How's that New Year's resolution going?

2015 is here and in full swing! With a new year comes a new opportunity for reflection and, for some, inspiration for change. Many people create New Year’s resolutions with a goal of self-improvement in mind. There’s no doubt that can be time-consuming, expensive, inconvenient, and even overwhelming at times. Changing what you are used to eating is always a challenge. Healthy eating can always benefit you and your family both in the present and down the road. It’s important to make sure you are following sound nutrition recommendations, focusing on just one or two small achievable goals at time, and using tools to help you along the way.

Writing down and tracking everything you eat in the course of the day can be an eye-opener. It also helps you to be more mindful about what and how much you are eating.  Just being aware of your food choices can be very helpful. There are various free apps that can help. Like other nutrition information, it is always good to check when it was created and/or updated, see who created it and look for expert reviewers who check to see how accurate it is. You deserve the best, most up-to-date information available.

Apps to keep you connected to nutrition and well-being:

My Fitness Pal

Great for tracking your intake and you can even scan bar codes with your smart phone and the nutrition label will pop up on your screen. Do note though, I’ve noticed a few labels that are incomplete and questionable. Anyone can add recipes in, so use it if you’d like to have a general idea of your intake.

Lose It!

This app can work as a food log and help you keep track of what you eat while focusing on weight loss. It contains a database of foods with information regarding their carbohydrate, protein, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and fiber content.

Apps can be great, but does anyone else get tired of looking at screens all of the time? I know I do. Another way of tracking can be a simple piece of paper that contains your healthy living goals and a number of days. Each time you work on that goal, you can put a check by it under the day. You can work on one or two a day, and some days you may only have one check, but other days you may have more. Don’t try to change everything all at once. Small goals tend to be more realistic and achievable. If you keep working at it, you could eventually turn those checks in to long-lasting healthy habits. Here’s an example:

Goal	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7	Day 8	Day 9
Eat 3 servings of fruits/vegetables a day	ü					ü	ü		ü
Drink 6 cups of water a day					ü			ü	ü
Take a 30 minute walk			ü			ü			ü
Try a new healthy recipe			ü				ü
Make lunch the night before		ü		ü			ü	ü

Making changes to better your health doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Focus on one or two achievable goals at a time. Take the time to make them new habits before taking on another new goal. Maybe you start with trying a new healthy recipe once a week and taking a 30-minute walk at least twice a week. When you stick with it, you will feel good about your progress and enjoy some success that will encourage you to add another goal. Even changes that seem to be small add up to big health and wellness benefits over time.

Guest post written by Lily Swedenhjelm, RDN, LD

GRMC Clinical Dietitian

When Do You Need Orthopedics?

There’s no doubt about it. Living with chronic joint pain is no fun. When it begins to negatively change and limit the way you live your daily life, it’s time to talk with your physician about orthopedic care.

Clifford Novak, MD, and Grinnell Regional Orthopedics will work to find the cause for the pain and then develop a plan of treatment. Dr. Novak is a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon at Grinnell Regional Medical Center.

Grinnell Regional Orthopedics specializes in:

• Knee arthroscopy
• Knee replacement
• Shoulder arthroscopy
• Rotator cuff repair
• Carpal tunnel
• Trigger finger release 

There’s a lot of comfort in knowing that if you need treatment for a joint issue, you can turn to a trusted local provider to have it done here, close to home. Not only does GRMC have an outstanding orthopedic surgeon in Dr. Novak, but an exceptional surgical team with state of the art equipment.

Whether or not surgery is a treatment option, physical and occupational therapy at GRMC provides a variety of services to help get you moving. If your treatment plan includes surgery, you can rely on our team of therapists to provide rehabilitation and recovery to meet your health goals. In February 2015, the new F.A. Jones Physical and Occupational Therapy Center at GRMC will be open. This terrific new space offers many benefits for patients and therapists alike.

If joint pain is adversely affecting your daily quality of life, visit with your healthcare provider about your options and then call Grinnell Regional Orthopedics at 641-236-2010 or email Grinnell Orthopedics.

We need to have a talk, ladies.

If you are 40 years of age or older, you need to be getting an annual mammogram. Did you know that an estimated 5,000 women in the GRMC service area have not had a mammogram in the past two years? Are you one of them? Only 64 percent of eligible women in Poweshiek County alone have had an annual mammogram. That’s not only lower than the state average of 67 percent but well under the national average of 72 percent.

One in eight women will have breast cancer. Isn’t that enough incentive to get a mammogram?

GRMC offers the latest technology with 3D mammography. This equipment takes several digital x-rays and then puts them together to create a three-dimensional image for radiologists to assess. Like other digital images, these can be enlarged and manipulated by the radiologist and can detect much smaller abnormalities than traditional mammograms have been able to in the past. The reality is that the earlier cancer is identified, the better. Treatment can begin at an early stage, greatly increasing the chance of a full cure.

