By Nola Goodrich-Kresse, Public Health Educator for Orleans County Health Department

With fair season and this week’s Orleans County 4-H Fair underway it is important to remember to stay hydrateddrink water whether you are thirsty or not. Increased heat and activity outdoors brings certain risks with it, particularly dehydration and heat related illnesses.

Some people are more susceptible than others are to dehydration and heat related illnesses. They include infants, children, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses.
Dehydration is ‘the excessive loss of water from the body.’ The more physical activity that you engage in, the more water you are likely to lose.

Possible signs of dehydration:

Dry mouth and fatigue.

If you are mildly dehydrated, you might experience muscular pain or pain in the lower back region or even a headache.

Dark yellowish urine is also a good indicator that dehydration is setting in.

Severe dehydration can cause dizziness, confusion, accelerated heartbeat and eventually, kidney failure.

There are ways you can prevent dehydration from occurring. The most obvious way to prevent dehydration is by drinking a sufficient amount of water to replace the fluids you lose throughout the day.

The best way to figure your ideal daily water needs is to take your body weight and divide it in half. This is the number of ounces of fluid you should be consuming on a daily basis through beverages and foods. For example, a person who weighs 160 pounds should be drinking no less than eight 10-ounce glasses (80 ounces) of water each day. You should drink more than this during extreme heat and/or if you are engaging in physical activity. Talk with your healthcare provider if you tend to retain water and have puffy or swollen ankles, legs and hands.

Consider these suggestions for keeping yourself well hydrated:

Foods with high water content can help you meet your fluid needs. Some examples include soups, stews, citrus fruits, grapes and melons.

Low-fat and fat-free milk, 100 percent fruit juice and decaffeinated tea and coffee can also count toward your minimum eight glasses of fluid a day.

Develop a habit of staying hydrated. Drink a glass of water when you wake up, one between and at each meal, and one at bedtime to make eight. Remember you need more during hot days or when engaging in physical activity.

Keep bottled water in your car, backpack or desk.

When visiting the Orleans County 4-H fair this week, drink plenty of water and take breaks in the shade by visiting the great exhibits the county’s youth have worked so hard on this past year. Enjoy the fair!

Photos by Tom Rivers – The mobile dental unit is parked behind Oak Orchard Health at 301 West Ave. in Albion.

Denise Beardsley has been coordinator of the Oak Orchard Health mobile dental unit since it started 10 years ago.

ALBION – For 10 years Oak Orchard Health has been taking a mobile dental unit to the five school districts in Orleans County, cleaning teeth, doing sealants and extractions.

The dental unit spent the summers in Wyoming County. But now that Oak Orchard Health has a new center in Warsaw with dental services, the mobile dental unit is parked for the summer in Albion.

“We do everything you would get in a dental office except we’re on wheels,” said Denise Beardsley, the unit’s coordinator.

Two dentists, a hygienist and an assistant work out of the site that is parked behind Oak Orchard Health at 301 West Ave.

Beardsley said the unit has worked with thousands of children over the decade, helping to improve their oral health. The unit is open to everyone in the community, not just children. It accepts insurance and offers a sliding scale fee for people without insurance.

The unit has two rooms for dentists to work on patients. During the school year, Oak Orchard visits the five schools in Orleans and also Oakfield-Alabama in Genesee County.

Beardsley has developed relationships with teachers, nurses and school superintendents who steer children and their families to the dental services.

“We think it’s making a difference,” she said. “The kids have fewer cavities.”

For more information, call Beardsley at 267-9236 or check the Oak Orchard web site by clicking here.

Provided photo – Orleans Community Health recently was recognized for attaining 100 percent immunization rate for children by their 19-month-old birthday. The following are pictured with a certificate of recognition: Jennifer Herring, operations manager for Orleans Community Health in Albion; Paul Pettit, director of Orleans County Health Department; and Bill Gajewski, administrator of Orleans Community Health’s Albion health care site.

By Nola Goodrich-Kresse
Public Health Educator for the Orleans County Health Department

We all know how important immunizations are to prevent illness and death, but did you know there are certain standards that are in place to make sure guidelines were followed correctly?

All local health departments are under the guidance of the New York State Department of Health Bureau (NYSDOH) of Immunizations and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for immunization practices.

In order to meet the standards the health departments are responsible for reviewing the immunization rates for healthcare providers in their respective counties. The Standards of Immunization Practice are created by the American Association of Pediatrics for all providers who immunize. The data determines the percentage of children completely immunized with their initial series of immunizations by their 19th month birthday.

