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Health

Helping patients prepare for and followup after laboratory testing

By William Kose, MD, JD
Vice President of Special Projects, Blanchard Valley Health System

Healthcare providers routinely order laboratory testing to help determine how to treat their patients. We want to take this opportunity to remind you not only that it’s important to get testing when it’s recommended but also that there are steps you can take to help make the process go more smoothly.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals have fallen behind on routine appointments and other regular healthcare. If you are not yet caught up on your laboratory tests, we urge you to sooner rather than later to ensure that any problems the lab tests identify can be dealt with promptly.

Your primary care provider can help you determine which tests you should have routinely. Generally, standard recommendations are based on an individual’s age and gender. However, the recommendations may vary depending on your specific situation, such as if there is a family history of a certain condition.

Weekend Doctor: Teen health skills

By Cynthia Holland-Hall, MD, MPH
Adolescent Health, Nationwide Children’s Hospital*

As adolescents move into young adulthood, they take on increasing responsibility for managing their own health care. By teaching your teen the necessary skills over time, this new responsibility will feel less overwhelming, and your teen will be one step closer to “adulting.” Making a medical appointment is a skill that seems simple but can be intimidating, particularly to teens who are “phone call-phobic.”

Start by having your teen make a list of their healthcare providers, including doctors, mental health providers, therapists, dentists, and any others. Encourage or help your teen to add the names, addresses, phone numbers, and web addresses of all providers to their phone contacts so they can easily find them in the future.  

Weekend Doctor: Knee pain

By Thomas Kindl, MD
Pain Management, Blanchard Valley Pain Management

Frequent knee pain affects approximately 25% of adults. While living an active lifestyle is one of the best things you can do for your joints, it can commonly result in injury. Common problems related to knee pain include sprained ligaments, meniscus tears, tendinitis, runner’s knee, bursitis, osteoarthritis, and excess weight. 

Common symptoms of knee pain include:

  • Pain when using the stairs
  • Swelling in one or more joints
  • Difficulty bearing weight on the knee
  • Recurring pain or tenderness
  • Inability to move a joint normally

Over 32 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis, a form of “wear and tear” arthritis that is the leading cause of knee pain in individuals over the age of 50.

Help!: Flu, COVID-19 and RSV

By Karen L. Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU Healthwise Team 

Help! was the fifth album for the Beatles and included the song by the same name. John Lennon wrote the song and was quoted as indicating he needed help at the time he wrote it. The Beatles were the first rock band to be recognized in the category of Album of the Year at the Grammys in 1966. 

A recent survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania about the tripledemic of RSV, COVID-19, and flu indicates we need help when it comes to information!

According to the survey, only one-third of American adults fear they or a loved one will get the flu, COVID-19, or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) this winter. Recent CDC data from July 2023 indicates approximately 79% of Americans have had COVID-19 since the epidemic started. 

Hardin County Quality of Life survey for 2023, results for 2022

Results for the 2022 Quality of Life survy were released on October 12 and are attached HERE.

Hardin County residents are being asked to complete a Quality of Life Survey as part of a community health improvement plan process. The quality-of-life survey results will be presented at the 3rd CHIP meeting in January 2024. 

Weekend Doctor: What is a "swing bed"?

By Emily Koogler, LSW, CCM
Social Worker-Case Manager, Bluffton Hospital

What is a swing bed?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) grants approval to critical access hospitals to provide post-acute care in the hospital setting if the facility meets certain requirements. The swing bed concept allows a critical access facility to use its beds interchangeably for either acute care or post-acute care. The patient swings from receiving acute-care services and reimbursement to receiving skilled services and reimbursement while staying in the hospital setting.

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