Roughing it (sort of) for local charity: Hot Rods employee camping out to benefit The Hospitality House

by Micheal Compton, The Daily News, originally published on 5/30/2010

The Bowling Green Hot Rods’ stretch of 13 home games in 13 days is a good opportunity for fans to watch the team play at Bowling Green Ballpark.

For Hot Rods merchandising manager and community affairs director Kyle Hanrahan, the homestand is also a chance to raise awareness for a good cause.

Hanrahan is spending the entire homestand, which began Tuesday and continues through June 6, camping inside the park to raise money for the Hospitality House, an initiative to support families of patients at The Medical Center and Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital.

Hanrahan is sleeping in a tent on the concourse next to the gift shop down the first-base line. Hanrahan will not leave the park until the homestand is over, and he is accepting cash or check donations from fans to benefit The Hospitality House throughout his stay.

“In Minor League Baseball, we are known for crazy, silly promotions,” Hanrahan said. “It was kind of me sitting around one day going, ‘OK what can I do for 13 days that would help raise awareness for this cause?’ Camping out in the ballpark seemed to be the logical fit.”

The Hospitality House is an organization that will provide “a home away from home,” where families of critically ill patients can eat, sleep and rest. The facility will be near The Medical Center. Hanrahan, who is also working on a charity event for the Hospitality House in July, said it was a cause he felt strongly about.

“My position here is community affairs, so I deal with all sorts of charities and non-profit organizations,” Hanrahan said. “This is one that seems like has been a long time coming for southcentral Kentucky. Not just for Bowling Green, but for the surrounding counties. Louisville has a program like this. There are programs like this in Nashville. There is a program like this in Lexington. It’s one of those causes that has been much needed and I think with the right publicity and the right legs behind it, it will get the attention that it really deserves.”

Hanrahan said when he first approached the Hot Rods front office about the idea, there was some skepticism. But that changed a few days before the homestand began.

“(Bowling Green general manager/CEO Brad Taylor) started seeing me bring suitcases in, full of clothes and toiletry from home, getting ready to live here,” Hanrahan said. “He said, ‘You are really going to do this, aren’t you?’ ”

Taylor might have been surprised by the action, but he wasn‘t surprised by Hanrahan’s determination to work for charity.

“I don’t think I was surprised by his commitment because he loves the Hot Rods, the people of Bowling Green and he really loves the community,” Taylor said. “It just surprised me that he is willing to spend 13 nights (here). He is really committed and really wants to bring money in. It’s for a great cause.”

Hanrahan spends the night in the park, sleeping on an air mattress inside the tent, which has been decorated with caution tape and a welcome mat. He said he doesn’t actually sleep until after the cleaning crew leaves at about 1:30 a.m., and he is usually awake by 4:30 or 5 a.m. The lack of sleep has already taken its toll.

“I try to do little things that keep me awake and get my body re-energized,” Hanrahan said. “It sounds weird, but I’ve been eating a lot healthier. When the birds wake me up at 4:30 in the morning, I’ve decided to run stairs instead of getting up, taking a shower and getting dressed.”

Hanrahan does his laundry and showers in the Hot Rods’ clubhouse and still gets three meals a day without leaving the park. He eats the dinner provided for the staff prior to the game. For lunch, his girlfriend brings food, and breakfast has been provided by Hot Rods front office employees, ranging from blueberry muffins to chicken biscuits.

“I’m not really roughing it that hard,” Hanrahan said. “The hardest part is the two hours’ sleep and sleeping on an air mattress for 13 days. I’ve brought some things from home to pass some time. I know Monday is an early game and we’ll probably be done at 5 or 6 o’clock. That’s a lot of time to sit around the tent and twiddle my thumbs. I’ll bring the Xbox in, plug it in (to one of the televisions in the luxury suites), play a little Madden and then watch some SportsCenter. Then, when it is time for lights out, I’m pretty dedicated to sleeping outside.”

