Free medication drop off Saturday at Bedford police station

On Saturday, law enforcement personnel from across North Texas will work with the Drug Enforcement Administration to take back medications. This is an effort to collect prescription medications to ensure they are safely destroyed. The event is also happening across the country.

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford will be helping to dispose of containers of insulin needles collected at the drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The closest collection site to the hospital is at the Bedford police station at 2121 L. Don Dodson Drive. For more information on other collection sites or the initiative overall, click here for a story from the Star-Telegram about the event.

“We are happy to be assisting the Bedford police by helping to safely dispose of any needles associated with medication administration that may be collected at Saturday’s event,” said Debra Culmer, Infection Prevention Coordinator, at Texas Health HEB.

If you can’t make the event Saturday, or want more information on safe disposal of medications, check out the tips provided in this previous blog.

Sorting through the mammogram debate

Here we go again!

You may have seen a range of headlines this morning debating the effectiveness of mammography. “Mammograms offer ‘modest’ benefit, Study says” or “New Study Questions mammograms.” Or “Study: Mammograms safe lives – Just not as many as expected.”

In the past year it seems like the debate on mammograms has continued raging despite so much overwhelming evidence to support the benefits of mammography. The news media seems focused on the article of the researchers from Norway where mammograms are done every two years for women between the ages of 50 and 69; additionally, the entire study is “observational,” which means there is some question as to validity of the data collection because the comparison groups are not really comparable.

If one continues to read the New England Journal of Medicine, there is an editorial in the same edition by Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, and he states that “In the past 50 years, more than 600,000 women have participated in 10 randomized trials, each involving approximately 10 years of follow-up.” These studies have shown the overwhelming benefits of mammography. He goes on to say that “… no one can argue that screening mammography is one of the most important services we provide in medicine.”

Bottom line – mammography saves women’s lives, whether it is one per thousand or 100 per thousand. Would you want to be the one woman who did not get a mammogram and die from breast cancer? It is that simple, why not do everything we can do to save lives? Mammography is relatively inexpensive compared to the treatment cost of breast cancer. Do what is in the best interest of you and your family! If you are 50 or over, get a yearly mammogram. The United States Preventative Services Task Force encourages women ages 40 to 49 to talk with their health care provider and make informed decisions about when to start mammography screening. If you are under 40, go for your yearly physician’s visit and get a clinical breast exam. For more information, go to www.komen.org or www.cancer.org.

As for myself, I’m sticking with my yearly mammogram schedule.

Mary Lou Wilson, RN, BSN
Director, Women's Services
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford

A moment for safety

This is National Child Passenger Safety Week and I plan to celebrate the week by volunteering this Saturday at a child passenger safety event. Because I am passionate about helping new parents learn about using their child safety seats correctly, I am working on becoming a Child Passenger Safety Technician Instructor. 

Even though I am past age 50, I love getting in and out of vehicles as I teach parents about the importance child passenger safety. It has been a long and hot summer, and being in and out of vehicles is tough work, but I go home feeling like what I do can make a big difference for a new family as they keep baby safe while driving in their car, which for some families is several times a day. 

Driving your car is probably the riskiest thing you do on a daily basis, and adding your precious cargo – the new baby – should make you want to be the safest parent on the block!  I work with brand new parents every day at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford and hope these tips will help other new parents as they prepare to go out into the world with their new baby.

·         Choose your baby’s car seat based on safety ratings and ease of use.  This is much more important than the fabric in the seat and how it fits into the stroller!

·         Choose a seat that keeps your baby rear-facing as long as possible.  Some seats go to 40 pounds rear-facing, which is the safest position for your baby.  According to a 2008 article in Pediatrics, children under age 2 are 75% less likely to be killed or suffer severe injuries in a car crash if they are riding rear facing rather than forward facing!!

·         Avoid a pre-owned seat if possible.  Newer seats are easier to use and have improved safety features.

·         Read the entire manual to the child safety seat and the manual to your vehicle under “Child Passenger Safety.”

·         Practice installing your seat in the center of the back seat of the vehicle, which is the safest location.  Then, call 1-877-THR-WELL to schedule your free inspection from a Texas Health Child Passenger Safety Technician.  We will check your work and help as needed to be sure your precious cargo is safe!

·         Bring two receiving blankets when you come to the hospital for possible use in your seat and plan to bring baby home in clothes that has legs.

·         Plan for one adult to sit next to baby in the back seat of the vehicle for awhile.

·         Use the child safety seat for every ride in the car, and always take the time to snug up the harness straps.

·         Set a good example by wearing your seat belt every time you drive or ride in a vehicle!

