Category: Medical News

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend the practice of universal masking when in public and interacting with others. Universal masking, in addition to the practices
of physical distancing and proper hygiene, helps to curb the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

HSHS St. Vincent, St. Mary’s, St. Nicholas and St. Clare Memorial Hospitals, in partnership with Prevea Health, offer the
following answers to some of the most frequently-asked-questions about universal masking.

What does “universal masking” mean?
It means that everyone (if able) should wear a mask. There are some exceptions, including children under the age of two, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

What type of mask should I wear?
Medical-grade masks, such as surgical masks or N95s, should be reserved for medical personnel only during this critical time. Therefore, the CDC recommends cloth masks for community members. There are tutorials for making masks with and without a sewing a machine, here. Some tutorials call for the use of common items, such as t-shirts and bandanas, with no sewing required.

When should I wear a cloth mask?
You should wear your cloth mask if you must leave your home for any public setting such as a grocery store, gas station, pharmacy or other essential business. You should also wear it if you are interacting with anyone outside your home for any reason.

Will wearing a cloth mask prevent me from contracting COVID-19?
Wearing a cloth mask is not guaranteed to prevent you from contracting COVID-19, and it is important physical distancing (stay at least 6 feet from others) is still practiced while wearing one.

If wearing a cloth mask will not guarantee me full protection from COVID-19, then why is it important I wear one?
Studies show a significant portion of individuals infected with COVID-19 do not show symptoms, and that even those who eventually develop symptoms can transmit the virus before showing symptoms. Wearing a cloth mask can help to keep your respiratory secretions (where the virus can live) contained and prevent them from spreading to others. A mask can also prevent you from touching your nose and mouth, where the virus can easily be spread.

Should cloth masks be washed or cleaned?
Yes. They should be routinely washed in a washing machine, or with soap and water, depending on frequency of use.

How does one safely remove a used cloth mask?
Individuals should be careful not to touch their eyes, nose and mouth when removing their mask, and wash hands immediately after removing.

A new episode of Prevea Health’s podcast, Plug in to Health, is dedicated to helping listeners better understand
universal masking. COVID-19: Understanding Universal Masking is available now on Plug in to Health, which can be
accessed on all major podcasting platforms, including Apple and Spotify, as well as at: www.prevea.com/podcast.

In an effort to further control the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) into our hospitals as well as throughout the community, Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) is implementing updated visitor restrictions at the following hospitals, effective 7 a.m. on March 21, 2020:

• HSHS St. Vincent Hospital, Green Bay
• HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital, Green Bay
• HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center, Green Bay
• HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital, Sheboygan
• HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital, Oconto Falls
• Libertas Treatment Center, Green Bay and Marinette

Visitors are not allowed at any of the above-mentioned locations until further notice. The new and only exception to this policy allows for ONE (1) approved adult visitor, who is cold/flu symptom-free, for the duration of a patient’s stay under the following circumstances:

• Obstetrical patients may have ONE (1) support person.
• Pediatric patients under the age of 18 may have ONE (1) parent or guardian present.
• Patients nearing end-of-life may have ONE (1) support person; extenuating circumstances will be evaluated.
• Outpatient services patients should ask their support person to wait in the car until their service is complete.
• Patients having surgery may have ONE (1) support person.
• Patients seeking emergency care may have ONE (1) support person who is required to be in the patient room at all times; extenuating circumstances will be evaluated.

It is imperative to make these changes for the safety of all patients and hospital staff to reduce the risk of infection and to preserve important health care resources during this time of a public health emergency. We understand how important it is for loved ones to be able to connect to patients during times of need, and so we encourage the use of cell phone calls, text or video chat if available. Loved ones can also call our hospitals directly to be connected to patients’ rooms via telephone.

• HSHS St. Vincent: (920) 433-0111
• HSHS St. Mary’s: (920) 498-4200
• HSHS St. Nicholas: (920) 459-8300
• HSHS St. Clare Memorial : (920) 846-3444

Although colon cancer is a preventable and curable disease if caught early, it remains the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. The experts at HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital and Prevea Health provide highly-effective screening, prevention and treatment of colon cancer.

The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons recommends people at an average risk of getting colon cancer receive a colonoscopy beginning at age 50. Increased risk patients may need earlier and more frequent screening depending upon recommendation by a health care provider.

