Watermelon is a delicious, healthful choice for summer, and its sweet taste can satisfy any sweet tooth. Watermelon is 92 percent water and has less than 50 calories per cup. It’s a source of vitamin A for eye health and vitamin C for the immune system support. Choose a watermelon without a flat side and that sounds hollow when you knock on it. Look for a melon with a dull (not shiny) rind free of soft spots, gashes or blemishes.
Medical Misconception: Waiting After Eating to Swim
Each month, we weigh in on a health and wellness myth and explain the real cause behind the malady.
This month’s misconception: Waiting 30 minutes after eating before swimming
Marinated Vegetable Salad
Regularly including broccoli and cauliflower in your diet may reduce or prevent certain diseases such cancer, heart disease and hypertension, and it may help lower cholesterol.
Introducing Care Solutions
Melissa Jones-Holley, D.N.P., director of disease management and population health at Carroll Hospital, explains a new program designed to help patients living with chronic conditions.
What is the Care Solutions program? Why was it created?
Care Solutions is a disease management program that provides patients, health care providers and the community with resources to assist in the care of patients with chronic conditions, such as congestive heart failure (CHF), diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of the program is to improve the patients’ quality of life and reduce unnecessary hospital stays through a series of coordinated health care interventions, such as education about their conditions and how to manage them, care coordination and improved access to care.
How do patients benefit?
Care Solutions offers patients an individualized care plan while working in collaboration with their health care providers.
As a part of the program, patients can receive follow-up care once discharged from the hospital, assistance with scheduling provider visits, education on their conditions, and assistance with understanding and managing their treatment plans including medications, referrals to health care and community resources, and telemonitoring services if needed.
Who is eligible for Care Solutions?
The Care Solutions program is available to patients with chronic conditions such as CHF, COPD and diabetes. Many patients are referred to our program from providers, case managers, nurse health navigators and community agencies, such as home health agencies and Access Carroll.
How is telemonitoring used?
Telemonitoring is one of the ways the Care Solutions program is helping patients understand and manage their chronic conditions at home. We are currently offering patients with CHF and COPD a chronic care management program that includes telemonitoring services. In this program, patients are provided with Bluetooth-enabled equipment that allows patients to obtain and record their vital signs each day, such as blood pressure, heart rate, oxygenation and weight, for use in their home. With this program, we are able to quickly identify and address abnormal patient vital signs and connect patients with a nurse or health care provider 24/7 for early intervention as needed. Patients who could benefit from telemonitoring are being recommended to the program during a hospital stay or by their primary care provider, cardiologist or pulmonologist.
Learn more about the Care Solutions program by calling 410-871-7000.
White Bean, Tomato and Green Bean Salad
Navy beans are a low fat, protein-rich starchy vegetable, full of vitamins, minerals and an excellent source of dietary fiber. Both navy beans and green beans are good sources of antioxidants, which may protect against chronic disease.
Protect Your Bones from Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a medical condition that affects nearly 54 million Americans today. All adults are at risk of developing this disorder, which causes the gradual loss of bone density and strength, as they get older. Osteoporosis can easily lead to broken bones and, since you can’t feel your bones weakening, it is known as a silent disease.
Chunky Cucumber Salsa
Salsa is a tasty way to eat your fruits and vegetables. Trying making your own tortilla chips with whole wheat tortillas. This saves fat, calories and salt. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tortillas on baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and season to taste. Cut into wedges and bake 8 to 10 minutes until crispy.
Hot Quinoa Flakes with Maple Syrup Apples
Quinoa flakes are made from quinoa that has been steam-rolled, similar to rolled oats, and are a gluten-free alternative for hot cereal.
Celebrating Nurses Week
Every May, Carroll Hospital celebrates our nursing staff who work tirelessly day and night, weekends and holidays, to provide the best care for our patients.
During Nurses Week, our “Superheroes in Scrubs” were delivered breakfast, given a special appreciation gift and had the opportunity to have their hands blessed by our chaplains and community clergy.
DAISY Award winners and the more than 80 nurses who were nominated for the Nurse of the Year honor attended an awards banquet at The Portico at St. John in Westminster to honor their accomplishments.
Michelle Rivers, R.N., was named the Nurse of the Year. Rivers has been a nurse for 25 years, with 17 of them at Carroll Hospital. She is a clinical educator who provides continuing education and mentors fellow nurses in the medical-surgical areas.
“She gets to know nurses on a personal level and makes deep, caring connections,” wrote one nominating colleague. “She makes learning fun and interesting and has a way of explaining things so everyone can understand. … I have seen her put worried patients and concerned visitors at ease with just a short conversation, her beautiful smile and sometimes a hug. She is, without hesitation, one of the greatest people I have ever had the privilege of knowing, and I am thankful for her and for what she does for this organization every day.”
Another nominator shared a recent event when Michelle pitched in to help care for patients during an especially busy time in The Family Birthplace. “…Without hesitation, no questions asked, she immediately stepped in and began assisting me in triage,” wrote the nominator. “She started taking vital signs, she helped a very sick patient into the restroom, she began taking and collecting urine specimens, but most of all she kept the patients and their family members calm.”
Afterward, Michelle continued to check in on the unit and even bought the staff pizza, which they greatly appreciated during such a hectic time. “She proved that as a nurse we can always go back to the basics and be able to step into any environment, even out of our comfort zone, and perform the basic skills we were all taught to provide effective patient care,” wrote the nominating nurse.
Congratulations, Michelle! And a special thanks to all of our nurses for the quality care you provide to our patients!