Portage County Sees an Increase in Survival from Cardiac Arrests

There were five survivors of cardiac arrest in Portage County in 2011, a sharp contrast to the past. Surviving cardiac arrest requires fast action on the part of many rescuers. Mostly, it requires high-quality CPR and the early use of a defibrillator.

In the past three years, there have been 20 cardiac arrests that were witnessed by bystanders and had a shockable heart rhythm when EMS responders arrived. Of those, 8 survived to be discharged from the hospital. That’s a 40% survival rate for witnessed and shockable arrests, which is considered remarkable by national benchmarks.

Of the five survivors in 2011, one was witnessed by EMS Providers who were already helping the patient before his heart suddenly stopped beating. In all four of the other cases, someone called 911 after the patient’s heart stopped beating.

One of those was a salesman in his late forties who was at Point Precision in Plover. When he collapsed, workers there swiftly came to his aid with CPR an AED.

Another case involved a woman in her mid thirties who collapsed at Best Buy in Plover. Fortunately, her husband sprang into action, and began performing CPR. Shortly after that, the Portage County paramedics arrived and shocked her heart back into a normal heart rhythm.

The Portage County EMS System is well prepared to respond to cardiac arrest emergencies like these. Our 911 dispatchers are trained to interrogate the caller in a way that helps them to correctly identify the nature of the problem. If needed, they can also coach witnesses to perform CPR or use an AED, even those who have no previous training.

All law enforcement vehicles in our County have been equipped with AEDs, and our officers have been trained how to use them. Similarly, all our first responders are appropriately trained and equipped with AEDs.

The EMS system consists of well trained and well equipped first responders who work in concert with the responding paramedics. The paramedics bring their knowledge, experience, and various drugs to help them restart a heart.

Currently only about 30% of cardiac arrest victims have CPR done before EMS arrives. Any increase in that number will directly impact survival. Recent changes in CPR training make it easy to do and easy to remember.

If you want to get involved, at a minimum you should take a CPR course. For more information contact Portage County EMS Coordinator Michael Fraley at (715) 346-1399.

Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital to host Early Pregnancy Fair

(Stevens Point, WI) — Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital Women and Infant Center to host Early Pregnancy Fair on Thursday, November 10, 6 – 8 pm at Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital, Conference Rooms 6 & 7.

This evening will provide information helpful during pregnancy, delivery and post partum. Women in their first or second trimester are encouraged to attend with their spouse/support person. Topics include fetal development, nutrition, prenatal exercise, car seat safety, lactation support Ministry Dental, child care resources & referral services, how to navigate baby’s first month, and much more.

An empathy belly will be available for trial and tour of the Women and Infant Center included. This program is free. Registration is required by calling 715.346.5655.

Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital Mental Health Unit hosts open house

(Stevens Point, WI) — Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital Mental Health Unit to host special open house event in honor of the department celebrating twenty-five years of serving our community.

The open house is slated for Tuesday, October 11, 4 -6 pm, Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital, 4th Floor, Inpatient Mental Health Unit. Meet the staff, enter to win door prizes, and enjoy light refreshments.

The Mental Health Unit continues to share the Promise and Values of Ministry Health Care by continuing the passion of its services started in 1986.

For more information, call 715.346.5466

Two weekends remain for Ministry Health Care Flu Clinic

Stevens Point – Ministry Medical Group and Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital, hold an annual flu clinic at Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital, 900 Illinois Ave.

Only two more weekends remain for this year’s flu vaccination clinic – October 8, 9 and October 15, 16. Clinic hours are from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. No appointments necessary, walk-ins welcome. Flu Vaccines will be offered for $25.

Credit cards, cash, and checks are accepted. For insurance billing, please bring your insurance card with you. For more information, call 715-342-7544 or visit ministryhealth.org/fluseason

Ministry Health Care to Partner with Marquette University College of Nursing

Three-year project addresses rural nurse retention and professional development

Ministry Health Care is one of three health care partners in the nation selected by the Marquette University College of Nursing in Milwaukee to participate in a grant-funded project to create an evidence-based rural nurse residency program.

The grant award was recently announced by the university and totals just over $1 million and will include rural health care networks in Illinois and Idaho in addition to Ministry.　Ministry Education and Development has been working with patient care leaders and the University for the past two years to support the grant application process, provide the necessary data and validate the need for the effort at Ministry’s rural hospitals.　 This collaboration has resulted in the grant award which will fund the three-year project.

Marilyn Meyer Bratt, PhD, assistant professor of nursing at Marquette, will serve as the primary investigator of the grant, which was awarded by the Division of Nursing in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Bratt, an Eagle River high school graduate, worked as a newly graduated nurse at the hospital that is now Ministry Eagle River Memorial Hospital.

The project, “SOAR-RN: Supporting Onboarding And Retention of Rural Nurses,” will benefit new nurses’ transition to practice and retention in rural hospitals through an alliance of rural-based health care systems or collaborative networks and academic organizations. By training experienced nurses to serve as preceptors and mentors, as well as developing a rural nurse residency curriculum consisting of monthly seminars, the program is expected to improve patient care and help create more positive work environments that lead to quality care, according to Bratt.

