Students from Belfast Area High School, Islesboro Central School, Mt. View High School and Searsport High School recently took part in Doc4aDay. The program seeks to ignite interest in promising high school students who might not have considered a career in medicine. The teachers in the program are all medical students, residents or simulation center specialists. They lead the students in simulated patient scenarios utilizing a mannequin and in hands-on activities in a skills lab, such as taking vital signs. Above, students practice their suturing skills.
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Doc4aDay comes to WCGH
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Tobacco award
Maine Tobacco Free Hospital Network honored Waldo County General Hospital at the gold level, during a recognition event at the Maine Hospital Association. The program cites Maine hospitals for creating a tobacco free environment and supporting tobacco free lifestyles. The hospital won the gold level by meeting all 10 standards of excellence. Accepting the award from Breathe Easy Coalition Program Coordinator Sarah Mayberry, right, are David Inman, Director of Cardiopulmonary Services, and Barbara Crowley, Health & Wellness Coach.
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Hospital honored for hiring veterans
Waldo County General Hospital was cited by American Legion District 11 for “exemplary service in employment of veterans.” On hand for the presentation of the award were, from left, Dave Carlson and Jake Hanley, veterans and employees of Waldo County General Hospital, Judy Otis, also a Waldo County General Hospital employee, veteran and member of the American Legion and Lance Weddell, Commander of American Legion District 11.
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Waldo County General Hospital Aid Briefs
The Aid’s fall yard sale, held at the Methodist Church Fellowship Hall in October, generated close to $1,450 in revenue.
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The Aid’s annual Silver Tea was held December 9 at the Belfast Breeze Inn. Donations at the tea were close to $1,100 and the Holiday 50/50 raffle took in $1,632.
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The next regular Aid meeting will be held Wednesday, March 16, at 1:30 pm in the classroom at the hospital, 118 Northport Ave., Belfast. The speaker is scheduled to be dentist Scott Cunningham, DDS, who works in Waldo County Dental Care.
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Interested in becoming a WCGH volunteer? There are currently openings for helping with Hospital Aid special events, working in the gift shop, assisting in central registration and greeting hospital visitors and transporting patients. Call 930-6739 for more information.
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Fundraiser for Belfast Public Health Nursing
Sheila Hall, left, manager of Anglers in Searsport, presents Belfast Public Health Nurse Ginnie Fanelli, RN, with a check for $300. The funds were raised at an event in which Anglers donated a percentage of its proceeds from meals served.
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Hospital Aid holds annual Silver Tea, makes donations
At its annual Silver Tea, the Waldo County General Hospital Aid donated $8,100 to Waldo County Dental Care, bringing its total 2015 contributions to the dental clinic to $33,100. Geary Tibbetts, manager of the gift shop, far right, makes the donation to, from left, dental tech Mandy Hood, dentist, Scott Cunningham, DDS, and Dan Bennett, Chief Operating Officer for WCGH.
Waldo County General Hospital Aid President, Sally Milhorn, presents a check for $2,400 to the Cardiac Rehab Scholarship Fund. Mark Biscone, President and CEO of Waldo County General Hospital and Mary Hanrahan, Cardiac Rehab manager were on hand to accept the gift.
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Moonlight snowshoeing set
Waldo County General Hospital’s Journey to Health will sponsor a free full moon snowshoe hike on the Belfast Rail Trail on Monday, Feb. 22 at 6 pm. For more information or to reserve free snowshoes for the event, call Hester Kohl at 930-2514. Pre-registration is required. For Feb. 22 registration: http://bit.ly/1PbaA02.
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BOA donation to dental care
Waldo County Dental Care was recently awarded a $7,500 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Inc. to purchase dental instruments for restorative dental services for the underserved. On hand for the presentation of the grant were, from left, Dale Kuhnert, Waldo County General Hospital board member; Scott Cunningham DDS, the clinic dentist; Brian King, Vice President and Site Director for Belfast’s Bank of America; Dan Bennett, Chief Operating Officer at Waldo County General Hospital and Mandie Hood, a dental tech.
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Mini-grants help spread 5-2-1-0 message
At the end of 2014, the Let’s Go! Waldo 5-2-1-0 program had $4,000 in mini-grants available to fund projects that would meet the 5-2-1-0 goals (5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day; a maximum of 2 hours of recreational screen time; at least 1 hour of physical exercise; and 0 sugary drinks) put in place to fight childhood obesity.
The students at Monroe Elementary School are thrilled with their new greenhouse.
With the help of a $750 grant, the Monroe Elementary School added a permanent greenhouse, donated by Iris and Dennis Hooper and constructed by Ken Ryder and four new raised beds. The raised beds were built last spring just in time for the children to plant garlic and carrots.
