Class focuses on exercising, healthy foods

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 1/16/2010

Andrea Norris held out a small object in her hand that looked like a tiny mound of plastic pasta.

“This is one serving of spaghetti,” she said as others around her expressed their surprise. “You have to be aware of portion size.”

The group was participating in “Healthy Weight/Healthy Life,” a new class that started Friday and will meet from noon to 12:45 p.m. each Friday through Feb. 23 at the Health and Wellness Center. The cost is $50; preregistration is required.

“We want to continue to educate the community on healthy eating,” said Norris, registered dietitian at the Health and Wellness Center. “This is a way to change your lifestyle and maintain a correct way of eating, and we wanted to provide something fun.”

The class is designed to help people look at food and exercise in a different light. Participants will learn about dietary recommendations, portion control, nutritional staple foods, reading food labels, healthy restaurant choices, grocery shopping and fad diets.

“We’ll make a trip to the grocery store and provide written and oral instructions on what’s available there,” Norris said. “We’ll also talk about fad diets, why they’re popular and why they’re harmful to your health.”

Participants also will learn about exercise, such as strength training and cardiovascular activity, said Jenny Golden, community and worksite wellness manager for The Medical Center.

“We’re teaching them the tools,” she said. “Weight is always on everybody’s minds, especially in January with New Year’s resolutions.”

The class is good for people who are busy, Golden said.

“It’s short enough to do on your lunch hour and still get back to work and do the things you still need to do,” she said.

Friday’s class included lessons on how to calculate the calories needed to lose or maintain weight. Norris also advised the group to go online to check calorie counts for favorite restaurants and showed them how to eyeball the correct serving size of meat.

“Most meat doesn’t have a food label. A 3-ounce serving of meat is the size of the palm of your hand,” she said. “ It’s 21 grams of protein. Anything with ‘loin’ behind it – sirloin, tenderloin – is very lean.”

She also told them to stick to skim milk or 1 percent milk and 2 percent or fat-free cheese.

“Velveeta (cheese) is one step away from being plastic,” she said. “Two percent milk is not a low-fat milk.”

Joy Strain, of Bowling Green, said the information she has learned so far has been helpful.

“That thing about Velveeta – that’s what I want her to tell us,” she said. “I don’t want to eat it again.”

Strain said she decided to take the class because she is diabetic and had a heart stent put in last year.

“I want to focus on what’s healthy,” she said. “I want to learn more about nutrition.”

Norris said the first class went well.

“We hope to have one every quarter,” she said.

— For more information, call 745-0942 or (877) 800-3824.

Copyright 2010 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Infant information: Class gives expectant parents tips on caring for a newborn

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 1/16/2010

Martha Houchin folded a receiving blanket at the corner, placed the doll on the cloth and wrapped it snugly before holding it up to show it off.

“It looks like a burrito, doesn’t it?” she said, laughing.

Houchin wasn’t giving cooking tips. She was demonstrating swaddling for participants of the Newborn Care and Safety Class on Thursday night at The Medical Center’s Health and Wellness Center at Greenwood Mall.

“Swaddling mimics what’s in here,” she said, patting her belly. “If you’ve got fussy babies, swaddle them. It calms them down.”

Sponsored by The Medical Center and Kohl’s for Kids, the class is one of several “Preparing and Caring for Baby” classes offered by the hospital.

“We weren’t born with this skill. The more you know, the less anxious you will feel. We want you to know how to handle baby safely,” Houchin said. “We do this so you won’t be afraid of your baby. They sense how stressed you are and react to that by crying.”

Houchin stood in front of the group of expectant parents gently cradling the doll as if it were a real baby. Then, she encouraged the moms- and dads-to-be to play with their dolls, too.

“I know a lot of you dads feel silly holding a baby doll. I want you to feel comfortable with your baby,” she said. “You should walk around the house with a baby doll.”

The tips the expectant parents received included different ways to hold a baby, supporting the back and neck and sleeping positions.

“Don’t put baby in bed with you. They could suffocate. Always put babies to sleep on their backs, never on their stomachs or sides,” Houchin said. “They should have nothing in bed with them other than the swaddle blanket – no toys, no bumper pads, no big, fluffy comforters.”

