CHCS now offers 3D mammograms |
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CHCS has installed the ASPIRE Cristalle digital mammography solution at Onaga Community Hospital.
The ASPIRE Cristalle is an advanced mammography system that features Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT), a state-of-the-art form of breast imaging that uses a low dose x-ray system to create three-dimensional images. Onaga Community Hospital radiologists can use 3D imaging to better visualize lesions that can be obscured in breast tissue, helping improve their ability to visualize and diagnose breast cancer.
“We’re excited to offer an upgraded mammogram experience. Exams will be more comfortable and will deliver better images and lower radiation. Our team looks forward to helping women ensure that they catch breast cancer early,” said Jason McKinsey, CHCS Radiology Manager.
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No more sugar coating: Facts on added sugars |
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During National Nutrition Month, we are encouraged to celebrate a world of flavors in a healthful way. This week, we'll focus on added sugars.
Did you know the average American consumes roughly 20 teaspoons of added sugar a day, which amounts to 9.5 gallons/year? The extra 320 calories per day ends up being an estimated 33 pounds of body weight that can be gained. Consuming too many added sugars can contribute to health problems such as weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and inflammation.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting added sugars to less than 10% of calories per day for ages 2 and older and to completely avoid added sugars for infants and toddlers. If you are on a 2,000-calorie diet, that would equal 200 calories, or about 12 teaspoons/day. The American Heart Association still recommends 6 tsp/day for children ages 2-18 and women and 9 tsp/day for men.
A teaspoon of sugar equals 4 grams. If a food or beverage has 24 grams of added sugar, then it has 6 tsp of sugar. Added sugar is found in many foods and beverages such as soda, sports drinks, energy drinks, and baked goods. It is tricky and found in many forms such as agave nectar, brown sugar, cane sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, and so on. Find more information on tracking down added sugars.
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Added sugar is not so sweet!
Here are a few ideas to sweeten things up without adding sugar.
- Choose low-fat plain yogurt and add fresh fruit instead of purchasing flavored yogurt.
- Choose fresh fruits for desserts and save desserts that contain added sugar for special occasions. If you have to purchase canned fruits, choose the kind with no added sugar or the kind that comes in light syrup.
- Drink calorie-free flavored water instead of regular soda or other sugar-containing beverages. Try calorie-free water enhancers such as mio, Stur, or SweetLeaf Stevia or Great Value or Market Pantry products.
- Add cinnamon or nutmeg to hot cereals or smoothies.
Click the infographic (above, right) to expand.
--Holly Schmitz, registered dietitian
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Take the National Nutrition Month quiz by the end of March for a chance to win a $10 gift card to the Coffee and Gift Shop or a jar of Raven's Originals black bean salsa. Winners will be announced in April. Good luck!
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'Part of the solution:'
CHCS mentors nursing students
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Healthcare staff shortages have made nationwide news as the COVID-19 pandemic has dragged on for nearly two years. At CHCS, we do all we can to help the next generation of nurses gain experience.
Several different schools send students to Onaga Community Hospital and Community HealthCare System clinics for clinical experience or observation, including Washburn University School of Nursing, Highland Community College Medical Assistant Program, and Nightingale College School of Nursing. (Three first-year Washburn nursing students who recently visited our hospital clinical experience are pictured above.)
We recently shared a news story about how CHCS provides a variety of training to students. Thanks to all who take time to mentor the next generation of healthcare workers!
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Learn about community health needs |
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CHCS extends its resources beyond the clinic and hospital walls by developing partnerships with local organizations to improve the health of the communities we serve. In pursuit of that goal and to meet federal IRS community benefit reporting requirements that affect all state-licensed 501(C) (3) hospitals, we complete a Community Health Needs Assessment and Action Plan every three years. This assessment is for Pottawatomie County and is conducted in collaboration with Pottawatomie County Public Health.
