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Sunday, 20 April 2014

Princess Health and Princess Health andCEO of Somerset hospital, rated by Consumer Reports as clearly the least safe in Kentucky, is resigning.Princessiccia

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Mark Brenzel (Photo via Somerset Commonwealth Journal)
The CEO of the Kentucky hospital with by far the lowest safety rating from Consumer Reports magazine is resigning. Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital is one of 61 owned in 20 states by LifePoint Hospitals of Brentwood, Tenn.

In an April 14 message to the hospital staff, Mark Brenzel wrote, �A few weeks ago, I informed Scott Raplee, President of LifePoint�s Central Group, about my decision to step down  . . . I have struggled managing some health problems since last year that have required me to limit some activities including work hours. While these lifestyle changes have been helpful, they have made it difficult for me to keep up with the demands of this job.�

Brenzel concluded, �I have greatly enjoyed the last four years and am glad to be ending my hospital management career where it began in 1976 when I first visited LCRH [soon after it opened]. We have made great progress in improving patient care and implementing new strategies that will help LCRH be successful in the new healthcare reform environment. My wife and I are planning to stay in the community for the long term and look forward to supporting LCRH in any way that we can.�

Raplee told the Somerset Commonwealth Journal that LifePoint is doing national search to find a replacement for Brenzel, who will remain as CEO during the search. �We are discussing the possibility of Mark taking a new role with LCRH once the new CEO is hired,� Raplee said in a press release.

Thursday, 17 April 2014

Princess Health and Princess Health andHigh school students in Bourbon County campaign for indoor smoking ban, also against teenagers' use of e-cigarettes.Princessiccia

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From left: LaShana Harney, Tyler Boyle
and Jessica Jones (Cori� Bowen photo)
By Cori� Bowen
Kentucky Health News

A group of young people in a Bluegrass county with a strong tobacco tradition is trying to make the county's indoors smoke-free.

Students Making a Change in our Community started at Bourbon County High School in the late 1990s and was revamped in 2013 by several students and Cyndi Steele of the Bourbon County Health Department. SMACC members said they felt it was time for the voices of youth to be heard again on smoking issues.

�Our main idea is to try to establish a smoke-free ordinance in Bourbon County,� senior Lashana Harney said.

The group has been busy this year collaborating with other youth in Paris at events such as the 2013 National Kick Butts Day � a youth rally against tobacco use and secondhand smoke � as well as attending a recent Kentucky Supreme Court hearing on an anti-smoking ordinance enacted by the Bullitt County Board of Health.

�It was interesting to be at an actual case,� Harney said. �It could go either way with this case.�

Jessica Jones, a junior, said that while SMACC targets adults, it also educates and trains elementary students on how to say no to tobacco, and about the harms of smoking. �We�ve been traveling and training fifth-graders,� she said.

SMACC members are working towards a school regulation against electronic cigarettes, which they think are deceptive. They don�t believe their peers realize the harmful effects associated with them.

�E-cigarettes are becoming more popular than traditional cigarettes,� junior Tyler Boyle said. ��The best way to get to youth is other youth.�

The Kentucky Tobacco Policy Research Program lists chemicals in e-cigarettes that can have negative effects on health including acetone (nail polish remover) and formaldehyde. The legislature recently banned sales of e-cigarettes to people under 18.

Harney, Jones and Boyle say they have seen a decrease in their parents� smoking since each student has become an anti-smoking advocate.

With Steele�s guidance, SMACC plans to keep educating and making its presence known in the community. Members will launch a group-written and directed YouTube video at the end of April that addresses secondhand smoke, titled, �It Could Be You.�

Steele said the road to banning smoking in public places for Bourbon County has been a work in progress for a long time: �I knew 20 years ago that when I chose to do this � it would be my career.� Now she has more help.

Wednesday, 16 April 2014

Princess Health and Princess Health andPoll: most Kentuckians support tobacco-free campuses, school nutrition standards and student physical activity requirements.Princessiccia

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Kentuckians overwhelmingly support several school policies than can influence student health but are not all embraced by Kentucky schools, according to the latest Kentucky Health Issues Poll, taken in October and November.

The poll showed that 84 percent of Kentuckians�and 72 percent of smokers�support tobacco-free campus policies, which have been adopted by only about a third of Kentucky school districts. The survey also found that 72 percent strongly favor the tobacco-free policies, while 12 percent said they favored it somewhat.

