In The News...

SMH Eliminates Trans Fat from Hospital Food Services - 2010
Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital (SMH) has successfully and voluntarily eliminated industrial trans fats from its food service programs as part of a statewide initiative to improve patient and community health. The goal was to remove industrial trans fats from hospital vending machines, cafeterias, and patient nutrition programs by the beginning of this year.

“At SMH, we strive to provide the safest, highest quality care to all who walk through our doors,” said Julie Richey, Supervisor of the SMH Dietary Department.   Richey is a Registered Dietition (RD) and Certified Diabetic Educator (CDE) and knows all too well the importance of this initiative.   “Care extends beyond medical treatment and incorporates creating an all-around healthy environment for our patients, their families, friends and hospital staff. Industrial trans fats are a contributing factor to the declining health of many Michigan residents; therefore, it is vital that SMH make every effort to not only treat the ill, but help create a healthy environment for our community.” 

Industrial trans fats have been linked to negative health effects such as increased levels of bad cholesterol and reduced levels of good cholesterol. They also contribute to increased pediatric and adult obesity, which is now estimated to account for between 9 and 11 percent of total U.S. health care expenditures. In response to this trend, and in an effort to help hospitals continue to be part of the solution to a healthier Michigan, the Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) initiated a statewide campaign to voluntarily eliminate industrial trans fats from hospital vending machines, cafeterias and patient nutrition programs by Jan. 1, 2010.

Snack food manufacturers, fast-food restaurants, the state of California and major cities including New York and Philadelphia have already acted to completely eliminate industrial trans fats in recognition of their damaging health effects. Michigan hospitals were asked to join the effort to demonstrate the hospital community’s ongoing commitment to community health improvement.

“Hospitals provide care to all who walk through their doors 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As community health stewards, our hospitals are committed to going beyond caring for the sick; we must guide preventative health and community wellness efforts through leading by example,” said MHA President Spencer Johnson. “By eliminating an unhealthy substance like industrial trans fats from hospital food services, Michigan hospitals can become an even greater part of the solution to the struggling health status of many of our state’s citizens.”

Body Recall Class – January 25, 2010
A gentle movement and exercise program focused on regaining motion, increasing strength and balance skills, improving circulation and promoting body awareness.
Body Recall classes are recommended for adults who have not exercised regularly in recent years or for anyone looking to improve their physical skills.  The Class will run three times per week (Monday’s, Wednesday’s, and Friday’s) for ten weeks beginning January 25, 2010.  Class fee will be $75.00.  Please contact the Fitness Center for more information.  Apparel:  Loose comfortable clothing and good shoes are all you need!  To sign-up or for more information, please call the Fitness Center at (906) 341-3276 or 1-888-460-8724 ext. 3276.

Diabetic Support Group Meeting – January 19, 2010
Open to anyone who would like to be healthy and share ideas – if you have difficulty planning meals, finding recipes or simply would like to lose weight, meal planning can help!   Please join Anne Richey, RN, CDE and Julie Richey, RD, CDE on January 19, 2010 in the SMH Conference Room, from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. - take part in the Diabetic Support Group meeting and learn about Healthy Meal Planning.  For more information, call Anne at 341-3210 or Julie at 341-3251.

SMH Rural Health Clinic to hold H1N1 and Seasonal Health Flu Shot Clinics January 12, 2010.
Open to the general public, the SMH Rural Health Clinic will be holding a clinic on January 12, 2010 for those individuals wishing to receive their H1N1 vaccine and/or the Seasonal Flu Shot.  The clinic will be open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.   No appointment is necessary.  For more information, call the SMH RHC at 906-341-2153 or 1-800-562-9111.

SMH Rural Health Clinic to hold Seasonal Flu Clinic – December 2009
The SMH Rural Health Clinic will hold a Seasonal Flu Clinic on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 from
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary, no waiting, prompt service.  Please note this flu shot is for the SEASONAL flu only.  If you have any questions, please call the Rural Health Clinic at: 
906-341-2153 or 1-800-562-9111
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SMH ads new toll-free number – December 2009
Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital has added a new toll-free number that dials directly into the main switchboard – it is 1-888-460-8724.
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Schoolcraft Memorial Receives 2009 Michigan Rural Health Quality Improvement Award – Award of Excellence for Michigan Center for Rural Health Award Honors Quality in Inpatient Clinical Performance AND Emergency Room Transfer Performance – November 2009

Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital (SMH) has received the Michigan Center for Rural Health’s 2009 Michigan Rural Health Quality Improvement Award – Award of Excellence. The award acknowledges quality improvement efforts in inpatient clinical performance in the care and treatment of heart failure and pneumonia and emergency room transfer performance.

This is the first year for the Michigan Rural Health Quality Improvement Award – Award of Excellence.  SMH applied evidence-based medicine to improve care processes in the treatment of heart failure and pneumonia and emergency room transfers. SMH was awarded dual honors in both of these competencies.

“Award recipients are committed to providing their patients with high quality health care,” said John Barnas, Executive Director of the Michigan Center for Rural Health. Barnas added “The Michigan Center for Rural Health is pleased to sponsor this award which is a testament to the dedication of hospital staff to provide the right care to the right patient each and every time.”