He said the reaction from the public has been positive so far.

“They laugh at it at first and then they are like, ‘You’re crazy,’ ” Hanrahan said. “Once they hear the cause and the reasoning behind it, they care. That’s the cool thing that I’ve seen (so far). We’ve had a lot of fans, even first-time fans, open their pocketbooks and put in $5 or $10 to help this wonderful cause.”

Even the Hot Rods players have shown an interest in Hanrahan’s 13-day stay.

“The team thinks it’s hysterical,” Hanrahan said. “The guys asked me during (batting practice) what is going on and I tell them. They all think it is a great cause and are behind it.”

And Hanrahan is eager to learn the final tally by the time is charity campout wraps up.

“Every little bit helps,” Hanrahan said. “If I can raise $100 a day, that is $1,300. That is a pretty good start to helping Hospitality House get this thing up and going.”

Copyright 2010 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Saving your skin: Dermascan screenings check for sun damage

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 5/28/2010

Bruno Griffin loves being in the sun, but he hasn’t been diligent about using sunscreen.

“I lived in Los Angeles for 17 years and was in the sun a lot,” he said. “I did triathlons.”

When the 57-year-old Bowling Green man found out the Kentucky Cancer Program was doing a free Dermascan screening, he decided to have his skin checked for sun damage.

“My age has a lot to do with it,” he said Wednesday after his screening at The Medical Center’s Health and Wellness Center at Greenwood Mall. “You have to be aware of more as you age.”

Dermascan uses ultraviolet light to show skin damage on the face that can’t be seen with the naked eye. It cannot diagnose skin cancer, KCP cancer control specialist Elizabeth Westbrook said.

“Skin damage is cumulative over a lifetime. A lot of it is done when people were children or adolescents,” she said. “The head, neck, face, hands and arms are where sun exposure occurs. We only use (Dermascan) on the face. We talk to people about where their sun damage is and areas to watch closer for change.”

According to the SunWise website at www.epa.gov/sunwise/statefacts.html, Warren County has the 17th highest melanoma death rate among counties nationwide - 81 percent above the national average from 2002-06. In Kentucky, 136 people die of melanoma every year. The commonwealth had the sixth highest melanoma death rate nationally from 2002 to 2006, 17 percent higher than the national average.

“A lot of skin cancer is caused by UV radiation from the sun. The earlier you catch it, the better,” Westbrook said. “If you notice any changes (on the skin), get it checked out.”

Westbrook said there are different types of skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type and tends to grow more slowly. Squamous cell carcinoma is curable if caught early, but can sometimes spread to other body parts. The most dangerous type is malignant melanoma.

“It can arise out of an existing mole or can occur on the skin. It’s more dangerous in that it spreads more easily,” she said. “If someone has it, doctors have to go deeply to make sure they get all the cancer.”

Basal cell and squamous carcinomas can show up as new growths, shiny waxy lumps, growths that heal and reopen, sores that bleed or have a crust or scab or are rough, scaly or dry. Malignant melanoma areas have an uneven border.

“A normal mole has a smooth, defined edge. The color is uniform in color, a solid tan or brown. Most moles are the size of a pencil eraser or smaller,” Westbrook said. “Melanomas may have ragged or irregular edges and the pigment looks like it extends out beyond the growth. They may have mixed color. A larger mole may be a sign of melanoma. An increase in thickness is another concern.”

In order to prevent sun damage and ward off skin cancer, Westbrook encourages people to use a minimum SPF 15 sunscreen, apply sunscreen every two hours or more often if swimming or perspiring heavily, stay out of tanning beds and limit their time in the sun.

“Go out earlier or later in the day. The sun is most intense between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Find shade,” she said. “Limit your time in the sun and wear protective clothing - sunglasses that block 100 percent UV radiation and hats. Men have to watch sun exposed areas like balding spots and ears.”

People should also keep babies under 6 months old out of the sun and gradually introduce them to the sun as they get older while still limiting their time outside.

