’s
October 13, 2017
The Pulse
Your regular check up on SCKMC activities Share your thoughts, story ideas, and comments by e-mail to claytonp@sckrmc.org.
Hospital Enters the Stone Age
SCKMC Begins Flu Vaccinations
A new craze is sweeping Cowley County and SCKMC is jumping on the bandwagon. #620rocks is a local Facebook group dedicated to spreading joy through one of the planets most common items, rocks. You may have noticed the brightly colored rocks sitting around town, some with painted pictures, others with inspirational words, and all designed to make your day better. “Our goal is to make random acts of kindness by "hiding" the rocks in unexpected places to brighten the finder’s day,” said Cheryl Boyce, the group administrator. Administrators at SCKMC noticed the tiny works of art appearing around the campus and reached out to the group to try to harness their creativity for something even larger. The group has began leaving the stones outside the window of the hospital’s chapel in the “rock garden” located on the Northwest side of the building. “It’s a silly idea but it’s a wonderful idea. If you are in that room you need quite time, you need reflection on life, and you’re pretty down. If you look outside and you see maybe a rock with a scripture on it, it may not be towards that person but you are going to feel like that it was meant for you,” said Valerie Reed, a member of the hospital’s business services team. Judy Day-Trenary is a member of the SCKMC Auxiliary and the #620rocks group. Day-Trenary’s involvement with both groups is what helped to bring the hospital’s rock garden idea to fruition. “The idea is to place them where people can find them and might bring a little bit of joy. I can see, when there are a lot of rocks there, patients out on a walk might look out the window and see all the rocks and bring a bright spot in their day,” Day-Trenary said.
It is time for cooler weather, pumpkins on porches, and your influenza vaccine. SCKMC began their annual vaccination campaign on October 2nd and have already given out over 100 vaccinations to staff and volunteers. Influenza (“flu”) is a contagious virus usually active between October and May. Flu is spread mainly by coughing, sneezing, and close contact. Flu strikes suddenly and can last several days. Symptoms can include fever/chills, sore throat, muscle aches, fatigue, cough, headache, and runny or stuffy nose. Each year thousands of people in the United States die from flu, and many more are hospitalized. Infants and young children, people 65 years of age and older, pregnant women, and people with certain health conditions or a weakened immune system are at greatest risk. Children 6 months through 8 years of age may need two doses during the same flu season. There are many flu viruses, and they are always changing. Each year a new flu vaccine is made to protect against three or four viruses that are likely to cause disease in the upcoming flu season. But even when the vaccine doesn’t exactly match these viruses, it may still provide some protection. It takes about 2 weeks for protection to develop after vaccination, and protection lasts through the flu season. Flu vaccines are available locally at several locations, including pharmacies, physician offices, the City-County Health Department and more. If you have questions about the flu vaccine contact a healthcare professional and visit www.cdc.gov for more information.
October Employee of the Month Congratulations Shelby Kimzey, LPN for the Med/Surg Unit, for being named the SCKMC Exceptional Service Award winner for October. Shelby was nominated by a patient for the great care and concern she provides. Shelby was presented with a certificate of appreciation by Med/Surg Team Leader Ashley Lynn and will have a special parking spot reserved for her throughout the month. Great job Shelby!
The Pharm Forum with Homer Mah, D.Ph. Tattoos are becoming increasingly popular and complications can occur but are not common. Think of new tattoos as wounds and must be taken care of. New tattoos should be cleaned with mild soap and water at least twice daily. Apply moisturizer after cleaning and when it feels dry. Try to avoid swimming and other activities that may contaminate the tattoo which may take up to 4 weeks to heal. Ice packs can be used for mild swelling or pain but avoid OTC topical antibiotics, Benadryl, and hydrocortisone. See your health care provider if signs of infections are present.
When your healthcare needs go beyond
“an apple a day…” We’re here for you. When it comes to healthcare for your family, you want excellence. You want experienced doctors, dedicated nurses, up-to-date facilities, and advanced technology. You’ll find them all here. Because at South Central Kansas Medical Center and our partnering clinics we know your family’s healthcare has to be the best.
www.sckmc.org
Specialty Clinic
(620) 442-2500
6401 Patterson Parkway, Arkansas City
WINFIELD MEDICAL ARTS
Tyson Blatchford, MD General Surgery
J. Kent Winblad, MD Women’s Healthcare / OB-GYN
Kamran Shahzada, MD Internal Medicine
Perry Lin, MD Women’s Healthcare / OB-GYN
Chandy Samuel, MD General Surgery
Eric Thomson, MD Family Practice
Willie Posey II, DO Internal Medicine / Cardiology
Anand Kaul, MD Internal Medicine / Diabetes
Angela Ziegler, APRN Family Practice
And 10 Other Specialists Visit us online for a full listing
Jane Kaufman, APRN Family Practice
After Hours Walk-In Clinic Call for days and times
www.sckmc.org
www.winfieldmedicalarts.com
www.sckclinic.com
(620) 441-5711 6403 Patterson Parkway, Ark City
(620) 221-6100 3625 Quail Ridge Dr., Winfield
(620) 442-4850 515 N. Summit, Ark City