2012 southeast colorado medical resources

2012 Guide toSoutheast ColoradoMedical Resources

Special supplement to

CarePutting

the

Back InHealthcare.

Weisbrod Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home

Providing quality,professional care

one patientat a time.

MICHAELMANLEY, PA-CWILEYMEDICALCLINIC301 1/2 MAIN STREETWILEY, COLORADO

719-829-4627

JEFFREYWAGGONER, M.D.WILEYMEDICALCLINICTUESDAYAND THURSDAYEADS MEDICALCLINICMONDAY/WEDNESDAY/

FRIDAY

ERIN HIEB, FNPEADS MEDICALCLINIC1211 LUTHER STREETEADS, COLORADO

719-438-2251

Weisbrod Nursing HomeOur family caringfor your family

ALL Of OuR fACILITIES ACCEPT MEDICARE, MEDICAID AND INSuRANCEfOR fuRTHER INfORMATION AbOuT AvAILAbLE SERvICES PLEASE CALL 719-438-5401

Goodhealthto you

More than ever, familiesare looking for ways to im-prove their health throughlifestyle changes and preven-tive health care.

Fortunately, southeastColorado has a wide varietyof valuable resources to helpfamilies in their pursuit ofgood health. It is our hopethat the information con-tained in the 2012 MedicalResource Guide will be apractical tool for those look-ing for the right services atthe right time and place.

Sometimes, despite ourbest efforts, illness or an ac-cident can strike. This guidecan serve as a handy refer-ence all year, putting theneeded contact informationat your fingertips when youneed it most.

We hope you will take thetime to read about the serv-ices provided close to home.Perhaps you will learn abouta service nearby that youhad not been aware of be-fore.

Our best wishes to youand your family for a healthyand prosperous New Year.

Mary BreslinPublisher

ContentsRadon: A silent killer .................................................... 5Get your health BACK on track ...................................... 6A patient-centered medical home? ................................. 7Hospice: Not a last resort, but another type of therapy .... 8Immunizations – Protect those around you ................... 105-2-1-0 to keep families healthy .................................. 14Occupational health – Focus on Preventive care ............ 16When someone you love is drinking too much ............... 17Tips on saving on smoking cessation products ............. 19Don’t forget to care for your eyes as you age ................ 21How food safety knowledge can affect your health ........ 22

Medical Directory 2012, The Lamar Ledger — ...

In life there is so much to seeso take good care of your eyes!

H. Randolph Frank, M.D.Eye Physician and Surgeon

Certified by the American Board of OphthalmologyDiplomat of the American Academy of Ophthalmolgy.

Specializing in:• Diabetic Eye Exams

• Cataract Surgery• Treatment of Glaucoma and Macular Disease

• Treatment of Lid Abnormalities

6197 Lehman Drive Suite 101 • Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918719-594-9800 or 800-530-8953

Seeing patients weekly at:Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center

1100 Carson La Junta, Colorado 81050 • 719-383-6378 for appointmentsMost insurance accepted.

Advertiser IndexAmazing You ........................................... 20Arkansas Valley Hearing ................... 12 &13Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center .. 16Back in Action ........................................... 7Gerald A. Branes, DDS .............................. 8Lloyd Brown Insurance ............................. 20Colorado Eye Associates ............................ 7H. Randolph Frank, MD .............................. 4Giadone Insurance .................................. 22Juniper Village ......................................... 22High Plains Community Health Center ....... 10Kiowa Healthmart ...................................... 8The Legacy Assisted Living ......................... 4Lincare ................................................... 18Marples County Market ............................ 18My Wholesale Products ............................ 15Oquist Chiropractic .................................. 14Physical Therapy Plus .............................. 21Prairie Pines Assisted Living ..................... 11Prowers County Public Health ................... 24Prowers Medical Group Clinics ................. 11Prowers Medical Center Services ................ 6Prowers Medical Center Specialty Clinics .. 15Prowers Medical Center Convenient Care .. 17Prowers Medical Center Home Health ....... 19Prowers Medical Center Veterans Clinic .... 21Racines Security Alarms .......................... 19Roth Medical Supplies ............................. 17St. Catherine Hospital ............................... 9Southeast Colorado Hospital ...................... 5Weisbrod Hospital and Nursing Home ......... 2

We are proud to offer:We are proud to offer:• Compassionate Individualized care• Compassionate Individualized care• Safe, comfortable homey environment• Safe, comfortable homey environment• A practical choice when a nursing home• A practical choice when a nursing homeis not necessaryis not necessary

An Assisted Living Community

650 Kendall Drive, Lamar, CO 81052

(719) 336-7004

[email protected]

www.legacyatlamar.com — Medical Directory 2012, The Lamar Ledger ...

Radon

Radon: A silent killer“Because you can’t see or smell radon,people tend to downplay the health effectsand ignore the possibility that there mightbe a silent killer in their homes. “

Keith SiemsenProwers County Environmental Health Manager

By Keith SiemsenThe Lamar Ledger

Citizens Urged to TestHomes for Radon, the Sec-ond Leading Cause of LungCancer in U.S.

Prowers County PublicHealth and Environment(PCPHE) is working withthe U.S. Environmental Pro-tection Agency (EPA) andthe Colorado Department ofPublic Health and Environ-ment (CDPHE) in a nation-wide campaign to educateAmericans about the dan-gers of radon exposure andto encourage them to takeaction to protect their homesand families. In our commu-nity, PCPHE has free inhome test kits available,

throughout the year. Radonis a naturally occurring, in-visible, odorless, tastelessgas that is dispersed in out-door air, but which canreach harmful levels whentrapped in buildings. Scien-tists have long been con-cerned about the health riskof radon, but never beforehas there been such over-whelming proof that expo-

sure to elevated levels of ra-don causes lung cancer inhumans.

