- Pediatrics, Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThe first day of school looks different this fall. School-age children are entering virtual classrooms with a single keystroke. Some parents have become teachers for the first time. Creating a space inside your home for your child to learn is important. Here are some tips to set up an ergonomic-friendly space this school year. What is Ergonomics? Ergonomics is the applied science of how a person interacts with their environment. This applies to an employee at their office, or a student at their desk. Adopting ergonomic techniques can improve your child’s educational environment and help prevent injuries. Check Eye Level Make sure your child’s seat is at eye level to the computer monitor. An adjustable chair can help achieve this. If you don’t have an adjustable chair, adjust the height of the laptop or desktop computer. Make Sure There is Enough lighting Natural light is best. Set up your child’s workspace near a window. You can also set up their learning space in an open area where a good amount of natural light comes in throughout the day. Position their desk in a way that decreases glare from the computer screen. This will reduce eyestrain and fatigue. Pay Attention to Posture Sit in an upright posture, ensuring alignment of your child’s head, hips and shoulders. Make sure their knees are at a 90-degree angle. Good posture can decrease the amount of force placed through the lumbar spine which will decrease the risk of stress on the lower back and injury. Take breaks Have your child take a break from their seated position. Ergonomic guidelines from Cornell University recommend that for every 30 minutes spent working, you should sit for 20 minutes, stand for eight minutes and move around for two minutes. This will ensure that your child is not sitting all day and can lead to a more productive experience for them. Print and post this handout in your home as a reminder of how to create a safe learning space for your child. Author Jamal Jackson is a physical therapist at Anne Arundel Medical Center.0
- Behavioral Health, Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThe coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed our lives in ways we never could have expected. For many people, these changes have been difficult. Now more than ever, it is important to reach out for help if you are beginning to suffer mentally and emotionally. Here is what we want you to know. Support groups can help For people already dealing with mental health concerns, isolation has been one of the hardest parts of the pandemic. Humans are social creatures. Many who had relied on community resources for support, such as senior centers, day programs, and wellness centers, were left in vulnerable positions when those gathering places closed. Many people are also experiencing grief as a result of the pandemic, even if they haven’t lost anyone due to COVID-19. Some people may have flare ups of depression and anxiety as a result. People may even develop new cases of depression and anxiety, even if this wasn’t previously an issue. Mental health support groups can be a huge help. It’s comforting to know that someone else is going through the same thing you are, that you are not alone. They also give you the opportunity to learn from others. And because many groups are virtual due to the pandemic, it’s easy to log on from whatever device you choose. Anne Arundel Medical Center’s (AAMC) COVID-19 Loss and Grief Support Group is one of those groups. Sessions are held via Zoom and are for anyone affected by the virus. The group, led by AAMC’s Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, meets Wednesdays from 5-6:30 pm. To join, email [email protected]. Support for Children Keep in mind that these are hard times for our kids, too. Their lives – including school routines, activities and gatherings with friends – look completely different today than they did a year ago. A recent study by the American Psychological Association found that 71% of parents worry about the effect the pandemic has had on their children’s social skills. Meanwhile, 55% of parents say their children have been acting out more since the pandemic started. Kids thrive on structure. This is important to remember as the school year begins and many are enrolled in online classes. Build breaks into their schedules and make sure they are getting outside. A little fresh air and sunshine can do wonders. We encourage parents to make time to talk to their kids and find out how they are coping. Even if you don’t have a lot of extra time these days, a five-minute conversation can make a difference. Pay attention to changes in their eating and sleeping habits and call your doctor with concerns. AAMC is also working on setting up a COVID-19 support group for teens. To learn more, email [email protected]. But don’t forget, parents need to look out for their own mental health, too. You can’t take care of anyone else if you aren’t first taking care of yourself. We are safe, ready and open If you or someone you love is experiencing mental health issues, whether it’s because of COVID-19 or something else, please don’t hesitate to seek help. Early in the pandemic, we set up telehealth services for patients, allowing them to get care from the comfort of their homes. AAMC’s Psychiatric Day Hospital along with our outpatient clinics offer both in-person and online services. Our hospital, including our Emergency Department, Pathways and the J. Kent McNew Family Medical Center, all have procedures in place to protect against the spread of COVID-19. We are safe, ready and open for you. There is always help, and there is always hope. Authors Eric Anderson, MD, FAPA, is the medical director of the J. Kent McNew Family Medical Center. Cindy Radovic, MA, BSN-BC, is clinical director of Emergency and Inpatient Mental Health Services at Anne Arundel Medical Center.0
- Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogYou may be a parent trying to keep up with your child’s health. Or an active senior citizen in retirement. Regardless of your age, immunizations are a vital prevention tool for everyone. Making sure your immunizations are current is especially important during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic because underlying conditions can increase your risk for infection. Vaccines are also an effective way to protect you from other serious diseases. Scheduling a routine visit with your provider is one of the best ways to ensure all your vaccines are up to date. How often do I need a routine physical? Your routine check-up schedule depends on your age. Children should follow the recommended vaccination schedule of their pediatrician. Adults, ages 18-49, should visit their general physician once every two years. If you are 50 years old or older, schedule a physical exam every year. How do vaccines work? When you get a vaccine, your body creates an immune response to a particular virus or disease. This immunity protects you from that virus or disease in the future. Are vaccines effective? It’s important to understand that no vaccine is 