, PO Box 397, Augusta GA 30903-0397

www.AugustaRx.com/StudyHall.html

+ 14

JULY 26, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE MYSTERY SOLVED The Mystery Word in our last issue was: LIGAMENT

...cleverly hidden in the page 15 ad for SCRUBS OF EVANS’ CONTEST SUPPORT Congratulations to CORY ASHLEY, who scores a $20 Wild Wing Cafe gift certificate, two free movie passes courtesy of Health Center Credit Union, a free Top Notch Car Wash gift card, and if she’s a coffee drinker, a jar of Drug of Choice gourmet coffee. Win this stuff!

The new Mystery Word is on p. 12. Start looking!

The Celebrated MYSTERY WORD CONTEST ...wherein we hide (with fiendish cleverness) a simple word. All you have to do is unscramble the word (found on page 12), then be the first to find it concealed within one of our ads. Click in to the contest link at www.AugustaRx.com and enter. If we pick you in our random drawing of correct entries you’ll score our goodie package: gift certificates from Wild Wing Cafe, Top Notch Car Wash, and movie passes from Health Center Credit Union!

SEVEN SIMPLE RULES: 1. Unscramble and find the designated word hidden within one of the ads in this issue. 2. Visit the Reader Contests page at www.AugustaRx.com. 3. Tell us what you found and where you found it. 4. If you’re right and you’re the one we pick at random, you win. (WInners within the past six months are ineligible.) 5. Prizes awarded to winners may vary from issue to issue. 6. A photo ID may be required to claim some prizes. 7. Other entrants may win a lesser prize at the sole discretion of the publisher.

The new scrambled Mystery Word is found on page 12

EXAMINER CLASSIFIEDS HOMES, APARTMENTS, ROOMMATES, LAND, ETC.

perfect getaway from the urban rat race, to raise kids, or retire. 706-798-4359 or 706-831-9015

at Law, 411 Telfair St. Augusta GA 30901 (706) 868-8011. Mention this ad for a no-charge consultation.

ROOMMATE WANTED! 3 bdrm, 2.5 bath house with pool, 2 minutes from colleges. Perfect for medical or grad students. $425+share utils. 706.993.6082

WEST AUGUSTA House for rent. 3 bdrm, 2 bath, 1500 sqft, 1-car garage, 3024 Sterling Road, located off Stevens Creek at Riverwatch Pkwy. $850/mo. Call 678467-7187.

BIBLE BY PHONE - Free daily Bible readings; for Spiritual Encouragement and Growth. Call 706-855-WORD (9673)

FOR SALE: 3 BR house + 1 BR apartment (private entrance) + 2 full basements. Apt ideal for aging parent, or home office, or rental (now rented; income to offset mortgage). 310sqft basemt perfect for office or playroom.

2nd basemt (240sqft, large windows) great for workshop or studio. House & apt (2042sqft), hardwd floors, new baths.

Lush back yard. Tanglewood area, near Augusta Mall. $93,500 OBO. 617-6292915.

FOR RENT: Perfect location 1 mi. from MCG 1827 McDowell St. house for rent.

Two bedrooms, 1-1⁄2 baths, living room, dining room, den, kitchen. Recently refurbished, tile and hardwood floors, ceiling fans, w/d hook-up, new fridge, cable, storage house. Renter pays utilities. $750 plus deposit. 706.738.2331 LAND Unique thirteen acres. Bold, beautiful rocky creek running through

FOR SALE: GORGEOUS, immaculate, never occupied townhome located mins from Medical District. 2 bed, 2 bath, master en suite, walk-in closets, office.

1450 sq ft. hardwood floors throughout, fabulous upgrades, custom kitchen and baths. Floor to ceiling windows, fenced yard. Partially furnished! 120k OBO. 803-507-6621.

HOMESBYOWNER.COM Sell•Buy•Rent Apartments available 706.564.5885

SERVICES WILLS, TRUSTS & POWERS OF ATTORNEY - We can fulfill your legal and estate planning needs through preparation of simple wills, complex trust agreements, advance directives for healthcare, and/or durable powers of attorney. For more information call John R.B. Long, Attorney

NOTICE! ATTENTION! If any current or past employer has failed to pay you min. wage or time and a half overtime pay, you may be entitled to an order from US Federal Court awarding you twice the amount of your unpaid wages plus atty. fees. For info, call Arthur H. Shealy, Attorney at Law, 803-278-5149, 1010 Plantation Rd, North Augusta SC 29841. You may be entitled to a similar award for unpaid wages if your employer required you to perform duties during your lunch hour, before clocking in, or after clocking out.