The U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency estimatesthat radon is responsible formore than 20,000 lung can-cer deaths per year. Radon isthe leading second leadingcause of lung cancer in theU.S. after smoking and theleading cause of lung cancer

among non-smok-ers. “However,”says Keith Siem-sen from PCPHE“because youcan’t see or smellradon, peopletend to downplaythe health effectsand ignore thepossibility that

there might be a silent killerin their homes.”

Testing homes for elevat-ed levels of radon is simpleand inexpensive. Radonproblems can be fixed byqualified contractors for acost similar to that of manycommon home repairs andminor remodeling projects.

See RADON, pg. 20

Keith Siemsen


Chiropractic

Get your health BACK on trackBy Sean Oquist D.C.The Lamar Ledger

Get your health BACK ontrack

A frequently quoted Lan-cet article estimates that 70percent to 85 percent ofadults will have back pain atsome point in their lifetime.

Chiropractic care is a verypopular choice intreatmentof back and neck pain. Al-though treatment is ex-tremely proficient in alleviat-ing pain, there are manyother benefits to keepingyour spine healthy. The firstquestion that should be an-swered is; what is chiroprac-tic?

Chiropractic healthcare isa branch of the healing artsbased on the scientific fact

that ournervoussystem con-trols or in-fluences thefunction ofevery cell inour body.Interfer-ence to the

nervous system will affecthow it relates to the cells towhich it travels. The chiro-practic model of health iscentered on the philosophythat the human body, beingknit together in an amazingway, will heal itself given theright opportunity and cir-cumstances.

Doctors of chiropracticpromote the healing processby minimizing nerve interfer-

ence. This is done by empir-ical observations and testingto diagnose where and howthe nervous system is beingcompromised. Once theproblem is found, chiroprac-tors use manual adjustingtreatments to your spine andjoints, exercise therapy, trig-ger point therapy, physio-therapy modalities, and life-style changes to allow thebody’s natural state of healthto fully express itself.

Our nervous system is themaster system of the body. Itcontrols all of the body’s oth-er systems. It regulates heartrate and rhythm; it allows forlung function to coordinatebreathing so that our cellsand tissues can get the oxy-gen they need; it controlsour gut function and diges-tion; it senses and regulateschemical and hormonalchanges to allow for ourbody’s biochemical balanceor homeostasis. This is thereason why everyone shouldhave their spine and nervoussystem checked by their chi-ropractor.

For example, our brain isour computer system and

See CHIROPRACTIC, pg. 7

“He who has health,has hope; and he whohas hope, haseverything.”

Proverb

Sean Oquist

Your Choice for Healthcare!

www.prowersmedical.com

Acute Hospital CareSkilled Nursing Care

Family MedicinePediatrics

Surgery CenterNew Beginnings Birth Center

Obstetrics/ GynecologyInternal Medicine

Rehabilitation Services:Physical Therapy

Occupational TherapySpeech TherapySports Medicine

Wound CareAdaptive Equipment

TrainingHand Therapy

Orthopedic RehabStroke/ Neurological

Rehabilitation

Clinical LaboratoryRespiratory Theropy

Sleep Study LaboratoryOutpatient Specialty ClinicOutpatient Cancer Center

Emergency ServicesProwers Medical Group- Clinics in

Lamar, Holly, and Las AnimasHome, Health Agency

Imaging Services:Radiology and Fluoroscopy

CT Scanning- 32 SliceMRI

Ultrasound with 3D-4D imagingDigital Mammography

EchocardiographyNuclear MedicineRadiology / X-Ray

Bone Density (axial DXA)

PROWERS MEDICAL CENTER • 401 KENDALL DRIVE LAMAR CO

— Medical Directory 2012, The Lamar Ledger ...

Patient Centered Care

A patient-centered medical home?By Jay BrookeThe Lamar Ledger

A patient-centered medicalhome is a model of healthcare that focuses on yourfamily medical provider be-ing one-stop shopping for allof your health care needs.

While not an actual placethat people would stay as“home” would suggest, it is aplace where one can go andreceive much more than see-ing your medical providerand getting a prescription. Ateam approach ensures thatall health needs are identi-fied and that staff such ascare coordinators are avail-able to identify any healthneeds and get the patientconnected with the right re-sources. This may be arrang-ing a referral to a specialist,

assistance with getting glass-es or seeing an in-house be-havioral health specialist.

A patient who recently hadan appointment to have herdiabetes evaluated at a rec-ognized patient-centeredmedical home not only hadher insulin adjusted, but alsowas scheduled to attend freediabetes education classes at

the practice, scheduled witha health coach to developgoals for herself that wouldimprove her diabetes andhad an initial session with anin-house behavioral healthclinician to assist her withthe depression associatedwith her diabetes. This one-stop shopping approach is in-tended to improve the pa-tient experience and in-

crease the likelihood ofpatients living a healthierlife.

A recent study at theGroup Health system in Seat-tle, Washington showed sci-entific evidence that a “med-ical home demonstration wasassociated with 29% feweremergency visits, 6% fewerhospitalizations, and totalsaving of $10.30 per patientper month over a twenty-onemonth period.” A peer re-view study done in 2008 de-termined that when patientsidentify with a primary caremedical home the results are“improved quality, reducederrors and increased satisfac-tion” A patient-centered med-ical home is a practice thatwill result in better patientexperiences, quality out-comes and will lower healthcare costs.

“A patient-centered medical homeis a practice that will result inbetter patient experiences, qualityoutcomes and will lower healthcare costs.”

Jay BrookeExecutive Director High Plains

Community Health Center

Jay Brooke

CHIROPRACTIC from page 6our nerves are the wires thattransmit messages to andfrom the brain. If thosenerves get irritated wherethey exit between the verte-brae we can have a disrup-tion of these messages sent.Let’s say you have a desk job

and sit in front of a computerall day every day. With thistype of stagnant posture, thiscommonly leads to mid backstrain or that burning sensa-tion felt towards the end ofthe day.