School Principal Matthew Houghton says the new greenhouse will also be used as an outdoor classroom for nutrition education and will provide fresh vegetables for the school. Any excess food will be donated to the “Food for All,” food pantry.
Linda Hartkopt, Let’s Go! Waldo 5-2-1-0 coordinator, points out the new water bottle filling station at Searsport Middle/High School.
Another $250 grant went to Searsport Middle/High School. They used the grant to upgrade their drinking fountains to include water bottle filling stations. This change encourages students to drink more water; allows students and faculty to save money and the environment by eliminating the need to purchase disposable plastic water bottles.
• $250 to the Cornerspring Montessori School in Belfast to help their children get various forms of exercise every day. Their project was to offer yoga, Tae Kwon Do and swimming lessons taught by a certified instructor at the Waldo County YMCA.
• $250 to the Islesboro Central School to sustain the outdoor classroom project. The outdoor classroom has a large garden area, a natural obstacle course and a nature trail.
There are also two awards to out-of-school programs:
• $1,000 to the five 21st Century afterschool sites in Searsport,
Belfast, East Belfast, Searsmont and Morrill. Their project was to highlight the message of 5-2-1-0 and to create an active learning environment for children and
through “Family Fitness Night.” They also used the funds to purchase equipment for exercise stations.
• $250 went to The Game Loft in Belfast to help create “The Hobbit Live Action Adventure.” The goals of the Hobbit adventure were to help young people master healthy outdoor cooking and role playing skills while learning the value of physical activity and of inter-generational educational fantasy role playing.
The last two grants went to early childhood programs:
This bike taxi allows older children at the First Steps Daycare in Belfast to peddle around the younger children.
• $1,000 to First Steps Daycare in Belfast to implement “Active Play Outdoors.” The money was used to purchase quality tricycles, bike helmets and a “construction taxi” that allows older children to peddle around the younger children. There is also a bike and helmet lending program to expand access fun outdoor activities.
• $250 to the Belfast Area Children’s Center in Waldo and the Starrett Children’s Center in Belfast. They used the money to purchase outdoor winter equipment.
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Oncology Walk & Basket Raffle 2015
The annual Waldo County General Hospital Oncology Walk & Basket Raffle was held Sunday, Oct. 18. More than 75 walkers participated.
Following the walk, the raffle tickets were drawn for baskets put together by area businesses and hospital departments.
All proceeds go to the Oncology Patient Assistance and Mammography Funds. The Oncology Patient Assistance Fund helps patients defray the cost of
cancer treatments. The Mammography Fund helps pay for mammograms and breast biopsies for patients with no insurance or
insurance with a high deductible.
The walk supports cancer patients currently undergoing treatment; honors patients who have survived cancer; and allows an opportunity to
memorialize those lost to cancer.
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Baby Fair seeks participants
The annual Spring Baby Fair will be held on Saturday, April 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 11a.m. at the Troy Howard Middle School, 173 Lincolnville Avenue, Belfast.
Vendors are needed. Sell your used baby and children’s items. Acceptable sale items: Clothes, up to size 12, toys, books, furniture, etc. DO NOT BRING recalled furniture, or car seats that have an expired use date
Tables for exhibitors are available to rent at $25 each. If you bring large clothes racks or displays, you may be charged an additional fee as space is limited. The fee is non-refundable and must be paid in advance to secure your space. Proceeds from table rental fees benefit the Belfast Public Health Nursing Association, but all other profit is yours to keep.
Set up will be from 7 a.m. until the fair starts, and cleanup will be immediately following the event. There is an admission fee of $1 for adults.
To book a table or for more information, call Lois Dutch of Waldo County General Hospital’s Education Department at 930-6713.
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Mindfulness Presence is topic for support group
Parkinson’s Disease and Other Movement Disorders Support Group will meet Tuesday, April 12, at 10 am. Barbara Crowley, RN, will present a talk on Mindfulness Presence.
Crowley, a health and wellness coach at Waldo County General Hospital, said, “Understanding what you’re going through, this is where the healing or transformative power of mindfulness lies.
The free drop-in support group meets in the Home Health & Hospice conference room, 125 Northport Ave., across from Waldo County General Hospital. Family and friends are welcome. Conversation and refreshments will follow the meeting.
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Hospital Aid yard sale is April 23
The Waldo County General Hospital Aid will hold its spring yard sale on Saturday, April 23, from 8 am to noon at the Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 23 Mill Lane, Belfast.
Donations are welcome at the church on Friday, April 22, from 8 am to 1 pm. No televisions, computers or large appliances.
The yard sale is open to the public. For more information, call 323-3901 or 548-0232.
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Learn about Advance Care Directives at open house
If you suffered a medical emergency that left you unable to communicate with medical personnel, would your family know what your wishes are about end-of-life care? Would you want to be resuscitated? Put on a respirator? Have a feeding tube inserted?