In March, Orleans Community Health Center received a 100 percent rating for children’s immunization coverage by 19 months of age. This is an excellent example of standard of practice for immunizations. NYSDOH has a benchmark of 90 percent rating to receive their Certificate of Excellence.

It is important to make sure you and your children are up to date on all immunizations to not only protect you from harmful diseases, but also for those of you who are in contact with people who have poor immune systems.

If you are unsure what immunizations you and your family needs, talk with your healthcare provider to get up to date. There are also catch-up schedules to make sure you have what you need to protect your health.

Congratulations to Orleans Community Health of Albion for encouraging families to be healthy by meeting the standards. We encourage all healthcare providers to work toward meeting these standards as well. For more information about the immunization standards, call the Orleans County Health Department at 585-589-3278.

Lyndonville wins best-tasting water contest

By Nola Goodrich-Kresse, Public Health Educator for the Orleans County Health Department

Congratulations to Lyndonville Municipal Water System for winning this year’s Orleans County Best-Tasting Water contest. For those who tasted the water, Lyndonville was sample “B”. We appreciate our Municipal Water Systems for providing safe and healthy water to all of our communities.

Now that summer is officially here it is important to remember to stay hydrated – drink water whether you are thirsty or not. Increased heat and activity outdoors brings certain risks with it, particularly dehydration and heat-related illnesses.

Some people are more susceptible than others are to dehydration and heat related illnesses. They include infants, children, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses.

Dehydration is “the excessive (too much) loss of water from the body.” The more physical activity that you engage in, the more water you are likely to lose.

Possible signs of dehydration:

Dry mouth and fatigue.

If you are mildly dehydrated, you might experience muscular pain or pain in the lower back region.

Dark yellowish urine is also a good indicator that dehydration is setting in.

Severe dehydration can cause dizziness, confusion, accelerated heartbeat and eventually, kidney failure.

There are ways you can prevent dehydration from occurring. The most obvious way to prevent dehydration is by drinking a sufficient amount of water to replace the fluids you lose throughout the day. The best way to figure your ideal daily water needs is to take your body weight and divide it in half. This is the number of ounces of fluid you should be consuming on a daily basis through beverages and foods.

For example, a person who weighs 160 pounds should be consuming no less than eight 10-ounce glasses (80 ounces) of water each day. You should drink more than this during extreme heat and/or if you are engaging in physical activity.

Consider these suggestions for keeping yourself well hydrated:

Foods with high water content can help you meet your fluid needs. Some examples include soups, stews, citrus fruits, grapes and melons.

Low-fat and fat-free milk, 100 percent fruit juice and decaffeinated tea and coffee can also count toward your minimum eight glasses of fluid a day.

Develop a habit of staying hydrated. Drink a glass of water when you wake up, one between and at each meal, and one at bedtime to make eight. Remember you need more during hot days or when engaging in physical activity.

Keep bottled water in your car, backpack or desk.

As the summer continues remember to drink plenty of water and take breaks in the shade especially when out working, playing, exercising and at the various festivals and fairs this year.

Millis Memorial tops $100K over 8 years

Provided photos – The winning team includes, from left: Kyle Kurkowski, Greg Johnson, Craig Kurkowski and Ian Weatherbee.

The family of David Millis hosted the 8th annual David R. Millis Memorial Golf Tournament on June 1 at the Batavia Country Club and raised $12,500 to assist families battling cancer.

The tournament has now raised $100,600 over eight years. The money is donated to the Knights-Kaderli Memorial Fund, which is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to helping local families with their fight against cancer.

The money is used to assist with prescriptions, medical insurance, nutritional supplements, hospital beds and many other needs.

This year the tournament had 111 golfers and an additional 48 dinner guests. Craig Kurkowski, Kyle Kurkowski, Greg Johnson and Ian Weatherbee won this year’s tournament. Doug Dombrowski, Ryan Dombrowski, Greg Weber, and Cody McKeller finished in second place.

The tournament also held the following competitions: longest drive (men’s) Bill McDonald, (women’s) Bee Monteverde, straightest drive – Brian Millis, closest to the pin (men’s) Joel MacFaland, (women’s) Carol Jones, Pancreatic Cancer Ribbon of Hope – Wes Bradley, chipping contest – Bob Fraser, and putting green contest – Bob Jones.

The Millis family joined for a photo at the tournament on June 1.