If the spinal nerve roots in

this area are also irritatedyou can have symptoms ofpain and also numbness ortingling. These same nerveroots also have a visceral ororgan innervation to the up-per GI tract including thestomach. So it is not uncom-

mon to see this person alsohave acid reflux or indiges-tion. Same is true for thelower back in coordinationwith bowel and bladder func-tion. These examples arereasons to have yourself andyour family’s spines checkedtoday.

Back in Action ChiropracticBack in Action ChiropracticMeredith S. Cordova D.C.Meredith S. Cordova D.C.

1206 Slater Street1206 Slater StreetEads, CO 81036Eads, CO 81036719-438-2119719-438-2119

Call for an appointment!!Call for an appointment!!

J. GREGORY BARON, M.D.

MARTA L. WALZ, O.D.Optometry

2920 N. CascadeColorado Springs, CO 80907(719) 636-39371-800-873-8009

1500 S. MainLamar, CO 81052

(719)336-04171-800-873-8009

Colorado Eye Associates, P.C.See the Difference™


GERALD A. BRANES, D.D.S.FAMILY DENTIST

109 W. Lee, Suite 5 • Lamar, CO 81052(719) 336-7323

Hospice

Hospice: Not a last resort,but another type of therapyBy Deb PelleyThe Lamar Ledger

When a patient comes tothe point in their disease pro-cess where curative/aggressive treatments are nolonger an option, comfort is.We are the experts in comfortcare.

Comfort care is choosingquality of life as the priority;providing needed support so aperson can do the things theywant to do in the time remain-ing. When I first meet with apatient and their family re-garding hospice care, oftentimes their first reaction is“we’re not ready to give up!”Hospice is not about giving upor losing hope and Hospice isnot a last resort.

A matter of fact, there’s awhole lot more you can dowhen you choose hospicecare. Hospice provides bene-fits that aren’t possible in atraditional health-care setting.It’s a mode of therapy thatconcentrates on care not acure and is very specific tothat patient and that family. Ofcourse, special attention isgiven to pain control and man-aging uncomfortable symp-toms, however; Hospice ismuch more than pain control.

We un-derstandthat the painis not justphysical; itis emotionaland spiritualas well. Hos-pice comesprepared

with staff and resources root-ed in a holistic approach thatcares for not only the patient,but also the entire family.Through hospice, the familycomes together and is directlyinvolved in making decisions.Our program also providesmuch needed relief to thecaregivers of the patient, whohave often neglected theirown needs. Sometimes theimportant thing is just beingthere; to validate their painand to simply understand.

Hospice helps patients getto a place physically and emo-tionally where they can con-centrate on living. We urgepatients to stay active for aslong as they’re able. For ex-ample; we had a patient onhospice for two years thatwould get his hunting licenseand make the outing everyseason. We not only cheeredthe idea, we prepared andhelped facilitate it. The patient

was able to fill one deer andtwo antelope tags while onHospice. Wonderful! We havea patient currently on serviceswho is working on the com-pletion of a quilt and anotherwho is planning a trip backeast to see a grandchild. Weencourage every patient tochoose their focus and we fol-low their lead.

Hospice specializes in car-ing for those in the last sixmonths of life, however; thereis no set time limit to receiv-ing hospice services once ad-mitted for care. We have hadpatients on service for almostthree years and that patientcontinued to meet the appro-priate criteria to receive hos-pice care. We help patientsand families live with a termi-nal diagnosis. When the focusbecomes more about living—not about treatments thataren’t helping and medical in-terventions that cause distressbut provide no lasting bene-fit— we see a more comfort-able patient and a process thatis less stressful and easier onboth patient and family.

It is not unusual for a pa-tient to initially improve onhospice/palliative care. A re-cent study found that termi-nally ill hospice patients with

certain diseases lived a signifi-cantly longer period of timethan their non-hospice coun-terparts (Quality’/ Life Mat-ters, vol. 9 is. 2). Research iscertainly dispelling the myththat Hospice hastens deathand supports the fact that hos-pice is related with the longerlength of survival.

For almost thirty years, La-mar Area Hospice hasbrought caring and compas-sion to Southeastern Coloradowhen it was needed most. Wehave worked hard to educatethe community about qualityend of life care. We are con-vinced that the time to learnabout hospice is before a life-threatening illness occurs.

Far too many people waituntil they are in the midst of ahealth care crisis before think-ing about what options areavailable and when hospicecare is appropriate. Hospiceworks best when there aremonths rather than days toestablish relationships andsupport. Moreover, the earlierhospice is involved, the moreit can make the patient’s re-maining time as comfortableand satisfying as possible.Late referrals are unfortunate-ly far more common than pre-mature ones.

Deb Pelley


Plaza Medical Center Ph: 620-276-8201• Thomas L. Koksal, M.D.• Scott D. Booker, D.O.• Pamela E. Stewart, M.D.• Nathan Strandmark, D.O.• Jeremy Roderick, D.O.• Chuong D. Le, M.D. Ph: 620-275-4486

Cardiology Services Ph: 620-272-2431• John Ferrell, M.D.• Arif Rohilla, M.D.

Emergency Ph: 620-272-2290• Harold L. Perkins, M.D. • Stephen Grillot, D.O.• David Hellman, M.D. • Tanya J. Pittman, M.D.• Theodore W. Collins, D.O.Family Practice Ph: 620-275-3700• Michael D. Jackson, M.D.• Terry Hunsberger, D.O. Ph: 620-275-3777

General Surgery Ph: 620-275-3740Garden Surgical Associates• Zeferino J. Arroyo, M.D• Joanne Rink, M.D.• Kurt Kessler, M.D. Ph: 620-271-3100

Hospitalist Ph: 620-272-2265• Kiran Gajurel, M.D.

• Rishi Sharma, M.D.

Infectious Disease Ph: 620-275-3710• Siena Medical Clinic

• Kiran Gajurel, M.D.

Critical Care Ph: 620-271-3139• Girish Mour, M.D.

