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| | Tips for a Healthy "Return to Learn" this School Year |
| Normally, August brings the excitement of “back to school” with kids eager to reunite with friends, meet new teachers, and shop for school supplies. Yet this year is anything but normal.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way our children will return to learn this fall. School administrators and nurses have spent countless hours preparing the school environment and developing new protocols, prioritizing the health and safety of students and staff. Parents can reinforce these measures at home by role-modeling behaviors such as frequent hand washing, wearing masks in public, and avoiding large gatherings and crowds.
Regardless of our focus on COVID-19 prevention, keeping kids healthy and ready to learn is essential and important. Get your children off to a good start with key health tips in Director of Clay County Public Health, Colette Rossiter's latest blog.
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| | | COVID-19 Anxiety & Coping with the Pandemic |
| Today and for the past seven months, we have been living in a constant state of change that we did not see coming. The COVID-19 pandemic was unheard of to most of us when we made our New Year resolutions for a better life in 2020. Yet today, the coronavirus seems to be a part of our daily lives and conversations. We often watch the numbers of positive cases, deaths, hot spots, and worry about our jobs, who will become it, will there be a cure/vaccine, and the list goes on.
The unknown and unanswered questions frequently cause anxiety and stress for many of us. Similar to the adrenaline fear creates in fight or flight mode, having some level of anxiety and stress that we are all feeling with the pandemic is natural and healthy as it motivates us to plan and work through the changes we are experiencing. Unfortunately, we can over-focus on the pandemic, losing a healthy balance and creating increased stress and anxiety.
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| | | Swinging for a Cause: Abben Golf Classic Adjusts Format to Meet Safety Needs |
| Annually the Abben Golf Classic provides a fun opportunity to support the regional cancer center while enjoying a fun day of golf and activities. However, as a healthcare entity, especially one that works closely with those who are immune compromised, it was necessary to make adjustments to the 2020 golf classic to help assure the safety of all participants.
“Traditionally the golf classic is held the last Sunday of August, with a wonderful crowd enjoying events indoors and outdoors. To avoid a huge gathering, we’ve decided to shake up the format a bit this year. With much appreciation to the accommodations provided by Randy Rohlfsen and the team at Emerald Hills, our Abben Golf Classic foursomes are able to choose the day, time and even weather that best fits their schedules to golf, ” explained Susan Zulk, Abben Cancer Center spokesperson. Similar to when the event is held on one day, golfers receive a gift bag and can turn in their scorecards to qualify for flight prizes.
Interested foursomes can register their team now through Aug. 30th at https://abben-golf-classic-virtual-event.perfectgolfevent.com/Those interested in making a contribution or being a sponsor can use the same website to show their support. Anyone with questions is encouraged to call Susan Zulk, at (712) 264-6461.
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| | | Enhanced MRI Provides Exceptional Images & Increased Comfort |
| Faster, more comfortable and exceptional images - those are three primary features of the Spencer Hospital’s new MRI (magnetic resonance imaging technology) installed in early July.
The radiologists of Midwest Radiology & Imaging - Dr. Charles Crouch, Dr. Nate Rohling and Dr. John Jackson - agree the most significant difference the new MRI technology offers is higher resolution images in less time.
In addition to shorter scan times, patients will also appreciate the new MRI’s larger and shorter bore, which provides a greater feeling of openness, noise reduction features of the machine, and a memory-foam surface, providing enhanced comfort.
The new MRI replaces a scanner, which was installed in 2007. The hospital performs approximately 1,200 MRI scans annually and anticipates volume will grow due to the added studies, which can be performed using the latest technology.
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| | | Spencer Hospital Helps Recognize Local Heroes in the Community |
| | This "Heroes Work Here" sign was originally placed in the Grand Avenue Park in front of the Spencer Hospital medical complex to recognize all of the unsung local heroes in our region, not just the medicial professionals who were rapidly adapting to the many changes brought about in addressing a health pandemic.
In that spirit of recognizing other community heroes, the sign has been relocated twice - once to the Spencer Hospital Police Department to recognize the heroes of our local law enforcement and the second time to Johnson Elementary School to recognize our local education professionals as they begin the 2020 school year.
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| | | Ready for School? Check Those Vaccine Records! |
| Clay County Public Health wants to remind families to schedule annual physicals and back-to-school immunizations for their children.
Up-to-date vaccinations are a requirement for school entry. Check with your child’s health care provider to make sure they have the required vaccines before classes resume. Iowa has healthier schools and healthier children when our communities stay up-to-date on vaccines.
If your child is covered by HAWK-I or private insurance, please call Avera Medical Group Spencer at 712-264-3500 to schedule your child’s immunization appointment.
If your child is covered by Medicaid or is uninsured, please call Clay County Public Health at 712-264-6685.
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