“Together our staff is demonstrating that we are providing the very best in medical care,” said Sherry Arnold, Director of Quality Improvement and Risk Management.  SMH is committed to the tenets of quality improvement that embrace evidence-based medicine to improve health outcomes.”
Arnold spearheaded the SMH effort to identify opportunities to improve processes and create interventions that embraced evidence-based medicine to apply the best available evidence gained from the scientific method to medical decision making in the treatment of heart failure and pneumonia or emergency room transfers. Clinical indicators were based on the Appropriate Care Measure (ACM). ACM is a composite score that captures whether or not a patient received all the care that he or she was eligible to receive. The 2009 Michigan Rural Health Quality Improvement Award – Award of Excellence was based on an ACM score of 94% to 100%.
SMH was honored by The Michigan Center for Rural Health at an awards ceremony during the 10th Annual Michigan Critical Access Hospital Conference October 29, 2009 in Boyne Falls, Michigan. The Michigan Center for Rural Health (MCRH) is a non-profit organization formed in 1991 as part of a nation-wide, federal, and state initiative to recognize the importance of rural health care and to create a mechanism for resources to flow to rural areas.
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Diabetes Fraud – November 2009

SMH joins forces with UPDON to raise awareness against those dubious cure-all claims towards Diabetes.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.    Despite the wisdom of this old adage, every year billions of dollars are spent on false cures.  Those especially vulnerable to these false cures and false hopes are often people with serious medical problems and those who want to lose weight or build muscle.  The U.S. Federal Trade Commission says that consumers spend about $2 billion annually on unproven arthritis remedies alone, remedies that are not backed by science.  Since December 2008, the Food and Drug Administration has identified 70 weight loss products that contain unapproved drugs and chemicals that are not even listed on the product labels.  Some of these products also pose huge health risks.

Diabetes fraud runs rampant too.  Diabetes cannot be cured, but it can be controlled.  Type 1 diabetes, which makes up 5 – 10 % of all people with diabetes, requires insulin treatment everyday.  It cannot be cured nor can it be prevented.  Going without insulin is life threatening.  Type 2 diabetes, which is often linked to inactivity and being overweight, can be prevented through weight loss and regular physical activity.  Some individuals with type 2 diabetes use insulin or medications to treat their condition and a portion of these folks may be able to lower or discontinue their insulin or medication doses with weight loss.

But buyer beware!  Just because you see or read something does not mean it is true.  People and organizations are making millions of dollars every year on “miracle” products.  Some of the cures sound so believable and include user testimony, that it is easy to want to try the product.  People deciding to try an unproven cure should first talk with their healthcare provider, weighing the risks and benefits carefully.  It is best to try one thing at a time and watch for any side effects.

Consumers should consider the following before trying a new treatment, drug, or nutritional supplement to treat a health concern:

1.  Where did you learn about this product?  Was it a television ad, a supermarket tabloid, a pamphlet, a friend, or in a medical journal?
2. Were the people who got better like you?
3. Could anything else have caused these positive changes?  Women with arthritis were interviewed after two weeks of treatment at a spa.  All felt better but was it the food, the supplements, the warm weather or the relaxation?
4. Does the treatment tell you to stop taking your medications?  This should be a red flag!  Be sure to talk with your doctor before stopping any medications.
5. Does treatment suggest not eating a well-balanced diet?
6. Can you think of any possible dangers or harmful side effects?  Natural doesn’t always mean better or safe.  Hemlock is a natural substance but is also a poison you wouldn’t consider eating.  Digitalis is a powerful heart medication that comes from a plant but ingesting too much can kill a person.
7. Is this product/treatment affordable?
8. Are you willing to go through the trouble and expense of this product/treatment?

Consider checking out www.quackwatch.org for a second opinion.  It is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to combat health-related fraud, myths, fads and fallacies.  For more information about diabetes treatment click on www.diabetesinmichigan.org or call Anne Richey at 906-341-3210 or the U.P. Diabetes Outreach Network at (906) 228-9203.

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Diabetes Awareness and Support Year-Round – November 2009

Diabetes Awareness Month may only come around one month out of a year, however, Anne Richey, a Registered Nurse and Certified Diabetic Educator at Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital (SMH) does her best to build awareness year-round for people living with diabetes.  Even when a person with diabetes sees their doctor two or three times a year, 99.9 percent of the time, they are on their own when it comes to caring for this chronic health condition.  Fortunately, there are people and programs available right here in the Upper Peninsula and in our community that can provide help and provide additional support.
Certified Diabetes Educators (CDEs) like Richey provide diabetes education programs at SMH.    CDEs and diabetes education programs offer individual and group workshops to help people better manage their diabetes.  Registered dietitians (RDs), like Julie Richey, also a SMH Certified Diabetic Educator may also work with people with diabetes on the nutrition aspect of management.  Medicare and Medicaid as well as some insurance plans cover these services, although co-pays and deductions may apply.

Diabetes support groups provide another avenue of support for people.    The SMH Diabetic Education Department offers monthly Support groups to families and individuals covering a wide spectrum of topics including living with and managing and preventing diabetes.  To learn more about the SMH Diabetic Education program, please call Anne Richey directly at 906-341-3210.

Another type of supportive program is the PATH (Personal Action Towards Health) workshop.  This six-week workshop is offered at various times of the year by different entities across the U.P.  PATH is not limited to people with diabetes but is an empowering program for people with any type of chronic health condition.

Finally, the U.P. Diabetes Outreach Network (UPDON) offers information on programs and help available in all 15 Upper Peninsula counties.  Established in 1985, UPDON has been instrumental in disseminating information about diabetes care and prevention, helping hospitals develop diabetes education programs, bringing PATH to the area, reviving a much needed diabetes kids camp, and providing support to U.P. college students with diabetes.  UPDON has also created an online resource directory and a listing of assistance that is available by county for people with diabetes.

These helpful resources along with information about diabetes education programs, support groups, PATH workshops, and other community and professional events can be viewed by visiting www.diabetesinmichigan.org and clicking on the U.P.  Individuals may also call the UPDON office at (906) 228-9203 for more information.