We distributed a survey last fall and received 257 responses, then we gathered data from other sources to develop a full picture of the health needs, challenges, and strengths in our county. The report was completed and reviewed, and the CHCS Board of Directors approved it on February 25.
The top three priorities that emerged from the survey and analysis of secondary data are:
- Mental health
- Access to and awareness of healthcare services
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Obesity and related issues such as nutrition, access to healthy food, and access fitness opportunities
The report is available on our website. Click the green button or navigate to the Community tab on on homepage and click "Health Needs Assessment" from the dropdown menu.
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COVID-19 sick pay policy update
Last year, the OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard, or ETS, required employers to provide paid sick leave for employees if they tested positive for COVID-19 and did not have PTO. The OSHA ETS expired at the end of 2021, and it has not been renewed. CHCS left the paid leave policy in effect for those who tested positive for COVID-19 because of the omicron surge, but we will be updating our policy to remain consistent with OSHA requirements.
Effective Monday, March 14, COVID sick pay is discontinued; however, CHCS will retain paid leave for associates who receive a COVID-19 vaccination and are scheduled to work the next day but do not feel well as a result of the vaccination. Associates may receive up to two days of paid leave after vaccination (one day for each dose).
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Home COVID-19 tests and Employee Health
Home COVID-19 tests are now widely available, and CHCS has distributed the tests to associates (see Important Reminders below if you have not received your tests yet). Our hope is that these home tests are accurate, but we know that false negatives are possible.
Please note the following instructions on using home tests to report illnesses to Employee Health.
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If you have symptoms and test positive on a home test, please contact your manager to report the illness as you normally would. Employee Health will assume that you are positive and will give you a return to work date based on the current isolation requirements; you will also need to be afebrile for 24 hours, and your symptoms will need improve before you return to work.
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If you have two or more symptoms and test negative home test, Employee Health may recommend a confirmatory antigen or PCR test to rule out a false negative. (Antigen tests are free through our associate testing program; if you require a send-out PCR test, it will be billed to insurance. The type of test you receive is based on illness severity, pre-test probability of a positive test because of your symptoms and circumstances, and availability of testing supplies.)
Please keep in mind that Employee Health will err on the side of caution to ensure that we protect the health of all, including patients and associates.
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Relias learning system
CHCS has adopted a new learning system to replace HealthStream. All associates should have received a "welcome to Relias" email Tuesday afternoon.
The email, which is from no-reply@alerts.reliaslearning.com and has the subject line "Relias Account Information," invites you to visit the learning system website and create your account by using your UKG username (first name, last name) and a temporary password. You'll then be prompted to provide security questions and a password reset email and to take an introductory tour of the system.
Thanks to those who called IT to verify whether this email was spam. We appreciate your vigilance! The email is legit. If you accidentally deleted the email or need your account reset, please contact Nancy Willert.
Please note that a link to Relias is also available on the For Associates webpage. We will retain the HealthStream link there, too, as a couple of departments are still using materials through that platform.
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Are you prepared?
This week (March 7-11) is Severe Weather Preparedness Week. CHCS participated in the statewide tornado drill on Tuesday, and we've had the opportunity to test our winter storm preparedness here lately, but are you and your family prepared for the upcoming severe thunderstorm and tornado season? Take a look at the graphic below to find some questions to spur discussion.
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Build your resilience: Self-calming strategies
Our autonomic nervous system controls stress response. A well-regulated ANS tries not to over-engage either the sympathetic nervous system (the accelerator) or the parasympathetic nervous system (the brakes). Click the graphic at left to expand.
Prolonged or severe stress can cause us to get stuck in "fight or flight" mode, which means that our bodies and our ANS have a hard time regulating. Self-calming strategies can help!
Self-calming is about knowing who and what normally triggers your stress response and doing something to help your nervous system calm down in that moment. Here are three strategies.
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Take three deep breaths or breathe into muscle tension
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Use the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 grounding exercise: Think of and name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can feel, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste
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Task shift with "just this" vs. multitasking: Take a deep breath and ask yourself what you really need to focus on. Tell yourself it's OK to tune out distractions--all you need to do is just this. Let your brain rest on the task at hand. View a short video.
