Healthy U — April 2017

A SPECIAL EDITION OF THE TIMES RECORD

Learning by example New choices in accreditation at UAFS VOL. 1 EDITION 3 | APRIL 2017

BEST NURSES NATIONAL NURSES WEEK MAY 6—12

IN THE RIVER VALLEY

Breaking the weight-loss cycle

2

| April 2017 | HEALTHYU

HEALTHYU CONTENTS Volume 1 Edition 3 April 2017

4-11

The Fort Smith area’s top nurses Nominations result in recognition for the best nurses in the Fort Smith area.

12-13

University prepares nurses for the future The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith’s nursing program has responded to the demand for nurses throughout the country.

16 Understanding APRNs Advanced practice registered nurses provide specialized care.

22 Medical directory Access to the area’s leading medical providers by category so readers can easily find contacts for their areas of need.

about HEALTHYU Healthy U is a monthly publication of the Times Record, focusing on issues of health and wellness for the River Valley area. It publishes the third Saturday of every month.

For more information: ccosta@swtimes.com

Publisher Crystal Costa Editor Mardi Taylor Staff Writers Alex Golden, John Lovett, Thomas Saccente, Larry Williams II Contributor Carole Medlock Photographer Brian Sanderford Production Manager Christy Morrison Clerk Rachel Powell

ADVERTISING Sales Manager Julie Newman Account Executives Monica Duboise Mike Opolka Kathie Smith On the cover: Teresa Vandervort, Mercy outpatient nurse

HEALTHYU | April 2017 |

Sparks Clinic makes it simple for everyone in your family to see a primary care physician quickly.

For your convenience, we have more than a dozen locations. And our services include pediatrics, family care, and adult medicine. Whether you’re looking for a new doctor or connecting with your current one, call 479-782-CARE (2273) and ask about same-day appointments.

Alma • Greenwood • Fort Smith Spiro • Van Buren

PRIMARY CARE MADE EASY. SAME-DAY APPOINTMENTS. ONE NUMBER:

479-782-CARE.

3

4

| April 2017 | HEALTHYU

NYCOLE OLIVER

TOP NURSES

Nurse answered calling at a young age

By Larry Williams II Times Record

Few people can tell you what they seriously want to be when they grow up; few 9-year-olds who gleefully declare “astronaut” as their career choice end up becoming astronauts.

But for Nycole Oliver, APRN with Sparks Prime Physician group, she heard the calling and went for it.

“When I was little, my little brother’s friend fell off of his bike and skinned his knee,” said Oliver. “There was just me to take care of it, and after I took him aside and got him cleaned up, as I was putting the medicine on his knee and the Band-Aid, as I was doing that, I was thinking, ‘Man! I really want to do this!’ He felt so much better after that, I knew that was what I wanted to do.”

Oliver is a 2017 Top Nurse, as voted on by her peers in the health-care profession, including area doctors and nurses. It says a lot about Oliver and her dedication to her work that her peers nominated her as a 2017 Top Nurse.

As an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, and with a doctorate in nursing, Oliver has her hands full many days rounding on patients admitted into the hospital whose primary care physicians don’t come to Sparks Regional or may not have rounding

privileges there. It’s a far cry from when she started working in the ER in 2001, going on to becoming a nurse in 2004.

“It can be challenging,” said Oliver. “When patients don’t follow treatment regimens, and keeps them coming back, but that’s also the good thing about nursing, because you can continue to do education for your patients, and teach them the things they need to do (to remain healthy).

Something that bothers me about nursing is that sometimes, despite your best efforts, they don’t work. As a nurse, at heart, you’re a caring person, so it’s difficult to watch a patient just get worse.”

Oliver added, “It can be heartbreaking.”

Oliver went on to admit that even as a nurse practitioner, you’re still a nurse, and she hasn’t lost an ounce of her empathy for her patients.

“I can do everything I know to do and I can do everything the books say to do, and sometimes, people just don’t get better, and that’s still difficult for me,” said Oliver. “Ultimately, I want all of my patients to get better.”

Oliver is especially humbled by her nomination as a 2017 Top Nurse. Her tone brightens, and you can almost hear her blushing.

“I’m, of course, honored,” said Oliver, “but I don’t feel

Nurse practitioner Nycole Oliver works with a patient at Sparks Prime Physician group in Sparks Medical Center. [BRIAN D. SANDERFORD/TIMES RECORD] deserving for an award like that, really, just for going in to work and doing my job every day.”

She started working at the ripe age of 18, right after high school, as a technician in Sparks’ Emergency

Room. She went to nursing school soon thereafter. She says the hospital is more like a family to her now.

“They’ve pretty much watched me grow up,” said Oliver. “I acquired my associates in nursing, bachelors

in nursing, masters in nursing, and Sparks has been there for me the whole time.

The people I’ve worked with have been very encouraging, and they contribute to my continued learning and my success as a nurse.”

HEALTHYU | April 2017 |

5

TOP NURSES

DIANA COLLEY Mercy labor and delivery nurse looks back on life, career

Diana Colley, RN, stands in the Labor and Delivery area of Mercy Medical Center. [BRIAN D. SANDERFORD/TIMES RECORD]

By Thomas Saccente Staff Writer

For Diana Colley, being a registered nurse working in labor and delivery allows her to see the miracle of childbirth on a regular basis.

Colley, 58, was born and raised in Fort Smith. A resident of Van Buren, she said she originally wanted to be a photojournalist but was inspired to change her goal after her mother got sick when she was 15 years old and she heard God speak to her. “... I stayed in the hospital with her a lot, and I literally received a call from God one night,” Colley said. “‘I want you to help my people, and this is how I want you do it,’ so that’s what I did because you

don’t tell God ‘No.’” Colley went to Westark Community College, now the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith and graduated with an associate degree in nursing in 1978. Colley’s nursing career began that same year at Sparks Regional Medical Center.

“I started in medical-surgical,” Colley said. “That’s just basic stuff, you know.

Broke legs, gallbladders out, little bit of everything, and ... probably right around the beginning of ‘88, like January of ‘88, there was a rehab hospital that was right across the street from Sparks, so I worked there for about a year, and then went back to Sparks and worked in surgical ICU for a couple of years, and I went to labor and delivery

in April, the Monday after Easter Sunday, in 1990.”

Colley started work at Mercy Hospital Fort Smith in 1997, although it was then known as St. Edward Mercy Medical Center. She started in pediatrics there before managing to return to labor and delivery. She also received her bachelor’s degree in nursing through Oklahoma Wesleyan University in 2007.

Colley left Mercy in 2008 to work as a travel nurse at various hospitals across the country for short-term periods. She returned to Mercy in July 2012. Colley said her regular responsibilities as a registered nurse working in labor and delivery include helping women deliver babies and everything that entails.

“Sometimes, when they’re pregnant, they’re sick with various different things, anything from a kidney infection to trying to have the baby too early or what back in the day they called toxemia, things like that, so sometimes they’re there being taken care of just like a regular medical patient, so you have those,” Colley said.

Other responsibilities include taking care of babies and mothers after the birthing process and performing C-sections.

However, despite the challenges that come with working in the field, Colley said she enjoys being in labor and delivery due to the unique attributes that can be found there.

“Everywhere else, people are in the hospital because

they’re sick,” Colley said.

“They need surgery, they have a problem, something needs to be fixed. Even if everything gets well and they’re fine and they go home, there’s still this sadness and something’s wrong with what’s going on. ... And then labor and delivery, it’s not that people aren’t sick. ... But for the most part, you’re helping bring life into the world.

It’s a beginning. It’s not an ending. There’s not so much of that, and everybody’s, for the most part, excited and happy and every single day you work, you get to see a miracle.”

Colley has a son and a daughter. Angela Holohan, Colley’s daughter, said Colley’s work as a nurse has impacted her own

life, especially in regards to the human-to-human connection she excels at maintaining with patients. “... The fact that, when you’re at a job with people, it’s about the people,” Holohan said. “It’s not about those little, piddly day-today things. It’s about how can I help these people in front of me today right now. ... I’ve never been one for body fluids, so to speak, but I think I’d still take those same lessons into education with the teaching, that these are human beings, these are people in front of me, they have needs and how can I meet them, and she always does the same thing with the nursing.”

Holohan said she is a May 2017 graduate of UAFS in teaching.

6

| April 2017 | HEALTHYU

Carree Joyce-Brewer stands outside Mercy Fort Smith. [JOHN LOVETT/TIMES RECORD]

CARREE JOYCE-BREWER

TOP NURSES

Family tragedy helped spark career in nursing

By John Lovett Staff Writer

Positivity, faith and a caring nature identify Carree Joyce-Brewer, RN, at Mercy Regional Health System.

For more than 30 years, Joyce-Brewer has dedicated her life to nursing and delivered care and attention to patients in pediatrics, neonatal intensive care, oncology, surgery and endoscopy.

Although she originally started out in television

broadcasting, a family tragedy steered her life in another direction. As a senior in high school at Van Buren, Joyce-Brewer lost her 13-year-old sister, Jimmilee Pendleton, to a rare brain arteriovenus malformation that caused her death. She entered the nursing program at WestArk, now the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, and graduated in 1981 with a degree in nursing.

“If I couldn’t help her, I was going to help others,”

she said. “You either get bitter or you get better.”