Golfers and dinner guests had a chance to find purple golf balls hidden throughout the golf course and banquet hall to help raise awareness for pancreatic cancer. Millis died from that disease. Anyone who found a purple golf ball won a prize.

“I am so happy we had another fantastic tournament this year,” said David’s wife Joan Millis. “I would like to thank all our sponsors, businesses and everyone who donated raffle items, golfers, dinner guests and volunteers. We couldn’t do it without everyone’s support.”

Next year’s tournament will be held on Sunday June 7. For more information, pictures and updates, click here.

“I would also like to thank our children and their families for all of their hard work and for helping so many families that are going through difficult times,” Mrs. Millis said. “I am very proud of all of them and keeping their Dad’s memory alive.”

By Nola Goodrich-Kresse, Public Health Educator for the Orleans County Health Department

Memorial Day is also the unofficial start of summer with many swimming pools opening for the season. Although swimming is a physical activity that offers many health benefits, pools and other recreational water venues are also a place where germs can be spread and injuries can happen.

Recreational Water Illnesses, also known as RWIs, are caused by germs spreading by swallowing, breathing in, or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, hot tubs/spas, lakes, rivers, or oceans.

Contrary to popular belief, chlorine and other disinfectants do not kill germs instantly. While most germs are killed within minutes, Cryptosporidium (also known as Crypto) can live for days. Before they are killed, these germs can cause RWIs, such as gastrointestinal, skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurologic and wound infections. The most commonly reported RWI is diarrhea caused by germs such as Crypto, Giardia, Shigella, norovirus and E. coli. Swallowing just a mouthful of water that contains these germs can make you sick.

Ways to prevent RWIs include not swallowing the water you swim in, keeping poop (feces), pee (urine) and germs out of the water, checking (or knowing) the free chlorine level (1 -3 mg/L or parts per million) and pH (7.2 – 7.8) before getting into the water, and taking children on bathroom breaks or checking swim diapers every 30 – 60 minutes. Make sure you change your children’s diapers in the bathrooms or away from the water.

As it is important to take precautionary measures to protect yourself against RWIs, also taking the same measures to prevent other injuries while swimming, such as those chemically related, drowning and sunburn are important too!

Chemicals are needed in order to maintain good water quality in a pool but are also responsible for thousands of emergency room visits each year.

ALWAYS:

Secure pool chemicals away from children and animals.

Keep all pool chemicals in original containers.

Read product label and manufacturer’s directions for each use.

Use appropriate protective gear, such as safety glasses and gloves, when handling pool chemicals.

NEVER:

Mix chlorine products with each other, with acid, or with any other substance.

It is a sad reality that every day 10 people die from drowning, and that 2 out of those 10 are children under 15 years old.  Following these steps can help save lives

Staying close, being alert and watching children in and around the pool:

Never leave a child unattended in a pool or spa and always watch your child when he or she is in or near water, it only takes a second to slip under the water.

When using a public pool, always keep alert for your children, do not depend on the lifeguards as they have a lot of people to look after.

Teach children basic water safety tips.

Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to avoid entrapments.

Have a telephone close by when you or your family are using a pool or hot tub/spa.

If a child is missing, look for him or her in the water first.

Share safety instructions with family, friends and neighbors.

Learning and practicing water safety skills:

Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim.

Learn to perform CPR on children and adults, and update those skills regularly.

Understand the basics of life-saving so that you can assist in a pool emergency.

Having appropriate equipment for your pool or spa:

Install a four-foot or taller fence around the pool and spa and use self-closing and self-latching gates.

Install and use a lockable safety cover on your hot tub/spa.

If your house serves as a fourth side of a fence around a pool, install door alarms and always use them. For additional protection, install window guards on windows facing pools or spas.

Install pool and gate alarms to alert you when children go near the water.

Make sure any pool and spa you use has compliant drain covers, ask your pool service provider if you do not know.

Maintain pool and hot tub/spa covers in good working order.  Never walk on pool or spa covers.

Consider using a surface wave or underwater alarm.

While enjoying the water, don’t forget to protect your skin too!  There is no such thing as a “healthy” tan.

Stay in the shade, especially during midday hours:

Wear clothing that covers your arms and legs.

Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade your face, head, ears, and neck.

Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block both UVA and UVB rays.

Use sunscreen with sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher, and both UVA and UVB protection.  Slather it on and refresh it after a couple of hours, after swimming or sweating.

