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Surf’s up, but stay safe from head injuries
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Medical & Allied HealthcareHitting the beach is a traditional summer activity. For many this also means hitting the waves with a surfboard. Surfing gained greater recognition in the United States during the 1960s with music and popular films. There are an estimated 2.2 million surfers in the United States. Worldwide, there are now close to 37 million athletes who surf. As with all sports, there is a risk of injury. When injury does occur, the head and neck are areas of vulnerability.
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Concrete jungle redefined: How urban agriculture improves wellness
Bianca Gibson Facilities & GroundsFrom urban farms to green roofs and school gardens, urban agriculture's popularity has steadily increased in recent years — and for good reason. Urban agriculture plants a seed of wellness by improving physical and mental health, community revitalization and environmental awareness. Anyone who lives in an urban setting can engage in this movement and begin to take back their land and health one plant at a time.
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The art of compassion
Nadine A. Kassity-Krich Medical & Allied HealthcareStarting out in the neonatal intensive care unit, the excitement for me was the adrenaline rush that came from caring for very sick patients, and figuring out what to do as quickly as possible to help "cure" the child. That still held true for my entire ICU career, but as time moved on, and I witnessed many sick patients and grieving families, it became clear to me that compassion was a consistent and integral part of my day.
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FDA approves balloon weight-loss device
Katina Hernandez Medical & Allied HealthcarePeople who have struggled to lose weight through traditional means may now have new hope: The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new balloon device for weight loss. The device is implanted endoscopically through the mouth without requiring surgery during a 30-minute procedure while the patient is sedated. It works to take up space in the stomach in order to simulate a feeling of fullness. The balloon device intends to fill a gap in weight-loss options for patients opposed to or unable to undergo weight-loss surgery.
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Hot offloading for heart patients
Mark Huber Medical & Allied HealthcareWhen and when not to "hot offload" a patient — in other words ingress or egress with the main helicopter rotor disc spinning — has been the subject of debate for years. Negatives associated with the practice include the possibilities of getting clipped by the main rotor or walking into a spinning tail rotor. We saw the risk associated with moving around engaged helicopters again recently, when a mechanic lost his life.
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Are online symptom checkers accurate?
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareMore than a third of all adults in the United States use the Internet to self-diagnose everything from hangnails to heart attacks. Most start out by typing symptoms into an Internet search engine, which often leads to a "symptom checker" website or app. A recent study by Harvard Medical School found that these symptom-checker sites and apps often provided inaccurate information for both triage and diagnosis.
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Sports participation helps athletes score points beyond the field
Bob Kowalski Sports & FitnessWe've all been made aware of the benefits that participating in sports, or even simply exercising, can bring for our short- and long-term health. But does involvement in athletics result in success that extends beyond health? "Sports have the potential to develop many of the personality characteristics valued in life: determination, perseverance, strong work ethic, cooperation, teamwork, fair play, honesty, and much more," said SHAPE America President Steve Jefferies.
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The impact of health IT on workflow
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationA new report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality examines the enhanced understanding of the causal relationship between health information technology implementation and various ambulatory care workflow aspects. The report was conducted across six ambulatory care practices from across the United States, and reviewed health systems that had implemented different health IT products or systems.
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‘Where’s Baby?’: Looking before you lock your car
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Transportation Technology & AutomotiveCars are the No. 1 killer of infants and children. Car crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for children. However, heatstroke is the No. 2 killer, and having been left in a car is often the cause. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Early Childhood Development division, in partnership with other federal agencies, instituted a campaign in 2012 to prevent such deaths. The "Where's Baby?" campaign reminds parents to always look twice before locking their vehicle.
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The key to building cohesive nursing teams
Keith Carlson Healthcare AdministrationNursing teams have the potential to be dynamic and powerful entities, and creating and maintaining them is a process worthy of considerable attention. When we think of teams, our minds may quickly consider the notion of an athletic team as a prime example. A sports team trains together, travels together and competes as a coordinated unit whose mission is to act as a collective entity.
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