Infections can spread like wildfire

Sepsis. Not something most people think about, but it is the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals.

A year ago, Randy Mitchell, president of White County Economic Development, did not think much about sepsis. He was concentrating on ways to improve business in Monticello. He was leaving the barber when he missed a step and fell hard on his knees and hands. After a moment of embarrassment, he got up, dusted himself off and went home. A few days later, his knees were still swollen, and his wife convinced him a trip to the doctor was in order. A few X-rays showed no broken bones.

Two weeks later, Mitchell felt like he was coming down with the flu. He went home for lunch but was having trouble responding to his wife’s questions. He promised to come home early to rest and went back to the office. He fell asleep at his desk and was awoken at 6 pm when the phone rang with his wife on the other end wondering where he was. He was unable to carry on a conversation, and his wife thought he seemed delirious. She called 911.

The paramedics thought he was having a stroke. His temperature was over 105 degrees. The emergency department at IU Health White Memorial Hospital took blood samples and a CT scan from head to toe. His white blood count was over 20,000 which signals a massive infection—somewhere. He needed to be transferred to IU Health Arnett as soon as possible for more intensive treatment.

Once at Arnett, Sepsis was identified and Mitchell was placed on a strong antibiotic regimen. The infection was in his blood stream. Cultures were done to determine the strain and the antibiotics were shifted to provide the best defense against his case of sepsis.

With Mitchell on the mend, Thomas Meyer, MD, infectious disease specialist, was still trying to figure out how the infection started in the first place. Mitchell recounted his fall and Meyer investigated his limbs a little closer. It was determined that a scrape under his ankle was the culprit. It was not treated originally with washing and triple antibiotic cream as his other wounds were. As Mitchell shares, “it did not hurt, and I could not see it.”

Mitchell shares that his care was excellent at both hospitals. “We are lucky to have IU Health White Memorial in Monticello and IU Health Arnett in Lafayette. By the time I arrived at Arnett, they had reviewed all my tests from White Memorial. No tests had to be redone and treatment started much sooner.” Which is a good thing because Meyer felt if Mitchell had gone home, he probably would not have survived.

Mitchell feels this is the first time he has honestly faced his own mortality. He walked away with a new purpose as well. The Monticello Fire Department, which provides the ambulance service in White County, is spread thin considering the amount of territory it covers. Mitchell introduced the president of the West Central Region of IU Health to the Mayor of Monticello to discuss funding for the White County paramedicine program.

Mitchell also serves on the board of the West Central Region of IU Health. He is taking a closer look at sepsis numbers for IU Health in the region, especially the timeframe it takes to identify the disease. “When time is of the essences, we can always do better.”

On a side note, Mitchell and his wife now make sure every scratch is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected because, as he knows from personal experience, “infections can spread like wildfire.”

Colorectal screening: Nurse navigator stresses care ‘down there’

It’s a topic that makes a lot of people cringe, but colorectal screenings are an essential part of cancer prevention and early detection.

By IU Health Senior Journalist, T.J. Banes, tfender@iuhealth.org

Parents of newborns celebrate their first soiled diaper. When they become toddlers, there is open conversation about potty training. But at some point, talking publicly about “poo” becomes a taboo.

“Nobody wants to talk about their stool. People are afraid to tell practitioners and family members that they have blood in their stool or a change in bowel movements. If we talked more freely about it we could catch things early on,” said IU Health Nurse Navigator, Michelle Juan. She joined IU Health in 2000 and for the past three years has worked with Dr. Douglas Rex and treatment of advanced colonoscopy and inherited colorectal cancer syndromes.

Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC/Lynch syndrome) causes an increased risk of developing certain cancers including colorectal cancer. Family adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is characterized by the development of hundreds of thousands of polyps in the colon that can develop into cancer if untreated.

Juan works with patients who have been diagnosed with large colorectal polyps that need removed. Other patients have previous incomplete colonoscopies where there’s a risk of missed precancerous polyps and colorectal cancer. They come to IU Health for advanced specialized endoscopic procedures.

For many patients, that sounds a little scary or overwhelming. That’s where Juan comes in. A large part of her role is educating patients and dispelling their fears.

First come the basics: The colon is the longest and largest part of the large intestine and performs the final process of digestion. That’s where the poo comes in. The best way to ensure the colon is healthy is to have a colonoscopy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends colorectal screenings for adults ages 45-75.

During a colonoscopy, patients receive anesthesia so they do not feel discomfort or pain. A physician guides a thin tube with a camera through the colon to check for polyps or unusual growths. The physician also removes polyps during the colonoscopy and checks for cancer cells. Patients with normal test results only need colonoscopies every ten years starting at age 50.

