Claxton-Hepburn

living Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center well winter 2014 Volume 13 Number 1 We take your health personally. your health is our Commitment Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center is more than a place where sick people are treated. It's also a resource to help people stay well. We believe the goal of a hospital shouldn't merely be to provide the best possible care for the sick or injured. Here are just a few ways we're helping people live healthier lives. We're Listening to You Every three years, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center performs a Community Needs Assessment to understand the health needs identified by our community. Results from past assessments have led to the creation of our Breast Health Center, our Cancer Committee, and our Diabetes Prevention Program. Based on the latest Community Needs Assessment, Claxton-Hepburn, the St. Lawrence County Health Initiative, and other community partners will focus on the following actions in 2014: • addressing mental health and substance abuse • reducing obesity in children and adults • providing cancer screenings for our low-income population In 2012, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center provided more than $950,000 in charity care for low-income and uninsured patients. FREE HEALTH SCREENINGS Claxton-Hepburn provides free screenings to more than 1,500 St. Lawrence County residents every year. The hospital participates in more than a dozen health fairs and hosts approximately 30 free screening events annually to check blood pressure, blood glucose, and body mass index. Additionally, Claxton-Hepburn provides annual free screenings for skin cancer, colon cancer, and breast cancer. "We go out to the community rather than waiting for the community to come to us, which is more convenient for them," says Michele Catlin, community outreach coordinator at Claxton-Hepburn. "We also work with local colleges and businesses to provide free screenings for students and employees." DIABETES PREVENTION PROGRAM The Diabetes Prevention Program is a free, 16-week course for people at risk for diabetes. The course teaches evidence-based strategies for making lifestyle changes to prevent diabetes and is based on a nationally approved curriculum. Class leaders Catlin and Karen Cole, BSN, CWOCN, certified diabetes educator at Claxton-Hepburn, both completed state-certified training to bring this program to St. Lawrence County. "Our county has one of the highest diabetes rates in the state," Cole says. "Our curriculum emphasizes the importance of losing 7 percent of your body weight and exercising 150 minutes each week, which may prevent the onset of diabetes. It's amazing to see the changes people make through this program." CONTINUES ON PAGE 2 Win a GPS device! See page 2 for details.

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