The information about what to have in the crib was a surprise to some parents.

“I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to have anything else in the crib,” said Sherry Keown, of Brownsville.

Keown and her husband, Jarrod, are expecting their first child, a boy, on April 17.

“We felt like it would be something good,” Jarrod Keown said when asked why he and his wife decided to take the class. “You learn things you might not have known.”

Sherry Keown agreed.

“You want to make sure you’re doing everything right, like a lot of first-time parents,” she said.

Houchin encouraged the parents-to-be to consider having a fan in the baby’s room, but not blowing air directly on the baby, in an effort to help prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

“The fan moves the air constantly. We breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide,” she said. “(Research) is beginning to show that when babies have died of SIDS, they have gotten in a corner of the bed and were in a position to where they are breathing in their carbon dioxide.”

People should never shake a baby, Houchin said.

“It’s not always bad people who shake their babies. If you start to feel stressed about them crying, lay them in a crib, go outside for a little while and then come back,” she said. “It’s OK for them to cry some. When they cry it gets lots of oxygen in their lungs.”

Houchin also taught them about how to handle emergencies, such as choking and poisoning, and when to give CPR.

“Have the poison control number handy,” she said. “If a child eats or drinks something they shouldn’t, this is the first number you should call.”

Babies should be bathed once a week, and shouldn’t be immersed in water until the umbilical cord stump falls off, Houchin said.

“We used to recommend bathing every day, but it causes skin problems,” she said. “Clean from the cleanest part to the dirtiest part. Save the diaper for last because you never know what’s going to be in there.”

Tara and Timothy Bissell, of Bowling Green, are expecting their first child, a girl, on March 19. They said they were happy to be taking the class and that it would help them feel more confident about caring for their daughter.

“We thought it would be helpful,” Tara Bissell said.

Timothy Bissell agreed.

“It’s worth the time,” he said.

Houchin told the participants they were doing a good job in class.

“I’ve seen thousands of babies born, and it’s a miracle,” she said. “You fall in love with them.”

— The next class will be Feb. 11. For more information or to register, call 796-2495 or visit www.TheMedicalCenter.org.

Copyright 2010 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Hospitality House is a great concept

Editorial, The Daily News, originally published on 1/14/2010

Dealing with a seriously ill or injured family member in a hospital is hard enough on immediate family without worrying about housing arrangements.

That is why we applaud the Commonwealth Health Foundation, the philanthropic division of Commonwealth Health Corp., for announcing plans for a capital campaign to build a “home away from home” for the families of seriously ill patients at The Medical Center and Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital.

Funds raised from the “Extending Home” campaign will help build, furnish and staff the 13,564-square-foot Hospitality House, which will be located on The Medical Center campus at High Street and Fifth Avenue. The building will include 12 private guest rooms and baths, a kitchen and dining room, a community room with comfortable furnishings and a business center with computers and Internet access. A prayer room will also be a part of the facility.

So far, CHF has raised $1.7 million in pledges and donations during the quiet phase of the campaign. About $2 million is needed to construct and furnish Hospitality House, and an additional $1 million is needed to establish an endowment to ensure ongoing operation.

This sounds like it will be a class A facility once the necessary funds are raised to begin construction.

Bowling Green and The Medical Center are the regional hub for health care and nearly half of their patients reside outside Warren County. In 2007 and 2008, an average of 8,600 patients from outside Warren County were admitted to The Medical Center, which is all the more reason why providing them a place to stay while their loved ones are ill is such a great idea.

Another plus of the Hospitality House is that it will be a place to draw comfort and support from others there in similar circumstances.

Having someone ill is a big enough strain on anyone, and no one wants to have to sleep in spare hospital rooms or lobbies for days or longer.

Hospitality House will make a very difficult situation a bit easier for family and friends who already have a lot on their plates.

Commonwealth Health Foundation is to be commended for the vision and compassion this campaign reflects.