“The most damage occurs in the first 18 years of life,” Westbrook said. “This is where somebody can make a difference.”

Shielded by a short curtain and enveloped in a dark purplish glow given by the ultraviolet light, Griffin peered into a mirror as Susan Brown, a registered nurse who is a KCP cancer control specialist, pinpointed different areas - including his forehead and ears - where there was noticeable sun damage and gave him advice on how to prevent more.

“I’ll try to be more religious about sunscreen,” Griffin said. “I’ll have to put it somewhere I can’t ignore it, like on the bathroom counter.”

Pat Pearson had never had a Dermascan before, but she was ready to see her damage Wednesday.

“This thing’s going to go off,” she joked before sitting and placing her upper body behind the curtain.

Pearson had areas on her cheeks, eyelids and lips. She said she knew she would have some sun damage, but was surprised by the extent of it.

“I’ve been out in the sun my whole life,” she said. “When I’m just outside working in the yard, I’m not as conscientious about putting sunscreen.”

Pearson said she plans to combat the sun by using sunscreen regularly and wearing a hat. She was happy to use Dermascan to help protect her skin.

“It’s a great service offering at no cost,” she said. “Why not take advantage of it?”

Copyright 2010 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Briarwood’s garden is a beneficial tool

Editorial, The Daily News, originally published on 5/23/2010

Getting outside, working in a garden and growing food for needy families is not only a valuable gift for those receiving the food, it is also a learning experience for the kids growing the vegetables.

Students at Briarwood Elementary School students have joined with local organizations and The Medical Center by planting a garden at the school. Students are learning about business, teamwork and nutrition in their effort to grow and distribute vegetables for needy families.

Many of the kids in the program are refugees from Myanmar who relocated to Bowling Green through the International Center. A number of these kids participate in the school’s Backpack Program, a food assistance program for public schoolchildren through Feeding America, and will be receiving food that is grown in the garden.

It has to be very rewarding for a lot of these kids who will have a chance to eat the vegetables that they helped grow.

Many of these kids may not have had a chance to be part of a project like this one if they hadn’t come to Bowling Green from countries where the opportunity for a project of this nature may not have existed.

Along with involvement in the growing process from seed to plate, children at the school are learning a trade and taking pride in working hard on the garden. It also instills a sense of teamwork in the students as well and hopefully will help promote better nutrition.

“It has been proven that children who see fruits and vegetables grown from start to finish are at least willing to try them,” said Jenna Golden, community wellness manager at The Medical Center.

This is a valid point that Golden makes. It is important that our youth begin eating fruits and vegetables at a young age and realizing their importance for their own health.

We know the children at Briarwood are thoroughly enjoying this program and we encourage other schools in the area to get involved with these type of programs as well.

Copyright 2010 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Barren River Adult Day Care Center director wins award

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 5/22/2010

Jacque Woodward enjoys working with the rest of the Barren River Adult Day Care Center staff on hands-on activities for clients.

“I’m not going to expect anyone to do anything I won’t do,” she said. “We’re a team here, so I need to have an understanding of what they do with clients.”

When the clients enjoy an activity, it makes the Auburn native happy. As director of the center, she works with the clients, families and staff to see what type of therapeutic engagement can be offered to help clients, who have mental and/or physical challenges. She also supervises the staff and develops the center budget. She has worked at the center since October 2008.

“This isn’t a place where people come and sit. We work constantly to create new engagement opportunities to stimulate them,” she said. “It’s amazing. When you look at things from the aspect of the client and think how can we make things happen and how to put it in place, the least little things can make a difference.”

Her dedication to the staff and clients helped her earn the Barren River Agency on Aging’s “Outstanding Adult Day Care Staff of the Year” award for the 10-county service region. She received the award May 11 at the annual Barren River Area Development District meeting.

“I was stunned,” she said of her reaction to the award. “There are other people who deserve this.”