She went on to work for several years in pediatrics for Drs. John Watts and Richard Acklin at Sparks Regional Medical Center before taking on a summer at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock and a stint in Mercy's neonatal ICU. For most of the 1990s, she was in surgery at Mercy and then moved into care for cancer patients. She has worked at Mercy's endoscopy unit for several years.

“I think you’re called,”

Joyce-Brewer said of nursing. “God calls you to certain professions like nursing and teaching, because it’s not something you do unless your heart is in it.”

Brenda Rogers, clinical nurse manager at Mercy, has worked with JoyceBrewer for 15 years.

“I have always admired her sweet heart for her patients,” Rogers said.

“Her care and concern for her patients is inspiring.

She definitely lives out the Mercy values.”

Don and Joanne Rowe of Fort Smith nominated Joyce-Brewer for the recognition in the Times Record's Healthy U magazine.

“No matter what Carree sets out to do, she does it with determination and the attitude that it will be a success,” Don Rowe wrote in an email. “Whether it be work oriented, helping family and friends or coping and moving forward after life-altering experiences.”

Rowe went on to say Joyce-Brewer projects

positivity and always tries to find something good in people and the unexpected things life throws at her.

“Carree lives with a great faith in human nature and believes we are all put here for a purpose,” Don Rowe added. “She has said before that ‘being a nurse was definitely her calling.’

We believe she is right because anyone who can stay in the nursing field and remain compassionate and empathetic must have been ‘called’ to that undertaking.”

HEALTHYU | April 2017 |

7

TOP NURSES

KATHY CROOK

Nurse says ‘my day is never the same’

By Alex Golden

Times Record

At 4 a.m. — coffee made and laundry in — Kathy Crook prays that she can be the nurse God intended her to be. And she prays for the doctor, the other nurses, the certified surgical technologists and the patients.

Crook is a private nurse for Dr. Jeffrey Evans at Cooper Clinic Orthopedics in Fort Smith.

Later today, she’ll greet patients and their families and ask if there’s anything she can do for them.

Surgery can be scary. And

she’ll call more patients to make sure they know when to be at the hospital and answer their questions.

Before she leaves, she’ll call her kids and ask if there’s anything they need before she comes home.

“My day is never the same,” Crook said.

As a nurse in orthopedics, Crook sees patients who need everything from carpal tunnel procedures to hip replacements. Sometimes, she gets a mom who hugs her neck for helping her teenager who flipped a four-wheeler. Other times, she sees couples in their

80s and 90s who are still fiesty but can’t do as many things as they want to do because their bones hurt.

“By replacing that joint, that hip, we have just gave them a little longer and now they can work in their flower bed or go for walks,” Crook said.

Crook began going to school — first her basics and then nursing school — in her mid-20s with two kids and a full-time job. It’s doable if you want it bad enough, she said.

“You wouldn’t want someone taking care of you who went through

Kathy Crook, RN, a private nurse for Dr. Jeffrey Evans at Cooper Clinic Orthopedics, takes time between cases at Sparks Medical Center. [BRIAN D. SANDERFORD/TIMES RECORD] something easy,” she said.

She originally wanted to be a midwife, but when she started working on the floor, she found surgery was a better fit.

“Even though I love babies, I don’t think that’s the path I need to take,” Crook said. “I think there is a nurse for every job.”

Now a single mom, Crook said her 16-year-old son and 19-year-old daughter are independent. Nurses leave early and come home late and sometimes miss weekends and holidays. Her daughter has decided to go into nursing.

“I told her to make sure, not that I don’t think nursing is a wonderful profession, but I wanted her to make sure that she understands truly what nurses go through — the tired feet, the tired back, the long hours,” she said.

Crook is always learning as medicine and technology changes.

“Nursing is always evolving and changing,” she said. “The caring and compassion never changes.

Patients always want their hands held.”

And the stories never stop coming. Crook

remembered a patient who was dying and for weeks, she knew he could die any day and didn’t know why he was waiting.

“The human spirit is so miraculous,” she said.

He died within two hours of his son showing up.

And what an honor it was to listen to another patient who was more than 100 years old tell her about the telegraph and first getting a phone in her home. Or to hear a minister call her his “praying nurse” and say thank you after she prayed with him before his operation.

8

| April 2017 | HEALTHYU

By Carole Medlock

Contributing Writer

There is no mistaking one local nurse’s passion for her job.

“If you’re willing to work, and you have a love for people, it’s the best job in the world,” said Teresa Vandervort, a registered nurse who works in Mercy’s Outpatient Surgery Center.

Vandervort was recently selected one of the area’s top nurses.

Vandervort was nominated for the honor by her father, Doyle Thresher, who says nursing was all his daughter ever wanted to do.

“That’s all she was ever

TOP NURSES

TERESA VANDERVORT Early interest led to volunteering, career in outpatient surgery Teresa Vandervort RN, is an outpatient surgery nurse at Mercy Medical Center. [BRIAN D. SANDERFORD/ TIMES RECORD]

going to be. Nursing has always been her thing. It’s something she’s always done,” Thresher said.

Vandervort concurred.

“I always wanted to be a nurse. My first patients were my brothers, my stuffed animals … I just always knew,” she said.

That early interest led Vandervort to work as a candy striper, volunteering her time at Crawford Memorial Hospital in Van Buren during her teenage years. And that volunteer work provided her the means to attend nursing school.

Vandervort said as a result of her volunteer work, she was provided

a full scholarship by the Ladies Auxiliary to attend nursing school at thenWestark Community College, from which she graduated in 1989.

“That was an honor and a blessing,” said Vandervort.

Having worked in multiple nursing capacities over the years, Vandervort is currently a circulator in the operating room at Mercy’s Outpatient Surgery Center.

Vandervort’s duties include a number of tasks that range from preoperative procedures with a patient, to dressing an incision at the end of an operation. During surgery, Vandervort can perform

any number of duties. She is also charged with keeping the legal record of what goes on during a surgery; what was used and when it was used … she circulates around the room and helps in whatever capacity she is needed.

“We’re the gophers of the OR,” said Vandervort.

“Really, I travel through the surgery process with the patient.”

One thing Vandervort likes about her current job in nursing is the variety of cases she sees.

“Every day I do something different. I don’t work with one specific doctor. I see everything, I do everything,” Vandervort said.

Taking care of children is what Vandervort said she likes the most.

“They’re just thankful for that warm blanket, a hand hold … (surgery) is scary, it’s out of their normal routine,” she said.

Vandervort conceded that nursing is not always easy. She said some days are difficult both physically and mentally.

“It’s hard work. You don’t just cruise through your day.” she said. “You have to have a passion for it.”

She added that finding a team like the one she works with at Mercy can make all of the difference.

“We have all worked together for years. We

love each other; we’re a team. We don’t even have to talk because we know what need to be done,” she said about her Mercy colleagues. “My job is easy because of my work family.”

Vandervort said her daughter Delaney is planning to follow in her footsteps. Having completed all of her prerequisite courses, she hopes to be accepted to nursing school. Vandervort said her daughter’s hope is to be a labor and delivery nurse.

Vandervort easily summed up how she feels about her profession.

“I’m blessed to be a nurse.”

HEALTHYU | April 2017 |

9

TOP NURSES — HONORABLE MENTION

The area’s other best nurses Compiled by Rachel Powell

W

hen the Times Record asked for nominations for the area’s best nurses, we were overwhelmed with the response. Family members, friends and colleagues all offered suggestions as to who the best nurses in the area are. We narrowed down the list to the area’s Top 5 but felt there are so many others who deserve recognition as well.

Nurses often work long, tiring hours, maybe without hearing “thank you” all day. They must be fully dedicated to their jobs at all times. They pick us up when we’re down, and they’re there to care for us when we need it most.

The Fort Smith area is lucky to have state-of-the-art medical facilities to serve its residents, and we recognize that nurses play a vital role in caring for patients. Where would we all be without nurses? Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do for all of us.

Tracie Mathis Fort Smith Public Schools Nurse Tracie has been a nurse for more than 20 years. She was born and raised in Waldron and went on to receive her bachelor’s degree at Arkansas Tech University.

When asked about what drew her to nursing, Tracie replied, “My mother was a nurse for Arkansas Department of Health in Waldron and I knew I wanted to go into the nursing field. I love people and I love interacting with patients. I enjoy helping them in their time of need.”

Tracie spent the majority of her nursing career as a labor and delivery nurse at St. Edward Mercy Medical Center, now Mercy Fort Smith. According to Tracie, “The best part of my nursing career was delivering babies. It was the most rewarding and fulfilling job I have ever had as a nurse. I enjoyed being part of the miracle of childbirth and bonding with the families. It has created some lifelong friends for me.”

Tracie’s advice to aspiring nurses is: “Do whatever it takes to make it happen! If it is really your dream, nothing can stop you. Nursing will be responsible for your worst days but also your best days. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and you will make some amazing friends along the journey.”

Tracie would like to extend a special thanks to her husband of almost 20 years, Darriell, and their two children, Lauren and Lillie, who are currently attending Union Christian Academy.

Bethany Mott – Sparks Health System, Hospitalist Bethany has been a nurse for six years, five of those years as a registered nurse and almost one year as an advance practice clinician. She was born and raised in Booneville. She obtained her BSN from the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith and her master of adult gerontology acute care from Walden University.

