Flu season is here!

This Mayo Minute video has great tips for staying healthy!

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

 

October 2018! Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mdpU5nQJ4Y

Find Your Fun at the Kansas Sate Fair!

Kansas State Fair Sept 7-16

Fun Fair Facts!

• 155 tons of animal bedding removed from barns during 10 day event
• 850 toilets on the fairgrounds
• 80 places to eat during the fair
• $65,000 for Garth Brooks at the 1993 fair
• 976,2 lbs was the largest pumpkin in KS State Fair history
• 184 lbs was the largest watermelon
• The Old Mill opened September 18, 1915

The link below will take you to the official Kansas State Fair Visitor Guide.  Have fun at the 2018 State Fair!

https://www.kansasstatefair.com/p/79


If you would like to see the full list of Fun Facts for the Kansas State Fair follow the link below.

https://www.kansasstatefair.com/p.aspx?pID=fair/education/trivia-and-misc.-activities/442&

Back to school means Fall sports are well underway!  Take a minute to watch this short video.  Keep children safe while enjoying participation in Fall sports!

 

 

Back to School Safety!

 

Fun, short video to share with your children gearing up to start the 2018 school year.

 

 

 

The link below will take you to the National Safety Council's website for a back to school safety checklist.

 

https://www.nsc.org/home-safety/seasonal-safety/back-to-school

 

Going back to school is a reason for celebration because it means a new step towards a wonderful future!

 

Well wishes to all students for the 2018 school year.

 

 

 

 

Tornado Season is Approaching - what to do if you see one?

It's the stuff of nightmares.

You're driving down the road and you see a tornado....

What do you do?

Most people think the best thing to do is to take shelter under an overpass or get out of the car and into a ditch or lower ground. But NOAA and the Red Cross do not recommend these as the safest courses of action.

"Highway overpasses are NOT tornado shelters, and these should be avoided," NOAA road safety guidelines state. "Ditches, culverts and ravines should be used only as an absolute last resort. You will be exposed to flying debris, rain and hail, lightning and extreme wind." 

If the Tornado Is Far Enough Away

If you can see the tornado in the distance, NOAA recommends changing course and driving toward a sturdy shelter as soon as you are able. They recommend truck stops, convenience stores, restaurants, and even walk-in coolers. Once you are inside, go to the basement, a cellar, or a hallway or room without windows in the center of the house.

However, they warn you not to take shelter in a high-risk structure like a mobile home. Your car is safer than a mobile home, the Red Cross states in their safety brochure. 

It is possible to try to get out of the tornado's path, NOAA says, and you may be able to stop and allow the tornado to pass, depending on where it is and how you're positioned. If you can see the tornado far in the distance and can determine its movement, drive at a right angle to that movement. So, if it's heading east, drive to the south. 

If the Tornado Threat Is Immediate

If you're stuck in heavy traffic and there's nowhere for you to to go, it's time to duck and cover in a ditch or low spot. In that case, NOAA recommends getting as far away from your car as possible.

If the tornado is imminent and you are forced to stay in your car, the NWS recommends keeping your seat belt on and making sure your head is covered, below your windshield and windows to protect it from glass. The Red Cross recommends covering your head with a blanket, if you have one in the car.

Why You Should NEVER Take Shelter under an Overpass

It's understandable that motorists would feel safest under a sturdy structure like an overpass, but winds are actually higher in these openings, and debris is just as likely to harm you there. 

"Seeking shelter under a highway overpass is to become a stationary target for flying debris, with a substantial risk of being blown out and carried by the tornado winds," the NOAA said in a presentation during the 1999 National Weather Association Annual Meeting. "Safety in such a location is merely an illusion." 

Additionally, crowding under an overpass can block traffic and prevent important emergency vehicles from aiding affected areas, NOAA notes. It also cuts off potential escape routes from the tornado.

content credit: Anna Norris from the Weather Channel

A Day in the Life of an Agency Staffing Specialist

In the mind of a Staffing Specialist



Monday:  I HAVE to get all of my caregivers the work they need and want! What do I need to do in order to help them?  How can I match them with my clients because it's super important to help my clients too...man, what a puzzle! 