We have some terrific community business partners helping us in our efforts to raise awareness of the importance of mammography and breast cancer.

GRMC staff receiving donation from our friends at Monsanto

Our friends at Monsanto teamed up last October during harvest to show their support in the fight against breast cancer. They raised more than $3,400 through the sale of pink t-shirts that read: “Plant the Seed, Harvest the Cure.” The end goal was to promote breast cancer awareness. Monsanto in Grinnell employs more men than women and it was great to see all employees get behind the effort. They designed a t-shirt and sold them to employees, vendors, contracted harvest truckers, anyone who was willing to buy a shirt. 

Many shirts were bought in memory or in honor of a loved one who has or had breast cancer. After their campaign, they chose to donate their proceeds to Grinnell Regional Medical Center to help in our efforts to get more eligible women to have an annual mammogram. GRMC is grateful for this tremendous gift. Maybe you received a postcard in the mail. You have Monsanto employees to thank for that reminder.

Bill’s Jewelry in downtown Grinnell continues their wonderful incentive for women to get a mammogram at GRMC. Bill’s donates a Pandora starter bracelet to our radiology department each month. Every woman who has had a mammogram at GRMC during the month is eligible to win the bracelet. Not only is a mammogram a gift to you, but the bracelet is a lovely bonus.

Talk to your healthcare provider about getting a mammogram and then call our radiology department at 641-236-2355 to set up an appointment today. Do it for yourself. Do it for those you love.

Doctors for Adults

Just as a pediatrician is a physician who specializes in caring for children and youth, an internist specializes in adult medicine for the whole person. Other specialists concentrate on cardiology, pulmonology, or neurology, for example.  An internal medicine physician treats the entire adult person.  

Internists, internal medicine specialists, and internal medicine physicians are interchangeable terms.

Todd Janicki, MD, MBA; Ron Collins, MD; and
 Lauren Graham, MD, MPH

Grinnell Regional Internal Medicine has three full-time internal medicine physicians with expertise in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases.

• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Asthma
• High cholesterol
• Issues affecting the nervous system
• Joint pain
• Digestive issues
• Ears, nose, and throat
• General health and wellness

Why do I need an internist?

While a family practice physician or general practitioner has training that typically includes obstetrics, pediatrics, and possibly surgery, an internal medicine physician has an additional three years of specialized training solely focused on adults.

Internal medicine physicians are often consulted when a diagnosis may be complicated, unclear, or when there is more than one health condition occurring. They work with primary care physicians to seek a diagnosis and create a customized care plan to improve the health and well-being of the patient.

So, what’s a hospitalist?

At GRMC, our internal medicine physicians rotate their time between seeing patients in the clinic and providing care to patients in the hospital. They often work with other primary care physicians to jointly monitor inpatients as requested and to respond if the need arises. One of our three internal medicine physicians is working in the hospital or are on call at all times.

Need more information?

Go to our website, www.grmc.us. You may also click on the heading, Find a clinic or provider. There you will find the various clinics and providers on our medical staff or visiting specialists. 

Is this the year?

Millions of Americans make an annual resolution to get healthy, lose weight, exercise more. Isn't it interesting that we find ourselves making the same resolution year after year?

If you are making the same resolution every January that you will get healthy and you are not seeing the results, let us help. You don't have to go on the journey to improved health on your own. Nor should you. Maybe that's part of the reason why you have started on this path and not met your goals.

Wesley Key working out at PWA@Postels

Have you read Wesley Key's story in the latest GRMC Healthletter? Last year, Wesley sent a personal letter to Todd Linden, GRMC's president and CEO. In this letter, he thanked GRMC for saving his life. After years of struggling with his weight and health issues, he joined the Paul W. Ahrens Fitness Center at GRMC in March 2012. Wesley weighed 367 pounds when he joined. He was motivated to get healthy for his family as well as for himself and with the help of the staff at the PWA Fitness Center, he lost more than 100 pounds through diet and exercise.

GRMC is also a Center of Excellence for weight-loss surgery. Every year, GRMC and Surgical Associates staff work with hundreds of individuals to reclaim their lives. Seeking greater health and wellness, people come from all over the region to Grinnell for this patient-centered personal approach to successful weight-loss surgery.

What are your goals for health this year? Turn to the trusted healthcare professionals at GRMC for guidance and support along your journey. Visit with your physician to determine where you could improve your health and let our staff work with you to create a solid plan for you to reach those goals. See results and meet your goals this year.

January Jam!
Join us from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, January 17 for a free morning at Paul W. Ahrens Fitness Center at Postels. Come dressed to workout! We'll be offering 45-minute fitness and yoga classes on the hour. Go to our website,www.grmc.us and find out more info on our Events calendar. Or go here for all the details.