When asked about what drew her to nursing, Bethany replied, “I was drawn to nursing by my desire to help people in need and job security. I later found how many opportunities I had in the nursing field.”

According to Bethany: “The best part of the job is helping people through some of the worst times of their lives and seeing them get better.” However, “the most challenging thing for me is helping families through the loss of a loved one.”

Bethany’s advice to someone thinking about pursuing a career in nursing is: “Nursing is a lot of hard work and studying!

But it is definitely a satisfying career.”

Lori Christian – Mercy Hospital Lori has been a nurse for 23 years. She was born and raised in the Fort Smith area. Lori studied for her LPN at the Northwest Technical Institute in Springdale, then attended WestArk college, now the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, for her associate of nursing.

When asked about what drew her to nursing, Lori replied, “I was a single mother working at Whirlpool Manufacturing and wanted a more stable profession.

So I gravitated toward nursing.”

According to Lori, “The best part of my job is being able to help others and helping others feel worthwhile. I honestly feel nursing is my purpose in life. I truly love being a nurse. It makes my day to hear a patient say, ‘I can tell you enjoy being a nurse.’” However, the most challenging part of the job is “the long hours on your feet. It is also mentally taxing. No matter how hard you try, you can’t satisfy every patient or every family member. But on a daily basis I give my best.

Nursing does not always stop when you clock out. Sometimes I worry about my patients when I get home.”

Lori’s advice to future nurses is: “All nurses need to be compassionate, observant and flexible. Not everyone can be a good nurse or a nurse. Become a nurse, because you care about people and treat others the way you would want to be treated or how you would want your family member treated. There are many opportunities in nursing.”

Lori would like to extend a special thanks to her son, Christian Alexander.

Marsha L Boston, LPN – Adams Health & Wellness Marsha has been a nurse for 12 years. She is originally from Chase City, Va., before her family moved to Fort Smith when she was 8. She studied at Westark College and then at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.

When asked about what drew her to nursing, she replied, “Just knowing that I would make a difference in someone’s life, and also a love of science. I witnessed my baby brother go through seven heart surgeries starting from birth up to about 13 years old, and every time I went into the ICU at Children’s Hospital I was fascinated and I just knew this is what I wanted to be.”

According to Marsha, the best part of the job is “The smiles on every patient’s face and knowing that I made a difference.” But it can be challenging “not being able to help patients they way I wish I could at times.”

Her advice to aspiring nurses: “Be patient, kind, and really want to be a nurse so you’ll be prepared for the many challenges to come.”

Marsha would like to extend a special thanks to all those who voted; her wonderful husband of 31 years, Jimmy Boston Jr.; her sons, Andrew and Jimmy III; her daughter, Amber Robinson; Penny, Amber, and Gosha; and her loving grandbabies, Mekaila, Sydney, Gavin, Jimmy IV and Andy Jr.

10

| April 2017 | HEALTHYU

TOP NURSES — HONORABLE MENTION CONTINUED

Ann Horn – Interim Director of Case Management, Sparks Hospital Fort Smith and Van Buren Ann has been a nurse for 28 years. She is originally from West Monroe, La., but has lived in the Fort Smith area for the past 37 years.

Ann studied at South Plains College in Lubbock, Texas, for her LVN in 1988 and at Westark College, now the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, for her RN in 1990.

When asked about what drew her to nursing, Ann replied, “Being able to take care of people and a profession where I could provide for my family.”

According to Ann, the best part of the job is “The team I work with in Case Management at Sparks is an amazing group.

Their teamwork and dedication makes the challenges of case management doable.” However, the most challenging part of the job is “overcoming all of the obstacles of patient discharge needs while working through social and financial barriers.”

Ann’s advice to someone thinking about pursuing a career in nursing is: “Nursing is a rewarding field with many opportunities and speciality areas to practice. There is great job satisfaction in being able to help people.”

Ann would like to extend a special thanks to her incredible husband, Bobby Horn, and their two sons, Brandon Duplantis and Bradley Duplantis, with his wife Maegan, and her grandchildren, Ruby Mae and Zack Henry.

Linda Allen — Sparks Hospital Linda was nominated posthumously in recognition of her excellent services as a nurse for over 30 years.

Linda was born and raised in the Fort Smith area, where she graduated Westark College in 1984, now the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.

Cheryl Powers, also of Sparks Hospital, stated that Linda was “a ray of sunshine for all who knew her. We all looked forward to her coming to work, including the patients. Linda was so loved and admired for her beauty, grace, and dedication toward the care of her patients. So much love, knowledge and tenderness was expressed in her ability to make even the darkest of days bright. My heart breaks at such a loss for Sparks, family and friends.”

Special recognition goes to Linda’s family: her husband, Gary Allen; her daughter, Amy Burkhart; two sons, Nathan Allen and Nick Allen, with his wife Sara; and her five loving grandchildren.

Maurita Shepard – Sparks Hospital Maurita Shepard has been a nurse for nine years, all of which she has spent working happily at Sparks Hospital. She is originally from Roland and she studied at Arkansas Tech University — Ozark for her LPN. According to Maurita, “The best part of my job is helping people and making them feel better.” But, “the most challenging part of my job is that sometimes I feel I don’t have enough time to get everything done, although it is a 12-hour shift.”

Her advice to nursing students and new nurses is: “Never give up! Everything you are going through will be worth it in the end ... I promise.”

Maurita would like to extend a special thanks to her parents, Bobby and Mickey Shepard, and her daughters, Nikieshia Moore and Keondra Manager.

Kelly Hill — Sparks Hospital Kelly was nominated posthumously in recognition of her excellent services as a nurse since 1998. She was born and raised in the Fort Smith area and studied at Westark College, now the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.

Dr. James Greene, an emergency room doctor, stated that Kelly was “always supportive, constantly optimistic, treated staff as family, always lead by example, never backed away from a challenge, always sought to bring out the best and best effort from co-workers.”

Kelly’s daughter, Courtney White, explains just what made Kelly a remarkable nurse: “She always said to put patients first. She said the nurses are here to take care of the patients. She being a nurse was the most amazing thing she could do with her life. She was diagnosed with cancer, and after going to chemo and radiation, she would come back to work to help her staff take care the patients.

“She is me and my sisters’ inspiration, and we hope that we follow in her footsteps and lead by example.”

Special recognition goes to Kelly’s family: Her husband, Lewis Hill, and their daughters, Courtney White, Jennifer Branch and Emily Hill.

As well as to her sisters, Terri Mullins, Judy Hawk Branch, Miranda Lee Branch and Jamie Lawley; and her grandchildren, Brock Tackett, Bryce Tackett, Brooklyn Hallbauer, Beckett Sanders, Kada Sanders and Carson Lewis Hill.

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER

Carla Dorr – Home Health Personal Care

Lydia Dorr – Sparks Hospital

Carla has been a nurse for more than 30 years.

She was born and raised in Waldron before she went on to study at Westark College, now the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.

When asked about what drew her to nursing, Carla replied, “I’ve wanted to be a nurse since I was a little girl. I played nurse with my dolls, even though I was personally terrified of going to the doctor’s.”

According to Carla, the best part of the job is getting to talk with her patients, but “getting all the paperwork done on time” can be a challenge.

Carla’s advice to someone thinking about pursuing a career in nursing is: “Go for it.”

Carla would like to extend a special thanks to her husband, Perry Dorr, and their two children, Lydia and Brett Dorr, as well as her grandchildren, Liam Dorr and Eleanor Dorr.

Lydia has been a nurse for almost seven years.

She was born and raised in Waldron before she went on to study at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.

When asked about what drew her to nursing, Lydia replied: “My mom, my role model, is also a nurse. Between that, and my love for adrenaline mixed with my love for helping people, is what led me into the nursing profession.”

According to Lydia: “Seeing people heal and get to go home to their families better off because of what nurses and doctors do is easily the best part of the job.” Although the most challenging part of the job is that “the hours are long and hard, and keep me away from my son, which is really the only downside to being a nurse.”

Lydia’s advice to aspiring nurses: “A strong heart, an even stronger bladder, and an abundance of patience are the requirements needed to be a good nurse! The only advice I have is to enter nursing with an open mind, an open heart and a really good pair of shoes!”

HEALTHYU | April 2017 |

QA &

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nurses address global health care with virtual learning

By More Content Now

People are more connected now than ever before thanks to the globalization of technology, international travel, commerce and industry. But this interconnectedness also means that health concerns, which were once limited to a community, can have a global impact. The Zika virus, the outbreak declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization, is the latest example of a foreign health issue that quickly raised concern within our borders.

Nurses are using the technology that connects us to prepare for this new reality. Through virtual simulation education, they are learning to care for diverse populations and practicing global health scenarios including epidemics, rare illnesses and other infectious diseases.

“Globalization has

Sponsored Content

changed our approach to health care. Viral diseases can spread rapidly, so we have to be ready,” says Dee McGonigle, professor in Chamberlain College of Nursing’s Master of Science in Nursing degree program. “Virtual learning environments provide valuable, interactive education on best practices for patient safety and disease containment in a real-time scenario that mimics real life.”

