Health And Fitness
Spring Break Safety: Activities can Bring Danger, Increased Risk
After a long winter, especially an Iowa winter, there is nothing more refreshing than warm temperatures, sunshine, and fresh clean air. Add to that time off, and you have a combination that can’t be beat. For many high school and college students, this describes Spring Break. It’s a time to refresh, unwind, and relax before the stress of school returns.
Virginia Gay and the approval of private mangement of Iowa's Medicaid system
Despite assurances by the Iowa Medicaid Director that she was "very confident" Iowa would be ready to implement Medicaid privatization as early as Jan. 1, 2016, the process has again been delayed by the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) until April 1. This time the waiver to proceed was granted and soon private companies will manage all services and payments for nearly 560,000 Medicaid patients in Iowa. Facts about Iowa's first lab-confirmed case of travel-associated Zika virus
The Iowa Department of Public Health has announced the first lab-confirmed case of travel-associated Zika virus in Iowa.
This case is a reminder that travelers to areas of ongoing Zika transmission should take strict precautions to prevent mosquito bites.
The general public is not at risk of contracting this virus, so it doesn’t matter where in the state the individual resides. IMPORTANT - Inspect car seat straps where you can't easily see them
A toddler (who shall remain nameless) of a Virginia Gay employee is still struggling to learn the basics of bladder control – like not getting in the car for a long ride after refusing to visit the bathroom first. He had an “accident” in the car seat which led to its disassembly in an effort to clean the fabric.
Imagine the surprise at discovering that the part of a strap normally hidden from view was badly frayed and actually cut on one place. March WOW Newsletter
The March WOW newsletter includes information on the recently released 2015 Dietary Guidelines, a recipe for fish sandwiches, considerations for leftovers, food safety and physical activity guidelines.
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Above the Influence in Washington
This past week members of the Benton County Above The Influence Coalition attended the National Leadership Forum in Washington D.C. This event brings together substance prevention coalitions from all over the United States through CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America). It is during this Forum that coalitions are provided training from national leaders in substance prevention, law enforcement and health care. How's your heart holding up under all the pressure?
February is heart month and a great time to give a little thought to your "ticker" and the vascular network it depends on. How are they holding up under the pressure?
Recent research suggests that blood pressure readings below what was once considered “normal” may be very beneficial. While there are many online tools for exploring your blood pressure, this one from the American Heart Association also shows you what readings you might achieve by making some basic lifestyle changes. Avoiding substance abuse is one key to mental wellness
Winter is a time when we hear people talking about mental health, depression and seasonal affective disorder. The term “mental wellness” is a positive term that hopefully helps individuals stop and think for a moment about the condition of their mental health. If possible, it is important to think of a person’s mental and physical health before there are mental or physical illnesses present.
Virginia Gay welcomes Dr. David Sheff
Dr. David Sheff is Virgina Gay’s newest physician. He currently is serving patients in the emergency department and in acute care.
Dr. Sheff has followed an unusual path to the practice of family medicine in Vinton. He graduated with an M.D. and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Iowa in 1992. His research fellowship was at Yale University where he also served as para-faculty. Primary care or gynecologist? Things to consider-with Rita Taylor-Stewart PA-C
“Many women don’t realize we do Pap tests and they think it’s best to schedule those with a gynecologist,” says Rita Taylor-Stewart, PA-C, who practices at Virginia Gay’s Van Horne Family Medical Clinic. “Many assume that the gynecologist is where they should go first for women’s health, but I think there are good reasons to look to your primary care provider for your routine health check-ups.