One activity urges public to take precautions against rabies

By Nola Goodrich-Kresse, Public Health Educator for the Orleans County Health Department

This is a big week for Orleans County 6^th graders. Today and Wednesday all 6^th graders will have the opportunity to participate in the Annual Orleans County Conservation Field Days at the 4-H Fairgrounds. The event is organized by the 4-H Youth Development Program of Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension.

This year the Orleans County Health Department will be playing an interactive game called Rabies Alert. Rabies Alert gives the students an opportunity to take on different “identities” such as wild and stray animals, domesticated (pets) animals and people who are possible pet owners.  After a brief discussion about what rabies is, the students shake hands with each other for a minute and then the fun begins.

Once the students have had contact with each other they are then broken into 4 separate categories – wild animals, stray animals, domesticated animals and people.  Health Department educator then walks the students through a mock investigation of a potential rabies exposure.

Each step of the “investigation” is explained and the end result encourages students to make sure their pets are safe and vaccinated against rabies regularly and to stay away from all wildlife as we can never be sure if animals have rabies.

So what is rabies and how do you protect yourself, family and pets?  Rabies is a deadly virus that attacks the nervous system and all mammals, including humans, can get it.  Rabies may or may not show clear symptoms such as staggering, dragging of hind legs, excessive drooling of saliva as the animal or person cannot swallow, fear of water, nocturnal (night active) animals out in the daylight, no fear, the animal may appear tame or have excessive rage and will attack anything including known predators.

Rabies is spread through saliva and nerve tissue of infected animals and is most often seen in skunks, bats, raccoons and foxes. Because bats have very small, sharp teeth, teeth marks may not be noticed or felt, especially if someone was sleeping, is an unattended child or is disabled. Therefore it is important NOT to release bats found in homes that may have had contact with a human or pet. Contact the health department for instructions on how to safely contain a bat.

If there is a possible exposure to rabies, the animal must be tested. The brain tissue of the animal must not be damaged.

If the animal cannot be tested and a potential exposure has occurred, the individuals and domesticated animals are evaluated to determine the risk of infection. Exposed individuals may have to receive a series of shots and the animals will either receive a booster (if vaccinations are current) and period of confinement or, if the animal doesn’t have current vaccinations, it may have to be euthanized (put down).

It is important to report a possible exposure as soon as possible to your doctor and your local County Health Department to determine what steps to take. Immediately wash bites and scratches with soap and water to prevent the virus from spreading to the nervous system and call your doctor. To report bites or scratches from potentially infected animals, call your local County Health Department or after hours, your non-emergency Sheriff’s Department number.

The majority of exposures received at the Health Department are due to carelessness. To protect yourself and family members avoid touching ALL wildlife and stray animals, including baby animals, and assume they could be infected with rabies.

If your pet has had contact with a wild or stray animal do not touch your pet as it may have saliva on its fur. Use rubber gloves and confine your animal to avoid contact with its fur.

Protect your animals and home by not leaving food and water where wild animals and strays can have a free lunch.  Fix all openings in your home and outbuildings and tightly cover garbage cans so animals can’t get access. Make sure your animals have current rabies vaccine. Do not allow your animals to roam, as they are at increased risk of exposure.

ALBION Five years ago Orleans County officials welcomed ProAct Inc. to the community so residents without health insurance or limited insurance could get a discount on prescriptions.

The program is free to residents and the county government. ProAct has saved county residents $645,000 in the five years on 21,000 prescriptions, company officials reported to the Legislature.

“That’s money going directly back into residents’ pockets which they can spend on other essentials,” Kayse Diamond, communications coordinator for ProAct, told county legislators on Wednesday.

The program saves residents an average of 36 percent on prescription drugs, and residents can even catch a break on medicine for their pets. The discounts tend to range from 10 percent to 20 percent off of brand drugs and 20 percent to 50 percent discounts on generic prescriptions.

“The program has been a godsend for us,” said Legislature Chairman David Callard.

ProAct is a subsidiary of Kinney Drugs. ProAct runs the program for free, with the hope it will boost foot traffic to its stores.

The company is seeing about a 20 percent drop in utilization of the prescription cards due to lower unemployment, Diamond said.

“More people are getting jobs with benefits,” she said.

The company signs up participating pharmacies that agree to offer the discounts. The company also runs a discount program for dental and eye care coverage.

For more information or to sign up for a card, click here.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Bill Gajewski, administrator for Orleans Community Health in Albion, said the site at the corner of Route 31 and Butts Road is serving community needs and will provide more services as an urgent care site. Beginning the week of June 2, it will be open seven days a week.