Woodward has been in the business of helping others for a long time. It started at home.

“Our family was close-knit, and that included extended family. We were always helping to care for other people,” she said. “You helped anyone you could. It was easy to realize that social work was what I wanted in life.”

She went to college to pursue her degree right out of high school and started working for the state. For 30 years, she worked for the commonwealth. The last 20 were spent as a supervisor with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. During that time, she took a break from her schooling before returning as a nontraditional student years later and completing her bachelor’s degree in social work at Western Kentucky University.

Once she retired from the cabinet, Woodward began to contemplate a career in health care, believing it would be a good match with her knowledge of Medicaid. She started working as a social worker at the Cal Turner Extended Care Pavilion in Scottsville in 2007.

“I never dreamed the director position (at the Adult Day Care Center) would open,” she said.

Now she works with 71 clients ages 21 and up and helps them enhance their quality of life. Clients – who come from various parts of southcentral Kentucky – do a variety of activities, including cookouts, horse carriage rides and a Kentucky Derby party. The center is open weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

“One misconception is that we just serve the senior population,” she said.

Woodward said she looks forward to having a long career with Commonwealth Health Corp., parent company of the center.

“It’s a great place to work with wonderful people,” she said. “The staff couldn’t be any better. I like seeing the success of the clients.”

Copyright 2010 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Digging in: Elementary school students join The Medical Center to grow produce for needy families

by Liz Switzer and Jeff Beach, The Daily News, originally published on 5/19/2010

Students at Briarwood Elementary School are joining with local organizations and The Medical Center to learn about business, teamwork and nutrition in a partnership to grow and distribute vegetables for needy families.

Everyone benefits and it’s fun too, those involved with the project said.

Many students at Briarwood are refugees from Myanmar who relocated to Bowling Green through the International Center. Many participate in the school’s Backpack Program, a food assistance program for public schoolchildren through Feeding America, a national hunger relief charity, said Janice Lockwood, school family resource coordinator in charge of the project. Those children will receive produce from the garden project, too.

“A lot of our kids would not otherwise have access to good, healthy food, have an opportunity to do anything like this, or learn healthy eating habits otherwise,” she said. School staff is trying to incorporate as many Briarwood students as possible into the garden program. Xander Snodgrass, 6, is one of them.

“I like taking care of the garden and watching the food grow,” he said. “It’s fun to plant a garden and it’s very fun to eat what comes out of it. Corn and carrots are my favorites.”

Casey Goodman, an emotional behavior disorder teacher, works with kids of all ages in the garden. The project is especially good for his students, he said, because it teaches them teamwork in a setting that fosters positive dialogue and results.

The idea for the garden came from Jenn Golden, community wellness manager at The Medical Center, who was interested in helping with a garden at a school as a way to promote better nutrition.

“It has been proven that children who see fruits and vegetables grown from start to finish are at least willing to try them,” Golden said.

The Medical Center has been involved with Briarwood for several years through a Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce business-education partnership program.
Golden said she looked into an educational grant for the garden and learned about how lessons from a garden project could be applied to all the subject areas for the class. While the grant didn’t pan out, Golden said the garden sparked the interest of the students, so they pushed ahead on their own.

Since students will be out of school when most of the produce comes in, volunteer school staff and workers from The Medical Center will help maintain the garden over the summer and distribute the food to various food charities.

Golden said The Medical Center could build on the Briarwood experiment. “If any other schools are interested, we’d love to help,” she said.

Briarwood student Nolan Dunard, 8, thinks that is a good idea and wants to see the project carried over to next year. “It’s a fun activity and I like being with my classmates outside and talking to them about the work we are doing. It takes a lot of teamwork and we like that.”

Copyright 2010 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Making positive changes: The Medical Center’s Health and Wellness Center offers pre-diabetes class

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 5/08/2010

Tom Pearce was somewhat surprised when he found out about three weeks ago that he has diabetes, but he knew other people weren’t.