The grant is intended to address the unique challenges that new nurses experience in rural hospitals and access to resources that provide longer-term guidance to support new nurses. According to Bratt, new nurse turnover can reach 50 percent in rural areas.”

The patient need for expert nursing care is not lower in rural healthcare settings, and in fact may require nurses who have a broader knowledge base and ability to provide safe and effective care in multiple areas, according to Barb Lato, nursing leader at Ministry Our Lady of Victory Hospital in Stanley. “The residency program is anticipated to assist us in developing and retaining the caliber of nursing staff that our communities require and deserve.”

The SOAR-RN will capitalize on academic partnerships in each state making the transition to professional practice for new rural nurses more cost-effective. The Marquette University College of Nursing will collaborate with the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network, Ministry Health Care in Wisconsin, and Rural Connection in Idaho and partner with Boise State University and Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University.

Ann Zenk, Vice President of Patient Care at Ministry Sacred Heart Saint Mary’s Hospital stated that, “the nursing skill set needed to function successfully in a rural hospital is unique, requiring expertise in multiple areas of patient care. The implementation of the rural health nursing residency is an excellent enhancement to the educational and staff development plans currently available within the Ministry system.”

The SOAR-RN project builds on programming developed through the Wisconsin Nurse Residency Program project also administered by Bratt. That nearly $2 million HRSA-funded project was awarded in 2004 to help new nursing graduates manage the steep learning curve and build clinical competency throughout the first year of practice. Over seven years, almost 1,700 new graduates have completed the program. The average retention rate for participating organizations is 82 percent, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in nurse replacement cost-savings.”

The effective transition from graduate nurses to confident nursing practice is resource intensive and in smaller rural facilities these resources may not be as readily available in comparison to larger teaching or academic settings,” stated Deb Karow, Vice President of Patient Care Services at Howard Young Medical Center in Woodruff. “The learning curve is especially challenging for our new grads. This grant provides us with resources and a structure that will enhance our ongoing efforts to improve our nurse training, experience, and retention,” she noted.

Timothy Vayder, DO joins Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital

(Stevens Point, WI) – Ministry Health Care is pleased to welcome Timothy Vayder, DO to Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital Emergency Department at 900 Illinois Ave in Stevens Point.

Dr. Vayder completed his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences in Des Moines, Iowa and is Board Certified in Emergency Medicine by the American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine.

Dr. Vayder enjoys biking, camping, and cross-country skiing with his family.

For more information please call 715-346-5000.

Ministry Health Care is a values-driven health care delivery network of aligned hospitals, clinics and other health care providers based in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Founded in 1984 by the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, Ministry’s mission is to further the healing ministry of Jesus by continually improving the health and well-being of all people, especially the poor, in the communities it serves. This location is an outpatient department of Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital.

Ministry Health Care Annual Flu Clinic

Stevens Point– Ministry Medical Group and Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital, will offer their annual flu clinic at Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital,900 Illinois Ave, on the following dates:

• Saturdays: October 1, 8, 15
• Sundays: October 2, 9, 16

Clinic hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No appointments necessary, walk-ins welcome. Flu Vaccines will be offered for $25.

Credit cards, cash, and checks are accepted. For insurance billing, please bring your insurance card with you. For more information, call 715-342-7544 or visit ministryhealth.org/fluseason

Free Introductory Session to Creighton Model of FertilityCare

Most women do not know or understand their menstrual and fertility cycle. By using the Creighton Model FertilityCare System™, a woman can finally “unlock the mysteries.” This method of family planning is taught at Ministry Health Care locations in Plover and Marshfield.

A free introductory session to learn more about the method is scheduled at Ministry Saint Joseph’s Hospital Thursday September 29, 6-8 p.m., in the Saint Joseph’s Conference Room.

The Creighton Model is a natural method of fertility regulation, enabling a woman, through recording daily observations, to better understand and maintain her reproductive health. The system also provides an opportunity to learn more about:

• Pregnancy avoidance and pregnancy achievement
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Hormonal abnormalities and treatment of infertility
• Irregular or abnormal bleeding and other health problems.
• The method is beneficial for women of all ages, from puberty through menopause. It has a 96.8 percent user effectiveness rating in avoiding a pregnancy. It is also highly effective in achieving pregnancy. For couples with infertility concerns, 20-40 percent are able to achieve pregnancy without medical intervention.

To register or for more information, call 715.387.9499 or email

SJHfertilitycare@ministryhealth.org or annette.firkus@ministryhealth.org.

The Creighton Model FertilityCare™ related expenses are offered as a benefit for employees of Ministry Health Care.

Arpin couple happy with Creigton model

Women’s menstrual and fertility cycles have been shrouded in mystery since the beginning of time. Most women still do not know or understand the workings of their cycles.

By using the Creighton Model Fertility Care System, (CrMS) a woman can “unlock the mysteries.” The Creighton Model is a natural method of fertility regulation, enabling couples, through recording daily observations, to better understand and maintain a woman’s reproductive health.