ALBION – A healthcare center that opened in November 2012 in Albion will become an urgent care center on June 2 with expanded hours and services.

The Orleans Community Health location will be open seven days a week with later weekday hours. The site at the corner of Butts Road and Route 31 will do non life-threatening care such as X-rays, stitches, lab services for blood and urine, bandages and some other treatments, including care for strep throat and lacerations.

“People will be able to take care of their bee stings and if their kid falls off his skateboard,” said Bill Gajewski, administrator for the Orleans Community Health’s center in Albion.

The urgent care services will ease the demands at hospital emergency departments and provide quicker care for the Albion and eastern Orleans community, Gajewski said.

The center currently has 14 full-time equivalents. It is adding two or three more staff with the shift to urgent care. The urgent care model follows a push from President Obama and the Affordable Care Act to make health care more accessible and less costly, Gajewski said.

“Part of Obamacare is transitioning costs from the emergency departments, which are very expensive,” he said.

Bill Gajewski is pictured in the physical therapy room at the Orleans Community Health in Albion.

He and Orleans Community Health are working on other initiatives to make the Albion center stronger. He would like to see inmates at the Orleans and Albion correctional facilities receive X-rays, physicals and other care from OCH. That would provide a steady source of revenue for the center, and also assist the state Department of Correctional Services by shortening drives for inmate care.

Gajewski also wants to connect with schools and local businesses to have the Albion site be used for employee physicals and drug screenings.

The Albion site could also be federally designated as a rural health clinic, which would boost the Medicaid reimbursement rate by $75 from the current $11 per patient, he said.

Gajewski joined OCH in February. He previously worked as executive director/CEO of St Vincent Medical Group in Erie, Pa., vice president of The Grider Initiative at Erie County Medical Center, and president of WNY Breast Health in Amherst.

“I am very pleased to be part of this dynamic and growing health center,” Gajewski said about leading the Albion site. “We will soon be a designated Urgent Care Center, which will expand the health services available to our community. We will also be expanding Occupational Health Services to provide pre-employment physicals and drug testing for local employers. Discussions are also underway to explore the possibility of adding to our Nurse Practioner staff. I’m looking forward to being a part of this exciting expansion.”

By Nola Goodrich-Kresse, Public Health Educator for the Orleans County Health Department

You may have been hearing and seeing a lot about electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) or ‘vaping’ lately. There are so many mixed messages both in print, on television and through social media.

The manufacturers of e-cigarettes are marketing e-cigarettes as a “healthier” way to get nicotine. Unfortunately, they neglect to note that nicotine in any form is a poison.

E-cigarettes are a battery-powered nicotine delivery system using flavored vapor. They are designed to allow users to mimic the ritual of smoking a cigarette while inhaling nicotine.

Some may think e-cigarettes are safer than smoking a cigarette, however there are no clear studies to show this. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not currently approved e-cigarettes as an effective method to help smokers quit. Initial studies have shown that the actual amounts of nicotine and other additives do not always match the labeling.

The long-term health effects of using electronic cigarettes are unknown.  Detailed laboratory tests do suggest these products contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals to which users could be exposed.  E-cigarettes also release secondhand vapor (not smoke) that can be seen and smelled.

Producers of e-cigarettes add various additives including flavors that include candy or fruit flavors which may be enticing to children. The potential for this becoming a gateway for youth to become addicted to nicotine is great.

Because of the marketing the manufacturers are using many think this is a harmless alternative to regular cigarettes. This is not true. Any products designed to deliver more than a trace amounts of nicotine can lead to addiction.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there is a rapid rise in the increase of e-cigarette-related calls to poison centers. In September of 2010 there was generally one call per month about poisoning from e-cigarettes. In February 2014 the average is 215 calls per month to poison centers across the nation. The number of calls involving regular cigarettes did not show a similar increase during the same time period.

More than half of the calls to poison centers due to e-cigarettes involved young children under age 5 and about 42 percent of the poison calls involved people age 20 and older.

Liquid nicotine is a poison and can be very hazardous when swallowed (ingestion), inhalation or absorption through the skin or eyes.

New York State law prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes to youth less than 18 years of age.  It is important to remember nicotine is a poison and to e-cigarettes and the cartridges with the nicotine liquid out of reach of children and handle them carefully.

If you think someone may have been poisoned by liquid nicotine, call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222, your health care provider or if the person is unconscious, 9-1-1 for medical assistance.