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May Is National Stroke Prevention Month

May 5, 2021 By
What is stroke?

Stroke kills nearly 150,000 of the 860,000 Americans who die of cardiovascular disease each year—that’s 1 in every 19 deaths from all causes.1

A stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, happens in one of two ways:

  • Ischemic stroke—when the blood supply to the brain is blocked
  • Hemorrhagic stroke—when a blood vessel in the brain bursts

A stroke causes brain tissue to die, which can lead to brain damage, disability, and death. Stroke is a leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of serious disability for adults. This is disturbing because about 80% of strokes are preventable.2

You can greatly reduce your risk for stroke by making lifestyle changes to help control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels and, in some cases, by taking medication.

Are you at risk for stroke?

During a stroke, there is death of brain tissue, and a stroke happens in one of two ways: either artery blockage, or artery rupture.

A stroke happens in one of two ways. Click on the photo to learn more about artery blockages and ruptures.

Anyone, including children, can have a stroke at any time. Every year, about 800,000 people in the United States have a stroke—and about 1 out of 4 of those strokes are recurrent strokes.3Having one stroke means you have a greater risk of having another (or recurrent) stroke.

Several factors that are beyond your control can increase your risk for stroke. These include your age, sex, and ethnicity. But there are many unhealthy habits, such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, and not getting enough exercise, that you can change to lower your stroke risk.

Using tobacco products and having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or obesity can also increase your risk for stroke. However, treating these conditions can reduce your risk. Ask your doctor about preventing or treating these medical conditions.

What are the signs and symptoms of stroke?

An easy way to remember the most common signs of stroke and how to respond is with the acronym F.A.S.T.:

F = Face drooping: Ask the person to smile. Does one side droop?
A = Arm weakness: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S = Speech difficulty: Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Are the words slurred?
T = Time to call 9-1-1: If the person shows any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately. Stroke treatment can begin in the ambulance.

If stroke happens, act FAST. F - Face drooping. A - Arm weakness. S - Speech difficulty. T - Time to call 9-1-1.

If you think that you or someone you know is having a stroke, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Other common signs of stroke are
  • Sudden dizziness, trouble walking, or loss of balance or coordination
  • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
  • Sudden severe headache with no known cause
  • Sudden numbness of the face, arm, or leg
  • Sudden confusion or trouble understanding others

If you think that you or someone you know is having a stroke, call 9-1-1 immediately. Stroke is a medical emergency, and stroke treatment and outcomes depend on how fast you get to the hospital and the type of stroke the person had.

When you are transported by ambulance, first responders may be able to start your treatment right away and can alert the hospital that a stroke patient is on the way. This notification gives the hospital’s medical team time to prepare equipment and medicines you may need.

How is stroke diagnosed?

Your doctor can perform several tests to diagnose stroke, such as brain imaging, including a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scan, tests of the brain’s electrical activity, and blood flow tests.

Can stroke be prevented?

High blood pressure is the single most important treatable risk factor for stroke. Preventing, diagnosing, and controlling it through lifestyle changes and medicine are critical to reducing stroke risks. There are several steps you can take to reduce your risk for stroke:

How is stroke treated?

If you have a stroke, you may receive emergency care, treatment to prevent another stroke, rehabilitation to help you relearn the skills you may have lost because of the stroke, or all three. In addition, lifestyle changes, such as the ones listed above, can help lower your risk for future strokes. Talk with your doctor about the best ways to reduce your stroke risk, and always take medicines as prescribed.

For More Information

Learn more about stroke at the following websites:

References

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999–2017 on CDC WONDER Online Database website. http://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html. Accessed January 7, 2019.
  2. Lackland DT, Roccella EJ, Deutsch AF, et al. ; American Heart Association Stroke Council; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; Council on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research; Council on Functional Genomics and Translational Biology. Factors influencing the decline in stroke mortality: a statement from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke 2014;45:315–53.
  3. Benjamin EJ, Muntner P, Alonso A, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2019 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2019;139:e1–e473. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000659.

https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/facts_stroke.htm

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Watch out for COVID scams!

April 28, 2021 By

Public health officials or health care providers will never ask for money, your bank account, credit card, or social security number. Offers to sell or ship doses of the vaccine are also a scam. If you believe you are the victim of a COVID-19 scam, visit https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Forms/COVID19Complaint.asp. #VaxMN #StaySafeMN

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Who’s Getting Vaccinated?

March 26, 2021 By

As of March 30, all Minnesotans 16 years of age and older will be eligible to receive a vaccine.

Minnesota has directed providers to prioritize vaccine appointments for people most at risk of getting COVID-19, or those who could develop severe illness if infected. This includes older Minnesotans, those with underlying health conditions*, and those in essential jobs.

How to get your vaccine:

  • Sign up for the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector. The Vaccine Connector will inform you about vaccine opportunities in your area.
  • Use the Vaccine Locator Map to find vaccine providers near you.
  • Contact your primary health care provider or a local pharmacy.
  • Vaccine Connector users may also be randomly selected to make an appointment at one of the state’s COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program sites. If you are selected, you will be notified by text, email, or phone call by one of the state vaccination partners running those sites: Vault Health, Primary Bio or SpeciaLysts (Solv). 
  • Your employer may also reach out with information about vaccination opportunities.