Dr. McGonigle heads up the college’s 3-D Virtual Learning Environment. During the Ebola outbreak in 2014, she and several colleagues built the Virtual Ebola Treatment Center in Second Life, a virtual world created by its global community of users. In Second Life, users — known as residents — are represented by avatars that can walk, run, sit, stand, fly and interact with other residents.

Chamberlain students learned how to admit and care for Ebola patients by practicing scenarios in the VETC within Second Life. Faculty from the MSN Informatics specialty track facilitated and mentored students through the risk-free virtual learning experience.

Like the Zika virus, the Ebola crisis was a wake-up call that proved how quickly disease can spread and how important it is to be prepared.

Seemingly overnight, health care professionals and students nationwide were tasked with developing expertise on a disease that was previously of little concern to U.S. citizens.

“Nurses around the world were looking for answers,” says Dr. McGonigle. “We knew we had the opportunity to build a critical training tool to prepare our students to treat Ebola patients.”

Sam Solomon Beltone Hearing Aid Center 1100 Lexington Ave. Fort Smith 479-782-5858 beltoneAR.com

What is Conductive Hearing Loss? +WVL]K\Q^M PMIZQVO TW[[ I‫ٺ‬MK\[ the outer ear. It happens when sound _I^M[ IZM VW\ \ZI^MTQVO M‫ٻ‬KQMV\Ta from the outside world through to the outer or middle ear. <PM \ZW]JTM KIV WKK]Z IVa_PMZM in the outer ear, the ear canal or the UQLLTM MIZ ;QUXTa X]\ \PM [W]VL [QOVIT[ PQ\ I ZWILJTWKS IVL PI^M \ZW]JTM UISQVO Q\ \W \PM VMZ^M KMV\MZ _PMZM \PMa IZM XZWKM[[ML Ja the brain.

Conductive hearing loss is, for the most part, treatable, and \PMZMNWZM \MUXWZIZa 1V UIVa KI[M[ [WUM\PQVO Q[ XPa[QKITTa JTWKSQVO XT]OOQVO \PM MIZ KIVIT _PQKP XZM^MV\[ aW] NZWU PMIZQVO _MTT )[ _Q\P [MV[WZQVM]ZIT PMIZQVO TW[[ \PMZM IZM UIVa causes of conductive hearing loss: • Ear infections and head colds -IZ _I` IVL W\PMZ Æ]QL J]QTL]X[ • Presence of a foreign objects • Perforated eardrum • Allergies • Tumors For some individuals, a genetic condition called otosclerosis could be to blame. Otosclerosis refers to abnormal bone LM^MTWXUMV\ QV \PM UQLLTM MIZ <PM JWVM[ UIa JM _ZIXXML IZW]VL MIKP W\PMZ WZ W\PMZ_Q[M VW\ N]TTa NWZUML 7\W[KTMZW[Q[ ][]ITTa LWM[V¼\ JMKWUM IV Q[[]M ]V\QT IL]T\PWWL IVL Q[ WN\MV operable.

1N aW] [][XMK\ aW] IZM M`XMZQMVKQVO I PMIZQVO TW[[ WN IVa SQVL OM\ aW]Z MIZ[ KPMKSML IVL ÅVL W]\ _PI\ aW] LW KIV LW \W QUXZW^M aW]Z PMIZQVO PMIT\P \WLIa )LLZM[[QVO aW]Z PMIZQVO TW[[ KWVKMZV[ [\IZ\[ _Q\P ZMIKPQVO W]\ \W [WUMWVM _PW KIV PMTX +ITT \WLIa \W [KPML]TM IV IXXWQV\UMV\ for a free hearing test.

11

12

| April 2017 | HEALTHYU

UAFS Nursing II student Kayla Kalua, left, works with Dr. Debbie Koch in the high fidelity simulation center at the Pendergraft Health and Science Building. [JAMIE MITCHELL/TIMES RECORD]

NURSES OF THE FUTURE UAFS' four-year program born from demand for skilled nursing help

By Carole Medlock Contributing Writer

A university program’s responsiveness to industry trends and demands is opening

doors for graduates of a local nursing program, and more opportunities for those interested in nursing appear to be on the horizon.

When the University

of Arkansas at Fort Smith accepted its first class of students seeking a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree in 2008, it was in response to a demand within the

nursing industry, school officials said.

“There was a demand nationwide for nurses educated with a bachelor’s degree,” said Dr. Carolyn Mosley,

Dean of the College of Health Sciences at UAFS. Before the fouryear degree offering, students could obtain an associate degree in nursing, which only

required two years of study.

Mosley added that when the school’s BSN program was approved, there were fewer than 200 nurses in the state of Arkansas who were four-year graduates.

Mosley explained the difference in the programs, saying the two-year program produced graduates who were proficient in skills-focused nursing, while the four-year program is a sciencebased program that gives students the ability to think critically in a clinical setting.

“Area facilities want the bachelor’s degree because of the complexity of illness. It demands the higher level of performance from nurses,” Mosley said.

Dr. Debbie Koch, associate professor of psychiatric and mental health at UAFS, echoed Mosley’s sentiment, saying that patient outcomes are better when a nurse is prepared at the higher level of education. Better patient outcomes are always the goal, Koch said.

In addition, being educated at the higher level opens more doors for graduates, both agreed.

Mosley said the university quit offering an associate degree in nursing, graduating its last class in May 2013.

She said the decision was made because once the BSN program was offered, applications for the two-year program plummeted.

UAFS nursing students also benefit from stateof-the-art facilities that provide students with the most realistic experiences available while still affording

HEALTHYU | April 2017 |

them a safe environment for learning.

Those facilities, in addition to class size, are what attracted senior nursing student Kayla Kalua to the UAFS program. Kalua, a nursing student in the second semester of her senior year, said she was accepted to multiple programs but chose UAFS for her education for a number of reasons.

“UAFS has the resources of a larger university, but the class size is smaller so you have the opportunity to develop a personal connection with your instructors,” Kalua said.

“The (simulation) labs are one of my favorite things.”

Koch described the simulation labs as facilities that provide a fully operational hospital environment in which nursing students can develop their skills.

“It’s a safe environment for students to practice with an instructor there so they can go into a clinical setting with more experience,” Koch said.

Each bed in a simulation lab has a fully functional human simulator that reacts to treatment just as a human would. Students can perform tasks on the “patients” that include drawing blood, inserting catheters, listening to heart and breath sounds and giving injections. The mannequins can be programmed to speak and react to medicines they are given. They can even have babies. “(Obstetrics) was one of my favorite simulation experiences,” Kalua said.

A student’s benefit

from their experiences in simulation labs can be seen, as they complete the part of their education that requires them to work with real patients in a variety of clinical settings.

Kalua said her experience in simulation labs allowed her more confidence as she progressed to a clinical setting.

“Once you are in the actual situation, you’re not as nervous. You know what’s going on.”

In addition to the BSN program, Mosley touted a nursing program that will be offered to high school students through the university’s Western Arkansas Technical Center (WATC) program beginning in the fall. The WATC program offers area high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school, according to information from the UAFS website.

Mosley said participants in the program will have the opportunity to take classes that will allow them to gain some entry-level experience in nursing, which will, in turn, allow them to explore whether they want to continue their education in nursing. There is also the potential for those participating to earn the title of Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), which would make them jobready upon graduation, Mosley said.

“They can be jobready for a nursing job that can pay up to $40,000 a year to start,” Mosley said.

A new program projected for fall 2017 is an accelerated nursing program, said Koch.

13

Dr. Debbie Koch, left, works with UAFS Nursing II student Kayla Kalua in the high fidelity simulation center at the Pendergraft Health and Science Building. [ PHOTOS BY JAMIE MITCHELL/TIMES RECORD]

The program would provide a student who already holds a bachelor's degree in any area the opportunity to pursue a BSN through an accelerated process.

The program is being planned in response to demand, because nursing programs are still not meeting the demand for qualified nurses.

Mosley said students in the accelerated program will be offered an identical curriculum to those in the traditional nursing program. The difference will be the duration of the courses; a course will be completed in a five-week time period, but students will focus on only one course at a time and will be required to complete that course successfully before moving on. Mosley said research shows these five-week programs have better outcomes than longer courses. But

she said the program will create a need for more qualified faculty.

Jonesboro is the only place in Arkansas that provides a similar accelerated program currently, Mosley said.

Two other programs in the works for UAFS nursing include an LPN to BSN program, which Mosley says the local medical community is asking for, and a master's in nursing education. But both programs are farther down the road.

Mosley references an “80 by 20” initiative, which refers to a goal that by 2020, 80 percent of nurses will have a bachelor’s degree.

“We’re looking at trying to make that possible,” she said.

The UAFS nursing program will graduate 31 students in May, who will then be ready to take their NCLEX, or nursing licensure examination.

Most of the nursing students are interested in continuing their education, Mosley said.

14

| April 2017 | HEALTHYU

Nursing shortage creates career opportunities

By More Content Now With nearly 8 million Americans still unemployed, it may be difficult to imagine a labor shortage is on the horizon. Yet many labor experts predict the health-care industry is headed in that direction — and older adults may be one of the groups that will suffer the most if a shortage does occur as forecasted.

