Health Care News

On average, people consume between 3,000 – 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving.

Here are some tips to a healthier holiday:

Enjoy your favorite dishes, but watch your portions!

• Don’t skip meals earlier in the day. By starting with a healthy breakfast including protein and fiber, you will be less likely to overeat at dinner.
• Use a smaller plate to encourage proper portion sizes.
• Add vegetables or a salad to your plate first.  Filling up on these at the beginning of the meal will help you consume less calories.
• Eat slowly and don’t go back for a second helping.

To reduce calories further, try the following substitutions:

• Sweet Potatoes – bake sweet potatoes then use cinnamon and nutmeg for flavor instead of marshmallows.
• Green Beans – steam fresh green beans instead of making a casserole.
• Turkey – choose white meat without the skin (saves about 190 calories).
• Pie – choose a small slice of pumpkin pie over pecan pie.

Exercise as a family.  After the meal, take a walk together instead of napping by the TV.

During Dental Hygiene Month, Dental Hygienists spend even more time making a difference in our communities and offer resources to help with awareness and share information with the public.  This year, the American Dental Hygiene Association is teaming up to enforce the Daily 4.  The Daily 4 is being used to remind patients to:

1) Brush your teeth 2 times a day

2) Floss every day

3) Rinse with an antimicrobial mouth rinse

4) Chew sugar free gum

Not only will the “Daily 4” help maintain good oral health, but it also can benefit the patient’s OVERALL health!  Why chew sugar free gum? It helps stimulate saliva flow and it keeps teeth healthy after eating and drinking.  At Grace Health we provide portable dentistry, offer maternal oral health education/needs, Age 1 visits, plus much more.

To help meet the needs of all our patients, our Dental Department is open 7:00 am – 8:00 pm Monday – Saturday with walk-in hours 4:00 – 6:00 pm.

It is official – Grace Health has been approved as the next MIHP (Maternal Infant Health Program) Provider in Calhoun County.  MIHP is Michigan’s largest maternal child health home visiting program for Medicaid-eligible pregnant women and infants. Services provided through this program and intended to supplement regular prenatal/infant care and assist the healthcare provider in managing pregnant women’s and baby’s health and wellbeing. The purpose of MIHP is to promote healthy pregnancies, positive birth outcomes, and healthy infant growth and development and to decrease infant mortality.

Grace Health is making preparations to be able to start offering services through MIHP on September 9.  In the interim, Grace Health is working closely with Silverspoon Home Services to ensure a smooth transition for all Calhoun County clients previously enrolled with Connect Health Services, as well as those enrolled with Silverspoon Home Services.

Every year on August 1 – 7, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action organizes World Breastfeeding Week to raise awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding and the need for global support. World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7, is celebrated in 120 countries and marks the signing of the WHO/UNICEF document Innocenti Declaration, which lists the benefits of breastfeeding, plus global and governmental goals.

To mark this occasion on Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1, 2015 at 10:30am thousands of breastfeeding women and their babies/children across the world will gather in their own communities to take part in the Global Big Latch On, a synchronized breastfeeding event in multiple locations. Our local Big Latch On will take place at Grace Health, 181 West Emmett Street, Battle Creek, MI (corner of Emmett Street & Grant Street).

The first Big Latch On took place in Aotearoa, New Zealand in 2005, it was introduced to Portland, Oregon in 2010 by Small Beginnings Group LLC and has now taken off globally.

This year our goal is to break the current 2013 record of 14,536 children breastfeeding across 845 locations, and the 2014 records for numbers of countries taking part (31), numbers of breastfeeding women attending (14,173) and total attendance (23,906).

Our long-term vision is that one day a Global Big Latch On event will be held within walking distance of every family in the world.

The Global Big Latch On is informed by the principles of community development, providing the opportunity for breastfeeding women to get together in their local communities, host their own events, and identify opportunities for on-going support.

Breastfeeding contributes to the normal growth and development of babies/children. Babies/children who are not breastfed are at increased risk of infant morbidity and mortality, adult obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and premenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancer (both mom and baby.) The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of a baby’s life to optimize these benefits, continuing to breastfeed for 2 years and as long thereafter as is mutually desired by a woman and her child.

