Local teddy bears are feeling much better now Posted on August 14, 2019August 14, 2019 by Dakota PikeNathan Littauer staff volunteer to put children at ease.Nathan Littauer celebrated their Second Annual Teddy Bear Hospital August 4, 2019. The event had over 316 participants. Local children brought their action heroes, stuffed animals, and teddy bears to Nathan Littauer Hospital to be “treated” by clinical staff.“Teddy Bear Hospital is a home run for our community. It showcases our wonderful staff and our clinical excellence in a nonthreatening setting made for children. Not only does it help put children at ease, our team is able to share our love of medicine with our youngest neighbors,” said Dr. Purcell, Pediatrician and volunteer at Littauer’s Teddy Bear Hospital.Teddy bears approve of the treatment received at the event.The hospital would like to thank all of the volunteers who made the event possible. In all, 69 volunteers worked Sunday to ensure the event went smoothly. Littauer would also like to thank the Gloversville Fire Department, Fulton County Ambulance, LifeNet, and the Gloversville Police Department for their services. The agencies provided the children with an inside look of their department’s vehicles and equipment.This event is special to Nathan Littauer because it provides local children the opportunity to feel right at home with their community hospital. “It’s a wonderful benefit to the community. It’s close-by and children can get comfortable with our hospital and learn so much,” states Melissa Buanno, Admissions Coordinator for the Extended Care Facility, and a Teddy Bear Hospital volunteer.“It is important to get young children comfortable with all the staff here in the hospital. It was a great opportunity to be connected with our care providers. When the children do need these important services, they are already familiar with the staff and the medical processes,” said Verneta Collar, Care Coordination, Discharge Planner, and volunteer.The event had stations for children. These stations were designed specifically to help children understand emergency medicine and wellness. Cheryl McGrattan, Vice President of Marketing and Communications explains, “With a great amount of teamwork we showed local families and children our mission to provide the greatest comfort and highest level of care to our patients. And yes, we even provide quality care to teddy bears.”About Nathan LittauerNathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home is a full-service, 74 bed acute care hospital with an 84 bed skilled nursing home. Since 1894, Nathan Littauer has provided safe, high-quality health and wellness services with a focus on securing appropriate new technologies for people residing in Upstate New York. Over the years, the hospital has expanded its services in order to offer health care that is comprehensive, accessible, and relevant to the needs of the communities they serve. More information can be found by visiting www.nlh.org.
Wellness Words August 2019 Posted on August 13, 2019 by Dakota PikeHealthLink Littauer’sWELLNESS WORDSSubmitted by Alicia DeRuscio, B.S.Community Education Assistant “Healthy” Starts In The GardenAccording to Harvard Health and the University of New Hampshire, there are many reasons to grow your own food! Gardening can be beneficial to your health, the environment, and can even help save you a few extra dollars throughout the summer and fall months.Gardening For Nutrition When you grow your own food, you not only increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat, but you also consume a greater amount of nutrients. Prior to being sold in grocery stores, produce goes through a long process of being shipped and delivered across the country, and is not always picked at peak times. During the shipment and delivery process, fruits and vegetables often lose many beneficial nutrients.If you grow your own produce, you’ll be able to pick your fruits and vegetables when they are ripe, providing you with fresh, flavorful options that are full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to fuel your body. Having your own garden also allows you to eliminate pesticides and other contaminants that are used on grocery store produce.Gardening For Physical ActivityAccording to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, adults should get at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity each week as well as two days of muscle-strengthening activities each week. The CDC considers gardening, including weeding, digging, hoeing, raking and planting a moderate aerobic activity and therefore can help improve heart health, flexibility and body strength. Regular physical activity can also improve your body’s immune system, help decrease stress and heart rate, and boost your mood.Vitamin D An outdoor garden is a great way to increase your sun exposure and get more Vitamin D! Vitamin D is important for maintaining strong bones and teeth and can help protect against certain chronic diseases. The CDC recommends always protecting your skin when in the sun by using a broad spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 15 before going outside.Help The EnvironmentShipping and delivering produce throughout the country requires long travel times that rely on fossil fuels and increases pollution of the environment. If you grow a garden you can help reduce transportation and decrease the harmful effects of pollution.Save Money While it may seem costly to start your own garden, in the long run it can actually help you save money. According to the UNH, buying seeds, plants and a few supplies to maintain your garden can yield a great amount of produce in the summer and fall months. This allows you to avoid those extra charges tacked on to produce for growing, harvesting, shipment and delivery.Spice Up Your Meals The CDC recommends filling half of your plate with