Fortify Yourself from a Firework Fiasco

Fireworks during the Fourth of July are about as American as apple pie. With the Fourth of July right around the corner, keep fireworks safety at the forefront of your mind.

According to the American Pyrotechnics Association (APA), consumer fireworks retailers are reporting a sales increase of approximately $50 million from last year as families begin to prepare for Fourth of July celebrations. While there is typically an increase in fireworks purchases around the Fourth of July, the additional projected sales increase means consumers should become educated about fireworks safety to decrease their chances of injury.

The risk of potential injury can result from any consumer fireworks, from sparklers to roman candles. Reports from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission conclude the potential for injury increases around the Fourth of July. Between June 20, 2014, and July 20, 2014, there were an estimated 7,000 fireworks-related injuries that accounted for 67 percent of the total estimated fireworks-related injuries during the year.

The APA created a safety guide that they encourage consumers to become familiar with before purchasing or using fireworks. Review the APA’s helpful tips so you and your family can stay safe this Fourth of July.

·                            Before purchasing fireworks, check your local regulations regarding fireworks use. For instance, many communities do not allow fireworks to be used inside city limits and during burn bans, and some communities have age limits for purchasing fireworks.

·                            Purchase fireworks from an accredited company that sells legal fireworks.

·                            After purchasing fireworks, always store them in a cool, dry place.

·                            Determine a safe location for use in an open area with a connected hose, bucket of water, or other water source nearby.

·                            Make sure to follow all instructions on the packaging for safe use.

·                            Never let children handle or operate fireworks.

·                            After using your fireworks, allow used fireworks to stand for at least 20 minutes, then soak the remaining tubes and materials in water, drain, place in a plastic bag and dispose outside in a covered trash can.

·                            Be thoughtful to those among us – such as military service men and women and even pets and other animals – that may have sensitivities to the loud noises fireworks can generate.

If your plans include lighting off fireworks this holiday weekend, remember every consumer fireworks injury is preventable. Taking precautions while handling fireworks big or small can keep you from getting burned.

While fireworks safety is a concern, the State Fire Marshal Office reminds people about the consequences of illegal fireworks use this time of year. Legal fireworks in the state of Iowa include novelties and sparklers while all other consumer fireworks are still illegal. People illegally shooting off fireworks could be fined for a simple misdemeanor. If property damage or personal injury resulting from illegal firework use, you can be held criminally responsible.

Below are the Iowa laws for consumer fireworks.

Permitted:

·         Gold sparklers containing no magnesium, chlorate or perchlorate, flitter sparklers in paper tubes not more that ⅛” inch diameter, and snakes containing no mercury.

Prohibited:

·         Firecrackers, torpedoes, skyrockets, roman candles, and any other explosive composition or combination of explosive substances prepared to produce a visible or audible effect, excluding the items specifically permitted.

Not sure when or where the fireworks are happening? Check out https://fireworksiniowa.com/ to find professional fireworks displays throughout Iowa.

Sources:
http://www.americanpyro.com/backyard-fireworks-tips

http://www.cpsc.gov//Global/Research-and-Statistics/Injury-Statistics/Fuel-Lighters-and-Fireworks/Fireworks_Report_2014.pdf

http://www.americanpyro.com/assets/docs/Media_Messages/HandKMessaging/finalurgingfireworkssafetyrelease.pdf

http://www.americanpyro.com/assets/docs/State_Laws/ia16.pdf

Written by Miranda Jones, GRMC summer intern

US Army Veteran Joins GRFP Ranks

With Flag Day in the rearview mirror and Independence Day on the horizon, it’s important to recognize those who serve our country. U.S.  Army veteran and Massachusetts native, Robert Koller, DO, will be joining his new unit, Grinnell Regional Family Practice on Monday, July 18, 2016.

Serving alongside Roy Doorenbos, MD; Michelle Rebelsky, MD; Jacob Boyer, PA; and Kristen Phelps, PA; Koller will be accepting all patients, including obstetrics and geriatrics. Koller’s addition to the all-star lineup will allow GRFP to extend their regular hours until 6 p.m. Additionally, Koller will be providing his services at the Deer Creek Family Practice Care Clinic in Toledo once a week.

Accessible and approachable – this is how Koller wants his patients to view him, made possible by creating a mutually trusting relationship. Bringing a broad medical background with him, Koller is a natural detective with a passion for solving medical issues. He will be scheduling same-day appointments as frequently as possible with patients who require immediate attention.