Stay safe before your opportunity to get the vaccine:

While all Minnesotans 16 years and older are eligible, not every Minnesotan will be immediately able to make an appointment. It’s important to continue taking easy steps to slow the spread of COVID-19:

Get vaccinated at the first opportunity you have. After you have been vaccinated, continue following these safe practices to protect your neighbors as they receive their opportunity to get the vaccine.

At this time, providers should prioritize:

  • Minnesotans 65 years of age or older
  • Health care personnel
  • Long-term care residents
  • Pre-k to 12th grade educators and child care personnel
  • People with specific underlying health conditions
    • Sickle cell disease, Down Syndrome, or oxygen-dependent chronic lung or heart conditions, and those who are in active cancer treatment or immunocompromised from organ transplant
  • Targeted essential workers
    • Food processing plants
  • People with rare conditions or disabilities that put them at higher risk
  • People 45 years of age and older with ONE or more underlying medical conditions; or, age 16 and over with TWO or more underlying medical conditions*
  • People 50 years of age or older in multi-generational housing
  • Essential frontline workers
    • Agricultural, airport staff, additional child care workers not previously eligible, correctional settings, first responders, food production, food retail, food service, judicial system workers, manufacturing, public health workers, public transit, Postal Service workers
  • Minnesotans 16 years of age and older with any underlying medical condition*
  • Minnesotans age 50-64 (regardless of health condition)
  • All other essential workforces
    • Transportation and logistics, finance, housing/shelter construction, IT/communications, energy, media, legal, public safety, water, and wastewater

https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/whos-getting-vaccinated/index.jsp

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Vaccine Update

March 9, 2021 By

Who can get their vaccine now?

  • Minnesotans aged 65 or older
  • Health care workers and people working at health care facilities, first responders who provide direct patient care as part of the EMS system, and primary caregivers for people with complex medical needs or disabilities
  • Long-term care residents and staff members at long-term care facilities in Minnesota
  • Pre-kindergarten through Adult Basic and Community Education school staff members, or contracted school staff members, at schools in Minnesota
  • Child care staff members at licensed and certified child care centers or programs in Minnesota
  • People with specific underlying health conditions:
    • Sickle cell disease, Down Syndrome, or oxygen-dependent chronic lung or heart conditions, and those who are in active cancer treatment or immunocompromised from organ transplant
  • Targeted essential workers
    • Food processing plants
  • People with rare conditions or disabilities that put them at higher risk
  • People age 45 and older with ONE or more underlying medical conditions; or, age 16 and over with TWO or more underlying medical conditions*
  • People 50+ in multi-generational housing
  • Essential frontline workers
    • Agricultural, airport staff, additional child care workers not previously eligible, correctional settings, first responders, food production, food retail, food service, judicial system workers, manufacturing, public health workers, public transit, Postal Service workers

Who will get their vaccine soon?

May-June

  • 16+ with any underlying medical condition*
  • Age 50-64 (regardless of health condition)
  • All other essential workforces
    • Transportation and logistics, finance, housing/shelter construction, IT/communications, energy, media, legal, public safety, water, and wastewater

Summer

  • General public
    By this summer, every Minnesotan who wants a shot will be able to get one!

*Underlying Medical Conditions

  • Active cancer
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
  • Diabetes – Type 1 or 2
  • Down Syndrome
  • Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
  • Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant, HIV, bone marrow disease, chronic steroids for more than 30 days, immunodeficiency disease, or taking immunosuppressive medications
  • Obesity – body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m2
  • Pregnancy
  • Sickle cell disease
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2021 STUDENT INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY

February 26, 2021 By

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN EXPLORING A CAREER IN HEALTHCARE?

Through a joint effort with the Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, MN Dept of Health and OAHS, we are accepting applications for the summer internship program.  This Summer Health Care Intern Program (SHCIP) allows students to gain valuable experience in a health care setting and encourages students to explore health care careers. Students will shadow and experience all aspects of healthcare including – hospital, clinic and long term care nursing, laboratory, radiology, outreach, and many other areas. This paid internship starts after Memorial Day. Interns are typically scheduled 3 to 4 days per week based on their availability.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

-High School students who will be entering their senior year in the fall of 2021, or are 2021 high school graduates; or

-Post-secondary students who are enrolled in (and not graduating this school year) a Minnesota 2-year or 4-year health care degree-granting educational program; or are a resident of Minnesota enrolled in (but not graduating this school year) an out-of-state two-year or four-year health care degree-granting educational program.

