Giving Gardens

In Iowa, we live on some of the most fertile soil in the world. The rich black dirt and our growing season can provide a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

And that’s good news because study after study proves that when we eat more fruits and vegetables, we can lower our risk of developing numerous health issues.

Many enjoy the activity of raising some of their own produce with a vegetable garden. However, not all of us have the time, space, or resources to have a garden.

Enter Grinnell Giving Gardens, a new partnership between the Poweshiek County Community Transformation Grant, Imagine Grinnell, and several area churches and youth programs. These groups have come together to create several community gardens in Grinnell.

GRMC employees planting the GRMC community garden.

St. John’s Lutheran Church, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and Summer Street Park will host and manage garden plots and share their harvest with the community. Plans are to send produce to the MICA Food Pantry during the growing season.

Giving Gardens expands free distribution of vegetables to families with low income and members of the community, who help plant, nurture, water, and harvest the gardens.

Summer youth programs such as The Galaxy and GRMC’s Summer Camp are getting into the action with garden plots at various locations. The youth will learn the basics of gardening and maintaining a garden. In return, they can enjoy the bounty of their efforts. It’s a great way for kids to get their hands in the dirt and maybe foster a love of gardening.

Gardening supplies were purchased with grant funds and seeds have been donated by various individuals.

Iowa Community Transformation Grant is working with communities across the state to provide healthier food options. It’s much easier to eat healthy when places like convenience stores, farmer’s markets, and community gardens offer fresh produce. The renewed focus on fresh, locally grown produce has spurred much interest in the community gardens.

The internet is loaded with resources and information about gardening and how to incorporate more fresh produce in an everyday diet. Here are a few places to begin:

http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/fruitsvegetables/index.html?s_cid=tw_ob191

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/vegetables-why.html

http://www.idph.state.ia.us/ctg/HealthyEating.aspx

Don't Fry Day - is Friday!

Memorial Day weekend is considered the unofficial start of summer and it is upon us!

In central Iowa, we’ve mowed our lawns in jeans and sweatshirts this spring rather than shorts and tees. We’ve huddled under blankets at track meets and baseball games. We’ve even had a late frost this spring.

 

But rest assured, the pools and aquatic parks are getting ready and we will wear our shorts and flipflops in comfort and not because we’re just sick of long pants and socks.

The more skin we expose to ultraviolet (UV) rays, the greater our risk for UV damage. The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention says that skin cancer is on the rise in the United States. It is estimated by the American Cancer Society that one American dies every hour from skin cancer. The ACS estimates that there will be more than 76,250 new cases of malignant melanoma throughout the country. Nearly 1,000 of those cases will be Iowans according to the Iowa Cancer Consortium. Malignant melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. More than two million cases of basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers will be diagnosed this year in the U.S.

And those rays don’t just come from the sun. UV rays from tanning beds and lamps are on the World Health Organization’s list of the most dangerous forms of cancer-causing radiation.

The good news is that skin cancer is preventable. It’s all about managing our risk and exposure to UV rays. The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention designates the Friday before Memorial Day as “Don’t Fry Day” to help raise awareness to limit overexposure while enjoying the outdoors. The organization encourages us all to follow these helpful tips:

·       Do not burn or tan.

·       Seek shade.

·       Wear sun-protective clothing.

·       Generously apply sunscreen.

·       Use extra caution near water, snow, and sand.

·       Get vitamin D safely.

A clever way to remember this and to get kids in the habit of being careful with sun exposure is the phrase, “Slip! Slop! Slap! Slide!” – slip on a shirt, slop on broad spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher, slap on a wide-brimmed hat, and slide on sunglasses.

The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention says that this advice is really standard for everyone, but some persons with a family history of skin center, those who have moles or freckles, or people with previous serious sunburns are at a higher risk for skin cancer. Bottom line, they stress that protection from excessive UV exposure is something all of us need to be doing, regardless of our age.

Sources:

National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention  http://www.skincancerprevention.org/

American Cancer Society http://www.cancer.org/healthy/morewaysacshelpsyoustaywell/acs-skin-cancer-prevention-activities

This week. Every week.

Hospitals across the country are celebrating National Hospital Week with all kinds of special events, cook-outs, chair massages, and many unique ways to say thank you to staff and volunteers.

It’s a week when we take a moment to recognize the extraordinary things that happen every single day in our nation’s hospitals.

We say it often, and you know it well, “We’re here for you when you need us.” It may seem trite, but it is true. Around the clock, we are here to meet your healthcare needs. From emergency situations to your annual preventive screening, we are privileged to be your medical center. Within our walls, we share with individuals and families at some of their most joyous moments and some of their most difficult times.

This week, we take the time to celebrate. We also want to let you know that this week, and every week, we are truly honored to be your community hospital.

The Transformative Power of Caring

For the past three years, GRMC has participated in The DAISY Award to recognize excellence in nursing.

 

GRMC's 2014 DAISY Award Nominees

DAISY stands for Diseases Attacking the Immune System and was created in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Barnes died at age 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). His family wanted to do something special in his memory. DAISY was created to award nurses for their everyday excellence.

We have cinnamon rolls at our DAISY Award reception, and there is a good reason for this.

Patrick had very little appetite during his illness. His wife brought a Cinnabon cinnamon roll into his room one day. It smelled very good and it tasted even better to Patrick. He was so appreciative of his nursing team he asked his wife to bring Cinnabon rolls for the entire staff. And so, every year we receive a jar of trademark Cinnabon cinnamon to make rolls for our celebration from The DAISY Foundation.

On Friday, May 9, GRMC honored the 2014 DAISY nominees for outstanding leadership, patient care, excellent nursing skills, and dedication to GRMC.

One nurse is selected to be the DAISY Nurse for the year. In recognition of this award, the honoree receives a certificate, a special DAISY pin, a bouquet of fresh daisies, and an invitation to a special luncheon at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines with all DAISY Award nurses selected for the year from Mercy Health Network hospitals.

GRMC’s 2014 DAISY Nurse is Kimberly McNurlen, RN. Kim received two nominations from supervisors

and coworkers. Her years of experience and leadership as a mentor to other nurses is outstanding. In fact, she oriented several of the nurses also nominated this year. Kim’s attention to detail and safe delivery of high quality care is exemplary. She is well-respected, not only by her teammates in med/surg, but throughout the entire organization. Kim has served for many years on GRMC’s Celebration Council, participating in activities and events to foster a sense of unity and fun for all GRMC employees.

GRMC's 2014 DAISY Nurse, Kimberly McNurlen, RN,
pictured here with Doris Rindels, RN, Assistant Vice-President,
and Todd Linden, President and CEO

Kim is well-known as a team player, meeting not only her patients’ needs but assisting co-workers whenever the need arises. Her honest and compassionate nature puts her patients and co-workers at ease. Put very simply by one of the nominators, “Kim is an awesome nurse.” 

Ellen Waterbury, RN, ICU and Diana Fenner, RN, Home Health, were honored as DAISY nurses in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

Twenty-two nurses were nominated at GRMC this year by patients, family members, co-workers, and supervisors. Every nomination shares incredible stories of compassionate care, great teamwork, and extraordinary nursing. It’s a tough decision to make.

Happy Nurses’ Week. Thank you for all you do.

“The one really positive thing we could hold onto from the experience

 of his eight-week hospitalization was the skillful and amazingly compassionate

 care he received from his nurses - even when he was totally sedated.

 When Pat died, we felt compelled to express our profound gratitude 

to nurses for the work they do for patients and their families every day. 

This is the primary mission of The DAISY Foundation.”

 – quoted from www.daisyfoundation.org