“I say this to anyone who will listen to me, ‘this is one thing you can do for yourself that can prevent colon cancer. We know it usually arises from polyps so if you can catch them while they’re small then you can prevent cancer,’” said Juan.

There are three areas that patients tend to focus that prevent them from getting a screening.

First, they feel like the colonoscopy is invasive. “They can’t imagine a scope down there or someone seeing that part of their body,” said Juan. “If we clearly communicate ahead of time, we can help decrease that anxiety. It’s no different than a mammogram, or prostate check.”

Second, people dread the prep. The key to a successful screening is to have a clean colon. That involves taking laxatives 24 hours in advance to empty the bowels.

“There are two types of polyps. Some people think of it as a balloon or bubble coming out of colon wall but there are also flat polyps that are harder to see. So a super clean colon allows for better screening,” said Juan. “I remind patients that it is temporary. It’s mind over matter. Our nurses do a great job helping patients choose the right prep for them and scheduling a time that is convenient for them. If they want to be near a bathroom on a Sunday, we’ll schedule the procedure for a Monday.”

The other concern for some patients pertains to economics. Some insurance won’t cover the screenings. Juan serves on a number of professional organizations and keeps an eye on community, local, and national health initiatives to assist those at risk and underserved. The Colorectal Cancer Alliance offers the Blue Hope Financial Assistance Fund and Screening Support.

“The main thing I want to stress is getting a screening is a way you can be proactive with something that pertains to your body,” said Juan. “This is something that can be prevented and detected early.

‘I can’t thank them enough’: Mom grateful for ICU team after son survives COVID-19

When we checked in with Matthew Belcher, he had just gotten out of the intensive care unit after battling COVID pneumonia.

We’re glad to share that he is out of the hospital after a month and doing physical therapy at a facility in Mitchell!

Matthew, who has Down syndrome, made friends with a lot of his nurses and therapists in the ICU.

Check out how they helped cheer him up during his long days in the hospital.

What Is a Reputation Management Company?

Companies that provide you with services to regulate and monitor the online reputation of your brand product with certain strategies are known as reputation management companies or services. They use several strategies like SEO, social listening, social monitoring, data and trend analysis, content development, content development, etc. They help the brand or company to mats in a positive image in the market and engage customers through it.

 

Reason Why Do Businesses Need Reputation Management Company:

This is the era of online services, one may have a great business offline, for example, you are a bakery owner and you are running it very well but to grow and survive in the market you also need to have a good and positive image online, people should know your product by its name and then they become the word-of-mouth advisement to it, this is what the reputation management company will get it done to you. With this, you can extend your company’s approach worldwide.

 

Ways To Choose A Perfect Reputation Management Company :

Below are some important pointers which will assist you to get perfect reputation management services for your company :

  • First and very important is that you need to set your goals and identify your business’s needs and then go on searching for a reputation management company.
  • Judge the reputation of the company, how it behaves with you, how its employees behave. Are they understanding your business and its needs, are they concerned about your time and money, or taking it lightly.
  • Don’t hesitate, ask your queries well, for instance: What will be the payment and contract procedure, what strategies will they use to make a positive image of the business, how and when will they start, will you have to be involved in certain operations, etc.
  • Look for a company that is honest and transparent even if it costs a little more than others because nothing is more important than quality. Money can be earned later if the purpose is done rightfully.
  • Google about companies that provide online reputation management services, blacklist such companies which use black-hat exercises because it is very immoral and can lower your ranking for the online search.
  • Read the reviews very carefully, if possible ask for the old client’s contact to take their special inquiry about the company. This can give you great help.
  • Last but not least check whether the company itself has a positive image or fools people. After checking all such information then only go to finalize the contract.

 

Cost of Online Reputation Management Services

The cost of services differs greatly from online media monitoring tools. It depends upon your need and what strategies the company will use in your business to make it’s a positive image. Therefore we can say that the more the strategies the more the cost.

Cost may range from some hundred USD to thousand USD for a month, it depends on the data analytics done by the company on where your business’s position is right now and how much time and energy will it take to rise from there.

So this was all that you needed to know about “Reputation Management Company”.

 

Contact Us:

Lumino Digital

Address: 316 Corona St Denver, Colorado, 80218

Phone: 720-263-1497

 

Cardiovascular and oncology worlds combine to deliver world-class care for patient

Erika Jay is taking oral chemotherapy to manage a rare cancer diagnosis she received several years ago. Unfortunately that medication is causing cardiovascular side effects, including high blood pressure. Erika is now under the expert care of Dr. Suparna Clasen, a cardio-oncologist who specializes in caring for cancer patient’s heart issues. “We are so fortunate at IU Health. We have national and internationally recognized people in cardio-oncology,” said Dr. Clasen. “We’re able to provide subtle and nuanced, personalized care to the patient.”