Tuesday:  I feel bad, I wasn't able to help all my clients yesterday.  What can I do today to add more value and do better than yesterday.  Good enough just isn't good enough!

Wednesday:  Keep pushing, I can do this!

Thursday:  I hope my teammates in the field understand my insistence, appreciate me and are satisfied with my efforts. This job isn't easy.

Friday:  I hope my clients are feeling good about me and my caregivers ability to help them this week.  I have worked real hard this week to do so.

Saturday:  I am thankful for the weekend but can't help but wonder how the weekend team is doing.  Hopefully they are working just as hard to help our team and our clients because I have to pick up where they left off.

Sunday:  Another day of rest, glad for it.  Time to prepare my thoughts and mind for a great week ahead ensuring my caregivers are making a better living, and my clients are served the best knowing their patients and residents have the best care possible.

If you read this and are a caregiver or client of ours, I hope this above scenario paints a clear picture that our team members in the office are constantly thinking of you.  We strive to put you first in our day to day thoughts, words and actions.  

You need to know that we are working hard for you!

Hard Numbers. What Impact Do Hospitals Have on Our Economy?

Hard Numbers. Hospitals Impact on the Kansan Economy.


KANSAS HOSPITALS make valuable contributions to the communities they serve, providing care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. By keeping communities healthy, strong and vibrant, hospitals strengthen the infrastructure of local communities. Kansas hospitals also contribute to the financial health of our state, serving as economic anchors for our communities.

A strong health care system in Kansas can help attract and maintain business and industry growth, attract and retain retirees, and create jobs in the local area. The health care sector is among the fastest growing in the economy. A strong health care sector means a strong local economy and a great place for every generation to live.

Hospitals have a direct economic impact based on the sales, wages and employment generated by business activity. An indirect impact on the economy also is created by hospitals through the ‘ripple’ effect of businesses purchasing goods and services from other local businesses, and through health care workers spending wages and other income for household goods and services.

Kansas hospitals annually generate more than $6 billion in direct total income paid to hospital employees. For every $1 of income generated by Kansas hospitals, another $0.56 is generated in other businesses and industries in the state’s economy. As a result, hospitals have an estimated total impact on income throughout all businesses and industries of $9.4 billion. The health care sector (which includes hospitals) is the fifth largest producer of total income and total sales in the state.

Funds spent to buy goods and services flow from hospitals to businesses and then ripple throughout the economy. The impact of hospitals on area retail sales generates nearly $3.2 billion in the Kansas economy each year. It is estimated that hospitals generate more than $205 million in sales tax for the state, which is largely used to fund state programs.

Hospitals stimulate further growth in our communities. Hospital payroll expenditures serve as an important economic stimulus, creating and supporting jobs throughout the local and state economies.

State and local governments garner approximately $1.6 billion in annual tax revenues from health care sector activities. A vigorous and sustainable health care system is essential not only for the health and welfare of community residents, but also to enhance economic opportunity in Kansas.

KANSAS HOSPITALS and HEALTH SERVICES are one of the largest employers in most areas of the state. They are also one of the largest contributors of income.

Kansas hospitals employ 86,324 people, or 4.4 percent of all job holders in the state. Kansas hospitals support the creation of an additional 75,659 jobs throughout all businesses and industries in the state. Kansas hospitals have a total employment impact of approximately 162,000 jobs. The health care sector (which includes hospitals) is the fourth largest aggregate employer in the state.

The economic benefit of KANSAS HOSPITALS on local and state economies is significant. To continue to attract jobs and maintain families in Kansas, it is critical that the state have high-quality health care providers and services. We urge our legislators, members of Congress, and community leaders to recognize that Kansas hospitals are instrumental to supporting state and local economies. Steps must be taken to continue investing in our state’s health care system.

*adapted from KHA's website