fruits and vegetables. There are endless amounts of produce to grow in an at-home or community-based garden, and many ways to use your fruits and vegetables during meal time.Try these simple ways to add your fresh-grown produce from the garden to your meals:Zucchini Noodles – Instead of pasta, use a spiralizer to create zucchini noodles and substitute them in your favorite pasta dish.Summer Salads – Put a little summer twist on your salad by topping fresh greens with strawberries, blueberries or blackberries.Cauliflower Pizza Crust – Try making a cauliflower pizza crust with fresh-from-the-garden cauliflower, a couple of eggs, grated low-fat parmesan and low-fat mozzarella cheese, along with your favorite seasonings.Kale Chips – Bake kale in the oven with a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper for a nutritious, crispy snack.Extend Your Harvest While many think that late summer means the end of gardening, it’s actually the perfect time to plant cool-weather vegetables. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, many vegetables thrive just as well in cooler weather than in warmer weather, and some even taste better after a frost. Vegetables including kale, cabbage, parsnips, carrots and brussel sprouts get sweeter from cooler weather and can survive in the ground longer without much harm from the cold.To determine the best plants to grow, check the “days to harvest” information on the back of seed packets. In general, your vegetables should be grown just prior to the first frost of the season. The Farmer’s Almanac lists several fast-growing vegetables that are ideal for late-summer planting including:Squash and ZucchiniCucumbersLeaf LettucesRadishesSnap Peas and Snow PeasSpinachBroccoliIf you’d like to learn more about gardening or are preparing for a fall harvest, visit the United States Department of Agriculture’s website for up-to-date resources at https://www.nal.usda.gov/home-gardening.For more information on good health, contact HealthLink Littauer at 518-736-1120 or email healthlink@nlh.org. We’re your community health & wellness service of Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home.
Teddy Bear Hospital Sunday August 4th Posted on July 31, 2019 by Dakota PikeNathan Littauer invites you and your children to be part of our 2nd Annual Teddy Bear Hospital! Bring your teddy bear, doll or favorite action hero to Nathan Littauer to be “treated” by our expert staff. Created for children, the event will have interactive stations designed to make health care fun. The event will also feature EMS, Fire and Lifenet (helicopter services). This event is FREE and open to the public. Don’t miss out on this fun!Sunday, August 4, 20191pm-3pmNathan Littauer Hospital
NATHAN LITTAUER RECEIVES NEW ISO 9001 CERTIFICATION Posted on July 29, 2019July 29, 2019 by Dakota PikeDr. Frederick Goldberg and Christine Waghorn, celebrate the new certification!Nathan Littauer has achieved certification to the new ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System, reflecting the hospital’s long-term commitment to quality, transparency, and customer satisfaction.The certification is valid for three years and is provided by DNV GL – Business Assurance.ISO 9001 is the most widely used quality management standard, and has recently undergone a periodic update to better reflect modern business challenges. Last modified in 2008, the new 2015 version of ISO 9001 is the result of input from business and technical experts around the world. The program requires greater involvement of senior management, broader understanding of supply chains, and more focus on stakeholder (not just customer) expectations.Frederick Goldberg, M.D., Littauer’s Chief Medical Officer explained, “ISO 9001 can be a transformative tool for delivering quality healthcare. ISO 9001 can’t be delegated to a single manager or committee. It is a strategic approach recognized throughout our entire organization.” He added, “As the only local hospital with an ISO 9001 certification, I believe our hospital is transforming local healthcare. Additionally, the focus on continual improvement ensures that our focus on quality will endure for decades.”Christine D. Waghorn, Director of Performance Improvement at Littauer said she was ecstatic when she got the notification from DNV GL. She stated, “I agree with what is said in our industry about this designation: ‘ISO is quality on steroids.’” She added, “Nathan Littauer is continually improving our processes. It is a part of our culture. Our patients deserve that.”“We are extremely proud of our commitment to quality,” says Laurence E. Kelly, Nathan Littauer’s President and CEO. “Our ISO certification helps us continually move forward and, equally important, allows us to publicly communicate our dedication to excellence. It’s a symbol that everyone – our employees, our partners, our patients – recognizes and values.” About Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing HomeNathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home is a full-service, 74 bed acute care hospital with an 84 bed skilled nursing home. Since 1894, Nathan Littauer has provided safe, high-quality health and wellness services with a focus on securing appropriate new technologies for people residing in Upstate New York. Over the years, the hospital has expanded its services to offer healthcare that is comprehensive, accessible, and relevant to the needs of the communities we serve. More information can be found by visiting www.nlh.org. About DNV GL – Business AssuranceDNV GL – Business Assurance is part of the DNV GL Group, a world-leading certification body helping businesses assure the performance of their organizations, products, people, facilities and supply chains through certification, verification, assessment, and training services.For more information about DNV GL – Business Assurance, visit www.dnvglcert.com.
