Check out that bra!

     Well, ladies and gentlemen, tomorrow is October 1, which is the start of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For the second year in a row, the John R. Marsh Cancer Center partnered with the Washington County Health Department, the Washington County Cancer Coalition, Komen’s “Make a Difference Breast Cancer Screening Program,” and BreastCancerAwareness-CV to bring you the DESIGNER CUP CHALLENGE!

Why did I become a nurse?

Jim Recabo

Today's post is written by Jim Recabo, RN BSN, Administrative Nursing Supervisor at Meritus Medical Center, and a Nurse of the Year. I asked Jim to tell us why he decided to become a nurse.  

You’re not my primary care doctor!

     If you’ve been a patient in Meritus Medical Center at any point over the last six years, chances are your attending physician was not your primary care doctor. That’s because Meritus Health has switched to using hospitalists to provide around-the-clock, on-site, focused care throughout a patient’s stay.

Raking can be a pain.

     It's that wonderful time of year when the weather is switching from sweltering to comfortable, pumpkin pies are being baked, cool evenings are being enjoyed by a bonfire, and beautiful colors are exploding on the trees. 

     Unfortunately, we all know that the explosion of color is followed by a blanket of leaves covering your yard.  Which is then followed by back-breaking Saturdays spent raking those leaves to the curb.  Here are some tips from Total Rehab Care to minimize the post-raking pain.

What do all these numbers mean?

     If you’re anything like me, when you’re handed lab results, you have no idea what they mean.  That’s how I felt when I got the results of my cholesterol test.  I asked for the numbers, and when I looked at them, I realized that I had absolutely no clue what I was looking at.  These were my numbers: 

Emergency Room or Urgent Care?

     Whenever you or someone you love has sudden symptoms of an illness or injury, your first thought is getting to a medical facility.  But how do you decide which medical facility you should go to?  There are two different places you can go when symptoms suddenly appear- the emergency room or an urgent care.  How do you decide which you should go to?

How Do You Choose a Child Care Center?

     One of the biggest decisions a parent has to make is who will watch your child while you work? It’s a hard decision; this is your baby that you’re entrusting to another’s care.  You want to make sure that your child will be in a safe, healthy, educational, and happy environment so you don’t have to worry when you drop her off. One option is a childcare center.  Childcare centers are typically licensed, keep a close eye on their employees, and provide no-hassle coverage—even when a provider is sick or goes on vacation. Best of all, a high quality daycare center can prepare your child for elementary school and help him play well with others.

Helping your Child Maintain a Healthy Weight

     Good eating and exercise habits are essential building blocks for a healthy life.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17% of children in the United States are obese, which is triple the rate of just one generation ago.  Kids who are obese or overweight are more likely to be obese adults, which can lead to diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer.  Plus, children with weight problems are likely to deal with discrimination, bullying, and poor self-esteem. 

Stay alive! Don't text and drive.

     Recently, Meritus Health partnered with area organizations to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, and I really want to talk about why it’s so important to put the phone down.  We’ve all checked our phones while driving, not just teenagers. With these brilliant phones that seem like they can do everything except solve world hunger, professionals are used to having access to their e-mail at all times, and I know quite a few that are guilty of checking those emails while driving.