Copyright 2010 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Hospital planning site for families: Capital campaign announced for facility

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 1/13/2010

Commonwealth Health Foundation, the philanthropic division of Commonwealth Health Corp., has announced the start of a public capital campaign to build a “home away from home” for the families of seriously ill patients at The Medical Center and Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital.

“Many of us have been waiting for this for a long time. It will be a benefit for residents in surrounding counties,” Doris Thomas, marketing and development vice president for Commonwealth Health Corp., said during the announcement today at the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce. “Bowling Green has become the regional hub for health care. Nearly half of our patients reside outside Warren County.”

Funds raised from the “Extending Home” campaign will help build, furnish and staff the 13,564-square-foot Hospitality House, which will be located on The Medical Center campus at High Street and Fifth Avenue. The building will include 12 private guest rooms and baths, a kitchen and dining room to accommodate multiple families, a prayer room, a community room with comfortable furnishings, and a business center with computers and Internet access.

“It’s not just a house,” CHF Executive Director Laura Holderfield said. “I truly believe that this is one more piece of the puzzle that makes Bowling Green a caring community.”

So far, CHF has raised $1.7 million in pledges and donations for the campaign. About $2 million is needed to construct and furnish Hospitality House, and an additional $1 million is needed to establish an endowment to ensure ongoing operation.

“This is not a luxury,” said Mike Murphy of Scott, Murphy and Daniel, who is chairman of the capital campaign committee. “It is something that is needed.”

In the past, the hospital has provided vacant patient rooms, but because of patient volume it has not been able to do that for some time, Thomas said. In 2007 and 2008, an average of 8,600 patients from outside Warren County stayed at The Medical Center. The average stay for patients at Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital – a long-term acute care hospital located within The Medical Center that treats patients who require specialized, continuing medical care for chronic or complex medical conditions – is 25 days or more.

“I have seen patients’ families asleep in the lobbies. This can go on for several days or several weeks,” she said. “The Hospitality House will be a place to recharge and be close to loved ones.”

Barbara Burch, provost at Western Kentucky University, knows about the need for a Hospitality House. She stayed at one in Nashville for several weeks after her daughter was severely burned in 2006.

“I sat in a waiting room for eight days. I had no idea what it was like to sit all day in a chair,” she said. “If you sit for day after day, it’s hard for you to deal with what’s happening around you. A social worker suggested the Hospitality House.”

Staying at a Hospitality House was a comfort for Burch, she said.

“Whatever you needed was there. It was an amazing comfort and impact that families have on one another,” she said. “It’s more than place. When everything else around you is falling apart, it takes away some of the stresses it takes to survive day to day. It’s something that makes all the difference. I’m grateful to the people who are working to make that happen.”

— For more information, call the Commonwealth Health Foundation at 796-5543 or visit www.hospitalityhousebg.org.

Copyright 2010 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Expo turnout shows health is on minds of many in BG

by Natalie Jordan, The Daily News, originally published on 1/10/2010

While cold air dominated outside, it did not stop several hundred people from showing up to the 13th annual Health and Wellness Expo at the Sloan Convention Center.

From 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, a steady flow of adults and children walked up and down the partitioned isles visiting the various booths – some carrying canvas Graves-Gilbert Clinic bags, others carrying The Medical Center plastic bags filled with informational pamphlets and goodies the booths provided.

“It is going amazingly well,” said Doris Thomas, vice president of marketing and development for Commonwealth Health Corp., the parent company of The Medical Center.

Sponsored by The Medical Center and WBKO-TV, the expo is beneficial to the community, Thomas said, giving people the opportunity to learn things that can improve their health and make them aware.

“I think people really do appreciate the free health screenings and the information here,” she said.

The expo featured about 16 free screenings for various conditions and illnesses, including balance, body fat, depression, eye pressure, pulmonary function, and strength and flexibility.

Bowling Green resident Felicia Bland came specifically for the blood glucose screenings, which were being done at the Heart Institute booth. Concerned about the diabetes trait on both sides of the family, she wanted her daughter, Kerprecia Ballard, 16, who suffers from a condition under the umbrella of traumatic brain injury, to have her blood glucose screened.