Internal Medicine Ph: 620-275-3700• Edward L. Mangosing, M.D. • Frank W. Hansen, M.D.• Rashi Agarwal, M.D. • Jack Jaeger, M.D.• Geetha Somashekar, M.D.

Nephrology Ph: 620-275-3139• Girish Mour, M.D.

620-272-2222 – 401 E. Spruce St., Garden City, KS 67846

Obstetrics & Gynecology Ph: 620-275-9752The Women’s Clinic at St. Catherine Hospital• Bret E. Heskett, M.D.• Richard R. Hall, M.D. • Kimberly D. West, M.D

Occupational Medicine Ph: 620-275-3777Mid-America Occupational Health Services• Terry R. Hunsberger, D.O.

Oncology-Medical Ph: 620-272-2579Southwind Oncology• Everard Hughes, M.D.

Oncology-Radiation Ph: 620-272-2102The Cancer Center at St. Catherine Hospital• Surendra Verma, M.D.

Ophthalmology Ph: 620-275-7248Fry Eye Associates, P.A.• Luther L. Fry, M.D. • William S. Clifford, M.D.• Eric Fry, M.D.Orthopaedic Surgery Ph: 620-275-3700Siena Medical Clinic.• Guillermo Garcia, M.D. • James Britton, M.D.• Titus Plomaritis, MD

Sandhill Orthopaedic/Sports Medicine• Michael J. Baughman, M.D. Ph: 620-275-8400Otolaryngology Ph: 620-275-3070• Jorge de Cardenas, M.D.

Pathology Ph: 620-272-2258Western Pathology Services, PA• Bruce D. Melin, M.D• Eva J. Vachal, M.D.

Pediatrics Ph: 620-275-3700• James T. Zauche, M.D • Michael W. Shull, D.O.• Elizabeth Doyle, M.D. • Leo Altamirano, M.D.

Psychiatry Ph: 620-276-7689Area Mental Health Center• Edgar M. Vizcaino, M.D.

Pulmonology Ph: 620-275-3710• Frank W. Hansen, M.D.

Radiology Ph: 620-272-2271Campus Garden Imaging• Soen B. Liong, M.D. • Agustinus Suhardja, M.D.

Urology Ph: 620-275-3760High Plains Urology• Ronald P. Catanese, M.D.

St. Catherine Hospital


Immunization

Protect those around youBy Jackie BrownThe Lamar Ledger

Disease prevention is thekey to public health. It is al-ways better to prevent a dis-ease than to treat it.

Vaccines prevent diseasein the people who receivethem and protect those whocome into contact with un-vaccinated individuals. Vac-cines help prevent infectiousdiseases and save lives. Vac-cines are responsible for thecontrol of many infectiousdiseases that were once com-mon in this country, includ-ing polio, measles, diphthe-ria, pertussis (whoopingcough), rubella (Germanmeasles), mumps, tetanus,and Haemophilus influenzaetype b (Hib).

Parents are constantlyconcerned about the healthand safety of their childrenand take many steps to pro-tect them. These steps rangefrom childproof door latchesto child safety seats. In thesame way vaccines work toprotect infants, children, andadults from illnesses anddeath caused by infectiousdiseases.

While the U.S. currently

has record, or near record,low cases of vaccine-prevent-able diseases, the virusesand bacteria that cause themstill exist. Even diseases thathave been eliminated in thiscountry, such as polio, areonly a plane ride away. Polio,and other infectious dis-eases, can be passed on topeople who are not protectedby vaccines. Vaccine-pre-ventable diseases have a

costly impact, resulting indoctor visits, hospitaliza-tions, and premature deaths.Sick children can also causeparents to lose time fromwork.

Why are Childhood Vac-cines So Important? It is truethat newborn babies are im-mune to many diseases be-cause they have antibodiesthey got from their mothers.However, the duration of thisimmunity may last only amonth to about a year. Fur-ther, young children do nothave maternal immunityagainst some vaccine-pre-ventable diseases, such aswhooping cough.

If a child is not vaccinatedand is exposed to a disease

See IMMUNIZATION, pg. 11

“Vaccines are responsible for thecontrol of many infectiousdiseases that were once commonin this country.”

Jackie BrownDirector, Prowers County

Public Health and EnvironmentJackie Brown


IMMUNIZATION from page 10germ, the child’s body maynot be strong enough tofight the disease. Before vac-cines, many children diedfrom diseases that vaccinesnow prevent, such as whoop-ing cough, measles, and po-lio. Those same germs existtoday, but babies are nowprotected by vaccines, so wedo not see these diseases asoften.

Immunizing individualchildren also helps to protectthe health of our community,especially those people whoare not immunized. Peoplewho are not immunized in-clude those who are tooyoung to be vaccinated (e.g.,children less than a year oldcannot receive the measlesvaccine but can be infectedby the measles virus), thosewho cannot be vaccinated formedical reasons (e.g., chil-dren with leukemia), andthose who cannot make anadequate response to vacci-

nation.Also protected, therefore,

are people who received avaccine, but who have notdeveloped immunity. In addi-tion, people who are sick willbe less likely to be exposedto disease germs that can bepassed around by unvacci-nated children. Immuniza-tion also slows down or stopsdisease outbreaks.

Some examples of whatdifferences vaccines havemade: Before the polio vac-cine, 13,000 to 20,000 casesof paralytic polio were re-ported each year in the U.S.These annual epidemics ofpolio often left thousands ofvictims — mostly children —in braces, crutches, wheel-chairs, and iron lungs forlife.

Before measles immuniza-tion was available, nearly ev-eryone in the U.S. got mea-sles. An average of 450

measles-associated deathswas “reported each year be-tween 1953 and1963. Accord-ing to the World Health Or-ganization, nearly 900,000measles-related deaths oc-curred among persons in de-veloping countries in 1999. Ifvaccinations were stopped,each year about 2.7 millionmeasles deaths worldwidecould be expected.

