’s
July 12, 2013 edition
The Pulse
Your regular check up on SCKMC activities Share your thoughts, story ideas, and comments by e-mail to claytonp@sckrmc.org.
SCKMC Welcomes New Pharmacist SCKMC has added a new pharmacist to their staff. Homer Mah, D.Ph., began work on July 1st. Mah was born and raised in Dodge City, KS and recently completed his doctorate in pharmacy while living in Erie, Pennsylvania. Mah has dual degrees, having also received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from Kansas State University. “In engineering I was behind a computer a lot. Basically my only friends were calculator, pencil, computer, and a pad of paper. It wasn’t for me anymore. I wanted interaction with people,” Mah said. “I always had a strong interest in science, math, and chemistry and did a little more research and felt that pharmacy was a good path to go into.” Steve Perkins, SCKMC’s CEO, believes that Mah fits nicely with the hospital’s two other pharmacist’s, Roger Sternberger and Chris Treeman. “We are excited to add Dr. Mah to our team of pharmacy professionals. It is always nice to welcome a native Kansan back after being out of state for education. Homer and his family are great additions to the Cowley Community.,” Perkins said. Treeman had worked with Mah in Dodge City while Homer was working as a pharmacy tech. He has kept in contact with Mah over the years, knowing of his desire to return to Kansas after completing his education. Mah and his wife, Amanda, have two young sons. Together they are still adjusting to life back in Kansas, but the community has lived up to Mah’s expectations. “It’s great. Everyone’s really friendly. I think what’s great about it is that everyone’s really nice, they’ll speak up to you and say ‘Hi, how you doing?’,” Mah said.
July Employee of the Month Congratulations to Katrina Langhorst, Housekeeping, for being named this month’s exceptional service award winner. Katrina was nominated by her coworkers for her attention to detail and consistently exceptional work. Great Job!
Healthy Living: Keep Your Cool in Hot Weather Getting too hot can make you sick. You can become ill from the heat if your body can't compensate for it and properly cool you off. Heat exposure can even kill you: it caused 7,233 heat-related deaths in the United States from 1999 to 2009. People who are at highest risk are the elderly, the very young, and people with chronic diseases or mental illness. But even young and healthy people can get sick from the heat if they participate in strenuous physical activities during hot weather. The two main things affecting your body's ability to cool itself during extremely hot weather are: • High humidity. When the humidity is high, sweat won't evaporate as quickly, which keeps your body from releasing heat as fast as it may need to. • Personal factors. Age, obesity, fever, dehydration, heart disease, mental illness, poor circulation, sunburn, and prescription drug and alcohol use can play a role in whether a person can cool off enough in very hot weather. Air-conditioning is the number one protective factor against heat-related illness and death. If a home is not airconditioned, people can reduce their risk for heat-related illness by spending time in public facilities that are airconditioned. However, you should also take these steps to prevent heat-related illnesses, injuries, and deaths during hot weather: • Stay in an air-conditioned indoor location as much as possible. • Drink plenty of fluids even if you don’t feel thirsty. • Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing and sunscreen. • Schedule outdoor activities carefully. • Pace yourself. • Take cool showers or baths to cool down. • Check on a friend or neighbor and have someone do the same for you. • Do not leave children or pets in cars. • Check the local news for health and safety updates. For more information on this topic visit www.cdc.gov.
Our New Surgical Procedures May Require a Closer Look.
Actual Incision Size* Our surgeons’ specialized training in arthroscopic and laparoscopic procedures mean your surgery can have smaller incisions with less scarring, shorter stays in the hospital or same day release, and more precise results.
Dr. Christopher Siwek – Orthopedic Surgery
Racquel Szabo – Physician’s Assistant Dr. Tyson Blatchford – General Surgery
Dr. Perry Lin – OB/GYN
Our Minimally Invasive Laparoscopic Procedures Include: •Acid reflux surgery •Complex hernia repair •Gallbladder
•Weight loss surgery •Appendectomy •Colorectal surgery
•Joint repair & carpal tunnel •Hysterectomy
For more information on this service contact us or schedule an appointment with your family physician. *Incision size will vary based upon each patient’s unique circumstances
Find out more about our services at www.sckmc.org