“The potential lack of nurses in assisted living communities is particularly concerning,” says Kim Estes, senior vice president

of clinical services for Brookdale Senior Living.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that by 2022, American health-care facilities will need 1 million more nurses than there will be nurses practicing. At the same time, people 65 and older will account for 16 percent of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureaus. With 85 percent of seniors having at least one chronic medical condition, and more than two-thirds having at least two, seniors are the age group most in need of care.

Any labor shortage, however, can have a silver lining for those who are willing to train for the understaffed market and pursue available jobs where the need is greatest.

“The nursing shortage, aging population and rising incidence of chronic conditions are creating a perfect storm of opportunity for nurses who want to go into caring for those in assisted living,” Estes says. “Many nurses don’t think about going into senior living as a career path because it’s not a

typical hospital or doctor’s office position, but it can be very rewarding. Rather than treating a patient and moving onto another patient, assisted living gives nurses the opportunity to build long-lasting relationships and enrich the lives of residents and their families.”

Brookdale’s assisted living communities hire nurses as health and wellness directors. They oversee all clinical services within a community including managing care associates, setting

standards, and leading health and wellness programming. Rather than providing daily hands-on care, these nurses shape the overall quality and content of care their community’s seniors receive on a daily basis. The work offers opportunity to advance to higher-level leadership positions at the district, regional and corporate level which pay significantly more than a typical hospital or physician’s office job.

Some health-care providers are taking action

to combat the looming nursing shortage, offering support, training and assistance to people interested in entering the profession.

For example, Brookdale is launching a student loan reimbursement program hoping to attract more nurses to work in assisted living.

“Whether you’re already working as a nurse, or are considering a career in nursing, working in a senior living community can be professionally, personally and financially rewarding,” Estes says.

QA &

HEALTHYU | April 2017 |

Sponsored Content

‘Sincerity’ Puts Nurse in Spotlight Terry is a nurse in the Intermediate Intensive Care Unit. She joined Sparks Health System in January of last year and has been a vital XIZ\ WN \PM V]Z[QVO [\I‫ ٺ‬IVL Q[ described as the “go-to” person by her supervisor.

Mandy Terry, RN, was recently nationally recognized with a DAISY Foundation Award at Sparks Regional Medical Center in Fort Smith.

“Her teamwork skills are superb and you can always tell from the atmosphere of the unit when she is working,” said Adam Cole, RN, CCRN, Clinical Manager of the Critical Care Division at Sparks.

“During my daily rounds, I consistently hear from her patients and families how fantastic she is and how she takes great care of them.”

It’s that kind of compassionate care that earned Terry a DAISY Award. She was nominated by the family of a former patient.

“Never have I seen a nurse with more compassion for her patients and who gives such sincere, loving care,” one family member wrote. The patient’s wife also said Terry made their days “a little better” by always having a smile on her face.

Recipients of the DAISY Award get a banner to hang in their unit until the next award is given, a plaque and Daisy pin, and a “Healer’s

Touch” sculpture handcrafted in Zimbabwe.

The DAISY Foundation was formed in November 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). “DAISY” is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.

Barnes’ family created the program as a way to acknowledge and show gratitude to exceptional nurses like the ones who took care of Barnes.

The goal of this program is to inspire nurses and applaud them for their hard work.

Patients and their family members can nominate nurses who they feel go above and beyond to provide safe, quality medical care. Nomination letters can be placed in desigVI\ML ,)1;A )_IZL LZWX W‫ ٺ‬ boxes throughout the hospital or mailed to Sparks Health System.

Sparks Health System includes Sparks Regional Medical Center, Sparks Medical Center – Van Buren, Sparks Clinic, Sparks PremierCare and the fully hospital-integrated Marvin Altman Fitness Center. For more information about Sparks Health System, visit www.SparksHealth.com.

15

16

| April 2017 | HEALTHYU

Understanding APRNs Advanced practice registered nurses provide specialized care

By More Content now

If you’ve been to a doctor’s office, walk-in health clinic or hospital recently, the odds are pretty good that you have met or received care from an advanced practice registered nurse. Known as APRNs, they deliver a variety of primary care services and some specialized clinical services, educate patients on health and wellness, advocate for patient safety, and provide compassion and support during some of the most difficult times in their patients’ lives.

While all nurses have special training, APRNs have pursued advanced degrees that give them even more knowledge to make a difference. As a result, they are in high

demand. From the implementation of the Affordable Care Act to the growth of Accountable Care Organizations, APRNs have an important part to play in improving access to care.

This is good news for patients as well as individuals considering a career in nursing or advancing their nursing career.

“The role of nurses with advanced practice training and education has long been misunderstood by the general public and health care community alike,” says Kaplan University School of Nursing Dean and Vice President Chandice Covington. “Because demand is only set to grow for these highly skilled individuals, it’s time to shine a light on the APRNs in the nursing profession.”

Advanced practice RNs have four designated roles, as outlined by the Campaign for Consensus, a national education and advocacy campaign from the National Council for State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), and described below. Each allow nurses to make significant contributions to the delivery of health care and provide greater access for patients.

1. Certified Nurse Practitioner (CNP) Certified nurse practitioners can choose to practice independently in wide-ranging specialties such as family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, women’s health and geriatrics. Education, training and certification follow two distinct paths to prepare CNPs for practice

in primary care or acute care settings. Regardless of setting, CNPs gain a range of clinical skills that include diagnosing and managing acute and chronic conditions; ordering and interpreting laboratory and imaging studies; prescribing medication; and making appropriate referrals for patients and families.

2. The Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Nurses who excel at seeing the big picture make great clinical nurse specialists. Training gives CNSs the skills to integrate and improve patient care and outcomes across the health care spectrum. A CNS career also empowers nurses to promote the field of nursing, champion evidence-based practices, and prevent illness and

risky health behaviors in a variety of patient populations.

3. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) CRNAs provide anesthesia care for people of all ages. For nurses that choose this career path, they can work in a hospital, pain management center, private physician office and many other settings. They can also apply specialized skills to help a wide variety of patients who require invasive medical procedures, from the relatively healthy to those with life-threatening injuries or illnesses.

4. Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) In addition to assisting in childbirth, registered nurses who become certified nurse-midwives

provide women with a full range of primary healthcare services. These advanced practice nurses provide gynecologic, family planning, preconception, prenatal, postpartum, and newborn care and services. Many even treat the male partners of their female clients for STDs and reproductive health issues.

Similar to CRNAs, certified nurse-midwives can choose to work in a variety of settings, including in homes, birth centers and public health clinics.

“APRNs are hard working professionals that have far reaching influences on patient care on a variety of levels every day,” says Covington. “Our healthcare system is truly made better by their service and dedication.”

HEALTHYU | April 2017 |

QA &

COULD MY LIFESTYLE AS A TEENAGER/ YOUNG ADULT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MY EARING LOSS? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not even that old yet. But because we listened to Pearl Jam so loud, and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take care of our hearing on the mower, or with the chainsaw, etc., this is where we are now. Crazy, right? Thirty-six-years old and we have noise-induced hearing loss.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Older adults must be proactive with health

By More Content Now

As Americans, our health is far from perfect, but over the decades, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen great improvements to medical care and lived longer lives. But new health data in a recent report might shake up our complacency: The federal government ďŹ nds that life expectancy for Americans has dropped for the ďŹ rst time in 25 years.

Though the factors are varied and complex, it has health experts and doctors taking a hard look at the current realities, including our rising obesity rate and the fact doctors may be reaching their limit on what they can do to treat heart disease.

Doctors urge urges patients ages 55 and older to be proactive with their heart health by scheduling

Sponsored Content

regular doctor visits and making regular cardiovascular screenings a part of their wellness routine.

1. Heart disease is often silent. Problems with the cardiovascular system can creep in gradually. Fully 80 percent â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 4 out of 5 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; of people who have a stroke have no symptoms beforehand. High blood pressure, high cholesterol and coronary artery disease are often silent, partly because the warning signs are not what most people expect.

Symptoms are less obvious, such as a headache, shortness of breath or pain in the jaw. Even if you are already taking steps to manage your risk factors, a screening will give you and your doctor a picture of the health of your cardiovascular system.

2. Minor conditions are easy to ignore. Even if your

screening doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reveal youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at a very high risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be complacent. Because your cardiovascular system is interconnected, plaque in one artery makes it very possible that plaque will eventually show up elsewhere.

3. Oral health is a window to artery health. For decades, researchers have seen a connection between oral health and heart health.

Back in the 1920s for example, doctors thought they could cure heart disease by extracting teeth. While the connection is not yet fully understood, we do know oral plaque has a relationship to carotid artery plaque. Patients should also see their dentist regularly and take good care of their gums and teeth.

Jerry Richards, ACA, BC-HIS Graham Hearing 1005 Lexington Ave. Fort Smith 479-783-5250 2708 N. Broadway Poteau, OK 918-649-0223

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the deal. You could have avoided it. Remember all those times Dad said turn down the music or wear ear plugs when shooting? Yeah, turns out he was right! We should have done those things.

It was so avoidable! But, hey, at least our hearing aids are cool.

While itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too late for us, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not too late for the ones who think theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re indestructible and impervious to hearing loss. No one is. But if we would have followed these tips, we might not be wearing hearing aids right now. * If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re three feet away from someone and you have to yell to hear each other, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too loud! Leave the noise or grab some foam earplugs to protect your hearing. * If you are shooting guns or are around others who are, ALWAYS wear ear protection. Ear protection can lower the noise at the earLZ]U Ja I[ U]KP I[ L* <PI\ Q[ \PM LQâ&#x20AC;ŤŮşâ&#x20AC;ŹMZMVKM JM\_MMV [INM TQ[\MVing and permanent damage to your hearing. * Long-term exposure to loud sounds isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only thing that can damage your hearing. Instantaneous noises can cause immediate damage, as well. Protect your ears! * The ringing that occurs after being exposed to loud sounds from concerts or sporting events is your body telling you something is _ZWVO 1N aW]ÂźZM ZMXMI\MLTa Ă&#x2026;VLQVO \PI\ aW]Z MIZ[ ZQVO IN\MZ aW] TMI^M a venue, take hearing protection next time. * And while music may sound better loud â&#x20AC;&#x201D; be smart. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always need to crank it. Listen at a lower volume, whether through iPhone earbuds or through wireless headphones.

Call us for a free hearing evaluation today.

Jerry Richards and Ruth Coleman are ready to provide you with complete hearing health care.

17

18

| April 2017 | HEALTHYU

QA &

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Simple steps to help seniors, caregivers better manage medications More Content Now Modern medicine can work wonders. However, in order to be effective, medicine needs to be taken safely, according to prescribing guidelines, and patients and health care providers need to be vigilant about the dangers of drug interactions. When it comes to medication use, seniors take more prescription and over-the-counter drugs than any other age group, and they are most likely to experience problems because of their medications.

The average American senior takes five or more prescription medications daily, and many of them can’t read the prescription label or understand the prescribing instructions, according to the National Council on Patient Information and Education.

Sponsored Content

“Unless they reside in a senior living community or have another form of assistance, it can be very difficult for seniors to manage their own medications,” says Kim Estes, senior vice president of clinical services for Brookdale Senior Living. “A lot of factors make medication management a challenge for seniors, including the sheer number of prescriptions many of them take in a day.”

Management challenges While doctors prescribe medication to treat a range of chronic conditions from arthritis to diabetes and high blood pressure, seniors may find managing their medications difficult for multiple reasons: • Many meds and many prescribers — Seniors who are on multiple medications are often prescribed to

them by multiple doctors, who may or may not be aware of other medications the senior is already taking.

Taking a large number of medications can increase the risk of a drug interaction that harms seniors’ health, rather than helps them.

• Adverse side effects — If a medication makes a senior feel ill, he or she may stop taking it.

• Lack of knowledge — If they don’t understand exactly what the medicine is supposed to do for them, seniors may feel they don’t need it and discontinue use.

• Physical challenges — Age-related physical challenges such as hearing or vision loss, dexterity issues or trouble swallowing can make it difficult for seniors to take their medications as prescribed.

I’ve heard that in-home care is Lori Williams only for those who are very sick. Is CEO & co-owner that correct?

A: Non-medical, and available to any adult who is looking for a little 2613 Market Trace extra help around the house. This Fort Smith, AR includes help with personal care and hygiene, meal preparation, medication 72908 reminders, transportation, etc. or maybe 479-242-2273 just the enjoyment of the company of a caring and capable companion. www.GAHSC.com Is quality of care we would receive at home inferior to care in a facility?

A: In-home care is highly personalized, one-on-one care, with a dedicated caregiver or care team that comes to you, to meet your unique needs at a time that works best for you.

Is In-home care expensive; more than assisted living or a nursing home?

A: The cost care is based on the number of hours you need each week, and sometimes the level of care. The wonderful thing is that you will not be paying for time or services that you do not need or desire. This means in-home care is typically an economical option, and good value, as compared to assisted living or nursing home care. Medicare does not currently pay for NON-MEDICAL, at-home care services, but most long-term insurance policies will reimburse for these expenses.

I’m am providing the care for my loved-one and wondering if I might need some help?

A: To remain healthy and strong - physically, emotionally and mentally we all need a break from time to time.

Caring for a loved-one often turns into a 24/7 job leaving the family caregiver exhausted, emotionally and physically.

Every caregiver needs to have periods of relief so that they have time to recharge and take care of themselves. In-home care is the perfect choice to provide care while you rest, regenerate, and refresh.

My loved-one needs 24-hour care, would in-home care be an option for her?

A: In-home care can be provided for just a few hours or around the clock!

Once you have expressed your unique situation and needs an experienced care team will be created to provide care to your loved-one 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Is in-home care only for those who are 65 or older?

A: The majority of clients receiving

in-home care are 65 or older. However, services can be provided to anyone who is 18 or older and just needs a little extra help at home. This includes those that may have a disability, chronic illness, is on hospice or those recovering from a recent surgery or injury.

We have used other care options, such as a hospital, assisted living, nursing home, and now hospice. How can in-home care services help improve my loved-one’s quality of life?

A: In-home care services often supplement the care provided by hospitals, assisted living centers, nursing homes and hospice by working closely with all those involved in your care, including LWK\WZ[ [WKQIT _WZSMZ[ IVL PW[XQKM [\I‫ ٺ‬ to ensure you are receiving the highest quality of care possible. These other care options work with you on their set schedule. In-home care services are available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays.

Will I have any say about who comes to my home and provides my care?

A: <PM ÅZ[\ XZQWZQ\a Q[ \W XZW^QLM you with the best care possible and your input will be invaluable to accomplish this! Your personality and care requirements will be the starting point to match you with the perfect caregiver. However, sometimes people just don’t “click.” Be sure to provide your feedback as to who you are comfortable with and when/if changes to your care team need to be made.

Is it true that all home care workers steal from the elderly and/or abuse them?

A: There is no denying that this happens from time to time and, unfortunately, it gives a bad name to all of the caring and honest caregivers. This makes it even more important to work with an in-home care company that you feel comfortable with and can trust. Hiring independent “private-duty” caregivers may seem like \PM JM[\ WX\QWV ÅVIVKQITTa J]\ Q\ Q[ LMÅnitely not the safest. A reputable in-home care company will provide you with the assurance that each caregiver has undergone a thorough background and reference check, and that they are insured and bonded.

HEALTHYU | April 2017 |

• Cognitive challenges — Seniors with memory loss or dementia may forget to take their medications as prescribed.

• Cost — Even with Medicare and supplemental health insurance, many medications can come with a hefty price tag. Seniors may not be able to afford a medication their doctor prescribed.

Medication management made easier “Fortunately, seniors and their caregivers can take some fairly easy steps to help them better manage their medications,” Estes says. “These steps take a little time and effort, but they can go a long way toward helping seniors use their medicines more effectively.”

• Most seniors take five or more medications a day, and those with severe health issues or who are in the hospital may take significantly more than that. Make a list of every medication you take, what it’s for, and what the pill actually looks like.

• Make a checklist of all

your medications. Every time you take a prescription, note the date, time and dosage on your checklist.

• If you have trouble reading the labels on your prescriptions or can’t open the bottle, ask your pharmacist to provide your medicine in easy-to-open containers with large-print labels.

• Make a plan for getting your prescriptions. You may decide to schedule a drive to the pharmacy every month on a certain day or have someone drive you there. You may also find an online pharmacy that can deliver your prescriptions to your home.

• When you go to the doctor, take your list of prescriptions with you, especially if you’re seeing him or her for the first time. Your list will help the doctor know what medications you’re already taking.

• Work with your doctors to see if you can reduce the number of pills you take by consolidating medicines. For example, if you take a pill to reduce water

retention and a medication for high blood pressure, some prescription drugs combine both types of medicine into a single pill.

• A study by the University of Arizona found that having a pharmacist on a senior’s care team helped keep seniors safer and improved their ability to take medications as prescribed. Keep all your prescriptions with one pharmacy and get to know the pharmacists who work there. Your pharmacist may be able to help you spot potential drug interactions.

• Technology can help you remember to take medications on time. Set an alarm on your cellphone or download an event reminder app on your smartphone to help you remember when it’s time to take your medicine.

“With a little planning and help, seniors and their caregivers can better manage their medications to ensure seniors get the most benefit out of their prescription treatments,” Estes says.

19

20

| April 2017 | HEALTHYU

QA &

W h e n Mercy Hospital joined the Arkansas Trauma System in 2011, the hospital needed a trauma coordinator to lead the new program. With her two decades of emergency room nursing experience, Linda Nelson was a natural choice.

From the beginning of her nursing career, Linda was drawn to emergency medicine, which required her to constantly diversify her knowledge. Fourteen years as an ER charge nurse on weekends helped her develop critical thinking skills and manage crises.

[OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA]

Breaking the weight-loss cycle Ups and downs can take toll emotionally, physically More Content Now

Many Americans are living with excess weight and obesity, meaning they have a higher-thannormal body weight for their height. With more than a third of the U.S. adult population affected by obesity, the marketplace is saturated with “quick-fix” weight-loss tips and unhealthy and unsustainable diets.

Indeed, at the beginning of every year, favorite snacks are left out of the grocery cart, gym memberships soar and healthy-cooking programs earn a second look as losing weight tops New Year’s resolution lists.

Yet for all the good intentions, weight loss is no easy task, and for some, it is an ongoing struggle. Why? In reality, obesity is a complex chronic disease that changes how the body uses food and the energy it produces, preventing some people from maintaining the weight loss they achieve.