Another example of theimpact of vaccinations is theHarmopliilus Influenza (Hib)vaccine. Before Hib vaccinebecame available, Hib wasthe most common cause ofbacterial meningitis ininfants/and children in theU.S. Hib meningitis oncekilled 600 children each yearand left many survivors withdeafness, seizures or mentalretardation.

Since introduction of con-jugate Hib vaccine in De-cember 1987, the incidenceof Hib meningitis has de-

clined by 98 percent. Forchildren who lack insuranceto cover vaccination costs, astable Federal entitlementprogram — Vaccine for Chil-dren (VFC) — ensures vacci-nation.

Almost all insurance cov-ers the cost of vaccines. Forindividuals who are unin-sured, underinsured, Ameri-can Indian or Alaskan na-tives, vaccinations can beobtained for free or reducedpricing (administration feesmay be charged) throughvarious Medical providerswho participate in the VFCprogram, as well as thehealth department.

It is important to remainvigilant about vaccine cover-age and protecting childrenfrom vaccine-preventable dis-ease. Talk to your healthcare provider to see if youare receiving all the protec-tion available.

You’ll Find a homewith usFor those who want to live independently and

affordably and need a little help we offer:

Nutritious mealsLaundry and Housekeeping ServicesMedication Management Assistance

A safe and secure “neighborhood” right at home

We invite you to experience our neighborhoodwith a private tour and complimentary lunch

101 East Lowell Avenue • Eads, Colorado • 719-438-2141

Assisted Living

PROWERS MEDICAL GROUPwww.prowersmedical.com

COMMITTED TO MAKING A DIFFERENCEIN YOUR COMMUNITY!

LAMAR MEDICAL CLINIC403 Kendall Drive Lamar CO

(719)336-6767

HOLLY MEDICAL CLINIC410 West Colorado Holly CO

(719) 537-6642

LAS ANIMAS FAMILY PRACTICE304 Carson Avenue Las Animas CO

(719) 456-6000

MEDICAL CAREFOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY

• Family Practice• Obstetrics / Gynecology

• Internal Medicine


We have grant money as well as trust funds available to assist you in thepurchase of new or refurbished hearing aids. Some qualifications apply.

Please call us for details.

If you have a untreated hearing loss or ringing or buzzing in your ears, we canhelp you or your family member. Should you or a loved one need hearing

assistance but have found it too costly, then please talk to us.

We believe in everyone being able to have the hearingassistance they need. We feel so strongly about this here at Arkansas

Valley Hearing Center, LLC. we will actually contribute the first $500toward your purchase of new digital hearing aids. The call is FREE. TheHearing Evaluation is FREE. Come see us in La Junta or in our Lamar

location, where you are always treated like family.

Gary L. Daughtrey B.A. H.I.SArkansas Valley Hearing Center LLC

408 W. 3rd St.La Junta, Co. 81050719-384-ears (3277)719-468-1013 Cell

After hours and Saturday appointments also available.

FREE HEARING AID MONEY.


Live Well

5-2-1-0 to keep families healthy“The formula iseasy and thepayoff is big.”

Emily NieschburgRegistered Dietitian/

Certified DiabetesEducator

By Emily NieschburgMS RD CDEThe Lamar Ledger

Life gets crazy! Dealingwith work, family, activities,and everything else can pushyour family’s health to thebottom of the to-do list. Fo-cusing on 5-2-1-0 is a simpleway to get back on track.

The 5-2-1-0 campaign isdesigned to keep kids andfamilies healthy throughhealthy eating and active liv-ing. The formula is easy andthe payoff is big: 5 or morefruits and vegetables everyday, 2 hours or less of recre-ational screen time, 1 houror more of physical activity,and 0 sugary drinks (morewater and low-fat milk).

5 or More Fruits and Veg-

etables: Most fruits and veg-etables are low in caloriesand fat, making them ahealthy choice any time.Many also contain phyto-chemical (fight-o-chemicals)that work to benefit yourhealth in many ways. Sometips to make your way to 5 aday: Try new fruits and vege-tables multiple times. It oftentakes 5 to 10 tries before youlike a new food. Make fruits

and vegetables visi-ble—the more yousee it, the more youeat it. Always choosewhole fruits overjuice

2 Hours or Less ofRecreational ScreenTime. American chil-dren and adoles-

cents spend 22-28 hours perweek in front of the screen—more than any other activityexcept sleeping! Too muchscreen time is associatedwith more snacking and in-creased obesity: To tame TVand other screen time: Havethe TV in a common roomand do your best to keepTVs, computers, DVD play-ers, and video games out ofyour child’s room. Turn the

TV off during meal time. Setbasic rules around screentime like no TV or computerbefore homework or choresare done

1 Hour or More of Physi-cal Activity, Physical activityhas a long list of benefits likemaking you feel good, help-ing you get to or stay at ahealthy weight, and keepingyour heart strong. One houror more a day can feel im-possible to fit in when sched-ules are so full, but keep inmind it can be broken downinto smaller incrementsthroughout the day. Tips formoving more: Make familytime fitness time$and keep itfun! Try tracking your physi-cal activity with a pedometer.Work toward 10,000 steps

See 5-2-1-0, pg. 15

EmilyNieschburg

OQUIST FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC PC,DR. SEAN OQUIST,CHIROPRACTOR

Sports Injuries and Wellness Guidance

109 W Lee Ave, Suite 1Lamar, CO 81052Tel: (719)336-6800Fax: (719)336-6805


5-2-1-0 from page 14per day. Make gradualchanges to increase your lev-el of physical activity

0 Sugary Drinks. Soda hasno nutritional value and ishigh in sugar—one 12-oz canof soda contains ten tea-spoons of sugar! Other highsugar drinks include sportsdrinks, energy drinks andjuice. Sugary drinks damageteeth and can add up to un-wanted weight. Water is thewinner when it comes tochoosing a beverage.