Continuing her recovery, 25 years after tragic fire

From Riley burn patient to IU Health team member: “When I look at my scars, they are just one more thing I lived through. To me, that’s a beautiful thing.”

By Maureen Gilmer, IU Health senior writer, mgilmer1@iuhealth.org

For Paige Cox, the emotional pain was the hardest.

Maybe that’s because she was too young to remember the physical pain from the Christmas Eve blaze that critically burned her and her brother when they were both just toddlers.

But now, 25 years later, Cox says the scars on her face, arms and legs all tell a story – her story – and it’s hard to imagine changing your life story.

She was not quite 2 years old when the fire broke out at the home in Terre Haute, Indiana, where she was staying that December night in 1996.

She suffered second- and third-degree burns over 85% of her little body – her face, right arm, hands, torso, legs and feet. Her brother did not survive his injuries.

Cox spent the next two years in and out of Riley Hospital for Children, receiving treatment for her burns.

She remembers only bits and pieces about her time at Riley – namely being pulled in a red Riley wagon and getting ice cream cones and French fries at the McDonald’s that operated for years at the hospital before closing in 2013.

Not bad memories to have for a kid.

Today, that kid is all grown up, and she’s back in the IU Health family. Cox, 27, began working in patient registration at IU Health North Hospital in September. It’s there that she practices the values of compassion and teamwork every day, values she learned as a burn survivor.

“When you’re a burn patient, you experience so much care from all different angles, not just medical,” she said. “You get child life specialists who provide care in a very compassionate way that helps you focus on things other than your treatment.”

Not only child life, but nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and music and art therapists, she said.

“I really got to experience a lot of compassion from all different facets of care from the very beginning, and that’s just kind of stuck with me through my whole life. I always wanted a way to repay what was given to me.”

So, at the registration desk, she greets patients with that mindset.

“You never know what someone is going through, whether someone has just been diagnosed with cancer or if they’ve just lost a family member. A lot of times, just coming into a hospital setting, even if it’s for a simple blood draw, you don’t know if that’s really terrifying for someone,” Cox said.

“You don’t know anything about their life. All you can do is be that first point of contact and just try to make it the best experience for them as possible.”

Cox, who had multiple surgeries her first week in the hospital, lost count of how many skin graft procedures she underwent over the years, up until the age of 21. She remembers sitting in front of the television watching classic comedies like “Golden Girls” and “Family Matters” while her grandmother would change the dressings on her burns.

“It was our way to bond,” she said, and it helped distract her from the pain.

Her grandmother is gone now, but Cox still loves those TV shows.

After decades of treatment and therapy, Cox tries not to look back too often, preferring to find strength from her past and joy in her present.

“You can’t change the past. You can’t change the cards you were dealt,” she said. “There are some things I wish I could change, some things I still deal with psychologically and emotionally, but I try to look at it as it’s made me who I am.”

Each scar tells a story, she said. They are a timeline of sorts, reminding her of the steps in her healing process and how much she has overcome. Her boyfriend describes them as a painting or a mosaic, and she agrees.

“When I look at my scars, they are just one more thing I lived through. To me, that’s a beautiful thing.”

Her six tattoos also tell a story – whether it’s the “Hamilton” song “Non-Stop,” or the Taylor Swift song “Clean,” she draws strength from the lyrics etched in her skin.

Everyone has scars, Cox said. They might not all be visible like hers, but they are painful emotional scars just the same.

All of her life, she has been healing.

“It has been quite the journey,” she said. “I think a lot of people only think about the physical side. But the healing process is ongoing – the mental side, emotional, social. It never stops.”

She continues to receive counseling, and she is grateful for the friends made and the life lessons learned during the annual Hoosier Burn Camp she attended.

The latest blessing to come into her life is a 4-month-old Beagle named Titus. She describes him as an emotional support animal for her.

“He is the absolute joy of our lives,” Cox said. “He is extremely funny and very rambunctious. I’ve been a lot happier since he’s come into my life.”

Cox thought she was finished with surgeries for her burn injuries, but just last week, she consulted with Dr. Brett Hartman, medical director of Riley’s burn unit and the Richard M. Fairbanks Burn Center at Eskenazi Health.

“I remember being so relieved that my surgeries were done in 2016 because that’s all my life had been at that point,” she said.

Now, she’s looking at another surgery.

“I’m definitely nervous. But I have faith in Dr. Hartman and his surgical skills, and hopefully it will be a quick recovery time.”

Photos submitted and by Mike Dickbernd, IU Health visual journalist, mdickbernd@iuhealth.org