Boston Health Care for the Homeless will be holding 2 public flu clinics over the next two weeks. These clinics are open to everyone including patients, staff, volunteers, shelter staff, and family and friends.
(That means you guys!!)
So on your lunch break come visit me at work, get a flu shot, and bring me some coffee.*
Wednesday, 11/10: 10am-7pm at JYP in the main lobby. (That's tomorrow!)
Tuesday, 11/16: 10am-7pm at JYP in the main lobby. (A week from today!)
Jean Yawkey Place (JYP), the home of BHCHP is located at 750 Albany Street, Boston MA
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*Just kidding. Just bring a smile and your sweet supple deltoid ripe for the vaccinating.**
** Although if you wanted to bring me coffee I would never refuse it.
Showing posts with label primary intervention. Show all posts
Showing posts with label primary intervention. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Let's Dance for 100 Beds Tonight
Do you love 90's music? And dancing? And... beds?
Tonight at Middlesex in Central Square Cambridge, MA they'll be pumping up the 90's jams for a cause is not only worthwhile, but specific and measurable.
I found out about 100 Beds for Haiti through connections I made while working at Hospital Sacre Coeur in Milot. Their goal is simple: to send 100 beds to HSC by June 2010, and guess what?
Thanks to great organizing, 100% of the money raised is earmarked for this specific cause.
These beds will improve patient care now, but will also allow the hospital, which not only services the earthquake victims, but also serves as a health care center for a larger, local community to develop long term plans for sustainability.
So come on out tonight at 9pm and meet me at Middlesex at 315 Mass Ave in Cambridge, MA.
It's a $5 donation at the door, we'll rock out to some Spice Girls and Michael Jackson, and before you know it we'll have made it possible for this amazing hospital to be even more amazing.
I'm not convinced yet. Why beds?
Before the earthquake HSC was just a 73 bed hospital, but in a matter of days it expanded to welcome more than 400 patients. There were at least 175 mattresses that I know of donated by a cruise ship, and probably more than that from near and far as well, but many of the patients we cared for rested day and night on bare cots.
While I was in Milot the hospital was home to about 273 patients; as of March 17th they have discharged some more to Port Au Prince, but the hospital plans to continue offering services to a newly expanded population.
It would be great to start expanding the number of beds to match the number of patients. Having proper beds improves patient outcome by limiting post op discomfort which in turn aids in speeding physical therapy tolerance. PT promotes rehabilitation (obviously) but also prevents complications such as pneumonia and DVTs. Plus.. I didn't assemble a sample group or crunch the numbers myself, but from sheer observation in the tents I can tell you that decubitis ulcers (bed sores) seem to form quicker in patients who are cot-ridden as opposed to bed - ridden.
Imagine surviving an earthquake, a painful and debilitating crush injury to your leg and an amputation in a very limited surgical environment only to die while in recovery from a preventable condition like a DVT or an infected bed sore?
Adding more beds to Hopital Sacre Coeur serves a short term and a long term purpose. It improves the outcome of patients who are currently being treated and it also offers sustainability for the hospital's future. Part of CRUDEM's mission is continuing to stabilize HSC so that even when the foreign volunteers begin to dwindle, local staff can continue to offer exceptional care to their patients. Adding 100 more beds allows HSC to plan for the long term development of their recovery center.
Check out the facebook event for YoYoYo 90's Jam: Heal the World Edition, and invite your friends. Then grab a slap bracelet, a mood ring and a five dollar bill and meet me at 9pm. Simple.
Tonight at Middlesex in Central Square Cambridge, MA they'll be pumping up the 90's jams for a cause is not only worthwhile, but specific and measurable.
I found out about 100 Beds for Haiti through connections I made while working at Hospital Sacre Coeur in Milot. Their goal is simple: to send 100 beds to HSC by June 2010, and guess what?
Thanks to great organizing, 100% of the money raised is earmarked for this specific cause.
These beds will improve patient care now, but will also allow the hospital, which not only services the earthquake victims, but also serves as a health care center for a larger, local community to develop long term plans for sustainability.
So come on out tonight at 9pm and meet me at Middlesex at 315 Mass Ave in Cambridge, MA.
It's a $5 donation at the door, we'll rock out to some Spice Girls and Michael Jackson, and before you know it we'll have made it possible for this amazing hospital to be even more amazing.
I'm not convinced yet. Why beds?
Before the earthquake HSC was just a 73 bed hospital, but in a matter of days it expanded to welcome more than 400 patients. There were at least 175 mattresses that I know of donated by a cruise ship, and probably more than that from near and far as well, but many of the patients we cared for rested day and night on bare cots.