Julie Smith, RN, MS

Perinatal Educator

Child Passenger Safety Technician

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford

Leading the fight against blood clots

Blood clots are one of the leading causes of complications in United States hospitals, claiming an estimated 300,000 lives each year.

Dr. Susann Land, vice president and chief quality officer at Texas Health HEB, is leading a High Impact Performance Improvement (HIPI) project designed to prevent deadly blood clots from forming in both medical and surgical patients across the Texas Health system.

Bosu Balance training Part 3

Mike Moore and Ryan Karnes of Texas Health Sports Performance HEB wrap up their three-part series on using the Bosu Ball to improve balance and core strength. Have you tried the tips and found them helpful? What other workout topics would you be interested in hearing about? If you have further questions about the programs offered by Texas Health Sports Performance HEB, Mike and Ryan can be reached at 817-685-5858.

Extreme makeover: lobby edition

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford’s lobby is getting an extreme makeover.

We are excited that during the next few months we will move the Texas Health HEB gift shop and chapel to provide larger spaces for each.  And the space and furniture are getting spruced up to provide an open area to welcome our patients and their families.

But with any progress there is typically some pain as well. Because the entire lobby will be renovated, we have moved services traditionally held in the main lobby. For more details, please see the map above. For example, the valet parking stand has been moved to the Ambulatory Care entrance. Diagnostic Outpatient Admissions has moved to the lobby of the Edwards Cancer Center on the backside of the hospital. Inpatient and Outpatient Surgery admissions has moved to the Outpatient Surgery area.

During the renovation, the chapel will be expanded and given a beautiful and serene indoor/outdoor component. While that space is being constructed, chapel services will be held in the East Conference Room on Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. Chaplain services are still available for patients and their families 24-7 though by calling 817-848-4811. A full list of services is available here.

Once the dust settles, sometime around March, we hope that Texas Health HEB patients will enjoy an environment that is open and airy. During the next few months we’ll show you progress and a sneak peak at what the final project will look like. In the meantime, if you run into any challenges navigating around, please let us know.

Thank you for your support of the hospital and we look forward to unveiling the beautiful new lobby next year. 

Bosu Balance training Part 2

Fitness trainers Mike Moore, BS, CSCS, and Ryan Karnes, BS, of Texas Health Sports Performance HEB work with clients each day helping them to improve their overall health. Moore and Karnes have teamed up to offer a series of workout tips. Check back next Tuesday for the last in the Bosu Balance training tip series. For more information about either of the trainers, please check out the websites for the Texas Health Fitness Center HEB and Texas Health Sports Performance HEB or call 817-685-5858.

Bosu Balance training Part 1

Fitness trainers Mike Moore, BS, CSCS, and Ryan Karnes, BS, of Texas Health Sports Performance HEB work with clients each day helping them to improve their overall health. Moore and Karnes have teamed up to offer a series of workout tips. Check back each Tuesday for additional video blogs with tips. The Bosu balance series will run for three weeks. For more information about either of the trainers, please check out the websites for the Texas Health Fitness Center HEB and Texas Health Sports Performance HEB or call 817-685-5858.

The importance of staying close to home

I can’t think of a single person who wants to travel far from home when they’re sick. And when the sickness is depression or another mental health condition the energy to travel can be even more elusive, especially in traffic around here.

That’s in part why Texas Health Springwood Hospital decided to open a facility in Azle. In the past two years the number of Azle residents seeking treatment at Texas Health Springwood Hospital in Bedford has increased by 40 percent. As of this week though, those patients can now stay near home for outpatient care for psychiatric and chemical dependency treatment. This could easily save patients more than two hours of drive time each day.

It’s not just the individual needing help that the close proximity of treatment helps. Family members and friends are a crucial piece of the support system to help an individual recover. Many times family and friends are juggling work and home responsibilities while helping to care for their sick loved one. Commuting for treatment can place an even greater burden on those who are already struggling under the weight of the situation, so having a treatment center close to home helps them as well.

“It is crucial that individuals be able to stay near their loved ones when undergoing intensive treatment,” said Ramona Osburn, director of Texas Health Springwood Hospital. “We see so many patients from Azle and the surrounding communities it was a natural fit to open the center along with the new education center at Texas Health Azle.”

In the past few years, Texas Health Springwood has opened similar sites in Allen, Arlington, Southlake, and Southwest Fort Worth.

Patients may be referred from a physician, therapist, or psychiatrist. Patients or family members also may call 817-355-7771 to schedule a free assessment to determine if treatment is needed.

Jennifer Erickson
Sr. Public Relations Specialist
Texas Health HEB