Nathan Littauer offers Cooling Center Posted on July 19, 2019July 19, 2019 by Dakota Pike For the health, safety, and comfort of our residents, Nathan Littauer Hospital will open a Cooling Center this weekend in our cafeteria on our main campus. The Center will offer water and seating in an air-conditioned space. We are opening the Center to the public while we temporarily deal with the health effects of this weekend’s heat wave. Residents using the Cooling Center are encouraged to bring reading material, games, etc. to better enjoy the Center.The hours of the Cooling Center will be:Saturday – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.These services are aimed at our patients and at-risk populations and those without air conditioning.Keep in mind: Electric fans may provide comfort, but when the temperature is in the high 90s, they will not prevent heat-related illness.More information about heat-related illness can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/heattips.html
Nathan Littauer Foundation 2019 Adirondack Challenge Posted on July 16, 2019July 16, 2019 by Dakota PikeThe Nathan Littauer Foundation held their 16th Annual Adirondack Golf Challenge at Lake Pleasant golf course last Friday. Proceeds from the event will help fund the new Medical Arts Building being built on the NLH campus and renovate patient rooms.
Wellness Words July 2019 Posted on July 15, 2019 by Dakota PikeHealthLink Littauer’sWELLNESS WORDSSubmitted by Alicia DeRuscio, B.S.Community Education Assistant Kidney Health What are the kidneys and why are they important?The kidneys are two bean–shaped organs located below the rib cage that lay on each side of the spine. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), these organs are part of the urinary tract and play an important role in filtering blood and removing waste from the body. Healthy, properly functioning kidneys filter about 150 quarts of blood every day or about a half cup every minute.The kidneys work to remove acid produced by the body and aid in maintaining a normal balance of water, salts and minerals like sodium and calcium in your blood. If this balance is disrupted, nerves, muscles and other tissues in the body may not work properly. Aside from filtering blood and removing waste, the kidneys also make hormones that help control blood pressure, make red blood cells and keep bones strong and healthy.Common Kidney Problems Chronic kidney disease and kidney failure are two common health problems involving the kidneys. The NIDDK defines chronic kidney disease as a condition in which the kidneys are damaged and unable to filter blood and eliminate wastes properly. Often, this disease gets worse over time and can lead to a buildup of waste in the body.Kidney failure occurs when the kidneys lose their ability to function and is usually diagnosed when kidney function has dropped below 15% percent of normal ability. If kidney failure occurs, a person usually requires treatment to replace the job of the kidneys. Treatment may include some form of dialysis where a machine filters the blood, or a kidney transplant to replace a damaged kidney with a healthy one.Keeping Your Kidneys HealthyYou are more likely to develop kidney disease if you have a chronic health condition such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease, so it’s important to prevent and manage these conditions. To keep your kidneys healthy, the NIDDK recommends:Making nutritious food choices – Choose heart healthy foods including fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat or fat-free dairy products, cut back on added sugars and reduce salt intake to no more than 2,300 mg per day.Add physical activity into your routine – Aim to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity or more on most days of the week. If you are not currently active, make sure to check with your healthcare professional before starting a new activity routine.Maintain a healthy weight – This will aid in preventing many chronic conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.Get enough sleep – Try to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night to allow your body to rest and recharge.Quit smoking – Talk with your healthcare provider and make a plan to stop smoking.Limit alcohol – Drinking alcohol can lead to weight gain and increase blood pressure. If you drink, limit yourself to one drink per day. This would equal about 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of liquor.Reduce your stress – Managing stress can help improve emotional and physical health. Try a yoga class or relaxation technique like deep breathing.Manage diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease – If you have any of these chronic conditions, it’s important to keep your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check to prevent kidney damage. Talk with your healthcare professional about where your numbers should be and make sure to take all medications as prescribed.If you would like to learn more, attend a special program entitled ‘Kidney Health’ presented by Dr. Soo Gil Lee, Nephrologist of American Renal Associates Dialysis Center on July 24 in Littauer’s Auditorium.You are invited to join us for a buffet-style luncheon at 11:30 for $6 or attend the presentation only at 12 noon at no charge. To attend, call HealthLink Littauer at 518-736-1120 or email healthlink@nlh.org. We’re your community health & wellness service of Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home.
