Celebrate Inpatient Rehabilitation Services WeekWhen you hear the term “Rehab” one thinks of celebrities going to a drug and alcohol rehab center. Inpatient Rehabilitation is not that kind of rehab. Acute care inpatient rehabilitation is for any person who has experienced a decline in function and/or ability to perform activities of daily living and has the potential for improvement could be a possible candidate for the acute inpatient rehabilitation program. Rehab is essential to achieving and maintaining the highest level of functioning and independence. September 18th through September 24th 2011, Rehab Centers celebrated National Rehabilitation Awareness Week. The National Rehabilitation Awareness Foundation was established by Allied Services in 1996. Its mission is to educate people about the benefits and impact of rehabilitation; develop programs which aim to increase opportunities for the nearly 50 million Americans with disabilities, and help those who are disabled live up to their fullest potential through rehabilitation. The not-for-profit foundation is headquartered in Scranton, Pa. In 1990, a presidential proclamation designated the third week of September as National Rehabilitation Week. Examples of candidates for inpatient rehab:
Length of Stay Upon admission to rehab, a patient is evaluated by the rehabilitation team and an individualized treatment plan is established. Progress towards team goals are evaluated at a minimum, on a weekly basis by your rehabilitation team. A patient’s length of stay on the inpatient rehabilitation unit is determined by:
Rehabilitation Team: The interdisciplinary team of specialists includes:
Criteria for admission A doctor’s order is required to request an inpatient rehab consultation. Intake or Outreach Coordinators receive referral information and triage for the appropriate type of rehab. Persons admitted to the Rehabilitation Program:
Accreditations & Awards for Inpatient Rehab Centers
The goal of the rehab interdisciplinary team is to maximize your highest level of independence. |
Protect Your Heart from the Heat
When Mother Nature turns on the heat and the temperatures sizzle, be kind to your heart. It is working extra hard to keep your body cool. Fun in the sun sounds like a great way to spend the day, but when it’s hot outside, your blood circulation increases as your blood vessels dilate putting extra pressure on your heart. Young children, people who are overweight, and those with heart disease are particularly prone to the effects of heat on the heart. They are then at an increased risk for heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat stroke should not be taken lightly, as it can be fatal. Know the signs of heat stroke and call 911 if you notice any of the following symptoms: · Hot skin without sweat · A racing pulse · A high body temperature (103° F or higher) · Severe headache · Dizziness or fainting · Nausea · Disorientation · To avoid heat stroke and give your heart a break, keep your cool using the following tips: · Try to drink 2 to 4 glasses of water an hour. · Occasionally have a sports drink to replenish the salts and minerals lost to sweat. · Don’t drink alcohol or consume a lot of sugar and caffeine as these have a dehydrating effect on the body. · Wear cool, comfortable clothes. · Use sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher to prevent sunburn. Sunburn interferes with the body’s ability to keep itself cool. · Stay indoors or in the shade during the hottest part of the day. · Eat meals that are light and require little to no cooking, since warm, heavy meals make the body hotter. · Take a dip in a pool or rinse off with a cold shower. If you or someone you love is showing signs of heat-related illness, do not hesitate to get immediate medical attention. The emergency team at Blake Medical Center offers fast, efficient treatment, and our ER wait times consistently beat the national average. Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention American Heart Association
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The Basics of Reverse Shoulder ReplacementIf you suffer from shoulder pain, you may wonder what your options are. One treatment that has helped many patients is reverse shoulder replacement.
There are five parts that make up the reverse shoulder prosthesis: 1. The diaphysis is a metal rod that fits down into the middle of the humerus. 2. The epiphysis is a wide, round metal part that is at the end of the diaphysis. It sits on top of the humerus. 3. The polyethylene cup is held by the epiphysis and is the socket of the reverse shoulder prosthesis. 4. The metaglene is a coated metal plate that is attached to the scapula and anchored with screws. 5. The glenosphere is the ball portion of the reverse shoulder prosthesis. It is a half sphere that fits into the polyethylene cup. You may be a candidate for reverse shoulder replacement surgery under these and other circumstances: · Your rotator cuff muscles are degenerative as a result of arthritis or injury. · You’ve had a failed shoulder replacement surgery. · You have chronic pain and limited to no mobility in your shoulder. · You do not have a rotator cuff. Patients of reverse shoulder replacement surgery gain restored mobility in their shoulders, with the ability to raise their arms 90 to 100 degrees. In addition, they are relieved of pain. However, this surgery will not restore the ability to lift heavy objects. Reverse shoulder replacement surgery generally takes between two and three hours, with a two-day hospital stay, and a three-month recovery period. During this recovery period, physical therapy will play a key role in helping patients regain strength and range of motion. To learn more about shoulder joint treatments, contact the Joint Care Center at Blake Medical Center. Visit us online or call Consult-A-Nurse® at 1-888-359-3552 for a physician referral throughout Manatee and Sarasota Counties. Sources: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons The University of Washington Department of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
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Is Gluten Bad for You?By Laura Chiaramonti of iTriagehealth.com Recently, with all the buzz regarding gluten you’re probably wondering what it is, and if you need to be concerned. Gluten is a protein found in the grains wheat, barley, and rye. Besides the obvious, gluten lurks in many foods, and is used as a thickener in many soups and sauces. Gluten intolerance is not a new thing, but it is now getting more attention than ever before. The reason: Gluten-free eating has a basis in science, and it does help a genuine problem. Want to read more? Visit iTriage for the rest of the story! |
Sugar – The Evil Empire?