LAWN SERVICE Commercial, residential.

Call Vince: (704) 490-1005

TELL A FRIEND ABOUT THE MEDICAL EXAMINER!

SENDING US A CLASSIFIED? WHAT’S YOUR DRUG OF CHOICE? USE THE FORM BELOW AND MAIL IT IN, OR GO TO WWW.AUGUSTARX.COM AND PLACE & PAY CONVENIENTLY AND SAFELY ONLINE. THANKS!

(OURS IS COFFEE)

Augusta Medical Examiner Classifieds

FULL-SERVICE MOVER Anthony’s Professional Moving, 28 years serving the CSRA moving hospital equipment, offices, homes, apartments, etc.

Estimates are FREE. Call 706.860.3726 or 706.814.8141

THE PUZZLE SOLVED F

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QUOTATION QUOTATION PUZZLE SOLUTION: Page 12: “Modesty is the only sure bait when you angle for praise.”

— Lord Chesterfield

AD COPY (one word per line; phone numbers MUST include the area code): .50

T E

SEE PAGE 12

In case we need to contact you. These numbers will not appear in the ad.

.25

C O

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CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING FORM Name Address Work number (if applicable) ( ) Home phone ( ) Category of ad (leave blank if unsure):

E T

The Sudoku Solution 2

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(Copy this form or continue on additional sheet if more space needed.)

Send this form with payment to:

AUGUSTA MEDICAL EXAMINER, PO BOX 397, AUGUSTA, GA 30903-0397 Total ad cost by number of words as shown above: $ Multiply by number of times ad to run: x

COFFEE IS GOOD MEDICINE VISIT DRUGOFCHOICECOFFEE.COM BUY AT INNER BEAN CAFE

WORDS BY NUMBER “A pessimist gets nothing but pleasant surprises.”

— Thoreau

Total submitted: $

The Augusta Medical Examiner publishes on the 1st and 3rd Friday of every month.

Your ad should reach us no later than 5 days prior to our publication date.

Thanks for reading!

www.AugustaRx.com

JULY 26, 2013

15 +

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Augusta’s consolidated university has a nearly $2 billion economic impact on the local economy, according to a recent report.

A study released by the Selig Center for Economic Growth reported that Georgia Health Sciences and Augusta State universities, now Georgia Regents University, pumped $1.8 billion into the local economy and generated a combined 19,192 jobs in fiscal year 2012. This is up $780 million from 2011, when the two universities reported a combined impact of $1.02 billion.

“An academic health center is a powerful economic engine,” said GRU President Ricardo Azziz. “As Georgia’s fourth comprehensive research university with an aligned and integrated health system, we make a tremendous impact on the

state’s bottom line. Our biomedical and academic enterprises produce three important benefits – qualified graduates, renowned discoveries, and positive patient outcomes – for the Augusta community and our state.”

The 2012 data reflects the combined impact of GRU’s academic and clinical initiatives, including campuses in Albany, Savannah, Rome, and the GRU/UGA Medical Partnership in Athens. Impact for those communities is estimated at $1,107,754 in Albany, $891,343 in Savannah, $573,757 in Rome, and $22,291,568 in Athens.

The report does not include an assessment of the economic activities of Georgia Regents Medical Associates, the faculty practice group aligned with the university and health system.

The study showed that the University System of Georgia’s 31 institutions made a $14.1 billion total impact on the state’s economy in 2012, up $900 million from 2011; and generated nearly 139,263 full- and part-time jobs, or 3.6 percent of all jobs in Georgia.

“Even in the worst economic times in a generation or two, our colleges and universities proved to be strong pillars and drivers of the economies of their host communities,” added Dr. Jeffrey M. Humphreys, Director of the Selig Center and author of the report. “That’s due to rising demand for higher education regardless of the overall economic climate.”

When compared to its peers, GRU placed third in total impact behind the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech with impacts of $2.6 billion and $2.2 billion, respectively. +

AUGUSTA

GRU economic impact: $1.8 billion

FREE T AKE-H OME C OPY!

+

TM

DOCTORS HOSPITAL • EISENHOWER ARMY MEDICAL CENTER • EAST CENTRAL REGIONAL • GEORGIA HEALTH SCIENCES UNIVERSITY • GRACEWOOD • MCGHEALTH • PRIVATE PRACTICE • SELECT SPECIALTY HOSPITAL • TRINITY HOSPITAL • UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL • VA HOSPITALS • WALTON REHABILITATION HOSPITAL

AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED IN 2006

JULY 26, 2013

We’re Augusta’s Most Salubrious Newspaper, an independent advocate for your health and wellness.