For consideration, students must submit the following by March 22, 2021:

  • Completed OAHS application
  • Letter of intent including answers to the following questions: 1) Why are you applying for this internship? 2) What do you hope to get out of this internship? 3) What are your long-term goals? 4) What do you hope to observe, learn, and spend time doing?
  • One letter of reference

Applications available at: www.oahs.us/careers                                               Applications should be submitted to:

Phone: 320.839.4125                                                                                                     Ortonville Area Health Services

Email: hr@oahs.us                                                                                                          Attn: HR Office
450 Eastvold Ave.
Ortonville, MN  56278

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Facebook Live Feed

February 22, 2021 By

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Weekly Live update with Stacy Longnecker, MD and Allan Ross, MD

February 19, 2021 By

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February Outreach Schedule

February 3, 2021 By

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COVID Vaccine Update

January 15, 2021 By

OAHS’s rollout of vaccine to Phase 1a vaccinations came to completion this week. Local public health also continued vaccination of Phase 1a individuals. 

Vaccine planning is changing rapidly. 

This week following federal guidance, MN Governor announced that individuals 65+ should be able to get the vaccine. We are excited and ready to administer to the 1b group of patients, but we do not yet have the vaccine to do this. South Dakota Department of Health is also moving quickly to meet these changes on priorities. The announcement is overall good news; it opens the vaccine up to many more individuals. However, vaccine shortage still exists making it difficult and, in some cases, impossible to make vaccine widely available in Minnesota and our region. Currently, Minnesota is receiving about 60,000 doses per week, and there are estimated to be over 2 million Minnesota residents ages 65+. Despite the reports that the federal government has released all held doses, Minnesota and other states have not seen an increased allocation and no confirmation on when to expect increased allocations.  

However, SD and MN are approaching this announcement and priority groups differently, making clear messaging for a border community challenging.  

On Monday, January 18th, South Dakota partners will begin scheduling and vaccinating residents in South Dakota’s next phase. Our understanding is that South Dakota is not holding any second dose allocations. SD residents will have designated vaccination sites within each county. South Dakota distribution of vaccination is thru the health systems designated by the county. Sanford, Avera, Monument Health, Mobridge Hospital, and Northern Plains Health Network are the vaccine providers. Patient messaging to South Dakota residents and patients of those South Dakota partners has begun as well as the ability to be screened and to get scheduled. Our understanding is that at this time, MN residents cannot get vaccinated in SD.

Minnesota and our specific region continue to vaccinate any individuals in Phase 1a at this time. Contrary to the South Dakota decision, the Minnesota department of health’s guidance is that all second doses in MN freezers identified for second doses should be held for second doses. The latest information shows that we are at least 2.5 weeks out from the possibility of receiving a vaccine that may be available to begin vaccinating individuals who are 65+.  

We do not yet know when people in phase 1b and 1c will be able to get the vaccine in Minnesota. People do not need to get on a waiting list or make an appointment at this time. Updates will be provided when we are able to start vaccinating more people, and we will provide more information at that time for how eligible people can get vaccinated. OAHS does not know when we will be allocated vaccine to begin Phase 1b or when we can begin to vaccinate the next priority groups.  

If South Dakota patients have the opportunity to get vaccinated, we encourage them to do so at those designated sites and locations.  

Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Information 

https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/index.jsp

South Dakota COVID-19 Vaccine Information

https://doh.sd.gov/COVID/Vaccine/

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When will I get my COVID Vaccine?

January 11, 2021 By

Lots of excitement last week as FWV Senior Communities received COVID vaccinations.

Phase 1a roll out of COVID-19 vaccination had many levels of priority within it, by the end of this week OAHS along with public health will have been able to offer and deliver COVID vaccinations to those Phase 1a groups in our communities.

The Phase 1b groups that will come after the Phase 1a groups are frontline essential workers and adults 75 years and older for phase 1b. For phase 1c, adults ages 65-74 years, people ages 16 to 64 years with high-risk medical conditions, and other essential workers will be able to get vaccinated. We do not yet know when people in phase 1b and 1c will be able to get the vaccine in Minnesota.This will depend on how much vaccine the manufacturers are able to make and send out, and how many people get vaccinated in the first priority groups. People do not need to get on a waiting list or make an appointment at this time. Updates will be provided when we are able to start vaccinating more people and we will provide more information at that time for how eligible people can get vaccinated. OAHS does not know when we will be allocated vaccine to begin Phase 1b or when we can begin to vaccinate the next priority groups.

Health systems in our region along with Sanford have started to provide patient education with Phase 1b groups thru various messaging and letters.

For more information:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/

 

https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/vaccine.html

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2021 OAHS New Year’s Baby

January 6, 2021 By

Welcome, Kysen Adriel, our 2021 New Year’s Baby! He was born to Mary and Terry from Twin Brooks, SD and joins siblings Keishana, Chadwin, & Zaiden. Dr. Stacy Longnecker delivered Kysen on January 3rd at 2:05am, weighing 6lbs 6oz and measuring 20.5″ long.

Happy New Year!

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OAHS Christmas Baby 2020

January 4, 2021 By

Introducing Waylon Nell, the 2020 OAHS Christmas Baby.

Waylon Nell was born December 29th at 8:39 pm to Ashly and Matt from Madison, MN. Waylon measured 19.5″, weighed 7lbs 15oz and was delivered by Dr. Amanda McMahon. Pictured here with with mom, dad, and big brother Wesley. Congratulations!

 

 

 

 

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