Want more ideas? View a PowerPoint from Karin Denes-Collar, LSCSW, Masonic Cancer Alliance Psychosocial Services Director. |
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Benefit planned for Jolene Wessel
Jolene Wessel is a nurse at Onaga Hospital, and she has had some recent health issues. She will be traveling to Minnesota to the Mayo Clinic at the end of March for testing to see if she has a rare blood vessel disorder. Jolene's daughter also has some chronic health issues, and the family travels to Denver to see a specialist a few times a year.
We want to help take the burden of some of the medical bills, stress, and travel expenses off her plate. We are hosting a benefit meal on March 27 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Altstadt Gallery in Frankfort. The address is 200 N. Kansas Ave.
Jolene is a mom, nurse, friend, volunteer EMS, and an amazing coworker. Please come eat tacos and help support Jolene and her family!
Questions? Please contact Ashley Bean (785-458-9258), Lacey Niehues (785-456-5677), or Christine Merriman (785-364-0489).
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Join a Youth Mental Health First Aid class
Youth Mental Health First Aid is for adults who work with youth ages 6 to 18 in any capacity. Topics include common signs of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, impact of social media and bullying, and much more.
Our next class will be offered March 30 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Register by emailing Marlene Wolfe or calling her at 785-889-5002. Cost is $30 to cover books and materials. Payment instructions will be given at the time of registration.
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Classroom to Career: Occupational therapy
CHCS Occupational Therapist Jill Nolte visited Onaga fourth graders yesterday to discuss her work through the Classroom to Career program.
Jill talked to the students about how she helps patients perform daily tasks to regain or maintain their independence. The students experimented with adaptive equipment, strengthening, and fine motor tasks. They also tried different tasks using TheraPutty, therapy clothespins, and hand/finger-strengthening exercises. The students worked on fine motor skills by using boards for practice buttoning, zipping, tying, lacing, snapping, and buckling.
Thank you for providing great activities for the students, Jill!
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Thank you
On Sunday, March 6, CHCS associates joined with faith communities, family, and friends to host a fundraiser for Steve and Jeanne DeVader. The event was a huge success! Thank you to all who helped to make this possible.
Special thanks to all associates who donated their time, baked goods, cash, items for the silent auction, and those who attended the event.
It was a true representation of our mission: to enrich the health and lives of the people we serve.
--Julia Ingwerson
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Welcome to CHCS!
We are happy to have the following associates join us. Welcome, all!
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Randy Wild, maintenance tech, St. Marys
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Jaci Kaster, cook, Onaga dietary
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Terry Jordan, courier driver
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Casey Myers, unit secretary, acute nursing
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Important reminders
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Each CHCS associate can receive 4 free boxes of COVID-19 tests. See a recent E-Connection for details on where to get tests at each location. Please pick up your tests by Friday, March 11.
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Daylight saving time 2022 begins Sunday, March 13 at 2 a.m. Don't forget to set your clocks ahead one hour!
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Coffee Shop Special
March 14-18
The Nutty Irishman
- Irish cream and hazelnut
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16 oz., $4
- Hot, cold, or frappe
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CHCS menu: Onaga and Eastridge |
St. Marys menus are available each morning through the Activities chronicle.
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Finding a passion
St. Marys Manor resident Linda Gregory has found a new passion for making pendants out of polymer clay.
Linda is pictured here with some of her most recent creations. Linda loves Native American and wildlife themes, especially wolves.
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Did you miss your Connection?
Important information is relayed every week in the E-Connection. If you miss it in your email, an archive is available on our website. Visit the For Associates page, then click E-Connection Archive.
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Send items for the E-Connection or for sharing with our broader social media audience to sarahhancock@chcsks.org. Please send items by close of business on Tuesdays when possible. Ideas are welcome!
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