People at an increased risk for colon cancer include:

• Those with a personal or family history of colorectal polyps or cancer
• Those with a personal history of breast, uterine or ovarian cancer
• Those with chronic ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease

In addition to regular screening for colon cancer, you may also be able to lower your risk by:

• Avoiding foods in high fat
• Adding plenty of vegetables, fruits and other high-fiber foods to your diet
• Exercising regularly and maintaining a normal body weight
• Not smoking
• Drinking alcohol only in moderation

Warning signs of colon cancer can include:

• Blood in or on the stool
• Recurrent shifts in normal bowel habits such as experiencing diarrhea or constipation for no known reason
• Thinning of the stool
• Increases in stomach discomfort (bloating, gas, fullness and/or cramps that last more than a few days)
• A feeling that the bowel does not empty completely
• Weight loss for no known reason
• Constant and unexplained fatigue

Those interested in recognizing Colon Cancer Awareness month are encouraged to wear blue for National Dress in Blue Day on Friday, March 6. For more information about colon cancer screening, prevention and treatment, or to schedule an appointment, call (920) 429-1700.

February is American Heart Month, and HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital and Prevea Health are committed to raising awareness about the symptoms of heart attacks.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds in the United States. If you notice symptoms of a heart attack in yourself of someone else, call 9-1-1 immediately. The chances of survival are greater the sooner emergency treatment begins.

The five major symptoms of a heart attack for men and women include:

• Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck or back
• Feeling weak, light-headed or faint
• Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back
• Pain or discomfort in arms or shoulders
• Shortness of breath, with or without chest comfort

In addition to these symptoms, women are more likely to experience:

• Unusual or unexplained tiredness
• Nausau or vomiting

How cold weather may play a role:
Cold weather does not increase the risk of heart attack for the average healthy person, but it can be problematic for someone with underlying heart disease. Those with underlying heart disease may already have narrowing of the blood vessels. Cold weather, especially sub-zero temperatures, can cause the vessels to constrict even further, limiting blood flow to vital organs and potentially resulting in a heart attack.

For more information about heart attack and heart disease, please visit the “Heart Care” resources section of www.prevea.com. A podcast episode featuring Prevea interventional cardiologist, Dr. Todd Fergus, and his experiences in caring for those affected by heart attack, is also available now on Prevea Health’s new podcast, Plug In to Health on Apple, Spotify and www.prevea.com/podcast. Look for “Heart Attack: What You Need to Know.”

Children with complex dental needs and who are uninsured or underinsured will now have greater access to care thanks to a new collaboration between HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls and the Brown County-based Oral Health Partnership (OHP).

Oral Health Partnership, a nonprofit founded in Green Bay in 2005, provides underserved children living in Brown County and surrounding counties access to preventive, restorative and emergency dental services at no cost. It offers a school-based dental care program, three clinic locations throughout Green Bay, and partners with three Green Bay hospitals – including HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center – to provide treatment for complex dental conditions that require an operating room setting.

“This year, OHP is on track to serve more than 10,000 children and accommodate more than 20,000 dental appointments,” said Michael Schwartz, Executive Director at OHP. “The addition of HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital to our partnership allows us to treat more children in need of hospital-based care. We are immensely grateful for their partnership, as well as the continued partnership of HSHS St. Vincent and St. Mary’s.”

In early 2018, the OHP wait list for those in need of hospital-based dental care was at more than 250 children. The recent addition of HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital as an OHP partner has helped to reduce the current waiting list to approximately 50 children.

“Our hospital’s vision is to provide health, healing and hope to all we serve, and we are proud to join our sister-hospitals in Green Bay to assist the OHP in providing a service that is greatly needed for underserved children,” said Chris Brabant, President and CEO at HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital. “Our partnership with OHP also means that children who live in our rural, northern communities and in need of this type of care can now access it closer to home.”

As an OHP partner, HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital provides operating room space and the assistance of its surgical staff to OHP physicians at no cost to OHP or the patient. The nonprofit hospital also obtained a grant from Delta Dental of Wisconsin to purchase the surgical instruments for OHP physicians to perform the necessary procedures. Procedures may include the treatment of multiple cavities in young children, abscessed teeth and/or teeth extraction.

“In some cases, these complex dental conditions can be life-threatening, and that is why increasing access to this type of care is so important,” said Schwartz.

HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital also provides the services of Child Life Specialists for each child that comes to the hospital to have a dental procedure. Child Life Specialists are specially trained in helping put children who may be anxious about their procedure at ease.

Oral Health Partnership serves children ages 0 to 19. Those interested in learning more can call (920) 965-0831 or visit www.smilegb.org. Underinsured or uninsured adults in need of dental care may contact the N.E.W. Dental Clinic at (920) 272-9300.

Prevea Health is pleased to announce a four-year contract extension with professional athlete, Aaron Rodgers, to support its health and wellness initiatives throughout eastern and western Wisconsin. Prevea (pronouncer: prev’AY-uh) and Rodgers began their official partnership in 2012.

“This relationship goes far beyond the idea of a celebrity serving as a spokesperson,” said Ashok Rai, MD, President and CEO, Prevea Health. “As one of the most respected athletes in the country, Aaron is truly passionate about improving the health and wellness of our communities. His commitment to our message and his ability to add his own personal twist comes from his own passion of improving the health and wellness of Wisconsin. We are proud to call him a member of the Prevea family.”

