4 Reasons Why You Should Be Using Granite Fixtures In Your Bathroom

Granite can be a strong, timeless, and high-quality option for re-decorating your bathroom. There is a range of amazing properties that can be found in this material. Granite has bold and good looks and can be aesthetically pleasing in a variety of scenarios. Nowadays interior decorators are also promoting granite due to its immense number of advantages that it offers at a relatively low cost. Granite has been a popular material for kitchens for decades now. However, it is now occupying other spaces in the homes and offices as well including the bathroom. Below are the top reasons why you should be using the granite fixtures in your bathroom as well.

Aesthetically Pleasing

The overall look of granite is ageless. The granite fixtures and installations in your bathroom will look better with each passing day. Whether it is a lavish home interior or a more subtle and budget home bathroom, the quality and affordable granite fixtures improve the looks of any surroundings and countertops tempe az. These granite materials are today also available in a variety of styles, designs, and decors as they are worked upon in the production facilities to provide you strength and good looks at the same time.

A-List of Useful Properties

Granite is a durable and hard surface and material. Therefore, granite material and the fixtures made of it are useful for things and products that are used every day regularly for long periods. Fixtures in your bathrooms including your bathroom countertops are used every day. Further, you can also use and place cold or heated items (such as curling irons) on the granite surfaces while not causing harm such as shrinkage or a burn. Granite also resists the growth of bacteria and molds. Its wide number of useful properties makes it a desired item in a place like a bathroom that has lots of humidity and is prone to the growth of molds.

Easily Available

If a material is not available easily, it is going to be pricier for you. However, when you are picking up granite fixtures for your bathroom granite phoenix, you can rest assured knowing that the material will be available both online and offline. The best sellers of granite fixtures also offer customized granite countertops and other items. You can provide the details on the design, color, texture, aesthetics, and other aspects of your granite bathroom fixture and the seller will be much pleased to fulfill your request.

Installation Services

Purchasing the heavy large and strong granite fixtures is not enough and you also need to get them installed in your bathroom. Fortunately, the sellers of granite bathroom countertops and other items offer you free installation services as well. With granite, you get the best of all worlds. Granite is as strong as marble but comes at a much lesser cost. You can easily order your granite countertop online and get a free installation service with it.

Conclusion

The use of granite fixtures and products has moved on from the kitchen of Marble phoenix. These strong, durable, and good-looking fixtures are occupying other parts of both residential and commercial establishments now as well. You can also go through a wide variety of granite fixtures and countertops online to find out the best match for your home decor.

 

Contact Us:

Granite Karma Outlet

Address: 3230 E Washington St, Phoenix AZ, 85034
Phone: (480) 613-7487

Can’t Find A Citizen Service Center? Here’s How To Find One

Most people have heard of a citizen service center, but many have never been able to find one. They’re in every ward in every city, but even with the Internet at your fingertips, it can be difficult to find them.

Keeping that in mind, this informative article highlights some tips on how to find your nearest citizen service center based on where you live. Read on to know more in detail to have an overall better understanding.

What Is A Citizen Service Center? A Brief Overview

A citizen service center is commonly called a city hall, town hall, or county courthouse. These centers often have at least one division or office that deals with providing services directly to residents and taxpayers, usually in the form of workshops, permits, licenses, and applications.

A citizen service center is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that assists members of a community in accessing and obtaining information on various topics, including social services and health care.

Benefits of A Citizen Service Center- All You Need To Know

A citizen service center provides a number of benefits for citizens: you can save time by cutting out red tape and conducting business with a wide range of agencies in one place. Citizen service centers are often located near or inside libraries, so you may even be able to conduct business at home if you have Internet access.

These centers also serve as locations where important community meetings, elections, and other events are held—and they can be places where grassroots organizing efforts take place.

Last but not least, these centers will make it easier for you as a resident—or prospective resident—to get in touch with government officials and others who can answer questions or offer help when needed.

Finding A Citizen Service Center Online

If you’re looking for citizen support services, try a Google search with variations of city name and citizen service center. Note that searching may return results from different states in addition to city-specific results.

In such cases, you should double-check the websites listed to make sure they’re government agencies in your area. You could also try googling [state] + citizen services or [state] [service] assistance.