Tips for drinking less sug-ar: Reach for water whenyou are thirsty. Cut backslowly on sugar sweetenedbeverages. Be a role model,follow the same guidelinesyou are giving your childrenProwers County has com-mitted to the 5-2-1-0 cam-paign to help prevent child-hood obesity.

The 5-2-1-0 campaign ishappening in healthcare,

schools, early childhood cen-ters and home daycare’s. Byfollowing the guidelines, youcan bring the 5-2-1-0 move-ment into your home and en-

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Occupational Health

Focus on preventive careBy William AlexanderM.D. PMCThe Lamar Ledger

Often people think special-ists in Occupational & Envi-ronmental Medicine (OEM)are just “Workers’ Compen-sation Docs”.

While most Occupational& Environmental Medicinespecialists do see workerswho have injuries or ill-nesses related to their work,these specialists are actuallyeducated and trained to eval-uate, monitor and managethe risks of persons in anyenvironment. The primaryfocus of these specialists isthe prevention of diseasesand illnesses, especially inworkers.

OEM providers have spe-cial training in the diseasesand injuries that arise duringthe course of working. Thistraining involves the evalua-tion of the likelihood forthese diseases and injuriesto occur in a given worker ora group of workers; how tomonitor for these diseasesand injuries; and how to pre-

vent thesediseasesand inju-ries.

OEMspecialistshave edu-cation instatistics,epidemiol-ogy (the

study of disease origins andfrequency), toxicology, in-dustrial hygiene, safety pro-tection, public health, envi-ronmental health,organizational psychologyand business operations.OEM providers often workwith other specialists inthese areas to develop pro-grams to minimize the po-

tential ill effects of workingor being in special environ-ments like mines, air, under-water and space.

When these efforts fail,OEM providers do care forinjured or ill workers in theworkers’ compensation sys-tems. They usually have spe-cial expertise in how thesesystems work not only intheir state but most state sys-tems. For example, in Colo-rado, a physician can be cer-tified (Level II) in the use ofthe Workers’ CompensationTreatment Guidelines andthe evaluation of impair-ments related to injuredworkers.

“The primary focus ofthese specialists is theprevention of diseasesand illnesses,especially in workers.”

William AlexanderM.D. Prowers Medical Center

WilliamAlexander


Southeast Mental Health Service

When someone you loveis drinking too muchBy Nancy Harris King

The Lamar Ledger

Most people agree that al-cohol, when enjoyed in mod-eration, can help a person torelax, unwind and socialize.Medical experts even say thenutrients in red wine may begood for your heart. But,how do you know when youor someone you love is over-indulging? Where is the linewhen it becomes too much?

There are differences be-tween drinking moderately,drinking too much, alcoholabuse and alcohol addiction.People who drink moderate-ly typically remember whatthey did and said while theywere drinking, set an inter-nal limit for how manydrinks they intend to con-sume, and don’t let alcoholimpact their finances, rela-tionships or responsibilities.

The red flags that indicatewhen someone is drinking“too much” are signs likehangovers, missing or beinglate for work or school, not

knowing what happenedwhile you were drinking,drinking more than youthought you would, anddrinking more than yourfriends.

Alcohol abuse is a self-de-structive and dangerous pat-tern of drinking. People whoabuse alcohol drink to avoidfeelings, such as sadness oranger. They go on alcohol“binges” with the intentionof getting drunk. As a result,they put themselves and oth-ers in dangerous situations,neglect responsibilities, ex-perience legal problems be-cause of drinking, and dam-age relationships withfriends and family members.

Alcoholism, also called al-cohol dependence, is a dis-ease caused by chemicalchanges in the brain result-ing in both physical and psy-chological addiction. Thebrain and body becomes ac-customed to the presence ofalcohol in the system. Thereare two tell-tale signs of ad-diction: Tolerance and with-drawal. If a person has todrink more and more alcoholto reach a “buzz” , he or sheis developing a tolerance.When a person has to have adrink to relieve a headache,shakes, irritability, nausea orsweating, they are experienc-ing withdrawal. Alcoholabuse and dependence are

serious conditions that war-rant attention from medicalprofessionals or addictionspecialists.

When someone you love isdrinking too much, there arehelpful things you can sayand do. First of all, let theperson know that the reasonfor your concern comes froma place of love and support.Punishing, threatening, brib-ing or preaching will only in-tensify feelings of anger andguilt. Second, let the personexperience the conse-quences of his or her ownbehavior—don’t cover up,lie, make excuses, shelter, orprotect a person from the re-ality he or she has created.Third, seek support for your-self in a friend, clergy, or Al-Anon group, and try to main-tain a healthy, normal envi-ronment. Avoid drinkingwith the person, and encour-age them to socialize withyou and enjoy leisure activi-ties in non-drinking environ-ments. Remember that re-

See ALCOHOL, pg. 18

“Alcohol abuse and dependenceare serious conditions thatwarrant attention from medicalprofessionals or addictionspecialists.”

Nancy Harris KingDevelopment Director Southeast

Behavioral Health Group

Nancy HarrisKing

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ALCOHOL from page 17covery is a journey, andthere will likely be setbacksthat will require your pa-tience and understanding.

Abstinence is not the an-swer for everyone. Some-times, it’s helpful to just cutback and find ways to keepyour blood alcohol low whileyou are socializing. Thereare many strategies a personcan use to cut back: Writedown your reasons for want-ing to drink less, choose alimit for yourself, keep a di-ary to track your success,and practice how to say “no”when unwanted drinks areoffered. To keep your bloodalcohol low when socializing,sip rather than gulp, munchon high-fat or high-proteinsnacks, alternate a non-alco-holic look-alike drink suchas tomato juice or iced tea

between alcoholic drinks,and watch the clock—drinkno more than one alcoholicbeverage per hour.

“It’s important to stay in

control,” says Ron Hawf,Clinical Supervisor for Part-nership for Progress. “If wecan intervene with a personwho is drinking too much

and keep them from spiral-ing out of control, it saves alot of heartache and pain forfamily members, friends, co-workers and communities.Oftentimes, it just takes alittle coaching and encour-agement to set limits and be-come more aware.