“People expect me to have it,” he said. “I’ve got to lose some weight.”

The Bowling Green man knew he would need help in controlling his disease. He recently took a pre-diabetes class offered at The Medical Center’s Health and Wellness Center at Greenwood Mall to learn lifestyle changes he can make.

“My wife came with me. That shows a big support,” he said. “(The class) will make a lot of difference in the long run.”

Many people are familiar with diabetes, where the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone needed to change sugar, starches and other foods to energy. Pre-diabetes is a medical diagnosis that involves an impaired fasting glucose, said Teresia Huddleston, clinical nutritionist and regional diabetes coordinator at the Barren River District Health Department.

“It’s above normal, but it does not meet the criteria for actual diabetes,” she said. “We used to use the term ‘borderline,’ but we don’t use it anymore.”

According to the March issue of “Diabetes Forecast” magazine, the cost of treating diabetes in the United States is expected to triple to $336 billion per year over the next 25 years. One in three adults is at risk for developing diabetes, Huddleston said.

“With pre-diabetes, there’s a 50-50 chance of it turning into diabetes if you continue your current lifestyle,” she said. “It is treated with lifestyle modification.”

At a recent pre-diabetes class, Marissa Hesson, certified diabetes educator for The Medical Center, talked to participants about the condition.

“Doctors are not going to want to diagnose you with diabetes on one reading,” she said. “It’s a wake-up call. It’s time we start to make changes.”

Exercise and healthy eating are key to controlling pre-diabetes, Hesson said. People should aim for 150 minutes of exercise a week – such as 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Those who are inactive should start slowly and get permission from a doctor before they start an exercise program.

“I’m reading things that say that 10 to 15 minutes of walking is better than nothing at all,” she said. “You can start at five to 10 minutes and add on to that.”

Shedding weight also helps, Hesson said.

“If you’re overweight, losing five to 10 pounds can reduce your risk for Type 2 diabetes,” she said.

Controlling portion sizes and the amount of carbohydrates is also important, Andrea Norris, registered dietitian at The Medical Center, told the class.

“You want to choose the right carbohydrates. It’s not that these things are bad,” she said of foods such as pasta, rice and potatoes. “It’s just how much you eat.”

Non-starchy vegetables are considered a “free food,” meaning these can be eaten more. Carrots and fruit can also be eaten, but carefully. People should also watch out for fruit juice.

“Carrots can sometimes break down real fast and make blood sugar go up,” she said. “You need fruit, but you have to watch how much fruit you’re eating. Fruit juices can have just as much sugar as soda.”

A single banana or apple can even be too much at times, Norris said.

“Watch apples and bananas in the store,” she said. “They’re often bigger than a single serving size.”

Norris suggested participants eat three meals a day with three snacks.

“When you skip breakfast, it slows the metabolism,” she said. “You need consistency in the timing of your meals.”

Fiber also is important, Norris said.

“It acts like a vacuum. It sucks up fat and sugar,” she said. “It’s bulky, though, so drink more water.”

Instead of buying sugar-free foods, Norris suggested choosing regular foods and watching portion sizes.

“Sugar-free adds extra stuff (to make it taste better),” she said.

Pearce said portion size has been his biggest problem.

“I eat a lot of everything,” he said. “I commute, so I have a terrible tendency to eat in the car. It usually means fast food.”

Although he already has diabetes, Pearce said the class helped him. He plans to change his lifestyle by beginning an exercise plan, which includes bicycling, and planning his meals better. He has an application on his cellular phone that helps him keep up with his eating habits.

“If I plan what I’m going to and do the plan, I’ll be OK,” he said. “This is a chance to start making some of these changes.”

— For more information about the pre-diabetes class at the Health and Wellness Center, call 745-0942 or toll-free at (877) 800-3824. For more information about the health department’s diabetes education class, call 781-8039, ext. 119.

Copyright 2010 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)