The survey found that 57 percent of Kentucky adults strongly supported, and 21 percent somewhat supported, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's new standards for school nutrition, which reduced salt and saturated fat, increased offerings of whole-grain foods, fruit and vegetables, and put stricter controls on calories and portion size.

Because the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that young people exercise for 60 minutes per day, KHIP's survey asked Kentucky adults if they think Kentucky schools should offer 30 minutes of physical activity per day for students. It found that 88 percent strongly agreed and 9 percent somewhat agreed with the policy. Physical activity is an important topic for Kentucky because 18 percent of Kentucky children are obese, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Democrats were more likely to be supportive of tobacco-free campuses and the new school menus, but there was no partisan difference on physical activity. "Poll findings show that support for the health of our children cuts across party lines," said Susan Zepeda, President/CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which sponsors the poll with Interact for Health of Cincinnati. It is conducted by researchers at the University of Cincinnati.
Princess Health and Princess Health andUK's advanced ventricular-assist device program for heart patients saves and improves lives.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Princess Health andUK's advanced ventricular-assist device program for heart patients saves and improves lives.Princessiccia

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Two years ago, John Doty was diagnosed with walking pneumonia, and though antibiotics originally helped, the pneumonia came back with a vengeance, and he went to see a cardiologist. He found out his heart was severely weakened with an ejection fraction of less than 10 percent. "The ejection fraction is a measure of how effectively the heart can pump blood volume into the body, and in a healthy heart, that number falls between 50-65 percent," Allison Perry writes for the University of Kentucky, where Doty received a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) because his heart was so weak.

UK Chandler Hospital is Lexington's only hospital, and one of two in the state, that can perform emergency VAD procedures. "When Mr. Doty was transferred to UK, he was very sick, on a ventilator and requiring two medications to support his blood pressure," said Dr. Navin Rajagopala, a heart failure cardiologist at the UK Gill Heart Institute. "He was going into kidney and liver failure. It was clear that he needed an assist device as soon as possible before the damage to his body was irreversible."

VADs partially take the place of the function of a failing heart. They're more often used for the left ventricle, but some patients need the device for the right ventricle or even two devices to help both ventricles (BiVAD). Because VADs can help the heart rest and heal, some patients receive them after a heart attack or a surgery. People suffering from congestive heart failure might need a VAD for the rest of their lives.

A viral infection damaged Andy Baker's heart, and though he originally resisted the idea of a VAD, now he says he's "happy to keep the device and has no interest in getting a heart transplant," Perry writes. "I had mixed feelings about it," Baker said about getting the VAD, "but it's given me life again."

VAD treatment can save money for the both the patient and the hospital and allow at-home recovery. VADs can allow people to return to their normal lives, participating in many of the same activities they did previously. in about 5 to 10 percent of cases, the VAD even helps the heart to heal to the point that the device can be removed. That was the situation for Doty, whose device was removed 16 weeks after he got it. "I almost feel like I never had it," Doty said. "It wasn't that great of an imposition, considering that it was keeping you alive."

UK performs about 20 to 30 VAD procedures per year, and recently received its third straight biannual Certificate of Distinction from The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of U.S. health-care organizations. That "shows just what an outstanding job our physicians, nurses and support staff are doing when it comes to treating patients who require these assist devices," said Dr. Maya Guglin, director of UK's Mechanical Assisted Circulation Program. (Read more)

Tuesday, 15 April 2014

Princess Health and2014 TYS10K.Princessiccia

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For the 2014 Toronto Yonge Street 10K, H+P decided to put some of our faster runners together to see how quick we could go as a team.

If you didn't check it out before, here is our full team roster.

We were treated with great racing conditions, and without a doubt, a very fast course.  Here is how we did.

Men's Team


The men's team had an amazing experience!  The top 5 runners finished with an average time of 34:53, good enough to come in 1st out of 17 men's team.  CLICK HERE for the full results.

Individual Results CLICK


Coach Sean came in with a time of 33:17.
Runner Rob had an AMAZING H+P debut, coming home with a massive new PB of 33:37.

Coming back from a stress fracture, Brendan Hancock showed that his fitness is coming along nicely, putting in a very solid 35:35.


Ahmed Ahmed had an amazing performance.  He hammered a new personal best of 35:53!