Finding A Citizen Service Center Offline

If you don’t have internet access, you can try locating a citizen service center by visiting your nearest library, police station, or city hall. If that doesn’t work, it is advised that you contact your local city council member to get assistance.

Conclusion

So, these were some points you needed to know to find a citizen service center. It is important for all citizens of any city to have access to these centers as they provide residents with easy access to services such as food stamps, the WIC program, unemployment benefits, and housing services.

At the end of the day, there are plenty of reasons why local citizen engagement tools are beneficial for which you shouldn’t delay finding one.

Resources: https://www.bestincom.com/virginia/reston/health-care/maximus

Contact Us:

Maximus

Address: 1891 Metro Center Drive, Reston, VA 20190
Phone: 703-251-8500

Turning the tassel on cancer

On the morning of graduation day in December 2020, John Laws, EdD, vice chancellor of student affairs at Ivy Tech Community College Lafayette, got into his car dressed in academic regalia — but instead of driving to the ceremony, he passed campus and headed to IU Health Arnett Hospital.

While proudly wearing his mortarboard, Dr. Laws led his own procession as he entered IU Health Arnett Cancer Center for his last radiation treatment after a five-month battle against prostate cancer.

John Laws, EdD, vice chancellor of student affairs at Ivy Tech Community College Lafayette

As his care team handed him his certificate of completion, Dr. Laws immediately began to think about what he could do to show his appreciation for the compassionate care he received during his cancer journey.

“Everyone at Arnett made this situation as painless as possible,” Dr. Laws said. “From my oncologist, Dr. Matthew Orton, to the clinicians administering my treatment — everyone was so kind and helpful. I knew I had to give back in some way.”

He also knew that he wanted his generosity to support both caregivers and patients.

That’s why nearly one year after his “graduation,” Dr. Laws and his wife, Konnie Laws, provided IU Health Arnett with a new blanket warmer they purchased for the cancer center.

There was a special reason behind this gift choice.

“I am always cold, so warmth is close to my heart,” said Dr. Laws. “When I received treatment, I often had to disrobe and would be left feeling chilly after the therapy session.”

Konnie and John Laws

That “coldness” is something patients undergoing radiation therapy can experience as a side effect of treatment. Dr. Laws explained that because radiation can lower the body’s white blood cell count, the result for some patients is reduced oxygen circulation, which can lead to feeling cold.

Thanks to the new machine, caregivers at the cancer center will be able to warm nearly a dozen blankets at one time for patients who need that extra level of comfort.

“We hope this donation helps makes the job of caregivers a little easier, but we also hope it helps patients who may be shivering after treatment,” Konnie said. “We thought this was a win-win.”

But for Dr. Laws, making this gift also felt like he passed a “final exam.” Not only had he finished his treatment, but now he had also helped other patients find comfort during unsettling times. That moment of generosity made him feel like he could officially turn his tassel.

Join the Laws in making a gift in support of oncology care at IU Health Arnett Cancer Center.

IU Health team members honored with “The Lynda” for their compassionate care

Five IU Health team members around the state have won the 2022 Lynda A. Merriman Award for Compassionate Care. Thanks to the generosity of IU Health Foundation donor Chuck Merriman, this award honors the kind of dedicated IU Health team members who eased his wife Lynda’s seven-month battle with cancer at the IU Health Simon Cancer Center and IU Health University Hospital. “The Lynda,” as the award is nicknamed, is a cash award and its winners are nominated by their peers at IU Health hospitals statewide.

