Cholesterol…The Good, the bad and . . .
Vaccines Save Lives
It’s hard to fully appreciate how vaccines have changed the world of modern medicine. The fact is, vaccines have helped save millions and millions of lives. On a global scale, health organizations work diligently to distribute vaccines to poorer countries. Thanks to increased access to the measles vaccine internationally, the annual death toll from this disease fell from almost 600,000 in 2000 to just 122,000 in 2012. However, vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, mumps, and whooping cough, are still a threat. They continue to infect U.S. children, resulting in hospitalizations and deaths every year. Outbreaks of preventable diseases occur when many parents decide not to vaccinate their children. In the year 2000, the endemic spread of measles was considered to be eliminated in the United States but is now on the rise. If children are not vaccinated, they can spread disease to other children who are too young to be vaccinated or to people with weakened immune systems, such as transplant recipients and people with cancer. When we vaccinate children, we not only protect other children, but family members, friends, and grandparents. Immunizations are not just for children. Protection from some childhood vaccines can wear off over time. You may be at risk because of your age, health, or lifestyle. All adults need immunizations to help prevent them from getting and spreading serious diseases. For instance, all adults need a seasonal flu vaccine every year. A study done by the CDC showed that the influenza vaccine saved 40,000 lives from flu-related deaths during the nine-year period from 2005-2014. Every adult should get the Tdap vaccine once if they did not receive it as an adolescent to protect against pertussis (whooping cough), and then a tetanus/diptheria booster shot every 10 years. You should talk with your doctor if you feel you should be exempt from these vaccinations. A recurrence in the rise of outbreaks of infectious diseases in the U.S., such as measles, can be traced to those traveling to the U.S. from other countries, but the CDC feels the real culprit is misinformation about vaccines. Anti-vaxxers take advantage of social media and the internet to stoke public resistance to vaccines. The World Health organization named vaccine hesitancy among the top 10 threats to global health in 2019. To help spread this message and to counter misinformation, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine created a website (see below) displaying overwhelming evidence that vaccines are safe. The American Medical Association sent a letter to top executives at Amazon, Facebook, Google, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube urging them to do more to stem the proliferation of health-related misinformation. For credible information about the safety of vaccines, talk to your doctor or visit: www.cdc.gov or sites.nationalacademies.org/BasedOnScience/vaccines-are-safe/
BLMH is Top 20 in the Nation
Summer Safety 101
2019 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital
The Schmidts’ – Leaving a Legacy
The Schmidt’s love Bear Lake and have spent summers on the shores since they were first married. Liz was diagnosed with a kidney disease and while visiting Bear Lake they travelled to Logan 3x a week for dialysis, consuming much of their energy and vacation time.
The Schmidt’s approached BLMH’s Administrator at the time, Rod Jacobson, about what it would take to establish the life-saving treatment at the smaller county-owned facility. After doing some research, Rod learned a new Dialysis Center would cost in excess of $500,000, an amount way beyond the Hospital’s ability to finance. When Ted and Liz have told the bad news their response was “could you do it if money was not the issue?". After careful consideration and in light of the fact that several other Bear Lake residents were travelling long distances for dialysis, the Hospital Board of Trustees authorized the endeavor.
Within a year, Bear Lake Memorial Hospital had a fully functioning Dialysis Center and Liz Schmidt received her summer dialysis treatments at BLMH for several years. Since the beginning of the Dialysis Center literally, hundreds of patients have had their lifesaving treatments performed counting up to over 130,000 hours in the last 13 years. Even after Liz's passing, Ted continues to share their story and show support to this community. All of this made possible in one of the smallest and most caring dialysis center in the country... at the Bear Lake Memorial's Dialysis Center, Ted and Liz Schmidt made it a reality.
Want to share your story with us? Please call 208-847-0963 or email Julie.Nelson@blmhospital.com
Award Winning Home Health in Patient Satisfaction
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
April is Stress Awareness Month
- Trouble Sleeping
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Lack of Energy
- Heart Problems
- Lack of Concentration
- Anger
- Stomach Cramping
- Skin Problems (Hives)
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Weight Gain or Loss
- High Blood Pressure
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Neck and/or Back Pain
- Asthma/Arthritis Flare-Ups