While I was in Milot the hospital was home to about 273 patients; as of March 17th they have discharged some more to Port Au Prince, but the hospital plans to continue offering services to a newly expanded population.
It would be great to start expanding the number of beds to match the number of patients. Having proper beds improves patient outcome by limiting post op discomfort which in turn aids in speeding physical therapy tolerance. PT promotes rehabilitation (obviously) but also prevents complications such as pneumonia and DVTs. Plus.. I didn't assemble a sample group or crunch the numbers myself, but from sheer observation in the tents I can tell you that decubitis ulcers (bed sores) seem to form quicker in patients who are cot-ridden as opposed to bed - ridden.
Imagine surviving an earthquake, a painful and debilitating crush injury to your leg and an amputation in a very limited surgical environment only to die while in recovery from a preventable condition like a DVT or an infected bed sore?
Adding more beds to Hopital Sacre Coeur serves a short term and a long term purpose. It improves the outcome of patients who are currently being treated and it also offers sustainability for the hospital's future. Part of CRUDEM's mission is continuing to stabilize HSC so that even when the foreign volunteers begin to dwindle, local staff can continue to offer exceptional care to their patients. Adding 100 more beds allows HSC to plan for the long term development of their recovery center.
Check out the facebook event for YoYoYo 90's Jam: Heal the World Edition, and invite your friends. Then grab a slap bracelet, a mood ring and a five dollar bill and meet me at 9pm. Simple.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Endorsements and Plugs Before I Go
I've been promoting BHCHP a lot for all the work they have done to make this trip possible. Now I'd like to take a minute to thank Improv Asylum. As soon as I mentioned going to Haiti I was given time off to leave, and the cast has been super supportive in covering the shows I will be missing (especially Kiley and Jane who have to step up for all the female roles). So ... thank you everybody!
Also, be sure to check the grand opening of our newly renovated theater in the beginning of March!
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Tuesday, at my favorite laundromat in the world, Don Zar donated a free load of laundry to the Haiti cause, allowing me to get all my scrubs ready for the trip. The Laundry Room Etc., located on Mass Ave near Porter Square is fabulous. It's more expensive than the laundromat near my apartment, but I haul my stuff to Porter just because Don is so great, his place is so clean, and the environment is so cozy. If you have to use a public laundry room, you should go to his. Check out my Yelp review here.
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I won't be able to do it while I'm gone, so please, please remember to vote each day for Boston Healthcare for the Homeless' Dental Clinic to win the Tom's of Maine grant money!! You can vote once a day for up to five different clinics. BHCHP plans to use the money to create a more focused preventative dental program for HIV+ and diabetic patients. Preventing health problems in these patients saves money in the long run. But more importantly, because of the severity of certain complications for diabetics and AIDS patients, it can also save lives.
This means a lot to me, so please go ahead and cast that daily vote!
Also, be sure to check the grand opening of our newly renovated theater in the beginning of March!
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Tuesday, at my favorite laundromat in the world, Don Zar donated a free load of laundry to the Haiti cause, allowing me to get all my scrubs ready for the trip. The Laundry Room Etc., located on Mass Ave near Porter Square is fabulous. It's more expensive than the laundromat near my apartment, but I haul my stuff to Porter just because Don is so great, his place is so clean, and the environment is so cozy. If you have to use a public laundry room, you should go to his. Check out my Yelp review here.
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I won't be able to do it while I'm gone, so please, please remember to vote each day for Boston Healthcare for the Homeless' Dental Clinic to win the Tom's of Maine grant money!! You can vote once a day for up to five different clinics. BHCHP plans to use the money to create a more focused preventative dental program for HIV+ and diabetic patients. Preventing health problems in these patients saves money in the long run. But more importantly, because of the severity of certain complications for diabetics and AIDS patients, it can also save lives.
This means a lot to me, so please go ahead and cast that daily vote!
Monday, January 11, 2010
..if you just smile
Tom's of Maine is one of my favorite companies because I have loved their products for years and I love their commitment to community. As many of you may already know from talking to me or browsing through Facebook, right now Tom's is getting ready to grant five different clinics a $20,000 sponsorship. And they have decided to let communities vote to determine the recipients.
You can go onto their website every day from now until March 12th and vote for up to five different clinics.
Annnd... (here's where I come in) the dental clinic of Boston Healthcare for the Homeless is one of the clinics in the running. Specifically, they are being considered for their initiative to create more support for HIV/AIDS and Diabetic patients.
As of right now they have two locations (Pine Street and Jean Yawkey Place) where our patient population can easily access comprehensive dental services from cleanings to denture fittings.