100% effective. For reasons related to each person’s immune response, not all vaccinated persons develop immunity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most routine childhood vaccines are effective for 85% to 95% of patients. Flu vaccines are more challenging. This is because of different flu types and mutations. On average, flu vaccines give a 50% reduction in the risk of flu for the general population. Although flu vaccines are not as effective as childhood vaccinations, they are still worthwhile. Why are vaccines important? Getting vaccinated is important because it is likely that you’ll build up antibodies against that specific infection. This can save your life. A certain percentage of people who get the vaccine don’t become immune. They and the people who can’t get vaccinated (i.e., infants, immune-compromised individuals, people undergoing certain medical treatments, etc.) will hopefully be protected by herd immunity. Herd immunity means that if enough people are immune to a disease, the disease will have a hard time finding anyone to infect. This causes the disease to die down. An estimated 70% of the population needs to be immune to COVID-19 for it to die down. Recommended Vaccines Vaccination schedules vary by age. To see a full list of recommendations, visit the CDC website. Your doctor can also recommend any vaccines you should get. Make sure your immunizations are up to date. Set up a routine physical with your provider. Doctors’ offices are safe, ready and open to care for you. Author Scott Eden, MD, is a practicing family medicine physician at Anne Arundel Medical Group Chesapeake Family Medicine in Annapolis. He can be reached at 443-481-4080.0
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAnne Arundel Medical Center is participating in two high priority, national Coronavirus (COVID-19) studies: Infection Prevention: for people who have had a high exposure to COVID-19, but are not yet infected. Early Treatment: people who have a documented COVID-19 infection and some symptoms of COVID-19, but are not sick enough to be in the hospital. Since there are no recommended treatments for either situation, the purpose of the study is to determine if infused antibodies collected from a recovered COVID-19 patient (convalescent plasma) can either prevent a COVID-19 infection or prevent the disease from getting worse in those who have it. What is convalescent plasma? Plasma is the liquid portion of the blood. It contains antibodies that fight infections. People exposed to COVID-19 may benefit from receiving antibodies against COVID-19 virus from the plasma of those who have recovered from COVID-19. Getting plasma with antibodies may help your body develop its own antibodies, which protects you from a COVID-19 infection. What is the safety of receiving a plasma donation? Convalescent plasma undergoes careful testing to ensure its safety and has proven useful for other infectious diseases in the past. Thousands of hospitalized COVID-19 patients have safely received the plasma. How do I know if I qualify for the Infection Prevention Study? You may qualify if you: Are 18 years of age or older. Have been in *close contact with an infected person within the past four days. Do not have symptoms of COVID-19. Can travel to a nearby facility for evaluation. Are currently COVID-19 negative. (You will receive a COVID-19 test to confirm.) *Close contact with someone who has COVID-19 means you: Live in the same household. Have had direct physical contact (hugging, kissing). Are a health care worker and had an exposure without wearing recommended PPE. Provide care for someone with COVID-19 without recommended PPE. How do I know if I qualify for the Early Treatment Study? You may qualify if you: Are 18 years of age or older. Have had a positive COVID-19 test within the past six days. Are still having at least one COVID-19 symptom at enrollment. Are sick, but do not need hospitalization. Can travel to a nearby facility for enrollment and transfusion. What is involved in receiving the plasma infusion? You will receive one plasma infusion and then have five to seven follow-up visits over 90 days. All visits are at an outpatient office. There is a narrow window to enroll based upon the date of your exposure (96 hours from the last exposure days) or first symptom/positive test (6 days). I’m interested in participating. Who do I contact? If you’re interested in participating, please email [email protected] and a member of our team will contact you. Modest compensation for your time is available for those who qualify to participate. If you had COVID-19 and would like to donate plasma to future COVID-19 patients to help in their recovery, learn more about what you need to know to qualify.0
- News & Press Releases, Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogEnvironmental Services (EVS) Supervisor Belawn McGowan is one of more than 100 members of Anne Arundel Medical Center’s (AAMC) EVS team who keeps the health system safe to care for patients. The team uses a ‘secret weapon’ of sorts to achieve this every day: Tru-D SmartUVC, a germ-killing robot. Out of 300 hospitals in the U.S., AAMC ranked number one for usage of the Tru-D room disinfection robot. AAMC received the first place spot for completing the most sterilization cycles in May with only one robot. Tru-D uses Ultraviolet (UV) rays to disinfect patient rooms, the Emergency Department and the Intensive Care Unit at AAMC. It ensures patient safety by reducing the risk of health care-associated infections. “When you enter a hospital you expect everything to be clean, neat and tidy,” Belawn said. “We are the frontline team who ensures this is done right. We use the Tru-D robot as an extra tool to make sure everything is cleaned well in the hospital.” How it works At AAMC, Tru-D goes by a different name. Staff call the robot “CRIS,” which stands for Clean Rooms Improved Safety. The cleaning process is twofold: once the EVS team cleans and disinfects a room, CRIS disinfects the room a final time. The robot uses UV light to kill bacteria, spores and viruses. The cleaning process takes between 15 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the room. This added layer of disinfection helps the EVS team ensure a safe patient environment during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. “CRIS helps us do our jobs efficiently,” Belawn explained. “There are spores and other germs that can stay on surfaces for long periods of time. There are also cracks and crevices that we can’t get to. We use CRIS to make sure surfaces are germ-free and hard-to-reach areas are sanitized.” No one can be in the room when CRIS is in operation. The robot’s UV rays can be harmful to humans. CRIS sends a text or audio message to a member of the EVS team when the disinfection cycle is done. Belawn said the EVS team’s goal is to make sure that patients feel safe every time they enter the hospital for care. “Achieving this ranking was a team effort,” she said. “We keep CRIS running to make sure everything is clean and sanitized at AAMC at all times.”0
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