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What's New at Guardian Nurses?
June is Men's Health Month!
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What's New at
Guardian Nurses
Round Table for MCC Program Clients
After five years in the making, our Mobile Care Coordinator Programs now support nine labor funds.
Last week, we invited each client's Benefits Team, including all of the Fund Administrators and their Claims Managers, to join us for our first-ever Round Table. The meeting was designed to share information with our clients and have an exchange of ideas.
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Dennis Siravo, Asst. Administrator at Sheet Metal Local 19 with Robin Sambuco.
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After the morning session, the Guardian Nurses' team enjoyed a presentation from Ken Serviss, President of Allied Trades Assistance Program, on ATAP's Peer Advocate program.
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| Ken Serviss, from ATAP sits amidst our team. |
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Welcome
Local 338!!
We are thrilled to welcome Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW to the Guardian Nurses' Family!
Based in Long Island, NY, the Fund represents 3,000 hard working people in retail supermarkets, pharmacies, healthcare facilities, and maintenance facilities.
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Rajie Singh, Jen Lipack, Andrea Spector, MSN, RN, and John Durso, Local 338 President
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I am very lucky to have four older brothers. (I say that knowing that they are reading this, LOL!) Though they each have had their share of healthcare challenges, they are all enjoying their lives.
Yesterday, I was chatting by phone with Tom, who had a birthday on June 8th, and he shared how grateful he was that he is in good health. After all, we both know how things can change in a heartbeat.
Because of my conversation with my brother, and because of the upcoming Fathers' Day holiday,
The Flame
this month shares the top three health issues facing men. Gentlemen, time to get a check up.
 Happy Fathers' Day to all Dads!! Betty Betty Long, RN, MHA President/CEO Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates |
Take Some Time to Take Care
of Yourself!
The news just keeps getting better! The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that of all men over the age of 18, 12% are in fair or poor health, 32% have had five or more drinks in one day on at least one occasion in the past year, 18% are smokers, and 36% are obese.
If you are an adult male and fall into any of these categories (or even if you don't!), you should know that June is Men's Health Awareness Month! It is the perfect time to give your health a checkup.
Prostate Cancer Screening
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine state that prostate cancer is the most prominent cancer among all men, aside from skin cancer. If you are African-American or have a family history, your risk is even greater.
Screening for prostate cancer typically begins at the age of 50, but your healthcare provider will screen you earlier if you have an increased risk of developing prostate cancer:
- Age 50 for men of average risk of developing prostate cancer and those who have a life expectancy of greater than 10 years.
- Age 45 for men with a high risk of developing prostate cancer; this includes African-American men and men who have had a first-degree relative, such as a father, brother, or son, diagnosed with prostate cancer at a young age, which is considered less than 65.
- Age 40 for men with a very high risk of developing prostate cancer; this includes men who have had multiple family members who have developed prostate cancer at a young age.
Diabetes
There are millions of people living with Type 2 Diabetes. And of those millions of people, there are more men than women. According to the
National Diabetes Statistics Report, there are approximately 23 million diagnosed people with diabetes, and 7 million undiagnosed people.
Broken down by gender, it is estimated that there are almost 16 million men with diabetes and 13 million women. Since diabetes is often thought of as a "silent disease" because there is rarely any symptoms until the disease has progressed, it is very important (and very simple) to have a routine screening blood test to check.
Heart Disease
Your family history certainly has a lot to do with your development of heart disease, but that doesn't mean you should throw in the towel. Being screened routinely will help you to understand your risk. Once you understand your risk, then you can make a plan to fight back!
There are several tests used to screen for heart disease --also known as cardiovascular disease. Because heart disease affects more organs than "just" the heart, your healthcare provider must also screen multiple different parts of your body:
- Blood pressure should be obtained at a minimum of once every two years if your blood pressure is normal at less than 120/80. However, it is likely that your blood pressure is monitored more frequently than that - it is often a routine part of every appointment!
- Cholesterol bloodwork include triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL (the "good" cholesterol) and LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol). If your lipid panel is normal, it will be drawn every four to six years, but more frequently if you have abnormal values.
- Body weight/body mass index (BMI) is typically obtained during regular appointments. Figure it out here.
- Waist circumference is measured as needed. A waist circumference is used to calculate cardiovascular risk, especially if your BMI is greater than or equal to 25 kg/m2.
Prostate cancer, diabetes, and heart disease are three of the most prevalent diseases to affect men. If you've been putting off seeing your healthcare provider, June is a great month to make that call to get checked!
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