The American Red Cross is 126 Years Old Today

On May 21, 1881, Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross. The volunteers who make up this organization give disaster aid both nationally and internationally. They supply close to 50% of America's donated blood and blood products, as well as contribute to society through biomedical research.

The American Red Cross is also known for helping to bridge the communication gap between military personnel and their families. Other organizations are beginning to follow this lead to recognize the needs of our Nation's military personnel, as noted in my post from May 6, 2007.

In addition to all of these objectives, these volunteers serve through mitigation and education. They help to keep the public informed on a number of safety topics (such as some of the safety tips posted on Saturday), and by such the American Red Cross also strives to help prevent accidents.

To find the Red Cross nearest you, or to learn more about this organization, please visit the link below

Reduce Some of the Risks of Cancer During Summer Cookouts

HCAs (heterocyclic amines) and PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) can be triggered in meat that is cooked for long periods of time over a high heat. Some of the amino acids and creatinine found in animal muscles produce a reaction that stimulates these cancer-causing compounds. To help reduce the risk of creating the optimal environment for these dangerous compounds at your cookout this year, the following tips may be tried:

• Pre-cook meat to reduce the amount of HCAs by placing it in the microwave or boiling water before cooking the meat on a grill. This will reduce the total cook time and temperature needed.
• Marinating meats reduces the amounts of these compounds as well.
• Reduce the risk of PAHs by trimming the fat and/or using lean meat. PAH levels increase as the fat drips off of the meat and onto the grill. As the smoke rises up from the fat drippings, the PAHs found in the smoke are then cooked right into the meat.
• Don't limit your picnic to grill-only foods.

There are several informative sites on the internet where more information can be obtained about this and similar topics. Visit the links below for a few places to start

Memorial Day

Memorial Day, celebrated on the last Monday of every May in the United States, is a time of rememberance for our country's men and women who have died in service to America. It is a day to honor the sacrifices these brave Americans portrayed to help keep our country free. For medical transcriptionists, this day might hold memories of medical reports transcribed to preserve the medical record of one or more of these men and women.

Memorial Day is also viewed by many as the unofficial start of summer activities. This becomes a very busy time of the year for health care workers as accident rates begin to soar while more people spend their time on the road, at pools or lakes, at sporting events, and other such activities. Help to keep your family safe this summer by practicing safety rules and precautions. View my previous posts for some of these tips and guidelines as well as links to other informative sites

Quality Care Reporting

Value-based purchasing is a concept that might be seen more and more in the near future from health care providers. P.Q.R.I., or Physician Quality Reporting Initiative, is a program established by Medicare. During the summer, a federal law was established which provides a 1.5 percent pay incentive for physicians to report quality measures through this program.

As more physicians begin to utilize quality care reporting, it is estimated by researchers that an increased number of less-ill patients will be treated. This, in turn, could possibly be the next big breakthrough in health care as more serious illnesses are caught and prevented in the earlier stages. This turn of events might eventually bring about lower health care costs as patients are being treated before more costly treatments are needed to reestablish good health.

I hope everyone had a safe summer and a happy Labor Day! I am looking forward to resuming my medical transcription blog! I am going to be changing the format to a weekly review of events rather than daily postings.

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is Mother's Day, and that made me start thinking about all of the information I have read, such as posts and articles on the internet that are written by women who began a career in medical transcription so that they could stay home with their children.

Actually, I first heard about medical transcription from one such woman when I was a child. Her name was Melissa Grigg. She was a wonderful, creative, highly intelligent and devoted mother, mentor, and medical transcriptionist. Melissa Grigg was my aunt, but she was more like a second mother to me. The discussions we shared about medical transcription and the medical field helped to shape my interest in pursuing this career myself.

Medical transcription is not an easy career, and neither is motherhood. However, they are two of the most rewarding decisions a woman can make in life. Happy Mother's Day to all of the women out there making the difference as medical transcriptionists and mothers!

Food for Thought

Children emulate what they observe their parents doing. Parents can set a good example for their children by making healthier food selections. One place to start is by speaking with a dietician at your local hospital. He or she can help to create a healthy diet plan for the individual needs of your family. There is also a wealth of information and tips at: http://mypyramid.gov/. Also worth noting is the "MyPyramid for Kids" section of the site. It includes a PDF explaining the key concepts behind it in addition to educational activities for children and tips for families about nutrition and exercise.

Obesity is a growing topic in the news as more research is uncovering health issues related to obesity. Education about nutrition and exercise might help to alleviate this health issue. If children observe their parents establishing healthy eating practices, they too will begin to eat better foods. This, in turn, would produce another generation of more health-conscious individuals as the cycle of healthy eating habits was taught to the next generation of children.

May is National Stroke Awareness Month

Stroke, also known more recently as "brain attack," is a very serious issue in America. A stroke is caused by a blood clot that clogs an artery or blood vessel and disrupts the blood flow to part or parts of the brain. It is the third leading cause of death and the No. 1 cause of adult disability, according to the National Stroke Association.

http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=HOME

It is important to become educated about strokes because up to 80% of them are preventable, and if hospital treatment is received within 3 hours of having a stroke, some symptoms may be reversable.
I read a poster in a local hospital recently that coincides with information at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke. The poster was designed to give non-medically trained individuals some basic information that might help to recognize a stroke. Instructions were given in the information to have a suspected stroke victim follow a simple set of tasks that would be difficult for someone having a stroke to follow. Those instructions are:

• Ask the individual to smile.
• Ask the individual to raise both arms and keep them raised.
• Ask the individual to speak a simple sentence (coherently). For example, "It is sunny out today."

There is a great deal of information about strokes on both of these sites, as well as across the internet. Please take the time to read more about this topic. When it comes to strokes, time matters. The more time it takes a person to receive medical care, the less chance of brain restoration or survival there is for that individual.