The result is a lifetime of ups and downs, as well as emotional, psychological, physical and health implications.

The Weight-Loss Cycle According to a recent U.S. ethnographic study conducted by Novo Nordisk, many people affected by obesity often

experience a cycle of weight loss and weight gain. The phases of this cycle include: 1. Defining Moment: Feeling energized and motivated. I’m ready to do something about my weight.

2. Consideration: Feeling hopeful and determined. I have many options. I will choose the one that will help me get to the goal I have set for myself.

3. Momentum: Feeling confident and excited.

I’m seeing a difference in my weight, and so can others. I can do this.

4. Plateau: It’s getting harder. It’s easy to get off track. I’m not losing weight anymore. Life

She took on the challenge of building the trauma program at a time Arkansas’ fatality rate for motor vehicle accidents was 33 percent higher than the national average.

The state also was one of three in the U.S. without a system for coordinating trauma patients’ care.

It wasn’t easy leading emergency room [\I‫\ ٺ‬PZW]OP \PQ[ \aXM WN PQ[\WZQK KPIVOM As some of the most highly trained and most experienced medical professionals in the hospital, they needed to know that the KPIVOM[ _W]TL JMVMÅ\ XI\QMV\[ 6MT[WV credits the program’s success to the unconditional backing of Mercy leadership who supported the trauma program both XPQTW[WXPQKITTa IVL ÅVIVKQITTa ;]ZOMWV engagement has also been the cornerstone of this new program, Nelson said.

One important change was adopting nationally standardized protocols for triaging, assessing and getting patients to the right care quickly. Another was creating a Trauma Activation Team that could quickly assess the severity of a patient’s injuries and their need for surgery.

Before the standardization, diagnostic tests might be done in succession, wasting precious time while a patient’s condition worsened, Nelson said. The trauma protocols ensure that assessments are done in parallel.

“It’s changed the care we provide. Now we have a higher awareness of trauma patients. We’ve improved response times, and more people are surviving traumatic accidents,” she said.

Nelson continues to lead Mercy Hospital’s trauma program but recently has also joined a new initiative: Mercy Global Outreach.

In this role, Nelson is working with co-workers across Mercy to create a pilot program to heighten awareness of health care issues in communities Mercy serves and areas where Sisters of Mercy are working around the world.

Sponsored Content Needs vary by community, Nelson said. In Fort Smith, Mercy leaders are concerned about residents’ food insecurity, foster children not being placed and Hispanic residents lacking access to health care.

Martin Schreiber, vice president of mission for Mercy Fort Smith, said Nelson’s experience means she is keenly aware of the community needs.

“The question we are trying to answer is, how do we move people on the margins of our society closer to the center? How do we become aware of their needs and spread that awareness to our community so we can begin to really address these needs?”

Nelson said Mercy Global Outreach will model itself after proven programs. That speaks to her experience with the trauma program, which based many of its protocols on the standards of the American College of Surgeons.

Although her plate was full, Nelson didn’t hesitate to get involved in the formation of Mercy Global Outreach.

“I’m always looking for opportunities to express my love for Jesus Christ by doing for others,” she said.

Nelson said she is deeply aware that compared to people around the globe, we are wealthy. “I have clean water to drink, hot water to bathe in, food and clothing,” she said. “If we can help give someone water, QN _M KIV OQ^M [WUMWVM NWWL \PI\ ZMÆMK\[ our faith in Christ.”

Although she no longer works regular shifts in nursing, she visit bedsides of patients involved in high-level trauma cases.

She acts as an educator, coach and mentor to the nurses caring for those patients and looks for ways to continue improving care.

“I love being a nurse and I am deeply grateful to be part of the mission of Mercy. At my core, I am a caregiver,” Nelson said.

is getting in the way.

Note: Missteps often occur here. It becomes challenging to maintain my plan. I’m becoming frustrated and anxious.

5. Collapse: I’m tired of this. I can’t keep this up, so I’m not going to.

I’m actually relieved that the pressure is off of me.

6. Fatigue: Feeling exhausted and sad. I don’t even want to think about my weight right now.

According to the study, individuals commonly repeat this cycle frequently throughout their lifetime. Each time, they return to the Defining Moment, such as trying to find clothes that fit properly for a special event, or struggling to fit on a bus or plane seat, motivated again to restart the process with hope renewed.

Along the way, many rely on family, friends or even the media for inspiration and support, often focusing on immediate, rapid weight-loss solutions rather than behavioral changes that can influence choices over the long term.

“The cycle of weight is often extremely frustrating for individuals affected by the disease of obesity. For far too long, individuals have been met with the ‘eat less and move more’ response, which simply does not work. We know more about the science of obesity today than ever before, and we need to utilize this knowledge to help individuals effectively manage their weight and improve their health through safe and effective treatment options,” says Joe Nadglowski, Obesity Action Coalition president and CEO.

HEALTHYU | April 2017 |

As the medical community continues to evolve in its understanding of obesity, many health-care professionals (HCPs) are prioritizing open dialogues with their patients about the value of a comprehensive weight-management approach. It is this collaboration, many physicians believe, that can play a vital role in helping patients break the cycle and shift the focus from exclusively weight loss to a more long-term view of health and weight maintenance.

Obesity is a complex, chronic and multifaceted disease that is best managed through a partnership between patients and their health-care providers, says Dr. Scott Kahan, MD, MPH, director of the National Center for Weight and Wellness.

“Addressing weight is not easy, but finding a support network, which may include a doctor, nurse, registered dietician, mental health provider, or others, can provide resources that help with short- and long-term weight management. Patients are more likely to achieve progress when, in collaboration with their health-care network, they have opportunities to discuss treatment options, establish plans, monitor results and evaluate responses to the plan.”

Specifically, treatment plans that are customized to patients’ personal considerations, realistic goals and changing needs over time have the best chance of success. By consulting a multidisciplinary team

21

“Addressing weight is not easy, but finding a support network, which may include a doctor, nurse, registered dietician, mental health provider, or others, can provide resources that help with short- and long-term weight management.”

Scott Kahan

of health care professionals, including physicians, registered dieticians and mental health professionals, among others, individuals can receive tailored, comprehensive support based on their changing weight-loss needs. Over time, this can result in long-lasting behavior change, which helps break the weight-loss cycle. Plans that include the necessary tools to help patients build skills for long-term behavior change stand to provide the most value.

Small Changes Make a Big Difference While the motivation to lose weight often comes from the desire to have more energy, reduced pain, better health or to take part in certain activities, many patients have unrealistic ideas as to how much weight they have to lose to achieve any level of success.

Fortunately, even small improvements in weight loss can significantly impact overall

health and wellness.

Many studies indicate that a 5 percent to 10 percent reduction in weight may lower health risks related to obesity, including type 2

diabetes, heart disease, bad cholesterol, hypertension and sleep apnea.

If you need help in losing or maintaining your weight, consider professional

consultation. What once worked may no longer work, so it’s important to talk to your provider if the pounds are not coming off or are coming back on.

22

| April 2017 | HEALTHYU

HEALTH & WELLNESS DIRECTORY BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE Sparks Behavioral Health 1500 Dodson Ave. Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-709-7455 Mercy Clinic Behavioral Health 2713 S. 74th St., Ste. 203 Fort Smith, AR 479-573-3130

CARDIOLOGY Cardiology Center at Sparks 1500 Dodson Ave., Ste. 60 Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-709-7325 Mercy Clinic Cardiology - Phoenix Ave. 6101 Phoenix Ave., Ste. 401 Fort Smith, AR 479-573-3042 Mercy Clinic Cardiology - Rogers Ave. 7001 Rogers Ave. Fort Smith, AR 479-314-4650

CARDIOTHORACIC & VASCULAR Mercy Clinic Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery 7001 Rogers Ave., St. 401 Fort Smith, AR 479-452-1188

CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY Sparks Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Inc. 600 Lexington Ave. Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-709-7025

CONVENIENT CARE Mercy Convenient Care – River Valley

3505 S. 79th Street Fort Smith, AR 479-709-8686 Mercy Convenient Care – Zero Street 1400 Zero Street Fort Smith, AR 479-573-3082

ENDOCRINOLOGY Sparks Thyroid and Endocrinology 4700 Kelley Hwy. Fort Smith, AR 72904 479-709-7460

FAMILY MEDICINE

COSMETIC SURGERY Surgical Associates of Fort Smith - Sparks 923 Lexington Ave. Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-709-73504

DERMATOLOGY

Johnson Dermatology 5921 Riley Park Dr. Fort Smith, AR 479-649-3376

DENTISTRY

Dentures Today - Fort Smith 2307 So. Zero #103 Fort Smith, AR 479-646-4499 Dentures Today - Van Buren 2308 Fayetteville Road # 1600 Van Buren, AR 479-474-7600 Dentures Today - Sallisaw 1290 W. Mentzer Ave. Sallisaw, OK 918-775-5775

EAR, NOSE & THROAT Sparks Ear, Nose & Throat Center – West 1500 Dodson Ave., Ste. 260 Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-573-7985

479-573-7990 Sparks Plaza Family Practice 1500 Dodson Ave., Ste. 195 Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-573-7910 Sparks Fort Smith Family Practice 1500 Dodson Ave., Ste. 175 Fort Smith, AR 72902 479-573-7840

