April Welcome to Medicare Seminar

 

August is Child Eye Health and Safety Month

 

    With schools starting again, what better time to talk about child eye health and safety.

Did you know that 80% of classroom activities are taught visually? It can be hard on eyes to read white boards at school and now many children also use Chromebook computers to complete assignments, which can also strain their eyes. Let’s start the school year off right and make sure our children have no problems seeing.

            Why not get your child in for an eye exam? When children are not able to see well it doesn’t only effect their academic ability, but also puts a strain on their extracurricular activities such as band or sports.  Just imagine trying to play an instrument and not being able to read the notes or throwing a football and your eye site is blurry.

            Some common signs of vision problems that your child may have to give you a clue that there may be a problem include: rubbing eyes, squinting/squeezing eyes, turning his/her head to focus on an object, and reports of headaches.

            Eye safety is just as important as eye health. Every year many children sustain an eye injury, but many of the injuries could have been prevented if precautions had been taken. Injuries can happen at any time, whether it be from fireworks, toys, etc.  Always purchase toys that meet the safety standards of American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and wear protective eyewear when necessary.  Most protective eyewear is made from a lightweight polycarbonate and is activity-specific. Corrective lenses and regular eyeglasses are NOT sufficient.

            If your child should experience an eye injury, DO NOT let your child rub their eye- if there is debris in the eye it can easily be scratched.  If chemicals get into the eye, wash the eye immediately with cold water.  If you have tried rinsing their eye and the debris does not come out, DO NOT try and remove it manually. This could cause an eye infection and/or damage; seek medical treatment in such cases.

            We all want our children to start the school year out right, let’s help protect their little eyes as much as we can!  

 

2020 HMH Board of Trustees

Back Row: 
Vance Lundell, Christina Kjar-Hanson, Kelli Boyle, David Forbes, Cole Boger

Front Row:   
Keith Robinson, Secretary; Peter Goldsmith, Vice Chair; Jean Burns, Chair; and Jennifer Conover, Treasurer

MASK UP IDA COUNTY!

It has been six months since the first U.S. Novel Coronavirus 2019 case was confirmed in Washington State on January 21, 2020.  During this time we have learned a lot about COVID-19. But many aspects of this virus are still unknown such as how many virus particles must a person be exposed to before they get sick.   

We do know that the virus spreads by respiratory droplets.  Coughing, sneezing, singing, talking and breathing release droplets.   Infected people can spread the virus up to 48 hours before they get symptoms.  Some people become infected but do not develop symptoms and it is unknown what role these people have in viral spread. 

The most effective ways to protect yourself include washing your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds or using hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available, and physically distancing yourself from others.  Wearing a face covering when in public and unable to maintain a physical distance of six feet does offer protection against the spread of COVID-19.  Because it’s possible to have coronavirus without showing symptoms, it is best to wear a face covering even if you think you are healthy. A mask worn over the nose and mouth helps contain small droplets that come out of your mouth and/or nose when you talk, sneeze or cough. If you have COVID-19 and are not showing symptoms, a face mask reduces your chance of spreading the infection to others. If you are healthy, a mask may protect you from larger droplets from people around you.

Coronavirus.iowa.gov provides current statistics about COVID-19 activity in each county, resources, guidance and Test Iowa information.  County case numbers may fluctuate.  Cases are assigned to counties by zip code.  When local public health departments complete the case interview, the county of residence is verified and the county case number is adjusted accordingly.

Horn Welcomes New Surgeon

Horn Memorial Hospital is pleased to welcome general surgeon, Dr. James Hegvik.  Dr. Hegvik sees patients in the specialty clinic and does surgeries on Tuesdays at Horn Memorial Hospital.  Dr. Hegvik specializes in general surgery services including, but not limited to, hernia repair, minimally invasive surgery, surgical oncology, colon and rectal surgery, trauma, critical care and endoscopy.

Dr. Hegvik received his Doctorate at the University of North Dakota School Of Medicine and completed his residency at the Iowa Methodist Medical Center. In addition to his education, he has published research in the Journal of American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Hegvik shared, “As a surgeon, one of the most rewarding aspects of my career is building strong relationships with patients. By listening and taking time with patients, along with the use of the most current surgical techniques, I will be able to provide individualized care plans for the best possible outcome. I look forward to working with patients to make them feel comfortable and confident with their care.”

We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Hegvik and are excited to add his knowledge and experience in surgical care to Horn Memorial as we continue to strive to meet the healthcare needs of the people in our community.