For more information, check out the following resources:
Paul W. Ahrens Fitness Center at Postels - 641-236-2999
http://www.grmc.us/services/wellness-services

Surgical Associates - 641-236-4323
www.grinnellsurgeons.com/en/bariatrics

Got Flu?

Area schools are reporting student absences due to influenza and influenza-like illnesses and stomach bugs such as gastroenteritis and noroviruses, aka “stomach flu.”

We’re not alone in this. Iowa Department of Public Health is reporting an increase in influenza and influenza-like illnesses in the past week. As we are coming into the last two weeks of the holiday season, this will likely increase even more. From shopping malls, to parties, to airports, and family gatherings, these bugs will invariably be passed from person to person.

Need a flu shot? Call your healthcare provider or
Grinnell Regional Public Health
641-236-2385.

Seasonal influenza is a respiratory illness caused by a virus. It comes on suddenly and symptoms may include fever, headache, tiredness, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, and body aches. It often runs its course in a week or less, but it can take some time to recover back to 100 percent. Influenza is nothing to mess around with, particularly for those with special health concerns and our most vulnerable – infants and senior adults.

The good news is that it’s not too late to receive your immunization for seasonal influenza. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) urges everyone over 6 months of age to receive seasonal influenza vaccine annually.

The bad news is that there is no vaccine for what we typically call “stomach flu.” Diarrhea and vomiting are the hallmark symptoms of gastroenteritis and norovirus.

Reports from the CDC are saying that this could be an especially difficult influenza season. They state that historically when influenza A strains are more predominant, it tends to be a more severe flu season with increased hospitalizations and deaths.

The Iowa Department of Public Health says that the three leading strains being seen in the state are Influenza A (H3N2), A(H1N1), and B. All three of these flu strains are covered by this year’s vaccine - A(H3N2), A(H1N1) and B, although some of the A(H3N2) viruses may only be partially covered in the vaccine. The other factor that could complicate an already potentially difficult flu season is that the CDC reports less than 40 percent of adults have received a flu shot and only 42 percent of children have had an immunization against seasonal flu nationally.

Need a flu shot? Check with your primary care provider or call Grinnell Regional Public Health at 641-236-2385 to make an appointment.

Remember: Cover your coughs and sneezes - Clean your hands frequently - Contain germs by staying home when ill.

http://www.idph.state.ia.us

http://www.idph.state.ia.us/IdphNews/Reader.aspx?id=106B2C3B-A162-4558-A341-C2FA0AEE21DD

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=185633

Stay Healthy This Holiday Season

We’re less than two weeks until Christmas and the holiday season is in full swing. Shopping, parties, family gatherings, school programs, and the winter weather is bringing us all indoors. And when we come indoors, we are in close quarters with groups of people. Sneezes and coughs are spreading their holiday cheer as we gather together.

The Iowa Department of Public Health tracks confirmed cases of seasonal influenza and influenza-like respiratory illnesses.  IDPH has been reporting that this is happening in the state for a couple of weeks now.

Here are a few ways to help keep you and yours healthy this holiday season and all winter long.

• It’s hard to stay away from crowds, but be smart about it when you are out and about. You can buy small bottles of hand sanitizer just about anywhere. Put it in your bag, the car, your child’s backpack, your desk drawer, and use it when you don’t have easy access to soap and water. Use after contact with any high-touch surface such as grocery carts or door handles.

• Eating well-balanced meals and getting plenty of rest will help your immune system stay healthy. This is no small feat in the sprint from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. Eat well-balanced meals and healthy snacks. When you go to a party, bring a healthy dish and you know that you will have something to enjoy when the other treats start to beg for your attention.

• Another way to de-stress and to keep off extra holiday pounds is to get in some regular exercise. Even a brisk walk can do wonders for the body and the mind. It’s a good habit any time of year, but December is especially a good time. 

• Limit alcohol consumption and certainly do not drive any motor vehicle after you have been drinking. Never get into a car with a driver who has been drinking. Always choose a designated driver, walk, or call a cab. Never drink and drive.   

Despite all your best efforts, you may get ill.  If you do get sick, please do yourself and everyone else a favor and stay home. Colds, flu, and other nasty illnesses are gifts that no one wants to receive. If you stay home and rest, you will recover much faster than if you continue to push yourself.

If you need medical care that is urgent, but not an emergency, Manatt Family Urgent Care is a great option. When you need to see a healthcare provider and your own physician is not available or you need attention before or after clinic hours, Manatt Family Urgent Care is here for you. The clinic is located on the first floor of the GRMC Ahrens Medical Arts Building and is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

The clinic will have holiday hours from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, December 24, and Wednesday, December 31. The clinic will be closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, but the GRMC emergency department will be open as usual. Manatt Family Urgent Care will be back on its regular schedule from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on December 26 and January 2.

When you need to feel better, faster, come and see our team of healthcare professionals when it just won’t wait.

For more information, check out the following:

http://www.cdc.gov/features/healthytips/