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Blanchard Valley Health System

Tobacco Cessation Program can help smokers quit for good

As part of its commitment to not just treat, but also prevent, disease, Blanchard Valley Health System (BVHS) offers individual counseling and education for community members who wish to quit smoking.

The Tobacco Cessation Program at Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine of Northwest Ohio, 1900 S Main St., Findlay, takes an evidence-based team approach tailored to each smoker’s individual needs. The dedicated team of “quit specialists” provides resources, education, medication support, accountability and encouragement for each step of the journey.

Different tools may work for different people, and some smokers may want guidance finding the right approach for them.

Dr. Grace Eberly joins Pediatric Associates of Northwest Ohio

Blanchard Valley Health System has announced that Dr. Grace Eberly has joined the teams at Caughman Health Center and Pediatric Associates of Northwest Ohio, divisions of the health system.

Dr. Eberly is welcoming new patients at 122 North Jackson Street, Bluffton and at 1800 North Blanchard Street, Suite 121, Findlay.

Dr. Eberly earned a bachelor of science degree in world religions, with a minor in biological sciences, from Ohio University, followed by a medical degree from Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her residency in pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Columbus, Ohio).

“I am honored to be joining the extraordinary providers and associates at Caughman Health Center, who make a difference in the lives of their patients each and every day,” Dr. Eberly said. “I am looking forward to providing care for area children and their families.”

Caughman Health Center provides both family practice and pediatric care to area residents, regardless of ability to pay.

BVHS announces Board of Trustees changes

The Blanchard Valley Health System Board of Trustees is announcing several recent changes to its members and officers.

The Board recently elected Ginger Jones as Board Chair, succeeding Kim Stumpp. Jones, retired Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Cooper Tire and Rubber Company, has served with the Board since 2015, most recently as Vice Chair on the Executive Committee and as Chair of the Finance Committee. Other members comprising the Executive Committee include Frank A. Cosiano, MD, Vice Chair; Myron D. Lewis, President; Kim Stumpp, Immediate Past Chair; Jeffery Shrader, Treasurer; James PF Dowling, MD, Secretary; Beth Kroetz, At-Large Member; and William Hopkins, MD, At-Large Member.

The Board appointed Annette Edgington (General Manager, GSW Manufacturing, Inc.) and Donald Malarky (Retired, Marathon Petroleum Company) as its newest Trustees. Edgington will also continue to serve on the BVHS Finance Committee as will Malarky on the Quality Committee.

BVHS receives two American Heart Association honors

Blanchard Valley Health System recently received two honors from the American Heart Association.

BVHS is the recipient of a Get With The Guidelines®-Resuscitation Silver Award (Adult). Separately, the health system earned a Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.

Weekend Doctor: Little Leage elbow

By Laura Durliat, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist, Julie A. Cole Rehab & Sports Medicine

It’s spring in northwest Ohio, and that means track, softball and baseball seasons are underway. Unfortunately, that also means injuries. A common injury, which occurs in young athletes, at this time of year is “little league elbow.” This occurs most commonly in the ages of nine to 14 because the bones of the elbow at this age are not fully developed. These young pitchers often have joint laxity, open growth plates and immature bones. Little league elbow occurs with overuse and repetitive throwing motions. This is an injury of the inside area (medial) elbow’s tendons, ligaments and or bones in the young throwing athlete. Repetitive throwing causes trauma and injury to the immature skeleton of young athletes causing an overload to the inside of the elbow. If left untreated, it could lead to a stress fracture (crack in the bone) at the head of the humerus caused by overuse.

BVHS Auxiliary initiative will improve patient comfort

A Blanchard Valley Health System Auxiliary initiative will improve patients’ comfort as they recover from surgery–and the idea was the brainchild of a BVHS patient and associate, whose own recovery was assisted by her training as a nurse, and by a creative mind that made her think of using a tool belt to hold surgical drains.

Kay Alexander, a licensed practical nurse who still works per diem at BVHS, was diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2022. After discussing her options, she decided to undergo a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction at Bluffton Hospital.

Patients leaving the hospital after a mastectomy–as well as several types of abdominal surgery–must wear drains to catch fluid for at least a week, and often longer. It’s important to find a comfortable way to hold the drains in position.

The usual recommendation is to pin them to one’s clothes. However, Alexander was looking for a more comfortable way to secure them after her January mastectomy.

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