By Alicia Verity, www.itriagehealth.com In 1974 William Dufty wrote a bestseller called Sugar Blues espousing the evils of sugar and proclaiming that sugar is a highly addictive pervasive ingredient causing a host of medical problems from depression to coronary thrombosis. Nearly 2 million copies of his book have been sold. Is Dufty right? Is sugar the source of all our health ailments? Should we boycott this ingredient completely? Want to read more? Visit www.itriagehealth.com! |
Killer Among Us: Heart Disease and WomenBy Alicia Verity, MSPH iTriageHealth.com
Brittany Murphy, the cheerful, actress filled with a child-like spirit, famous for her roles in 8 Mile, Clueless, and Uptown Girls, died on Sunday December 20, 2009, of sudden cardiac arrest, not a heart attack, at the tender age of 32. Her mother, Sharon found her unresponsive after Brittany went to the bathroom and failed to come back. Her mom frantically called 911 while Brittany’s husband, Monjack, tried to revive her in the shower. Want to read more? Visit http://blog.itriagehealth.com/killer-among-us-heart-disease-and-women/www.itriagehealth.com. |
BLAKE NAMED A TARGET: STROKE HONOR ROLL SITEStephanie Petta Bradenton, Florida—(February 3, 2011) —– Blake Medical Center was among only 71 hospitals nationally, and three in the State of Florida to be awarded an ‘Honor Roll Site’ status for the American Stroke Association’s Target: Stroke program. The program seeks to help hospitals reduce the time it takes for a clot-busting drug, rt-PA, to be administered. According to the American Stroke Association website, “one minute of brain ischemia can kill 2 million nerve cells and 14 billion synapses. That means the more time that elapses before intravenous thrombolysis, the slimmer the odds of a good outcome. The upside is a great opportunity to improve outcomes simply by providing the right treatment, right away. Target: Stroke was created to help [hospitals] seize that opportunity by achieving door-to-needle (DTN) times of 60 minutes or less.” Blake currently has the Gold Plus Performance Achievement as part of the Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke program and also boasts a Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center designation. “We are excited to receive this additional designation, but we’re not done yet,” explains Rose May, RN, MSN, chief nursing officer at Blake Medical Center, “We’ve got a great Neuroscience team here that is continually working to improve our processes and further speed treatment to Stroke patients.” What is Target: Stroke? Target: Stroke is a national quality improvement campaign created by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association to improve outcomes for ischemic stroke patients by helping hospitals achieve door-to-needle (DTN) times of 60 minutes or less. Despite evidence that shorter DTN times can improve functional outcomes, treatment is often delayed due to lags in assessment and/or rt-PA administration. Through Target: Stroke, hospital teams can work towards eliminating delays and reducing long-term disability in stroke patients. Target: Stroke advocates the adoption of 10 best practice strategies for reducing DTN times for IV rt-PA in acute ischemic stroke. Blake has had many of these best practices in place for many years. The recommend practices are: Advance Hospital Notification by EMS, Rapid Triage Protocol and Stroke Team Notification, Single Call Activation System, Use of a Stroke Toolkit, Rapid Acquisition and Interpretation of Brain Imaging, Rapid Laboratory Testing (including point-of-care testing if indicated), Mix rt-PA Medication Ahead of Time, Rapid Access to Intravenous rt-PA, Team-Based Approach, and Prompt Data Feedback. Another important factor in improving stroke care for our community is public awareness and responsiveness at the first signs of stroke. That’s why it’s imperative that people know their risk and call 9-1-1 at the first sign of a stroke. The warning signs are: Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding; Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; Sudden, severe headache with no known cause. Blake Medical Center is offering a free Heart & Stroke screening on Saturday, February 26th. Tests will include: total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, fasting glucose (an indication of diabetes, which is a major risk factor for stroke), blood pressure and more. To RSVP for this free screening, call 1-888-359-3552. Fasting is required. -MORE- Blake Medical Center is a 383-bed, acute-care, full service hospital and a leading provider of quality, affordable healthcare serving our community since 1973. Blake offers a wide range of healthcare services including: 24-hour emergency care, open-heart surgery, cancer care, joint replacement, back surgery and rehabilitation among many others. Blake is proud to provide free health education, screenings and support groups to improve the health of our community. For information about hospital services or events or to receive a free physician referral, call 1-888-359-3552. |
Flu Shot SafetyBy Alicia Verity, MSPH
We are getting healthy here at Healthagen. This week we all rolled up our sleeves and got our flu shots. Prior to the scheduled event we had lots of questions, myths and concerns floating around the office so we thought we would re-visit the idea of vaccine safety. Want to read more? Visit www.itriagehealth.com for more! |
Our Amazing Volunteers“Hello, how can I help you?” If you’ve been a visitor to Blake Medical Center, you have probably received that greeting as you walked through the main entrance. And more than likely, that friendly face belonged to one of our terrific volunteers. Blake Medical Center has an outstanding staff of nurses, physicians, technologists, and other health-care professionals who serve our patients each day. But we also are lucky to have a dedicated group of approximately 500 volunteers who provide support to more than 50 departments. Our volunteers are both adults and teens, and they selflessly give of their time—often 4 to 12 hours per week. Our volunteers provide help at the information desk, gift shop, nursing units, and emergency department, just to name a few areas. They also act as couriers for staff and patients. In addition, our Auxiliary raises money through fund-raising activities and the Blake gift shop to make donations for students who are enrolled in medical programs. Our volunteers also run many of the activities for Health to You (H2U), a national health and wellness program sponsored by Blake “We are always in need of volunteers,” says Wendy Rodgers, the director of Volunteer Services/H2U Program. “Many will tell you that just knowing they have helped provide support to our staff, patients, and visitors is such a rewarding experience.” To learn more about volunteer services or to become a volunteer, contact Blake Medical Center. Our amazing volunteers serve the community of Bradenton and Manatee County to make our hospital better every day. Sources:
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