Koller enjoys spending his free time with his wife Janet, strumming a few chords on his guitar, reading a good book, and serving at church.

For more information about Dr. Koller or to schedule an appointment, please call Grinnell Regional Family Practice at 641-236-2500.

Your Safety is Our Priority

Mistakes shouldn’t happen, especially in healthcare. An estimated 206,000 avoidable deaths occur at hospitals every year, and Grinnell Regional Medical Center is doing its part to make sure that none of those happen here. Safety is important, and GRMC takes it seriously. This spring, GRMC received an “A” quality safety rating from the Leapfrog Group®, a national patient safety initiative comprised of employers and other large consumers of healthcare. The name, Leapfrog Group, sets the intent that it will help hospitals show “leaps of improvement.” As shown by the A rating, some of those leaps of improvement happened at GRMC.

Each year, the hospital completes a voluntary safety survey, providing statistics on patient safety and hospital performance. The safest hospitals – those who score at least .6 standard deviations above the mean - are given an A rating, which less than a third of all hospitals that complete the survey receive). According to the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality, 33,459 lives could be saved every year if B, C, D, and F ranked hospitals had the same safety performance as A hospitals.

This is an exciting designation; it shows that the processes and procedures put in place here at GRMC meet national standards. According to Erica Mobley at the Leapfrog group, “‘A’ hospitals maintain a laser focus on safety that permeates from executive leadership down through all levels of staff.” GRMC puts safety first, and this rating shows that that is paying off. For patients, it should be reassuring to know that GRMC is one of the safer hospitals in the area. The journey doesn’t stop here, however. Having made the A rating, GRMC will work to keep it, and continue making safety improvements.

For more information about hospital safety ratings, and to see how GRMC compares to other hospitals, check out http://www.hospitalsafetyscore.org/h/grinnell-regional-medical-center?findBy=zip&zip_code=50112&radius=50&agree=undefined&rPos=300&rSort=distance.

Source:

http://managedhealthcareexecutive.modernmedicine.com/managed-healthcare-executive/news/grade-hospitals-have-50-fewer-avoidable-deaths

Written by Anya Silva, GRMC summer intern

Don't Get 'Bugged' This Summer

Summer may not officially begin until June 20 but that isn’t stopping mosquitoes from bugging our outdoor activities. With the summer months quickly approaching, we are reminded of those pesky insects and the importance of staying protected from their itchy bites, especially in the midst of Zika; a mosquito transmitted virus.

So what do you need to know about Zika? Transmitting the Zika virus is of low risk to Iowans.

Surprised? Well, the explanation is simple. Mosquitos known to transmit the virus are not native to Iowa, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. While there have been seven confirmed cases of Zika in Iowa, the effected people had traveled to areas where transmitting the virus was possible. So, the most realistic threat of transmitting the virus would be for anyone traveling to countries where Zika is actively being transmitted. Areas of concern include:

•  Mexico
• The Caribbean
• South Africa

Iowans who should be cautious of the Zika virus include women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. This is because exposure to the virus during pregnancy can have negative results for the baby. The main concern for these women would be traveling or if someone they know recently traveled, because the Zika virus can be sexually transmitted. Women who are planning to become pregnant should be aware of a partner who traveled to an area with the virus because the pregnancy can still be affected. Women who are already pregnant are encouraged to postpone traveling to areas where the virus is active, regardless of trimester.

The current focus on viruses carried by mosquitoes does bring an opportunity for Iowans to brush-up about staying protected from a virus more relevant to our area, the West Nile Virus. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, Iowa has had between five and 44 cases of West Nile reported each year since 2005. West Nile Virus is reported more in Iowa because mosquitoes here transmit West Nile, and other viruses.

With summer around the corner, it is important to know how to protect you and your family from mosquito bites and transmitting viruses such as the West Nile Virus. In addition, understanding how to prevent mosquitoes from breeding is a proactive step in protecting against bites.

• Use DEET-containing insect repellants when outside
• When outside, wear long sleeves and long pants when possible
• Avoid being outside during dusk and dawn as this is when mosquitoes are out
• Fix window screens or screened-in porches to keep mosquitoes out of your home
• Get rid of standing water to eliminate potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes

For more information about the Zika virus, visit https://idph.iowa.gov/ehi/zika. To learn about West Nile virus, see https://idph.iowa.gov/cade/disease-information/west-nile-virus.

