PLAINWELL, MI – Borgess-Pipp Hospital will offer a free stroke risk assessment and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) screening on Thursday, June 14, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on its lower level.

“Every year, vascular conditions like stroke and PAD claim thousands of lives,” said Kathy Russell, cardiovascular services manager, Borgess-Pipp Hospital. “Through this free event, our goal is to educate people about their risks and help detect the possibility of a condition before it becomes a larger health issue.”

Affecting millions of older Americans, PAD refers to the narrowing of arteries that supply blood and nutrients to the legs. Often the result of cholesterol buildup, PAD causes difficulty walking and may even lead to stroke or heart attack. Common symptoms include leg pain, cramping, tightness or fatigue, impotence, and leg wounds or ulcers that do not heal easily.

Often referred to as a “brain attack,” stroke is caused by a lack of blood supply to the brain. Stroke can be caused by a clot getting in the way of blood flow to the brain (called an ischemic stroke) or can happen when a blood vessel ruptures (called a hemorrhagic stroke). About 795,000 Americans each year suffer a new or recurrent stroke. That means, on average, a stroke occurs every 40 seconds.

Signs of stroke include:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

Stroke is a medical emergency. The most important thing a person can do if he/she notices the signs of a stroke is to call 9-1-1 immediately.

The Risk Factors

Factors that increase one’s chances of developing PAD include advancing age, gender (men are at greater risk until age 70), cigarette smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, lack of exercise and uncontrolled stress. According to the American Vascular Association, despite its potential for complications like stroke, loss of limbs or death, vascular diseases like PAD tend to be under diagnosed in the U.S. However, if detected early, effective treatment options are available for many vascular conditions.

Primary risks for stroke include advancing age, family history, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking, diabetes, unhealthy eating habits, obesity, excessive alcohol intake and physical inactivity. Learning to manage controllable risk factors through lifestyle changes can help prevent stroke or improve quality of life after a stroke.

Fast, Painless and Free

Funded through grants from The Perrigo Company Charitable Foundation and Borgess Health, the stroke assessment/PAD screening is fast and painless. Pre-registration is required and space is limited. To register, call (269) 226.8135 or (800) 828.8135.

KALAMAZOO, MI – The O’Leary Foundation will host its 10th-annual “A Night Out With Muriel & Bob” fundraising dinner and dance on Saturday, April 14, beginning at 5:50 p.m. This year’s fundraising event will be held at a new location: The Fountains Banquet Center (535 South Riverview Drive, Parchment).

“Along with a night of friendship and fun, this annual event also offers the community the opportunity to support a very worthy cause—the Borgess-Pipp Hospital Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE) training and certification program,” said Kevin O’Leary, president, O’Leary Foundation. “This is a highly sophisticated program that creates ‘experts’ to better care for our elderly in southwest Michigan. Borgess-Pipp was the first long-term acute care hospital (LTACH) in the country to pursue and receive this important designation.”

“Thanks to the continued support of the O’Leary Foundation, Borgess-Pipp can offer their patients access to nurses with superior leadership skills and experience,” added Tony McDonnell, chief development officer, Borgess Foundation. “Muriel and Bob simply lived to touch hearts and make their community a better place to live. By creating the O’Leary Foundation, their children and grandchildren have ensured that their legacy lives on.”

“A Night Out With Muriel & Bob” includes a dinner, dance, and silent and live auctions. Attendees will have the chance to bid on a variety of exclusive auction items donated by businesses across Allegan and Kalamazoo counties, as well as family and friends nationwide. In addition to Borgess-Pipp Hospital, proceeds from the event have directly benefitted several area human services, health and education-related organizations, from Wings of of Hope Hospice to Plainwell Community Schools to the Allegan County Crisis Center.

“Whether it’s someone who needs end-of-life care, a woman who needs a safe place to stay or a high school student in need of a scholarship, the money we raise stays in our community, helping people in our community,” O’Leary said.

About The NICHE Program
Launched in 1992, NICHE is the only national geriatric nursing program comprising nearly 300 hospitals located throughout North America. NICHE’s mission is to provide the principles and tools to stimulate a change in the culture of health care facilities and achieve patient-centered care for older adults. More information can be found at nicheprogram.org.

About The O’Leary Foundation
Established in memory of Muriel and Bob O’Leary, the O’Leary Foundation is a philanthropic organization that provides funding for programs in human services, education and health care that offer significant potential support for individual development and community enhancement. Those interested in sponsoring, attending or donating auction items to “A Night Out With Muriel & Bob” are encouraged to call (269) 720.6721, or visit olearyfoundation.com.

WHAT:

Borgess-Pipp Hospital will hold an emergency operations drill on December 21. The hospital will partner with Borgess Family Medicine, Plainwell Public Safety, Allegan County Emergency Management, Allegan County Sheriff Department, Gun Plain Fire Department, Otsego Fire Department, Plainwell Area EMS and Michigan State Police Explorers for the completion of this drill.

Given the rise in the number of violent acts inside hospitals, The Joint Commission has emphasized the training and implementation of emergency response plans associated with active shooter incidents and workplace violence. The main focus of the Borgess-Pipp Hospital exercise will be an intruder brandishing a weapon who enters Borgess Family Medicine.

Note: Residents and visitors to the community should be advised—while there will be many law enforcement and emergency personnel participating in this exercise, it is only a drill.

WHEN:

Wednesday, December 21, beginning at approximately 5:30 p.m.

WHERE:

Borgess Family Medicine and Borgess-Pipp Hospital.

WHY:

To ensure the safety of hospital patients and residents of Plainwell in the event of an active shooter emergency. This exercise will test the abilities and training of medical staff to operate under this emergency threat, respond to an influx of critical patients into the emergency department, work closely with outside agencies, react in a calm, controlled manner, and follow orders using the Hospital Incident Command System.

CONTACT:

Borgess-Pipp Hospital, (269) 685.4505.

PLAINWELL, Mich., January 10, 2011—For those looking for a healthier start to 2011, Borgess-Pipp Hospital will offer a free peripheral arterial disease (PAD) screening on Thursday, January 27, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Every year, vascular conditions like peripheral arterial disease claim thousands of lives,” said Kathy Russell, cardiovascular services manager, Borgess-Pipp Hospital. “Through this free event, our goal is to educate people about their risks and help detect the possibility of a condition in advance of it becoming a larger health issue.”

Affecting millions of older Americans, PAD refers to the narrowing of arteries that supply blood and nutrients to the legs. Often the result of cholesterol buildup, PAD causes difficulty walking and may even lead to stroke or heart attack. Common symptoms include leg pain, cramping, tightness or fatigue, impotence, and leg wounds or ulcers that do not heal easily.

The Risk Factors

Factors that increase one’s chances of developing PAD include advancing age, gender (men are at greater risk until age 70), cigarette smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, lack of exercise and uncontrolled stress. According to the American Vascular Association, despite its potential for complications like stroke, loss of limbs or death, vascular diseases like PAD tend to be under diagnosed in the U.S. However, if detected early, effective treatment options are available for many vascular conditions.

Fast, Painless and Free

PAD screening involves using blood pressure cuffs and a Doppler ultrasound probe. It is a fast and painless test. Pre-registration is required and space is limited. To register, call (269) 226.8135 or (800) 828.8135.

Borgess-Pipp Hospital delivers comprehensive health services to Plainwell, Otsego and surrounding communities, from laboratory and diagnostic imaging to long-term acute care and emergency medicine with a 30-minute guarantee. A member of Borgess Health, the largest health care provider in southwest Michigan, Borgess-Pipp Hospital also has the resources to offer specialized, nationally recognized medicine.