’s
July 25, 2014 edition
The Pulse
Your regular check up on SCKMC activities Share your thoughts, story ideas, and comments by e-mail to claytonp@sckrmc.org.
Summer Safety Tips for Working Outdoors Each change of season brings its own challenges for outdoor workers. The Centers for Disease Control offer seven suggestions to help you stay a bit safer as you work. 1. Schedule your workload. Schedule your heaviest work for the coolest parts of the day. In the summer, sunlight exposure is greatest between 10 am and 4 pm. Try to move throughout the day to work in shaded areas and avoid the direct sun whenever possible. 2. Get into summer fashion. If you have a history of skin cancer, you may want to wear dark clothing with a tight weave, which blocks UV rays more effectively than lightcolored, loosely woven clothing. To stay cooler in the heat, wear light-colored clothing that is loose-fitting and made from a breathable material such as cotton. 3. Know your plants. Poison oak, ivy, and sumac are found throughout the United States. The sap oil from these plants can cause painful allergic reactions. Wear long sleeves, long pants, boots, and gloves to shield your skin from contact. Also, you may consider using a barrier skin cream, such as a lotion containing bentoquatum, which can offer some protection before contact.. 4. Drink enough of the right things. Hard work and high temperatures lead to quick dehydration. Drink before you get thirsty. If you are thirsty, you are already beginning to dehydrate. Avoid drinks with caffeine, alcohol, and large amounts of sugar. Water is still the best thirst quencher, but if you are sweating a lot drink a sports beverage to help replenish your electrolytes and prevent heat cramps. 5. Slather yourself in sunscreen. A good sunscreen will block UVA and UVB. Wear sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 15. An SPF of 15 will allow a person to stay out in the sun 15 times longer than they normally would be able to stay without burning. Sunscreen performance is affected by wind, humidity, perspiration, and proper application. Reapply at least every two hours. 6. Respect the creepy crawlies. Tall grass, leaf litter, rocks, wood piles, and bushes are favorite hiding places for spiders, ticks, and snakes. Cut grass and remove dried leaves from around the worksite to reduce tick populations. Be cautious near piles of undisturbed materials where snakes or spiders may be. 7. Watch out for your coworkers. Monitor your own physical condition, but also keep an eye on your coworkers. Also, brush up on your first aid so you can help a coworker who may need immediate help if suffering from heat stroke.
Sales Tax Question Approved for November Ballot The City Commission of Arkansas City approved on July 15th a request to allow the citizens of Ark City to vote on a proposed one-half cent, ten year sales tax initiative during the November election. In response, Steve Perkins, SCKMC’s CEO submitted the following letter to the Arkansas City Traveler for publication: The SCKMC Board of Trustees and Administration extend our sincerest “thank you” to the City Commission of Arkansas City for their action regarding a sales tax question that could benefit the hospital. We appreciate the Commission allowing the citizen voters to express their position through a vote in November. In the coming weeks and months SCKMC will provide our community with information regarding our operations and our vision for how the proceeds could further benefit our citizens. The prior support of the voters ensured the continuation of hospital services within our city. If not for the voters support in 2008, in all likelihood the old facility would have been closed by now and not replaced. As pledged in the last voter initiative, SCKMC has added services and medical specialties. We continue to work to retain and build the community’s health resources. The recent development of the South Central Kansas Clinic (as an integral part of SCKMC) ensured retention of physicians in our community. Our vision for the use of additional sales tax support is to aggressively recruit and add more physicians to our community and continue to expand upon services. Input and questions from the community are welcomed by emailing us at: salestax@sckrmc.org. Again, we are grateful for the leadership exhibited by our City Commission by placing this issue on the November ballot. – Steve Perkins
The Pharm Forum with Homer Mah, D.Ph. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths and disease in the U.S. Tobacco users who want to quit can use a pharmacist as a resource on how to get started. A web page created by the CDC titled "Pharmacists: Help your patients quit smoking" is a good resource for tobacco users who want to quit. It is important to note that smoking may interact with the medications you are currently taking. If you need more motivation to quit, the CDC is currently running an educational campaign called "Tips From Former Smokers" which illustrates the health effects from real life people who smoked and who were exposed second hand smoke.
It’s A New Day in Healthcare. A subsidiary of South Central Kansas Medical Center
The physicians and staff of Summit Clinic have joined with SCKMC to bring you seamless care for all your family health needs. Great providers that you know and trust, now partnered with the staff and specialists of your community hospital.
Kamran Shahzada, MD Internal Medicine General Practice
Rhonda Green, MD Family Practice Obstetrics & Pediatrics
Eric Thomson, MD Family Practice Obstetrics & Pediatrics
Angela Ziegler, APRN Family Practice Pediatrics
Accepting New Patients.
Same Day Appointments Available.
515 N. Summit, Ark City
Most Insurances Accepted.
(620) 442-4850