For more information:  Calhoun County Big Latch On – www.biglathon.org

Grace Health – Cheryl Hinds- 269-441-3467 or email: cheryl.hinds@gracehealthmi.org

July 14, 2015 will be the first anniversary of the opening of Grace Health’s (GH) newly, expanded space for OB/GYN.  Within the first year, just over 3,900 people received almost 15,500 services and GH providers delivered 542 babies at Bronson Battle Creek (BBC).  Not only was GH able to provide additional access to OB/GYN services, but it was also able to start a Maternal Oral Health Initiative Program (funding provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield to start the program).  A dental hygienist meets with women during their first, second and third trimesters – focusing on keeping mom healthy, nutrition, and infant and oral health.  As of June 30, there have been a total of 209 oral health encounters.

CenteringPregnancy began at GH on June 3.  Women meet with their healthcare provider and other women with similar due dates throughout their pregnancy – every month for the first 5 months and then every 2 weeks until birth.  CenteringPregnancy allows women more time with their provider to get questions answered plus they learn from other women in the group.

With the additional space in OB/GYN, GH, in collaboration with many community partners, has been able to provide various classes – Breastfeeding Club, Comfort Touches, Daddy Boot Camp, just to name a few – for patients and the community.  Not only is GH providing OB/GYN services, but is also providing educational classes so patients can make informed decisions on improving their health and well-being.

Grace Health in partnership with Bronson Battle Creek provided its first “Boot Camp for New Dads” on April 18 and is planning additional boot camps on Saturday, July 18 and Saturday, August 15.  The first “Boot Camp” was a successful, educational day in which 6 men attended.  Dr. Eric Macleod worked with first-time dads during this unique, one-morning workshop to help build their confidence and prepare them for the challenges of fatherhood.  Veteran dads teach expectant dads how to diaper, feed and connect with their newborn.  They also learn ways to nurture and support mom and baby.  For more information regarding “Boot Camp for New Dads” call 269-341-7723 or 800-451-6310.

On June 3, Sonya Datta-Sandhu, CNM and Emily VanDeraa, RN led Grace Health’s first CenteringPregnancy group.  With CenteringPregnancy, women meet with their healthcare provider and other women with similar due dates throughout their pregnancy.  This first group included 9 women who are due around November.  The women spent 2 hours with their nurse midwife and nurse getting all of their questions answered plus they learned from the other women in the group by sharing their experiences.  The women also received a complimentary book regarding pregnancy.  CenteringPregnancy offers monthly visits for the first 5 months and every two weeks until the birth.  After the babies are born, the group will have a reunion and share birth stories.  Additional groups are currently forming at Grace Health.  For more information about what Grace Health and Centering Pregnancy have to offer women in our community, contact Patti Pratt, RN, at 269-441-3443.

Grace Health recently celebrated Rosa Cecilia Lara Rives’ completion of the Maternal Oral Health Initiative program and the birth of her son, Arturo.  Rosa is the first patient to complete Grace Health’s Maternal Oral Health Initiative Program from start to finish. Funding was received from Blue Cross Blue Shield to start the program (approximately 7 months ago) in Grace Health’s OB/GYN Department and is one of five programs selected in Michigan.  During her pregnancy, Rosa met with registered dental hygienists, Jessica Southerland and Staci Hard.  During the first trimester visit, the hygienists worked with Rosa on her oral care and focused on keeping her healthy.  The focus for the second trimester visit was nutrition and the third trimester visit was about infant and oral health.  To date a total of 271 women have participated in the program.

It has been eight months since Grace Health (GH) opened its doors to the new, expanded addition for OB/GYN.  There are many things to celebrate about the expanded space, but one special celebration happened recently when Milania Austin arrived on February 27.  Her mom, Whitney Gray, was the first OB patient seen in GH’s new space for its OB/GYN Department.  A team of providers and support staff (pictured) worked with Whitney throughout her pregnancy.  Staff appreciate the opportunity to work with patients and share this special time in welcoming a new member to their family.

Not only are staff available to provide care and support to women during their pregnancy, but there are also several classes offered at GH to provide additional education.  These classes include: Breastfeeding Club and Comforting Touches Class.  New classes offered in partnership with Bronson Battle Creek – Toddler Talk, Baby Talk and Boot Camp for New Dads – are starting in March.  For more information regarding these classes or services provided visit “Classes” located on the Home page of our website (www.gracehealthmi.org) or call our OB/GYN Department at 269-441-3443.

http://www.mpca.net/news/210993/Family-Health-Center-of-Battle-Creek-Changes-Name-to-Grace-Health.htm