Coming off a winter of volunteering and ultimate frisbee, Jordan Schmidt still managed a massive personal best, coming in at 36:04!


Pat, the best looking runner on the team, also hammered a huge personal best, coming in at 37:26!


Women's Team

Gill had an AMAZING performance.  Despite just coming back form a knee injury, she still managed to crush a new personal best of 40:38!  She also placed 3rd in her AG which included 324 runners!












Jessica (right) also had quite the race!  Just coming back from injury, she still managed a massive PB of 42:01, placing 5th in a very competitive AG!

Princess Health and2014 ENDURrace 5K.Princessiccia

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One of these days, the PB train is going to slow down as H+P runners start to reach their maximum ability.  Well...today was not that day!

The team had an AMAZING experience at the 2014 ENDURrace 5K.  Our hard winter grind has really paid off.  Here's a breakdown of how we did:

Individual 5K results CLICK:

Luke "Ironman" Ehgoetz had an outstanding performance.  He covered the 5K in 18:12, coming in first for the team, and winning his AG.











Mike Piazza was next and had a HUGE break through performance.  Last year, Mike was struggling to break 20 minutes for 5K.  At this race, he ran a massive PB of 18:34!  He also placed 5th overall and won his AG!










Aaron Mailman was in next for the team.  Once again- the Mailman delivered (*Note, this line will never get old).  He ran a NEW PB of 18:49, won his AG and  placed 7th OA.










Holger (aka MileageMan) also had an outstanding performance.  He achieved a new personal best of 19:15 and also won his AG! (are you starting to sense a trend here?)









Nick Burt also had a great performance for the team.  Coming off of limited training because of school, he still managed to comfortably break 20 minutes and win his AG!







Vicki was in next for the team, and was our first female finisher.  YES, you guessed it- new PB (22-low), and first in her AG!  She was also 4th place OA!











Dragan was in next for the team with a MASSIVE personal best of 21:39!








Will also had an outstanding performance.  Putting his winter of speed work to use, he put a huge dent in his previous PB, setting a new mark at 26-low.










Cari had an outstanding H+P debut.  Despite just recently joining the club, she had an amazing performance, and also achieved a new personal best!








Sam also ran for the team...while running with his wife and pushing two kids in a stroller!  That is what H+P is all about.  Sometimes running as fast as we can, other times just about enjoying the experience and striving toward a better, healthier life!





Davey Rutherford also has an impressive performance.  Currently rehabbing a rather serious injury, he ran/walked the 5K in 3:1min intervals just to enjoy the experience.  Nice work Dave!









Team Results and Parent/Child Results:


  • Overall, the 5K team finished with an AVERAGE time of 18:51!  
  • In Parent/Child race, Luke and his son Holden were first out of 5 teams, winning by almost 2 minutes!




Princess Health and Garden Update: A Banner Year. Princessiccia

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Things are warming up here in Seattle and the flowers are blooming. I just planted my first crops of the year-- potatoes and strawberries.

2013 was a banner year for my 500-square-foot urban vegetable garden, including my first experience growing and processing a grain. I never got around to posting about it last year-- so here it is.

Interbay mulch technique

The bed on the right has been mulched with leaves, spent coffee
grounds, and burlap sacks ($1/sack at the local hardware store).
The beds on the left were planted with a rye-clover-vetch-pea
cover crop. Paths are mulched with wood chips.
In the fall of 2012, I tried a new technique for improving the soil called "Interbay mulching". This is a variation on sheet mulching, which involves placing uncomposted organic matter directly onto the garden soil in fall and letting it compost until the next growing season. To Interbay mulch, you simply cover your sheet mulch with burlap. This keeps everything moist, protects earthworms from bird predation so they can munch freely, and suppresses weeds. I used leaves (carbon) and spent coffee grounds from a local coffee shop (nitrogen) for my organic matter.

When I pulled back the burlap last spring, I was initially disappointed. The coffee grounds had disappeared completely, but there was still a lot of leaf matter left on the soil, indicating that it had only partially composted. However, I later decided that it had worked well, because the soil structure underneath was improved and it seemed to be enriched with significant organic matter as well as a large population of fat earthworms. The mulch suppressed weeds remarkably well, and the beds remained mostly clean for the rest of the season.

Those observations, combined with huge yields from the mulched beds, convinced me that it was worthwhile.

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