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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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The Blanchard Valley Health System Auxiliary recently presented a check totaling $200,000 to Myron Lewis, president and chief executive officer of Blanchard Valley Health System, and Karen George, chief development officer of the Blanchard Valley Health Foundation, who accepted it on behalf of their organizations.

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Blanchard Valley Health System (BVHS) is launching a nurse residency program which will allow new nurses to transition from school to working at the bedside with mentorship and classes that will help them succeed and grow in confidence.

Classes will focus on the basics of nursing. Nurses will learn the systems of the body and will get to practice techniques during regular simulations. They’ll also learn how to strengthen their clinical reasoning such as learning how to manage medical complications and appropriate actions to take.

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By Nancy Proctor, BSN, MAE
Patient Experience Educator

Our survival depends on human interaction, which creates connection, trust and safety. Deep-seated in all of this is effective, “real” communication.

Believe it or not, despite the healthcare industry’s state-of-the-art everything (technology, equipment, buildings, campuses), the number one way we still treat our patients and families is through communication.

Explanation, education and information sharing are a large part of the patient experience, as we include the patient and family as partners in the healthcare team. In this way, healthcare professionals create mutual purpose via diagnosis, treatment and health management, in order to facilitate the most optimal health outcomes for the patient. Through dialogue, we also help develop mutual accountability. We are going to take care of you while you’re here and teach you how to take care of yourself when you’re not. This relationship is a winning combination for all.

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By Sherrie Schreck, RRT
Pulmonary Rehab, Blanchard Valley Hospital

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By Alyse Turner, BSN, RN
Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery Coordinator / Open Heart Surgery Educator
Heart & Vascular Specialists of Northwest Ohio

A heart-healthy diet includes low cholesterol, low saturated fat, low sodium and low salt. This may seem overwhelming, but one can start by reading labels on food products and looking at the cholesterol, fat, sodium and sugar contents to get an idea of what types of foods have those higher contents. Once familiarized with those higher-content foods, it will be easier to adjust what is put in the grocery cart at the store. 

When cooking a meal, avoid frying foods. Other options are baking, broiling, grilling, steaming or poaching food. Canola oil and olive oil are good to use to prepare the food. Avoid using salt in recipes and having salt on the dinner table. Food can still be very flavorful using herbs, spices that are low sodium, and vegetables to season your food. Cracked pepper, garlic, onions, parsley and rosemary are some of the many options to get flavorful food without the sodium. Avoid smoking and excessive use of alcohol and caffeine as well; those can impact the whole circulatory system by making the lungs and or heart work harder.

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