The winners are:

Chloe Eck, RN (Center)

Chloe Eck, RN, is a registered nurse at IU Health Methodist Hospital — and although she’s only been in healthcare for three years, her nominator Erika Breivogel, RN, says that Chloe has already changed hundreds of lives. “She can make a patient’s worst day better in a matter of seconds,” said Breivogel. Shortly after Eck was onboarded, COVID-19 plagued the Hoosier state. Breivogel said that Chloe took that challenge and turned it into an opportunity to grow — and grow she did. During the height of the pandemic, visitors were not allowed in the hospitals. Breivogel recalled watching Chloe hold the hands of countless dying patients — making sure they knew that they weren’t alone in their final hours. “I watched Chloe give one patient the last drink of his favorite coffee; I watched her show one patient pictures of his children during his last days; I watched her search for hours to find a specific bible song a patient had requested to listen to when she passed; I watched her feed someone’s sister a cupcake, because that was her dying wish, and no one from her family was there to do so. The list goes on and on,” said Breivogel. This act of compassion inspired Breivogel to nominate Eck for The Lynda. She said, “Being compassionate is not just telling someone that you care about them, it is showing them you care before they even have time to ask. Chloe gives all that her heart will allow without ever expecting anything in return.”

Heather Barber, RN

Heather Barber, RN, is a registered nurse at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital — and while her duties as a nurse keep her busy, she always has time to go above and beyond for her patients. Her nominator, secretary Shirley Lacefield, said, “Heather is constantly helping everyone. There are so many stories I could tell about her level of compassion and commitment to patient care.” One of those stories Lacefield shared was about a female patient who had come to the hospital with her hair in tangles. “Heather worked for three days to get her hair combed and styled,” Lacefield recalled. “The patient had the biggest smile on her face when Heather was done.” She also remembered several times when Barber chose to help her technicians bathe and clean her patients — even though it wasn’t her job. “Heather always wants to do everything she can for her patients. She is always an advocate for them and is always there to help and make them feel comfortable and safe.”

Erica Newkirk, CNS, RN (Second to the right)

Erica Newkirk, CNS, RN, is a clinical nurse specialist and registered nurse at IU Health West Hospital. According to her nominator, Director of Quality and Safety Lauren Fogt, Newkirk goes to work every day with two goals in mind: to support her fellow nurses and to support her patients. “Erica is always on the go, always rounding,” said Fogt. “She’s always doing what she can to help.” In fact, when she is not encouraging her colleagues to further their education or to become certified in other areas of healthcare, Fogt said you will often find Newkirk sitting in an elderly patient’s room, just talking to them — that’s because Newkirk specializes in geriatric care. Her interest in caring for vulnerable patients has even led her to publish a study about delirium in the Journal of Med Surg Nursing, as well as to create a delirium cart for patients struggling with the disease. The cart includes coloring books, nail polish kits, books and crafts that help reorient patients by distracting them with a project. When reflecting on the compassion of Newkirk, Fogt said, “I’m proud to call her my friend, and I am so grateful that I get to work and partner with such a brilliant person every day.”

Giesla Potter, RD (Second to the right)

Giesla Potter, RD, is a registered dietitian at IU Health Morgan — and according to her nominator, occupational therapist Stacey Wilson, OT, Potter’s level of compassion and kindness are matched by her quest for excellence in patient care. That quest led her to create the Morgan Adult Diet and Exercise (MADE) Program — a grant-funded initiative that provides nutrition and lifestyle education to local community members. Since the program’s inception, she has led 16 cohorts through the eight-week program. One of her cohorts, Maurina Brown, RN, shared that she struggled with the walking portion of MADE because the trails the team used were often on uneven surfaces. Brown recalled sharing her concern with Potter — and shortly thereafter, Potter had secured a more even walking surface for Brown to use. “She went out of her way to make sure I had what I needed,” reflected Brown. Wilson adds, “Giesla is a one-of-a-kind, true gem. If she wasn’t on staff already, I would choose her to be! She is outstanding!”

Emille Veach, EMT (Center)

Emille Veach, EMT, is an emergency medical technician at IU Health Arnett Hospital. According to her nominator, technician Lindsey Kumfer, Veach excels at patient care and critical thinking. “Emilee is always looking deep and trying to find the cause of problems,” Kumfer said. “Because of this, she always seeks to understand the whole patient and treat them with respect, dignity and kindness.” One story Kumfer shared about Veach was when she cared for an unresponsive patient who had been brought to the emergency department following a medication overdose. The staff completed their evaluation and noted that the patient was likely in his final hours. He was admitted to the hospital and, thanks to Veach, was moved to a quieter floor with his wife. “Emilee made sure he was positioned comfortably,” said Kumfer. “She even turned off his cardiac monitor in their room so that they could have peace and quiet during his last moments. After he passed, Veach took a piece of the patient’s cardiac rhythm strip and put it into a decorated vial to give to his wife. “The vial had ribbon on it that Emille cut from her very own backpack,” Kumfer recalled. “She just wanted his wife to have a copy of her husband’s heartbeat … and if that’s not compassion, I don’t know what is.”

