11 Nov 2009 |
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Heart & Sole provides fundsThe St. Vincent Healthcare Foundation last week presented a $7,500 check to the Billings YMCA Strong Kids – Youth Support Campaign. This funding will provide scholarships for children otherwise unable to access YMCA programs. On June 13, the St. Vincent Healthcare Heart & Sole event celebrated 30 years. For the first time ever the Heart & Sole Event exceeded 2,000 entries with nearly 2,500 runners, walkers and participants. This year 907 people entered the Heart & Sole for the first time ever. Proceeds from the annual Heart & Sole Run/Walk provide scholarships for people with serious heart or lung problems who need supervised exercise programs but can’t afford them, and scholarships for youth to take part in the Billings YMCA Strong Kids – Youth Support Campaign. The YMCA Strong Kids - Youth Support Campaign is an effort to ensure that everyone in the community can participate in the YMCA regardless of the ability to pay. Billings Clinic wins awardBillings Clinic has received the 2009 American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award. The award recognizes Billings Clinic’s care for stroke patients, according to evidence-based guidelines. To receive the award, Billings Clinic achieved 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get with the Guidelines-Stroke Performance Achievement indicators for two or more consecutive 12-month intervals and achieved 75 percent or higher compliance with six of 10 Get with the Guidelines-Stroke Quality Measures, which are reporting initiatives to measure quality of care. These measures include aggressive use of medications, such as tPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol reducing drugs and smoking cessation, all aimed at reducing death and disability and improving the lives of stroke patients.
Blue Cross fights fluHELENA – “Fight the Flu with Blue” is a statewide grassroots, mass media, and online public service campaign that started last month. Sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana, Fight the Flu with Blue is a proactive effort to encourage behavior and communication among Montanans that will help prevent the spread of disease and flu. First and foremost, the campaign encourages all Montanans to: • Cover your cough. • Avoid public gatherings when sick. • Wash your hands vigorously. • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. “The flu can be a dangerous disease that can be avoided as long as people work together to help prevent its spread,” said Fred Olson, chief medical officer for BCBSMT. “As we go about our day, we can protect ourselves, our families, and our colleagues with simple, yet important, practices that can help prevent the spread of disease and flu. The ‘Fight the Flu with Blue’ campaign will help emphasize the importance of flu prevention. As well, it will complement the good work of Montana’s public health officials, schools, providers, and the Centers for Disease control.” BCBSMT is providing flu prevention kits as well. These flu prevention kits include educational posters and antibacterial hand washing gel/wipes that can be placed in the home, in businesses, or throughout a building. This public service effort includes a statewide multimedia educational campaign. Print, online, radio, indoor, and billboard messages are encouraging Montanans to help prevent the spread of disease and flu (see Page 10). The campaign also includes Montana Public Radio and Yellowstone Public Radio sponsorships. Montanans can order a flu prevention kit by going to www.bcbsmt.com or calling 1-800-438-2268. In addition, BCBSMT members who receive the H1N1 vaccination will not have to pay any costs associated with the administration of the vaccine.  |
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