Through recording daily observations, women are empowered to live in harmony with their fertility and understand the effect it has on their whole person–physically, emotionally and spiritually. Women can use the information for the maintenance of their health and couples can use it to plan their family and build their future. Couples can learn more about:

• Pregnancy achievement and pregnancy avoidance
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Hormonal abnormalities and treatment of infertility
• Irregular or abnormal bleeding and other health problems.

For Amy and her husband Joseph, of Arpin, the Method initially helped them identify and correct some of the reproductive health problems that she had been experiencing, off and on, for several years.

“Charting with the Creighton Model helped me get a better idea of what was going on with my health, and for me that was important,” said Amy. “It’s also something I can use throughout my lifetime to actively monitor my gynecologic health.”

The system is not only effective, it’s natural, and aligned with Catholic Church teaching—something that Amy and Joseph also liked.

“It allowed us to be true to our faith. We didn’t have to use artificial means of contraception,” Amy said. “I also didn’t have to worry about all of the potential risks I’ve heard about with other methods of birth control.”

Although achieving pregnancy wasn’t the couple’s main reason for choosing CrMS, by the time they decided to have a baby, it helped them determine the exact day they could conceive. Their first child, Caleb, is now nearly nine months old.

“Throughout my pregnancy, we used the charting to address any concerns we had,” she said. “We also had follow-ups at the Fertility Care Center of Plover to minimize any risk of miscarriage. That was a huge relief, to have the support from the team.”

The method is beneficial for women of all ages, from puberty through menopause. The first step to learning more about the system is to attend an introductory session. A free session is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, September 29 in Saint Joseph’s Conference Room at Ministry Saint Joseph’s Hospital. To register or for more detailscall 715.387.9499 or email SJHfertilitycare@ministryhealth.org.

“I would encourage couples to try this method,” said Amy. “I’ll admit it’s not extremely easy to learn, but in the end it’s worth it. It’s a natural way to give you control and confidence. And it involves your husband. Traditionally, reproductive control is up to the woman but with this method, husbands are a big part of the decision and charting process. For us, it’s a good choice.”

Your Health: Eat This. Not That (in Portage County)!

Your Health: Eat This. Not That (in Portage County)!
Sarah M. Agena-Wright, MS, RD – Adventure 212 Fitness

Have you ever eaten something at a restaurant to later find out it contained most of your calories for the entire day? To help you out I’ve put together a list of the best and worst of area restaurants.

• Applebee’s
  Best: Grilled Shrimp and Island Rice served with vegetables at 380 calories.
  Worst: Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl at 2,030 calories.
• Chili’s
  Best: Guiltless Grill Classic Sirloin at 240 calories, choose steamed veggies, corn on the cob or black beans as a side.
  Worst: Jalapeno Smokehouse Burger with Jalapeno Ranch at 2,130 calories.
• Erbert and Gerbert’s
  Best: Boney Billy at 257 calories. This sub is on Honey Wheat with Low Fat Mayo.
  Worst: Flash at 933 calories. This sub is on French bread with Regular Mayo. This sub with Low Fat Mayo would be 803 calories.
• Subway (6 inch subs)
  Best: Veggie Delite at 230 calories or Turkey Breast at 280 calories both on 9-Grain Wheat bread.
  Worst: Meatball Marinara at 580 calories (bread not specified).
• Noodles and Company (Regular Serving)
  Best: The Med Salad at 310 calories.
  Worst: Indonesian Peanut Sauté at 950 calories.
• Arby’s
  Best: Ham and Swiss Melt at 300 calories or Chopped Farmhouse Salad – Turkey and Ham (w/o dressing) at 250 calories, Small Potato Cakes at 260 calories.
  Worst: Ultimate BLT Market Fresh Sandwich at 850 calories, Large Mozzarella Sticks at 650 calories
• McDonald’s
  Best: Hamburger at 250 calories, Fruit and Yogurt Parfait at 160 calories or Small Fries at 230 calories.
  Worst: Angus Bacon and Cheese at 790 calories, Large Fries at 500 calories.
• Taco Bell
  Best: Fresco Crunchy Taco – 2 at 150 calories each or Gordita Nacho Cheese with Steak at 260 calories.
  Worst: Volcano Nachos at 1,000 calories.
• Pizza Hut
  Best: 12” Fit ‘n Delicious Pizza – calories range from 150-180 calories per slice depending on toppings.
  Worst: 14” Meat Lover’s Stuffed Crust Pizza at 480 calories per slice.
• P. F. Chang’s
  Best: Sichuan From the Sea with Shrimp at 187 calories per serving (served 3. 561 total calories).
  Worst: Cantonese Chow Fun with Chicken at 790 calories per serving (served 2. 1,580 total calories).
• Starbucks
  Best: Tall Skinny Flavored Latte at 90 calories (skinny means made with nonfat milk, sugar free syrup and without whipped cream). Grande at 130 calories, Venti at 160 calories.
  Worst: Tall Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha at 420 calories, Grande at 540 calories and Venti at 660 calories.