Our counselors aretrained to look for the under-lying causes of the over-in-dulgence and help individu-als and families realizewhat’s at stake. If we cankeep even one member ofour community from goingdown the road of depend-ence and addiction, it makesall of our lives better.” To ac-cess confidential, profession-al substance abuse counsel-ing, contact Partnership forProgress at (719) 336-0478.


Resolved to quit smoking?

Tips for saving on smokingcessation productsThe Lamar Ledger

Although smoking is oftentouted as an expensive habit,nicotine replacement thera-py (NRT) to aid in quittingsmoking can seem like anexpensive purchase as well.

The reluctance to spendmoney on smoking cessationproducts leads many smok-ers to try to do it “cold tur-key”, the most popular meth-od for quitting smoking, butalso one that frequentlyleads to relapse.

However, the use of NRTproducts to quit smoking canalmost triple a smoker’schances of success. Two ofthe more common over-the-counter medications are nic-otine gum and nicotine loz-enges. These treatments areoral dosage forms of nicotineand work as temporary aidsto help reduce nicotine with-drawal symptoms. Other ef-fective smoking cessationproducts are available bothover-the-counter and by pre-scription, including patches,nasal sprays and other med-ications.

“Your best chances for

success in quitting smokingare using a medication andcounseling. There are anumber of options consum-ers have to save money onquitting smoking therapies,”says Dr. Tom Peterson,smoking cessation expertand chair of Tobacco Free

Partners. “They don’t needto go at it alone just becausemoney is tight. The first op-tion is to consider purchas-ing ‘store-brand’ NRT prod-ucts, which can be found inmost retailers across the na-tion under their own brands.Store-brand NRT products

are significantly less expen-sive but are equivalent to thenational brands, in terms ofboth FDA regulation and effi-cacy.”

To find even more sav-ings, individuals can regular-

See SMOKING, pg. 20


SMOKING from page 19

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201 S. 4th Street Ste 1Lamar, CO 81052

ly monitor retailers’ circularflyers and Web sites, and re-tailers will often discountNRT products, especiallyaround popular “quit dates”such as after New Year’s(January) and the GreatAmerican Smokeout (No-vember), which is sponsoredby the American Cancer So-ciety.

In addition to the savingsover-the-counter store-brandNRT products provide, con-sumers can also find poten-tial bottom-line benefits byasking a health-care providerto write a prescription forthese products.

“By going the prescriptionroute, many insurance pro-viders will offer the same

NRT product for the cost ofyour lowest-tier co-pay,which may be less than the‘shelf’ price,” says Peterson.“It certainly depends on theinsurance company, but it isworth looking into. In manystates, Medicaid covers thecosts of both over-the-coun-ter NRT products and pre-scriptions for quitting smok-ing.”

Other available avenuesfor savings include: Manyemployers offer free medica-tion or assistance for em-ployees looking to quit. It isalways worth checking withyour human resources de-partment to find out if theseresources are available toyou. In some states, quit

lines may offer free or dis-counted smoking cessationmedication. Learn more bycalling 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

The decision to stop smok-ing is an important one. Be-low are some tips to getstarted: Follow a supportplan. Personalized plans areavailable at smokefreehabit-s.com. Throw away all ciga-rettes, lighters and ashtrays.When the desire to smokestrikes, do something else.The urge usually passeswithin two or three minutes.Carry things to put in yourmouth, like gum or hard can-dy. Be active: Take a walkwith a friend, go for a bikeride, walk the dog or playtennis. Go to places whereyou are not allowed to

smoke. Ask friends and/orfamily for support.

There are a number offree resources and supportprograms available for indi-viduals who are quittingsmoking, including theAmerican Cancer Society(www.cancer.org), the Cen-ters for Disease Control andPrevention (www.cdc.gov/tobacco/osh), the NationalCancer Institute (www.smo-kefree.gov), and the Ameri-can Lung Association’s Free-dom from Smoking program(www.ffsonline.org). Store-brand smoking cessationproducts also offer an onlinesupport program (www.smo-kefreehabits.com) to helpconsumers track their pro-gress.

RADON from page 5Prowers County Public

Health and Environmenturges residents to take ac-tion by testing their homesfor radon. Radon poses a se-rious threat to our communi-ty’s health but there is astraightforward solution. Aspart of this initiative, PCPHEwill be hosting public inform-ation and training sessionson radon and radon test kituse.

There will be two separateopportunities to attend eachnight on March 26, April 3,and April 5, 2012. There willbe one session from

5:15-5:45 p.m. and a repeatsession from 7 to 7:30 p.m.in the Mezzanine of theProwers County AnnexBuilding located at 1001South Main in Lamar.

For more information onradon, radon testing andmitigation, and radon-resis-tant new construction, callProwers County PublicHealth and Environment at(719) 336-8721 or visit ourWeb site on the ProwersCounty Home Page atwww.proowerscounty.net orvisit EPA’s Radon web siteat www.epa.gov/radon.

Lloyd M. BrownCareer Agent

719.336.7431719.336.8133 fax719.336.4271 res719.691.5065 cell

313 S. 5th St.Lamar, CO 81052


Baby boomers: Eye Care

Don’t forget to carefor your eyes as you ageThe Lamar Ledger

The baby boomergeneration makes up an esti-mated 76 million people,roughly one-fourth of the U.S.population. This means thateither you or someone youlove is part of this aginggroup.

According to Eye on theBoomer, a recent survey bythe Ocular Nutrition Society,almost as many baby boom-ers say they worry about los-ing their vision as those thatsay they worry about havingheart disease or cancer.What’s more, 78 percent ofthose surveyed ranked visionas the most important of thefive senses. Yet, more thanhalf of the survey respondentsages 45-65 said they don’t typ-ically have a recommendedannual eye exam, and evenfewer are aware of importantnutrients that can play a keyrole in eye health.

