The Convenience of Online Giving

At Grinnell Regional Medical Center we are proud to say we have great donors, and it’s because of your efforts that we are able to provide incredible care to our patients. Keeping our donors in mind, GRMC found an easy and secure way for you to keep advancing healthcare in our community, in the wake of technological advancements. GRMC now has an online giving option that makes donating via the Internet easier and safer than ever.

Online giving allows our donors to be in complete control of their donations to GRMC. With several menu options, a donor can choose a one-time donation or set up recurring donations. Donation frequency options include one-time, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. By choosing the frequency, you are able to set up the timeline in which you would like your gifts to be distributed. GRMC donors can also express why they choose to donate in the “Your note for the Donor Scroll” field, while other donors can opt to remain anonymous. Indicate whether or not you would like to share your name and donation amount via the check boxes. The online giving option is a way to help you donate with ease from the comfort of your home.

To make an online gift to GRMC, go to www.grmc.us and click the “Donate” menu on the far right side of GRMC’s home page. This will take you to our “Make a Difference” page. At the bottom of the page, select the underlined words “Click here”. From this point, you will have the option to make a one-time gift in the amount you wish, or you may spread out your giving to fit your budget.

Lastly, you can now choose to share your donation with your friends and family via the social media sharing buttons on your screen. This may empower others to support GRMC as well! Every donation GRMC receives is helpful and enables GRMC to continue to provide quality healthcare.

Click here to donate today!

Weight-loss Surgery at GRMC

Surgeons have been performing weight-loss surgeries at Grinnell Regional Medical Center for more than 30 years. Weight-loss surgery provides an option for individuals who need to lose weight, yet it requires sacrifices and lifestyle changes associated with medical weight-loss management. The surgical technology and procedures have changed significantly; robotically assisted minimally invasive surgery is now an option available at GRMC.

Surgeons at GRMC now perform selected bariatric/weight-loss surgeries with the da Vinci Xi® robotic surgical unit. The surgeon determines which surgical technique will give the patient the best results. The precision of the robots and the experience of the surgeons give patients a shorter recovery time, less scarring, and quicker return to daily activities.

“I came out of the surgery with six little stitched areas from the surgery, rather than a long incision from my chest down to my abdomen,” said Lynne Henry of Pella, who underwent weight-loss surgery at GRMC in March of 2014.

 The Grinnell Regional Bariatrics Program has a six-month evaluation and preparation plan before an individual has weight-loss surgery.

“Dr. Coster shared with me that patients have greater success with the gastric sleeve when they have completed regimented training about how to eat and how to approach food. The surgery resets the person’s stomach size and forces the patient to eat food differently—smaller bites, less volume, and better food choices,” said Henry."The training was outstanding. It provided the reasons why a person must approach food differently. Elaine Hammes, the dietician, was wonderful. Success is so dependent on the patient sticking to the guidelines."

Elaine Hammes, MS, RDN, LD, GRMC dietician, likens weight-loss surgery to the remodeling of a house.

"I compare this weight-loss journey to remodeling a house; you can think of your body as the house for your soul, your spirit or whatever it is that you believe in.  The surgery is a very key tool to use in remodeling the house, the patient knows what they want their “remodeled house” to look and feel like, and we give the instructions and the encouragement and the redirection, as needed, to help them in their remodel," said Hammes. "What the successful patient remembers is that, just as in an any remodeling project when it is done, you are never really finished, there is always the continuous maintenance work that must be done to be truly successful."

Henry's commitment to stick to the post-operation guidelines made her a textbook success story. 

Read more about life after weight-loss surgery at http://bit.ly/1QbtS5t.

For more information about weight-loss surgery at GRMC, call Surgical Associates at 641-236-4323 or Grinnell Regional Bariatrics Center of Excellence at 641-236-2069.

Recently, GRMC bariatrics became larger than life, literally; a billboard advertising weight-loss surgery available at GRMC was placed on the south side of I-80 in early August 2015. The billboard faces east-bound traffic, just before exit 164 near Newton. The billboard's image can be viewed above.

Adventure is Here!

Grinnell Regional Medical Center and RE/MAX Realty Partners have joined ideas to launch GRMC’s Blue Jean Ball a little early this year. RE/MAX Realty Partners has donated the ride of a lifetime: an adventure for two through the clouds in a hot air balloon.