Written by Miranda Jones, GRMC summer intern

Partners in Education Engages Local Youth

Grinnell Regional Medical Center staff and volunteers took to Fairview and Bailey Park to end the school year with a bang for kindergarten and second grade students.  Wednesday, June 1, GRMC hosted their annual Partners in Education Health Fair at the local elementary schools. 

Students learning what blood is composed of with an
interactive display.

Students and teachers were electric with last week of school jitters, as they traveled from classroom to classroom learning about different aspects of health through interactive stations.  Touching ‘blood’, making fruit smoothies using pedal power, and getting their very own plaster finger casts were just a few of the unique educational activities for students.

Parents of elementary students were almost certainly victims of the, “Mom, Dad, I broke my finger at school today!” prank, while frantically waving their finger cast in the air. Classic.

Students were able to pedal to power a
blender to make fruit smoothies.

Each station had a different stamp to mark onto the student’s Passport to Being Healthy; once all of the stamps were collected they spelled out H-O-S-P-I-T-A-L.  The passports doubled as bookmarks; the clever tool designed to encourage students to continue reading throughout the summer was also a nice take-home piece of memorabilia.

GRMC employee volunteer Jan Veach applying a finger cast.

While the kindergarten and second grade students were exploring different aspects of well-being at the health fair, students in first grade were off having fun of their own on a field trip to GRMC. The tour of the medical center is held in collaboration with the Partners in Education Health Fair.

During the tour,students explored the facilities at GRMC and learned about different activities that go on in the medical center.  The tour also helped to show the first grade students that the hospital is here to help them and should not be considered a frightening place.

Both the health fair and tour were fun and successful events, but neither of these events would have been possible without the help of volunteers. GRMC’s plethora of wonderful volunteers makes events like Partners in Education a reality. If you are interested in volunteer opportunities at Grinnell Regional Medical Center contact Cara Kenkel, GRMC’s volunteer coordinator, at 641-236-2043 or by email at ckenkel@grmc.us.  

To learn more about volunteering opportunities at GRMC, please visit http://www.grmc.us/donate/grmc-auxiliary/auxiliary-volunteer-opportunities.

-Written by Nick Moorehead, GRMC summer intern

The Heimlich Maneuver—the Life-Saving Chokehold

Dining in his senior living facility in Cincinnati, 96-year-old Dr. Henry Heimlich perfectly executed a—you guessed it—Heimlich maneuver, saving a choking victim’s life.

While enjoying a wonderful dinner, Heimlich noticed Patty Ris, a resident dining next to him, began displaying the tell-tale signs of choking.

Signs of choking may include:

• Inability to speak
• Lack of breathing / having difficulty breathing
• Inability to cough
• Skin turning pale or blue
• Loss of consciousness

Heimlich jumped into action with his tried-and-true Heimlich maneuver, which employs an abdominal-thrust technique. Standing directly behind the choking victim, Heimlich wrapped his arms around Ris and placed one fist between her naval and rib cage. Gripping his fist with his other hand, Heimlich performed a quick, upward thrust into the Ris’ abdomen.

Three “Heimlichs” later and the piece of meat that was stuck in Ris’ throat dislodged.  She is confident she would not be alive without the quick actions of Heimlich, telling him, “God put me in this seat next to you, Dr. Heimlich, because I was gone, I couldn’t breathe at all.” At 96 years old, this was the first time Heimlich had to practice what he preaches in an emergency situation.

Learn how to respond when someone is choking and what to do if they lose consciousness by reading more about choking first aid at https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000049.htm.

Sources:

http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/nation-and-world/dr-heimlich-96-saves-choking-woman-with-namesake-maneuver-20160527?utm_campaign=550a491fc9dce6c509063cc1&utm_source=boomtrain&utm_medium=email&bt_alias=eyJ1c2VySWQiOiI2ZjY0M2MzYy1lOWMxLTQ0ZTUtYWMxYS04MmU1ZTEyMDY0NWMifQ%3D%3D

http://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-choking/basics/art-20056637

http://www.deaconess-healthcare.com/Heimlich_Institute/Heimlich_Maneuver/How_to_do_the_Heimlich_Maneuver/

-Written by Nick Moorehead, GRMC summer intern