If our dental clinic is awarded the sponsorship they'll be able to hire a new dental assistant who will be specifically working to provide fluoride treatments and oral hygiene education to patients with HIV, AIDS, and diabetes who are at risk for serious health complications otherwise.
This paradigm shift towards primary preventative healthcare would be huge in stopping very avoidable oral health issues from snowballing into major medical problems.
Please. Please. Please. Take the time to go vote for BHCHP. And maybe a couple other clinics whose ideas you like, too. And remember you can vote every day, for up to five different places.
This kind of financial support in the hands of the dedicated programs listed on the Tom's website can only lead to good things happening for quality, accessible care.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Gum ,Your Bowels and Society
I once had a patient with severe constipation. Passing flatus, normoactive bowel sounds. But just couldn't go. One of the M.D's at that particular facility told me that he had recently read a study that linked gum chewing to bowel motility, and he even gave me a copy. Apparently it's not exactly novel research because several journals, especially surgical, onco, and GU focused journals have published similar findings.
Because of that I still sometimes write, "encourage gum chewing as appropriate to stimulate bowel motility" in the A/P section of applicable SOAP notes, especially for new post- op patients.
Then I sit and wonder why anyone lets me have a grown-up job.
In all seriousness though, it has been really helpful to several of my patients, and it is evidence based practice, so it's a legitimate plan. I mean, especially in conjunction with something like, "push fluids p.o and encourage prn laxatives as needed." But I just really, really love non pharmacological interventions that have measurable physiological responses. Hot packs and ice, ambulation, pursed lip breathing, weight bearing activity, elevation, relaxation techniques, massage, acupuncture, incentive spirometer use ... I love it all. Medications are very important. And nothing can take the place of getting the proper dose at the correct times (via the correct route!) But when you can add behaviors or actions to create a definable and qualitative increase in quality of health, I think it's even better.
So much can be done just by altering one's lifestyle. Changing diet. Changing exercise habits. In mild cases diabetes can be almost completely managed that way. So can hypertension.
So much can be prevented with life style modifications. But as a society not only are we all about pharmaceuticals but we're also not so much into primary intervention. We'd rather do the damage now and pay for it later.
The exception seem to be middle class 20 somethings who are into being non smokers, doing yoga, shopping at Trader Joe's and going to the gym. (So... Cambridge, MA.) But for the majority of Americans either lack of education or lack of resources or just plain laziness stand in the way of life styles that could prevent major problems down the road. Meanwhile our current health care system is mainly controlled by the Pharm Industry which means that no one at the top has any major incentive to change that.
And so I will continue to include things in my care plans like ginger ale for nausea, elevation for edema, and ambulating ad lib to prevent pneumonia post op. And finding the research to back it up. At least now you know that if you're having trouble with your bowel movements you can go grab a stick of gum. It tastes better than cod liver oil and is cheaper anyway.
Because of that I still sometimes write, "encourage gum chewing as appropriate to stimulate bowel motility" in the A/P section of applicable SOAP notes, especially for new post- op patients.
Then I sit and wonder why anyone lets me have a grown-up job.
In all seriousness though, it has been really helpful to several of my patients, and it is evidence based practice, so it's a legitimate plan. I mean, especially in conjunction with something like, "push fluids p.o and encourage prn laxatives as needed." But I just really, really love non pharmacological interventions that have measurable physiological responses. Hot packs and ice, ambulation, pursed lip breathing, weight bearing activity, elevation, relaxation techniques, massage, acupuncture, incentive spirometer use ... I love it all. Medications are very important. And nothing can take the place of getting the proper dose at the correct times (via the correct route!) But when you can add behaviors or actions to create a definable and qualitative increase in quality of health, I think it's even better.
So much can be done just by altering one's lifestyle. Changing diet. Changing exercise habits. In mild cases diabetes can be almost completely managed that way. So can hypertension.
So much can be prevented with life style modifications. But as a society not only are we all about pharmaceuticals but we're also not so much into primary intervention. We'd rather do the damage now and pay for it later.
The exception seem to be middle class 20 somethings who are into being non smokers, doing yoga, shopping at Trader Joe's and going to the gym. (So... Cambridge, MA.) But for the majority of Americans either lack of education or lack of resources or just plain laziness stand in the way of life styles that could prevent major problems down the road. Meanwhile our current health care system is mainly controlled by the Pharm Industry which means that no one at the top has any major incentive to change that.
And so I will continue to include things in my care plans like ginger ale for nausea, elevation for edema, and ambulating ad lib to prevent pneumonia post op. And finding the research to back it up. At least now you know that if you're having trouble with your bowel movements you can go grab a stick of gum. It tastes better than cod liver oil and is cheaper anyway.
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