Mother of four takes her nurturing spirit to school

Emily Ricketts is the mother of two boys and two girls. She is also a caregiver to Kindergarten through Fifth Graders at Willow Lake Elementary School.

By IU Health Senior Journalist, T.J. Banes, tfender1@iuhealth.org

When her children were younger, Emily Ricketts was a stay-at-home mom. Once her youngest started preschool, Ricketts began working toward a degree in nursing.

“I like caring for people and I always wanted to be a nurse. It was all about the timing,” said Ricketts, who is married to Andrew Ricketts. Their children are ages 19, 14, 12, and 7.

She started her career with IU Health two years ago working OR with Riley Hospital for Children. In March of 2021 she began working as a school nurse at Willow Lake Elementary in MSD Washington Township.

According to the Indiana Department of Education the school is home to 680 students. More than half of those students are Black/African American, and about 150 are Hispanic. More that 73 percent of the student population is recognized as economically disadvantaged. Washington Township’s “English as a New Language Program” serves more than 1,654 emerging multilingual students. There is also one social worker at each of the elementary schools. Known as an “International Baccalaureate World School” the elementary focuses on “developing, inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.”

As the school nurse, Ricketts works with a team of professionals including teachers, aids, administrators, therapists and social workers to ensure students receive the best support for physical and mental health.

“Since COVID I’ve seen a lot more anxiety in students so I may do some referring to help them get the proper resources,” said Ricketts. “Some children come in for a hug, or a drink of water. A lot of them just need someone to talk to or some reassurance,” she said.

“COVID drastically changed the role of school nurses. And even though the past 2 years have been very difficult, these nurses, they are still stepping up and going above and beyond. The goal with school health is to always give students the best care possible and use all resources available to connect students and families with quality healthcare – that’s exactly what these nurses have done,” said Danielle Green, IU Health School Nurse Manager.

Ricketts hadn’t been to school long on a recent day when all three cots were filled in her office. One student complained of a sore eye, another had a headache, and a third threw up.

In between offering ice packs, and aspirin, Ricketts answered phone calls from parents and corralled students to visit the free dental clinic. She arranged for the clinic when she recognized that several students had limited dental care. She’s also discovered that many of the students have limited physician care.

“There are a lot kids who come into my office first thing. They don’t feel well at home and maybe their parents don’t have a thermometer, or they just aren’t sure what to do, so they tell the kids to come to the nurse first thing,” said Ricketts. “I’ve done a lot of education on signs, symptoms, and testing for COVID along with other illnesses.” For other students, she provides an expert set of eyes for chronic sickness and long term healing.

When Kindergartener Milan Sifuentes, slipped on the ice and fractured his head last winter, he spent three days in Riley Hospital for Children. When he returned to school, it was Ricketts who kept a close eye on the 6-year-old.

“Having a school nurse who knows the children and knows the needs, gives parents a peace of mind,” said Sifuentes’ mom, Elizabeth Perez.

“I love the students and this is a role that lets me have a schedule similar to my own kids, and still practice a career I love,” said Ricketts.

Who you gonna call?

“When you need help finding a new primary care doctor or understanding the various medical specialties we offer, call us—Susie Skiles or Virginia Stanwyck—the Arnett Clinic Patient Referral Nurses,” reads the advertisement from 1993.

Susie Skiles retired in November 2008 after more than 15 years as a referral nurse and over 30 years as a nurse at Arnett Clinic. But would you believe that Virginia Stanwyck, RN, is still answering those calls, 29 years later—at the age of 85?

Since she was a youngster, Stanwyck knew she would work in healthcare. As a child, she was the one playing nurse on the front porch, taking temperatures and applying band aids.

When asked what has kept her going all these years, through nearly half of IU Health Arnett’s 100-year existence, Stanwyck shares, “I am greatly blessed to have been able to care for and help humankind through the nursing profession for 65 years—45 of those years here at Arnett Clinic.”

