’s
August 22, 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.
Back-to-School Preparedness It’s back to school time! As you get ready for class, make sure you have emergency plans in place. Did you know that emergency preparedness plays a major role in school life? Throughout the year, schools actively prepare for natural disasters, outbreaks, and other emergency situations. Students and parents need to be aware and learn what to do during an emergency. Every family should build an emergency kit, make a family disaster plan, and be informed about events that could affect their community. Parents, take a few extra steps to help children be prepared. • Make sure they know the full name, address, and phone numbers of parents or guardians. In our high-tech world of cell phones, memorizing emergency phone numbers is very important! Include a copy of this information in their backpack. • Other items to keep in their backpack include water and non-perishable snacks; a pocket-sized first aid kit; a whistle to alert others for help; and a list of allergies, medical conditions, and medications (make sure their school and teacher have a copy, too). • Be familiar with different routes and ways to travel home, like walking, taking the bus, or riding home with another student who lives nearby. • Establish a secret code word with your child and whoever takes them home from school to protect against an unauthorized person picking them up. This list is a great starting point to prepare your student for the upcoming school year. Customize these steps to fit your child’s capabilities and needs. Ask school administrators and teachers about emergency preparedness plans so you know what steps they are taking to keep your child safe. Many schools have guidelines on how to shelter-in-place during natural disasters, how to secure classrooms during an emergency lockdown, and how to teach preparedness curriculum to students. Remember, emergency preparedness is important for everyone. Children who are prepared are more confident during stressful emergency situations. By following preparedness guidelines, parents, children, and school staff can improve their safety and peace of mind. For more information on school emergency preparedness, visit cdc.gov/children/schools.
Small Investment. Big Benefits A closer look at the SCKMC sales tax initiative – Part 1 Over the next several editions we will be answering some of the most common questions related to a ten-year, one-half cent sales tax for SCKMC. The tax will be voted on by the citizens of Arkansas City during the November 4th general election. Q. Why is a sales tax for our community hospital needed?
A. The foundation for quality healthcare in any community is based upon availability of physician providers. At that core are primary care providers and/or family medicine physicians. Without an appropriate number of primary care physicians, healthcare is sought through the ER, out of the area, or unfortunately in some cases, healthcare concerns simply go unaddressed. The sales tax would allow SCKMC to use funds currently tied to the hospital's general operations for the recruitment and establishment of more primary care physicians and for development of alternatives to non-emergent ER care that would benefit the entire community. If you would like more information about SCKMC's sales tax initiative or are interested in supporting the hospital through a "letter to the editor" or display of a yard sign at your home or business, visit us online at www.sckmc.org, e-mail us at salestax@sckrmc.org, or call us at (620) 441-5920.
The Pharm Forum with Homer Mah, D.Ph. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has launched the Million Hearts Hypertension Control Challenge. This challenge, now in its third year, is designed to identify health care providers who have successfully lowered blood pressure and improved heart health in patients they've worked with. The goal is to prevent one-million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. Million Hearts brings together communities, health systems, nonprofit organizations, federal agencies, and private-sector partners from across the country to fight heart disease and stroke. For further challenge details and resources, including low-sodium recipes and hearthealthy meal plans visit http://millionhearts.hhs.gov.
Small Investment. Vote Yes to support a ten-year, one-half cent sales tax initiative for your community hospital.
Big Benefits. SCKMC is asking the citizens of Arkansas City to vote during the November election for a ten-year, onehalf cent sales tax. Funds raised by the sales tax would support recruitment and establishment of fulltime, local physicians, and expand services of current providers. In addition, the funds would be used for development of alternatives to non-emergent ER care that would benefit the entire community.
Find out more about the sales tax initiative at www.sckmc.org