There is a way to ensure that your wishes are followed even if you can’t communicate. On Wednesday, April 20, from 9 am to noon, there will be an open house on the second floor hallway of the Cobb Medical Building, 16 Fahey St., Belfast.
At the open house, you will be able to ask questions and get the assistance you need to make your healthcare wishes known. There will be free on-site assistance to fill out your advance directives, which will allow your family to know and honor your wishes.
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Community training
Deece Ruggles of Nursing Education and Lee Philbrook, a tech in the Emergency Department, offered a Code 99 training to eight EMTs from the Stockton Springs and Searsport Ambulance Services. The training was held at the hospital using our patient simulator (“SIM Man”). This allowed the EMTs to practice their life-savings skills. Individual elements including CPR, defibrillation, airway management and EZ-10 placement were also practiced.
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Habitat donation
Jenifer Harris, center, Regional Director of Marketing & Communications at Waldo County General Hospital and Pen Bay Medical Center, presents a donation to Habitat for Humanity of Waldo County’s board president, Michaelene Achorn. At right is Mandie Sawyer, executive director for the local Habitat affiliate.
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Waldo County General Hospital Aid Briefs
Yard Sale
Saturday, April 23
8:00 am – noon
Large indoor yard sale, rain or shine. Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 23 Mill Lane, Belfast. Donations welcome at the church on Friday, April 22, 8:00 am – 1:00 pm. No televisions, computers or large appliances. Open to the public. For more information, call 323-3901 or 548-0232.
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Community Health & Wellness Briefs
Registration required for all events, please visit http://journeytohealth.coursestorm.com or call 921-3950
Introduction to Meditation
Are you interested in meditation but don’t know where to begin? Join Health Coach Barbara
Crowley for this three-session series to learn about meditation.
Wednesdays
April 6, 20 & May 4
5:00 – 6:30 pm
Registration fee is $15 for the series
Waldo County General Hospital Classroom, 116 Northport Ave, Belfast
Move it to Lose it
This low-impact exercise class is designed for participants with a BMI of 30 or higher and is led by Mirja Pitkin.
Thursdays
April 7, 14, 28 & May 5, 12, 19
5:15 – 6:30 pm
Registration fee is $37.50 for the six-week session
East Belfast Elementary School Gym, 14 Swan Lake Ave, Belfast
Fresh Salads in a Jar
Mason jars aren’t just for canning – they make portable, portion-control meals simple and keep salads fresh for up to a week. Join the Community Health & Wellness team to learn how to make perfect and tasty mason jar salads. Participants will create their own salads to take home.
Tuesday, April 26
5:30 – 7:00 pm
Registration fee is $10
Waldo County General Hospital Classroom, 116 Northport Ave, Belfast
A Peaceful Night’s Sleep
Sleep is important for overall health. Learn how much you should be getting and why it’s important, find out what happens when you don’t get enough and learn practices that can help you sleep better.
Thursday, April 28
5:00 – 6:15 pm
There is no cost to participate in this course
Waldo County General Hospital Classroom, 116 Northport Ave., Belfast
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Keeping smiles healthy
Julie Page, second grade teacher at the East Belfast School, and Gary Gale, a third grader at the school, are all smiles after receiving tooth brushes, tooth paste and floss from Belfast Public Health Nursing Association. The items will be distributed as needed to students attending Belfast schools.
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Driving evaluations being offered to the community
Waldo County General Hospital is offering driving evaluations to members of the community. Anyone with a doctor’s referral is eligible to have an evaluation conducted at the hospital.
The program is managed by Skip Philbrook, PT, Director of Rehab Services. The O.T. Driver Off Road Assessment Battery (OT-DORA) is completed by occupational therapists on staff. After a brief interview, the following areas are evaluated: range of motion, strength, visual skills, balance, coordination, reaction time and awareness of road laws. Collected data is then submitted for review by the requesting doctor in order to assist in determining if a person is safe to drive or is ready for an on the road test. The assessment lasts about 90 minutes.
“After working with patients for a few years in this community, I have heard multiple individuals and family members express concern about loved ones ability to drive,” said Moriah H. Grant, OTD, OTR/L. “This assessment process is helpful and easy for all those involved. The results of the evaluation will be explained to the patient and family so if they have any questions, they can be answered right away. I hope that this makes this very difficult decision easier for the providers, patients and families.”
“The decision to stop someone from driving can be a very difficult and emotional one for all those involved. This assessment will offer some objective data which can be used to help that process move forward or to show that someone may actually be safe to continue,” said Philbrook. “Either way, it prevents the decision from being totally a judgment call.”
A limited number of insurance providers cover this evaluation. Potential patients or family members should contact their insurance provider to see if the evaluation is covered. Office personnel are able to answer questions about the cost of the evaluation.
For more information, contact the Waldo County General Hospital Rehab Department at 338-9316.
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