The hot air balloon ride will be Saturday, Sept. 26, during the annual Fly-In/Drive-In breakfast sponsored by Lowry Flying Service and the Grinnell Optimist Club. Everyone in the community is welcome for breakfast. Tickets for the breakfast may be purchased in advance through Wes Finch Auto Plaza, Community First Credit Union, or Grinnell Optimist Club members. The hot air balloon ride for two will be departing from the Grinnell airport between 7:30 and 8 a.m., so you can rise with the sun! This hour long ride will float you over the beautiful rolling hills of south-central Iowa.

Raffle tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at https://rallyup.com/d47ee5 or at The Glass Gift Box. Get yours today for the opportunity to win the adventure of a lifetime! All funds raised will go toward the Moving at the Speed of Life campaign to renovate the GRMC emergency department. ‪#‎AdventureIsHere ‪#‎GRMCCares

Are Your Kids Ready for School?

Area schools will begin classes within the next week – to the delight of some parents and the dread of others. It's a good idea to take a couple of steps to set students up for a safe, healthy year. Here are five back-to-school health tips to consider.

1. Get vaccinated

Grinnell Regional Public Health follows the CDC’s recommendations for childhood vaccinations. The state of Iowa has laws that require certain vaccinations for children entering school and seventh grade. 
http://www.idph.state.ia.us/ImmTB/Immunization.aspx?prog=Imm&pg=Laws. Check with your primary provider and your school to make sure your child is protected. If you need a vaccine, call Grinnell Regional Public Health for an appointment, at 641-236-2385. View the schedule at http://www.grmc.us/services/public-health.

2. Get rested

Transition to regular bedtimes for students the week prior to school’s start date. This will help make those first mornings of the school year less stressful and help students begin the year rested.  Most children and adolescents need more than eight hours of sleep each night. Teens’ body clocks often do change and they may want to sleep on a different schedule. Find a compromise that gets them enough sleep and gets them to school on time. To get younger kids ready to wake up for school, adjust their bedtimes a little earlier each night for a week or two before school starts. Sticking to a routine is important too – avoid adjusting bedtimes on weekends.

3. Get nourished

A healthy diet can have a huge impact on how well your child does during the school day. Start with a breakfast with protein, whole grains, fruits and dairy. The Institute of Medicine recommends that 10 to 30 percent of the calories a child over age 3 takes in should come from protein. On average, this equates to 19 grams of protein daily for boys and girls aged 4 to 9 and 34 grams of protein per day for kids aged 9 to 13. As they reach adolescence, boys need more protein than girls. Between the ages 14 to 18, boys should get about 52 grams of protein daily, while girls need approximately 46 grams of protein per day. http://www.choosemyplate.gov/protein-foods

4. Get sparkling

Well, kids don’t and won’t sparkle but you do want to teach them good hand washing and hygiene habits. Require that they wash their hands before every meal, after using the toilet, after sneezing, and anytime that their hands are dirty. Simple enough. Teach your children to cover their cough with a tissue or elbow, and, wash their hands afterwards. Check out http://www.cdc.gov/flu/pdf/protect/cdc_cough.pdf for more information.. Many classrooms in the school have hand sanitizer available to students. The goal is to minimize the spread of germs in the schools. Everyone can help.

5. Get comfortable

Starting school may be stressful for your child and well as yourself. Watch for stress related health issues – not sleeping well, stomach aches, headaches, and withdrawn behavior. Help your child manage stress by talking about anything bothering them, and take care not to overload anyone's schedule, including your own. Schoolwork and after-school activities are important, but it's also essential to take time to relax, play and spend time as a family. Build a quiet time into the day to talk with your child and comfort them about stressors in their school day.

Remember that the healthy habits you create and enforce with your children during their school years will affect their habits as adults in the working world. You play such an important role in their success now and in the future.

2015 Endow Iowa Income Tax Credits Going Fast

If you are considering a 2015 Endow Iowa gift to support Grinnell Regional Medical Center or other favorite charitable organizations, please know that State of Iowa income tax credits allocated for this year are being claimed at an exceptionally fast rate and will likely be exhausted well ahead of year end.  As of July 9, approximately $4.3 million of the available $6 million in credits have been claimed.

GRMC benefits from two Endow Iowa funds held by the Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation. One is the GRMC Endowment Fund, and its annual disbursements to GRMC are used to meet needs for equipment, programs, and patient care. The other is called the Grinnell Regional Mental Health Center Endowment Fund, and its annual disbursements support mental healthcare for those needing it most.  If you have supported either fund in the past and are considering doing so again, please know that the allocated tax credits for 2015 could be exhausted prior to this fall.