Most recently, Prevea and Rodgers launched an advertising campaign called Senses focusing on what healthy looks like, feels like and sounds like – recognizing that it looks, feels and sounds different to each person. In the commercials, Rodgers shares openly how these thoughts, with Prevea, can help people stay in tune with their health and happiness.

“When I think about my legacy and what I want to be remembered for, I want to know that at the end of the day I made an impact on the communities that have meant so much to me,” said Rodgers. “When I think about the past several years and my partnership with Prevea, I am able to look back at all the things we did together that made a difference to people’s health and wellness. We’ve been able to do some pretty incredible things and I look forward to continuing to build on that.”

Click on the following hyperlinks to watch Rodgers’ latest commercials with Prevea. These may be used for b-roll purposes, courtesy of Prevea Health:
What Healthy Looks Like
What Healthy Feels Like
What Healthy Sounds Like

The commercials air in the Green Bay, Wis. and La Crosse/Eau Claire, Wis. television markets.

HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital invites the community to take in the sights and sounds of a live nativity scene in downtown Oconto Falls on Thursday, Dec. 5.

The live nativity scene, hosted by HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital, will take place in conjunction with other holiday-related community events happening along Main St. on Dec. 5, including Christmas Mouse Open House, wagon rides and pictures with Santa.

From 5 to 7 p.m., a group of HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital providers and colleagues will gather at the corner of Main St. and Caldwell Ave. to portray Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus, a shepherd, an angel and the Three Wise Men. Live animals will also be a part of the scene, including a donkey and sheep. At 7 p.m., a Scripture reading, featuring the story of the night Jesus was born, will be performed. Then, a collective singing of “Silent Night,” will close the special presentation.

Live Nativity Scene

• Thursday, Dec. 5
• 5 to 7 p.m.
  • Scripture reading and singing of “Silent Night” at 7 p.m.
• Corner of Main St. and Caldwell Ave. in Oconto Falls

All community members interested in attending the 7 p.m. presentation are encouraged to stop in to one of the Main Street businesses participating in the Christmas Mouse Open House event the night-of, to pick up a free candle they can hold for the Scripture reading and singing of “Silent Night.”

National Rural Health Day, founded by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH), will be celebrated on Thursday, Nov. 21.

“Small towns, farming communities and frontier areas are wonderful places to live and work; they are places where neighbors know each other and work together,” said Teryl Eisinger, CEO of the NOSORH. “The hospitals and providers serving these rural communities not only provide quality patient care, but they also help keep good jobs in rural America.”

To honor National Rural Health Day, HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital and Prevea Health offer its rural communities “Five Things to Know” about the importance of rural health care in Oconto County, and across the country:

1. An estimated 57 million people – nearly one in five Americans – live in rural and frontier communities throughout the United States.
2. In 1977, the Rural Health Clinic Services Act helped to establish Rural Health Clinics, or RHCs, to address the shortage of physicians serving patients in rural areas.
3. Today, there are more than 4,500 federally-designated RHCs nationwide providing health care services in underserved areas.
4. Together, HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital and Prevea Health offer five RHCs throughout Oconto County to provide not only health care, but jobs to local residents. Our RHCs can be found in Oconto Falls, Gillett, Lena, Mountain and Suring.
5. Founded as Community Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls in 1921, HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital has been providing rural health care for nearly 100 years. It is a federally-designated critical access hospital offering 24-hour emergency care, urgent care and a variety of other services.

The woods of Wisconsin will soon be filled with hunters for the annual gun-deer season. Prevea Health, along with HSHS St. Vincent, St. Mary’s, St. Nicholas and St. Clare Memorial Hospitals, want to remind all hunters the importance of protecting their hearing during this time.

The shot of a rifle or shotgun is approximately 140 decibels, which is the equivalent of standing next to a jet engine. Sounds at this noise level can cause instant and permanent hearing loss.

Symptoms of hearing loss include:

• Vague feelings of pressure or fullness in your ears
• Speech that seems muffled or far away
• A ringing sound in your ears when you are in quiet places
• Difficulty hearing when background noise is present

The only way to prevent hearing damage is to wear ear protection. Prevea Audiology offers consultations with hunters to determine the best way to protect their hearing while using their firearm. If needed, affordable, custom-fit hearing protection is available for adults and children. The devices are individually molded to each ear providing a more consistent seal for the control of incoming load sound as well as to relieve the discomfort caused by generic ear plugs.

Consultations and custom-fit hearing protection is available at Prevea health centers in Green Bay, Oconto Falls, Manitowoc and Sheboygan. Appointments can be made by calling (920) 496-4700.

Click here for more hunting-related safety tips.