Experts recommend thatdisease prevention, includinglifestyle modification, atten-tion to dietary intake and vita-min supplementation must be-come a greater focus ofprimary vision care. Studiesindicate that proper nutrition

promotes healthy eyes, how-ever many American diets arefound to be deficient of thecritical nutrients that help pro-tect eye health.

“If people are at risk forheart disease they typicallymake lifestyle modifications,”says Dr. Jeffrey Anshel, presi-dent of the Ocular NutritionSociety. “This survey foundthat people are as concernedabout their eyes but do notknow the simple steps theycan incorporate into their dai-ly lives to take care of them.”

Vitamin supplements canbe used for your eyes, too.While people take a variety ofdifferent supplements to sup-port their health, vitaminsspecifically formulated to helpprotect the eyes are often notin the mix — and for manypeople, they should be. Whilemore than half of those sur-veyed are taking supplementsto protect their joints, bonesor heart health only 18 per-cent say they take supple-ments to support their eyehealth.

“As we grow older, the

need for certain vitamins andnutrients to support the eyeincreases — the survey re-vealed low awareness of theseessential nutrients,” says An-shel of nutrients like omega-3fatty acids, lutein and zeaxan-thin. He adds that there is a“need for greater educationon the lifestyle modificationsthat baby boomers can incor-porate into their daily lives, in-cluding proper nutrition, tohelp safeguard eye health asthey age.”

To help protect eye healthas they age, Anshel recom-mends people aged 45-65 takethe following steps: Stopsmoking, exercise regularlyand wear sunglasses with UVprotection. Make an annualappointment with an eye doc-tor. Eat foods rich in eyehealthy nutrients, such astuna or salmon for omega-3sand spinach, kale and broccolicontaining lutein and zeaxan-thin.

To help overcome shortfallsin the diet consider a vitaminsupplement specifically-formu-lated for eye health. To learnmore about the Eye on theBoomer survey as well as eyehealth, please visit ocularnu-tritionsociety.org.

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Food Safety

How food safety knowledgecan affect your healthThe Lamar Ledger

Whether you’re feedingyourself or feeding your fam-ily, it’s important to knowthat the food you’re eating issafe and nutritious.

But perceptions aboutfinding a balance betweenthose two essential factorshave become muddled in re-cent years. While there is anincreased effort to promotethe consumption of healthyfoods, particularly fruits andvegetables, there are alsoconflicting messages abouttheir safety.

Concerns about food safe-ty ranges widely, from theuse of pesticides to medica-tions given to livestock tooutbreaks of diseases. Unfor-tunately, those concerns canaffect the amount of health-ful foods in Americans’ diets.“Feedback from consumersand practicing nutritionists isbeginning to show that con-cern about pesticide resi-dues is having a negative im-pact on consumption of freshfruits and vegetables,” saysregistered dietitian DaveGrotto. “What we need to do

is encourage - not discour-age - greater consumption ofhealthful produce.”

It might seem that themost logical solution wouldbe to research whetherfoods are safe. A lot of in-formation about this subjectis available on the Internet,but that’s not always a practi-cal option. Busy families thathave schedules filled frommorning to night don’t oftenhave time to add an exten-sive research project into themix. Luckily, there are somenew resources available, of-ten on mobile platforms, tohelp you make sense of thefood safety headlines.

One resource, the Website www.safefruitsandveg-gies.com, developed and op-erated by the nonprofit Alli-ance for Food and Farmingprovides consumers with sci-entific data that’s been trans-lated to a user-friendly for-

mat. For instance, scientificresearch available to con-sumers about the amount ofpesticide residue on foodscan be filled with confusingnumbers and terminology.

But this site’s pesticideresidue calculator gives youinformation about how muchof a particular food item youcould eat without any effectsat all from any smallamounts of pesticide resi-dues that may be present.This can be based on eithergender (for adults) or age(teens and children). For ex-ample, according to the cal-culator, a child could con-sume 154 servings of apples -even with the highest pesti-cide residue recorded by theUSDA - in a day without anyeffect, or an adult womancould eat 2,332 servings ofkale. The calculator is alsoavailable for download as asmartphone app.

“Of course we know achild couldn’t consume 154servings of apples in a day,but by providing more sci-ence and perspective on thesafety of produce, we arehoping to give consumersmore information to helpthem when making purchas-ing decisions in the produceaisle,” says Marilyn Dolan,executive director of the Alli-ance for Food and Farming.“And, we are also hoping tohalt the trend toward contin-uing decline in consumptionof fruits and vegetables inAmerica by reassuring con-sumers about the safety ofboth organic and convention-ally grown fresh produce.”

If consumers are still con-cerned, they can simplywash their produce beforeeating. The benefits of nutri-tious foods like vegetablesand fruits are so far reachingthat excluding them fromyour diet can adversely affectyour health. With new re-sources that aim to help con-sumers understand the factsabout food safety, it’s easierthan ever to ensure that themeals you serve your familyare full of healthy, deliciousingredients.

While there is an increased effort to promotethe consumption of healthy foods, particularlyfruits and vegetables, there are also conflicting

messages about their safety.


is proud to present the2012 Southeast ColoradoMedical Resource Guide,with our best wishes for

your good health.

Your resource for information on

Prowers CountyPublic Health& Environment

1001 South Main Street, Lamar, Colorado 81052

719-336-8721www.prowerscounty.net

• Immunizations• Environmental HealthServices

• Healthcare Program for Kidswith Special Needs (HCP)

• School Health Services• Options for Long Term Care• SE Colorado Nurse-FamilyPartnership

• Communicable Disease Control• vital statistics• veteran services• WIC

• Healthy Communities• Live Well• Emergency Preparedness

2012 southeast colorado medical resources

Documents

ocular nutrition

brand nrt

american cancer

food safety

blood alcohol

centered medical

protect eye

silent killer