Bland said Kerprecia’s doctors were antsy about performing the procedure to check her blood glucose level – pricking her finger.

“It was simple here,” she said.

While Bland’s main purpose was the screenings, she became fascinated with a standing wheelchair provided by The Standing Company. She said in school Kerprecia is confined to a wheelchair and at home she crawls, since she cannot walk with her condition. The chair is something her daughter needs, and something insurance will not take care of, Bland said.

“This is our first time at the expo,” she said. “We came for one reason, but we’ve seen so much other stuff ... I didn’t expect this.”

In addition to the screenings, several demonstrations were done, including a Hot Yoga demonstration and a jump rope demo from Natcher Elementary School’s Jumping Jaguars. Also, 74 vendors – such as Hartland Massage, Curves, The Medical Center, Hospice of Southern Kentucky, Home Instead Senior Care and Community Action of Southern Kentucky – touted their services as people walked by or stopped at their tables.

Katie Jennings was no different, as she promoted the Nutrition Center’s stress reliever pill she had on display for people to take.

“That’s a stress reliever,” she said as people stopped and looked at the liquid pill in its packaging. “If you find yourself in a stressful situation, put that little liquid under your tongue, and it calms you down. It’s all natural, made out of five flower essences.”

Neither was Chris Mitchell, with CrossFit Old School on College Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues. He told of the gym’s purpose to anyone who stopped to listen.

“It’s a community-based program. We’re big on teaching technique and form,” he said. “Functional movement at high intensity, that’s what we’re about.”

With health care reform a topic of interest, Dr. Jeremy McWhorter, a local chiropractor, said he thinks having a wellness expo is fantastic. He said that he wasn’t sure what to expect with the weather, but that the attendance shows people really are interested in their health.

“I got a lot of information, and it was very educational,” said Bowling Green resident April Anderson. “This is just a wealth of information for the community.”

Copyright 2010 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Nurse practitioner enjoys variety of working in the ER

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 1/9/2010

Jason Shuffitt’s love for the medical field started with an injury.

When he was 3 years old, he was taken to what was then Bowling Green-Warren County Hospital after he had run through a storm door. Although his visit required 250 stitches, the care he received left a more lasting impression on the young boy.

“It was the staff and the fact that somebody could take care of it at that moment,” he said. “It was soothing.”

The Bowling Green native also has taken care of family members, including his brother who died of cancer while Shuffitt was in nursing school several years ago.

“That’s how I got intimately involved with The Medical Center,” he said. “That’s why I wanted to be an employee here.”

Shuffitt took his experiences into his career choice. He has been a nurse practitioner in The Medical Center’s emergency room for two years, but has worked for Commonwealth Health Corp., the hospital’s parent company, for eight years in other positions, including as a technician and nurse.

“I’ve been in the emergency room the whole time,” he said. “I do anything that needs to be done.”

Shuffitt’s duties include assessing, treating and diagnosing patients.

“I tend to see more minor things like flu, lacerations and orthopedic-type injuries, but I try to experience things that are teaching cases,” he said. “You see some unusual things here. The good thing is that if I run across something I’m not comfortable with, I can consult with the physicians.”

Shuffitt earned associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing at Western Kentucky University. After he graduated from nursing school, he worked for a few years as a nurse. The difference between a registered nurse and a nurse practitioner is in the amount of education.

“A nurse practitioner gets two additional years in how to diagnose and treat illnesses,” Shuffitt said.

He recently finished course work for a doctorate of nursing practice degree at the University of Arizona.

“I go to Tucson a couple of times a year for the program. Everything else is online,” he said. “I should have it in August. I have to do a project.”

His degree is a clinical and research one. He is examining nurse practitioner experiences and the types they should have.

“The program is phenomenal,” he said. “I have seen things I had no idea existed.”

Shuffitt keeps busy in his field. He teaches registered nursing students at Bowling Green Technical College in Glasgow and sometimes works as a nurse practitioner at The Medical Center at Scottsville Rural Health Clinic. He enjoys his career.

“The ER was the logical place for me. You never know what’s going to come through the door,” he said. “That’s why I like it – the variety.”

Copyright 2010 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)