The Medical Examiner is NOT AFFILIATED (and never has been affiliated) with any of the following publications: ✗ The Augusta Chronicle ✗ Metro Spirit ✗ Buzz on Biz ✗ Verge ✗ Parent ✗ Augusta Family ✗ Urban Weekly ✗ Skirt ✗ Augusta Magazine ✗ Columbia County Magazine

+

The Medical Examiner is INDEPENDENT. If you’re interested in advertising in this paper - or would just like information — call 706.860.5455, e-mail Dan@AugustaRx,com, or visit AugustaRx.com

+

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY ALLERGY Tesneem K. Chaudhary, MD Allergy & Asthma Center 3685 Wheeler Road, Suite 101 Augusta 30909 706-868-8555

CHIROPRACTIC Poppell Chiropractic Clinic 1106-A Furys Lane Martinez 30907 706-210-2875 Most insurance plans accepted

DENTISTRY Dr. Judson S. Hickey Periodontist 2315-B Central Ave Augusta 30904 706-739-0071

Floss ‘em or lose ‘em!

Jason H. Lee, DMD 116 Davis Road Augusta 30907 706-860-4048 Dental Partners of South Augusta W. Palmer Westmoreland, DMD 2503 Peach Orchard Rd Augusta 30906 706-798-8300

Evans Dental Group 4250-2 Washington Rd Evans 30809 706-860-3200 www.evansdentalgroup.com

DERMATOLOGY Georgia Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center 2283 Wrightsboro Rd. (at Johns Road) Augusta 30904 706-733-3373 www.GaDerm.com

DRUG REHAB Steppingstones to Recovery 2610 Commons Blvd.

Augusta 30909 706-733-1935

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS Group & Benefits Consultants Inc. 3515 Wheeler Rd, Bldg. C Augusta 30909 706-733-3459 www.groupandbenefits.com

YOUR LISTING HERE Augusta Area Healthcare Provider 4321 CSRA Boulevard Augusta 30901 706-555-1234

FAMILY MEDICINE Urgent MD Augusta: 706-922-6300 Grovetown: 706-434-3500 Thomson: 706-595-7825 Primary Care Rates

HOSPICE Alliance Hospice 3685 Old Petersburg Rd. Suite 145 Augusta 30907 706-447-2461

LASER SERVICES Ideal Image 339 Fury’s Ferry Rd Martinez 30907 1-800-BE-IDEAL • www.idealimage.com Schedule a FREE Consultation

OPHTHALMOLOGY Roger M. Smith, M.D. 820 St. Sebastian Way, Suite 5-A Augusta 30901 706-724-3339

PHARMACY 437 Georgia Ave. North Augusta 29841 803-279-7450 www.parkspharmacy.com

SENIOR LIVING Augusta Gardens Senior Living Community 3725 Wheeler Road Augusta 30909 SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY 706-868-6500 www.augustagardenscommunity.com

SLEEP MEDICINE Sleep Institute of Augusta Bashir Chaudhary, MD 3685 Wheeler Rd, Suite 101 Augusta 30909 706-868-8555

VEIN CARE Vein Specialists of Augusta G. Lionel Zumbro, Jr., MD, FACS, RVT, RPVI 501 Blackburn Dr, Martinez 30907 706-854-8340 www.VeinsAugusta.com

TO INCLUDE YOUR LISTING IN THE DIRECTORY, CALL 706-860-5455

A simple black & white listing is $95 for six months or $175 for the whole year. Add your logo and the price is just $119 for six months or $219 for the entire year.

+ 16

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

You don’t have cookie cutter employees.

You shouldn’t offer them cookie cutter benefits.

Your employees get personalized benefits.

Your bottom line gets a break.

Each of your employees is unique. And so are their benefit needs. With Bright Choices® your employees simply go online and answer questions to get health and other benefit recommendations based on their individual needs.

Award-winning decision support and educational tools help them make the right choices in benefits, while managing the cost of those choices to meet your budget and theirs. Your business can start saving money today.

Give your employees the right choices in benefits.

To learn more about the Bright Choices G OUP Exchange, contact us at &Benefits Russell Head c o n s u lt a n t s

7R OHDUQ PRUH DERXW RXU 3ULYDWH +HDOWKFDUH ([FKDQJH FRQWDFW ,CBC, CSA - Partner 706-733-3459 www.groupandbene¿ts.com

Bright Choices ® is a registered trademark of Liazon Corporation. © 2012 Liazon Corporation

JULY 26, 2013