Stanwyck is a 1954 graduate of Lafayette Jefferson High School. She attended nursing school at the Indianapolis Methodist School of Nursing in Indianapolis, graduating in June 1957. She recalls that nursing in the 50s and into the 60s included non-disposable syringes, needles, rubber gloves, cloth gowns, etc.

Stanwyck began her nursing career in surgery at the former Montgomery County Culver Union Hospital in Crawfordsville, Ind. Several moves to Evanston, Ill.; Goodland, Ind.; Argos, Ind.; and then eventually back to her hometown of Lafayette in 1966 all afforded her opportunities in medical/surgical nursing. She has worked at an adoption agency teaching students in a newborn care program, in Ophthalmology and as a school nurse for K-12. Stanwyck cared for children with polio and in iron lungs during her time at Riley Children’s Hospital, and she worked for eight years at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Urology, Educational Services and Orthopedics—all before joining Arnett Clinic on June 13, 1977.

Stanwyck recalls that when she started at Arnett in the building at 2600 Greenbush St. in Lafayette, it was one building, without the north wing and other spaces like Urgent Care that would be added in later years. Charts were on paper and stored in ‘the Chart Room.’ Big appointment books with plenty of well-sharpened pencils and lots of erasers were standard.

Stanwyck initially worked in urology with doctors Schaaf, McKinley, Davis, Welch and, later, Perez. Stanwyck eventually transitioned to the ENT Department with doctors Thomas Brennan, William Bremer and Stephen Henson, who recently retired.

Personal connections were always part of Stanwyck’s work. She would make pencil notations on patient charts of upcoming events mentioned during their visit so she could make reference to it during a return visit. She sent Valentine’s Day cards to children she cared for.

In 1993, Stanwyck transferred to the Patient Referral and Advocacy team, an area of nursing that her diverse career and penchant for adding a personal touch for each patient had prepared her for. Knowing that she is often part of the experience recovery process, her calls often start with “How can I help you?” After hearing the caller’s need or concern, an understanding and empathetic voice goes a long way in easing tension. Frequently, she follows up with “Tell me about it and let me see how I can help.” If the call is a concern or a complaint, telling the caller “I am very sorry,” conveys to the caller that they matter.

Stanwyck says it is so important to simply listen to calls related to topics like a patient’s dissatisfaction with care, the perceived rudeness of staff, a provider who didn’t listen, etc.

“To listen with the EAR in your hEARt. Patient advocates can’t always solve the problem, but they certainly do try,” she shares.

The referral aspect of her job is assisting people looking for a primary care provider or who have a specific problem and are not sure who they should see. Patient needs also include non-medical issues such as transportation assistance, finding available community resources, how to get help with billing issues, etc. Referral nurses also serve as a resource for medical offices to assist with patient needs.

Stanwyck believes that is so hard to navigate healthcare for many patients in today’s world. Advances in technology have drastically changed diagnosing and treating health issues. But, she says, “technology can’t and must not replace the personal touch of healthcare. Nursing is a calling, not a job.”

Stanwyck shared that a special highpoint in her career was when she received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses in May 2014.

Today, at 85, Stanwyck works four afternoons a week. She takes Wednesdays off, because that is the day she dedicates to her other first love, music. She especially loves church music and has served as Director of Music at Bethany Presbyterian Church for the past 42 years.

Stanwyck has two biological daughters, Catherine and Caryn, and two grandsons, all living out of state. An adopted daughter, Lynn and her family—with four grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-granddaughter— live in Lafayette. In 1995, Stanwyck designed and built a house suitable to move her elderly parents in with her, and she cared for them until their deaths.

Stanwyck loves to travel and is looking forward to several trips this year—many rescheduled during the height of the pandemic.

On the topic of retirement and her hopes for the future, Stanwyck shares, “I pray to ‘eventually’ retire, gracefully, with not too many tears, knowing that I have done my best. I am grateful for all the wonderful team members I have been privileged to work with over these many years. My prayer is that, today and through all the years to come, God will bless all caregivers with the love, strength and humility, that only he can give, to keep nursing the profession as it was meant to be since the mid-eighteen hundreds.”