You may direct any questions about Endow Iowa giving to GRMC’s gift planning specialist, Doug Lockin. He may be reached at 515-210-6603 or lockin.dr@msn.com. You may also contact Delphina Baumann at the Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation at 641-236-5518 or delphina@greaterpcf.org.

Thank you for supporting the patients of GRMC with your generosity.  Your gifts keep the highest quality healthcare very close to home.   

Here's to Healthy Grilling

Grilled foods might taste great, but according to the American Institute for Cancer Research, grilling your foods the wrong way may increase your risk of cancer.

Cooking meats at a high temperature or over an open flame can make heterocyclic amines (HCAs) that may increase your chance of getting breast, colon, stomach, and prostate cancer – but don’t panic!

When preparing the foods to grill and the rest of the meal, you can take steps to help stop HCAs from being made or to neutralize the HCAs formed.

• Use marinades or rubs that are made with extra virgin olive oil
• Use beer if alcohol is needed in your marinade recipe (wine causes more HCAs)
• Use a marinade of one part lemon juice to two parts garlic and two parts onion 
• Use rosemary, turmeric and/or Chinese ginger to season your food
• Mix different fruits into hamburgers and sausages – cherries have been shown to work the best
• Add garlic to ground beef
• To help neutralize the damage of HCAs serve any of the following at meals with grilled food: blueberries, red grapes, kiwi, watermelon, parsley, spinach, cruciferous vegetables, red wine, beer, and/or fermented dairy foods such as yogurt. (Always follow your healthcare provider’s recommendations about alcohol intake)

And, while grilling be sure to:

• Clean your grill first.
• Pre-cook the meats so they spend less time on the grill.
• Cook with low heat – under 300^o is best.
• Do not use BBQ sauces loaded with ketchup, sugars, honey, high fructose syrup, or tomatoes and very little else – the amount of HCAs have been shown to double and even triple after just 15 minutes of cooking.
• Turn your meat often.
• Use smaller cuts of meat, such as kabobs.
• Cook until the food is done, not overdone.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may also cause cancer and are made from the smoke and flare-ups that hit your foods when fat is dropped on the hot coals or grill stones, so

• Trim the fat from your food so you don’t have as much fat dripping.
• Place your food on foil (with small holes poked in it for the fat to drip through).
• Scrape off any charred parts of your food. 

The most important thing tip, you can still enjoy your food!

Written by Elaine Hammes, RD, LD, GRMC Dietician

Celebrating the 4th of July

Grilling, sun, and fireworks are fun and Independence Day is the perfect time to experience them all! Whether you are vacationing for the holiday or staying local, let’s address a few important facts that may help you stay safe while celebrating the good ol’ red, white, and blue.

Nothing feels quite as American as a juicy burger fresh off the grill. However, according to the National Fire Protection Association, an average of 8,800 home fires are caused by grilling, and close to half of all injuries involving grills are due to thermal burns. The NFPA also recognizes July as the peak month for grill fires. Following a few standard safety rules should greatly decrease the probability of any grill-related fires or injuries.

For grilling safety tips, visit http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/outdoors/grilling/grilling-safety-tips.

The sizzle of the hot summer sun on the 4^th of July just feels right. Just don’t let the heat of the moment cloud your judgment from using adequate protection against the sun’s harmful rays. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say, “The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage your skin in as little as 15 minutes,” and the sun’s rays are most hazardous between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., so don’t be caught unaware in your swimwear! Implementing sun safety measures will ensure an enjoyable day that won’t burn you later.

For sun safety tips, visit http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/sun-safety.htm.

The explosion of sound and color emitted from fireworks makes for a dazzling end to a historically significant day, but try not to let the excitement of the 4^th overcome your good judgment. Becoming a victim of a firework related injury is easy, but completely preventable! According to a 2013 report from the NFPA, “U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 11,400 people for fireworks related injuries.” Stay safe this holiday by leaving the firework displays to the professionals! Remember, consumer fireworks are illegal in the state of Iowa, with exception to sparklers and black snake fireworks.

For more firework safety tips, visit http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/holidays/fireworks/fireworks-safety-tips.

Remember the Manatt Family Urgent Care will be open normal business hours Friday, July 3, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon. Should an emergency arise this weekend, remember our emergency department is open 24/7. Stay safe and enjoy the sunshine!

Happy 4th of July!