Alma Family Medical Clinic - Sparks 937 Highway 64 East Alma, AR 72921 479-632-3855

Sparks Family Medicine – South 8600 South 36th Terrace Fort Smith, AR 72908 479-709-7465

CarePlus - Sparks 14 Gothic Ridge Rd. Van Buren, AR 72956 479-471-0011

Sparks Medical Clinic 5428 Ellsworth Road Fort Smith, AR 72903 479-709-7440

Cornerstone Family Medical Clinic - Sparks 14 Gothic Ridge Road Van Buren, AR 72956 479-474-1100

Spiro Family Medical Clinic - Sparks 702 West Broadway Spiro, OK 74959 918-962-2442

Greenwood Family Medical Clinic - Sparks 1480 West Center Street Greenwood, AR 72936 479-996-5585

Van Buren Family Medical Clinic - Sparks 209 Pointer Trail West Van Buren, AR 72956 479-474-3399

SouthPointe Family Practice - Sparks 3808 Gary Street Fort Smith, AR 72903 479-709-7120 Sparks Clinic Family Medicine 2010 Chestnut, Suite H Van Buren, AR 72956 479-471-4280 Sparks Clinic Family Medicine 6100 Massard Road Fort Smith, AR 72916 479-709-7250 Sparks Clinic Family Practice 4700 Kelley Hwy. Fort Smith, AR 72904

Mercy Clinic Primary Care – Cliff Drive 3700 Cliff Drive Fort Smith, AR 479-259-9286 Mercy Clinic Primary Care – Free Ferry 1000 Waldron Road Fort Smith, AR 479-221-9922 Mercy Clinic Primary Care – Paris 500 E. Academy Paris, AR 479-963-5421

Mercy Clinic McAuley Family Medicine 3420 S. 74th Street Fort Smith, AR 479-573-3740 Mercy Clinic Family Medicine – Charleston 107 S. Logan Charleston, AR 479-573-3120 Mercy Clinic Family Medicine – Ozark 201 S. 70th Street Ozark, AR 479-667-1590 Mercy Clinic Family Medicine – Van Buren 2800 Fayetteville Road Van Buren, AR 479-314-4000 Mercy Family Medicine – Waldron 1341 W. 6th Street Waldron, AR 479-637-2136

Mercy Clinic Family Medicine – Rice Road 2074 Rice Road Waldron, AR 479-637-0250

GASTROENTEROLOGY Gastroenterology Center - Sparks 1001 Towson Ave., Ste. 100 Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-709-7430

GENERAL SURGERY Arkansas Surgical Group - Sparks 1500 Dodson Ave., Ste. 250 Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-573-7940 Surgical Associates of Fort Smith - Sparks 923 Lexington Ave. Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-709-7350

GERIATRICS

Mercy Family Medicine – Booneville 128 Daniel Ave. Booneville, AR 479-675-2455

Adult Medicine Specialists - Sparks 1120 Lexington Ave. Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-709-7260

Mercy Family Medicine – Cedarville 708 Pirates Way Cedarville, AR 479-235-3025

SeniorCare Behavioral Health - Sparks 1001 Towson Ave. Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-441-5601

Mercy Family Medicine – Magazine 351B E. Priddy Street Magazine, AR 479-969-8768 Mercy Family Medicine – Mansfield 100 N. Walnut, St A Mansfield, AR 479-928-4404 Mercy Clinic Family Medicine – Poteau 2110 N. Broadway Poteau, AR 918-647-7416

HEARING

Beltone 1100 Lexington Ave Fort Smith, AR 479-782-5858

Graham Hearing Graham Hearing Services, Inc. 1005 Lexington Ave.

HEALTHYU | April 2017 |

HEALTH & WELLNESS DIRECTORY Fort Smith, AR 479-783-5250

Center For Hearing 4300 Rogers Ave., Ste. #15 Fort Smith, AR 479-785-3277

HEMATOLOGY/ ONCOLOGY

479-573-7820 Mercy Clinic Primary Care – Cliff Drive 3700 Cliff Drive Fort Smith, AR 479-259-9286

NEUROSURGERY

PODIATRY

Mercy Clinic Neurosurgery 2713 S. 74th Street, Ste. 301 Fort Smith, AR 479-573-3723

Mercy Clinic Podiatry – River Valley 3501 W.E. Knight Drive Fort Smith, AR 479-709-6700

Mercy Clinic Primary Care – Sallisaw 1015 E. Choctaw Ave. Sallisaw, OK 918-774-0034

OBSTETRICS/ GYNECOLOGY

PULMONOLOGY

INTERNAL MEDICINE & PEDIATRICS

Sparks Clinic Cancer Center 1001 Towson Ave. Ste. 300 Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-709-7435

Mercy Clinic Internal Medicine & Pediatrics 7800 Dallas Street Fort Smith, AR 479-314-4940

Sparks Radiation Treatment Center 1502 Dodson Ave. Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-709-7190

INTERVENTIONAL PAIN MANAGEMENT

Mercy Clinic Oncology 7001 Rogers Ave., Ste. 200 Fort Smith, AR 479-314-7490 Mercy Radiation Oncology 7301 Rogers Ave. Fort Smith, AR 479-314-7545

INFECTIOUS DISEASE Sparks Center for Infectious Disease 1001 Towson Ave., Ste. 200 Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-709-7447

INTERNAL MEDICINE Adult Medicine Specialists – Sparks 1120 Lexington Ave. Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-709-7260 Sparks Plaza Internal Medicine 1500 Dodson Ave., Ste. 180 Fort Smith, AR 72901

Mercy Clinic Interventional Pain Management 3501 W.E. Knight Drive Fort Smith, AR 479-709-6755

NEPHROLOGY Renal Care Associates Sparks 1500 Dodson Ave., Ste. 280 Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-709-7480

NEUROLOGY Sparks Clinic Neurology 3808 Gary Street Fort Smith, AR 72903 479-709-7050 Sparks Neurology Center 1504 Dodson Ave. Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-709-7175 Mercy Clinic Neurology 7303 Rogers Ave., Ste. 101 Fort Smith, AR 479-314-7590

Mercy Clinic OB/GYN 7001 Rogers Ave., Ste. 403 Fort Smith, AR 479-785-2229

OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE Sparks Occupational Medicine 8600 South 36th Terrace Fort Smith, AR 72908 479-709-7422

Sparks Clinic Lung Center 1001 Towson Ave., Ste. 400 Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-709-7433 Mercy Clinic Pulmonology 7303 Rogers Ave., Ste. 302 Fort Smith, AR 479-314-4620

SENIOR CARE

ORTHOPEDICS Mercy Clinic Orthopedics – River Valley 3501 W.E. Knight Drive Fort Smith, AR 479-709-6700

Grace at Home 2613 Market Trace Fort Smith, AR 72908 479-242-2273

PEDIATRICS

SLEEP DISORDERS

Sparks Pediatrics 5428 Ellsworth Road Fort Smith, AR 72903 479-709-7337

Sparks Sleep Disorders Center 1001 Towson Ave. Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-441-5255

Summit Pediatric Clinic - Sparks 209 Pointer Trail West Van Buren, AR 72956 479-474-3399 Mercy Clinic Pediatrics 3224 S. 70th Street Fort Smith, AR 479-314-4810

PLASTIC & RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY Mercy Clinic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery 2717 S. 74th Street Fort Smith, AR 479-573-3799

Mercy Clinic Sleep Medicine 7001 Rogers Ave., Ste. 200 Fort Smith, AR 479-314-8917

SPORTS MEDICINE Mercy Clinic Sports Medicine 3501 W.E. Knight Drive Fort Smith, AR 479-709-6700

SURGERY Mercy Clinic General Surgery 2713 S. 74th Street Fort Smith, AR 479-573-3101

THERAPY SERVICES Sparks Outpatient Physical, Speech & Occupational Therapy 624 Towson, Ste. B Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-441-5361 Sparks–Van Buren Outpatient Physical Therapy Pulmonary Rehab 2020 Chestnut Van Buren, AR 72956 479-471-4545

COMING UP....

UROLOGY Sparks Urology Group 5500 Ellsworth Road Fort Smith, AR 72903 479-709-7295

WOMEN’S SERVICES Sparks Obstetrics & Gynecology 1500 Dodson Ave., Ste. 230 Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-709-7490 The Women’s Center Sparks 1500 Dodson Ave., Ste. 140 Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-709-1913

WOUND CARE Sparks Wound Care & Hyperbaric Center 1001 Towson Ave. Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-441-5078 Mercy Wound Care & Hyperbaric Center 7306 Rogers Ave. Fort Smith, AR 479-314-2804

ALL ABOUT NURSES healthy NEXT EDITION: SATURDAY, MAY 20TH

living well in the river valley

23

24

| April 2017 | HEALTHYU

Lived with the pain too long.

Decided to live with a new knee instead.

Now living pain free.

Is chronic hip or knee pain limiting your lifestyle?

Your life is our life’s work.

If so, it may be time to consider a total joint replacement.

Eighty-five to ninety percent of people who’ve chosen hip or knee replacement are happy they did. Find out if it’s the right move for you.

Take the first step toward more active living.

Download a free joint replacement guide at mercy.net/FtSmithJoints