‘Nurse Maddie’ cares for 522 ‘Grizzlies’ at Greenbriar Elementary

It’s not bedside nursing. It’s a single-person clinic and no day is the same.

By IU Health Senior Journalist, T.J. Banes, tfender1@iuhealth.org

On any given day, Madison Watson arrives at her Washington Township office to the unknown. In January, Watson became the school nurse at Greenbriar Elementary.

Home to the “Grizzlies,” the school has a population of 522 students. According to the Indiana Department of Education, nearly 70 percent are “economically disadvantaged.”

A native of Chicago’s western suburbs, Watson obtained her nursing degree from Loyola University. She joined IU Health last year working at Methodist Hospital in the surgical-trauma unit.

“I didn’t feel fulfilled. It felt like something was missing. When this job came open, I applied and I feel like this is where I’m meant to be,” said Watson, 23. She said she felt called to nursing because when she was younger, her mother was seriously ill and she observed the care she received from some wonderful nurses. She became a Certified Nursing Assistant in high school and decided that was her career path. The daughter of Phil and Anne Watson, she has one older and two younger sisters. When she came to Indianapolis to work at IU Health, she also met her fiancé.

On a recent Tuesday, Watson hit the ground running. She helped a young man take his diabetes medication, and another student take puffs from her inhaler. She gave an ice pack to a girl who was in pain from an orthodontic appointment, and helped a little boy find a pair of bigger shoes.

She answered questions from dozens of Kindergarten through fifth grade students, and made phone calls to parents of sick children. In between, her attention was focused on a free dental clinic for 60 students.

“Some days this job feels like part social worker and part nurse. It can be tricky because people don’t understand the ins and outs of school nursing and they think about bloody noses or cuts and bruises,” said Watson. “For me, it is about building a rapport with students who haven’t had consistent healthcare options,” said Watson. For some of those children, there is a single parent and maybe no older siblings to help them when they are hurt or sick.

The school nurse’s office becomes their primary source for health care.

“It was when I was looking at a student’s loose tooth that I saw a lot of rotten teeth and knew that the child had never been to the dentist,” said Watson. She secured a clinic to come on site to examine and clean the students’ teeth.

“When you ask a child when they last went to the dentist and they tell you they’ve never been, you quickly recognize the need,” said Watson. “I thought ‘what a privilege is was for me to have had regular dental and doctor visits that are the foundations of wellness.’”

Watson started her role at Greenbriar Elementary at a time when the Omicron virus was ramping up. “We were sending kids home when there was just a sniffle. It made it difficult to really focus on other issues,” said Watson.

“I think it is important to note that COVID has drastically changed the school nurse’s role over the past two years. School clinics are already busy places with caring for students with chronic needs and triaging illnesses and injuries in a ‘normal’ school year. COVID added an extra layer of complexity due to the need for more parent and staff education, more triaging of students that were ill, contact tracing, case management, hours of phone calls, and collaboration with school staff,” said IU Health School Nurse Manager, Danielle Green.

Watson was undeterred by the challenges. She continued looking and planning ahead for her student needs.

In addition to daily education about proper mask wearing, hand washing as part of the pandemic protocols, she has focused on other needs.

“I noticed a lack of education surrounding health and hygiene in general – whether it was teeth brushing or showering. A lot of the kids didn’t understand why it was important,” said Watson. Next year, she hopes to implement a program geared toward fourth graders as they transition to middle school.

In the Indiana Department of Education’s breakdown of the school’s diversity, it indicates 60.2 percent of the students are Black/African-American.

“On average African-American women begin their periods at an earlier age than white women so I’m also creating a trust with these young women to feel comfortable coming to me and to understand the ‘why’ behind it,” said Watson. She addresses her students with endearing terms and gives each one her undivided attention.

She regularly sees students who take medications for chronic illness such as asthma or diabetes. She also sees students with allergies. Part of her role includes offering staff instruction in students’ special needs such as proper administration of an EpiPen.

“I feel like I’m calling on all my nursing skills in this role,” said Watson. “It’s like a big part in bridging the gap between healthcare and education.”