August 2007
Where caring counts. Feel the difference.
New Lab Stations @ MGH • Privacy • Safety • Convenience
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Vol. 23 No. 4
Save the Date for
2007 Fantasy Forest November 14 - 17
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ab Techs (l to r) Teresa Horne, Mona Mecham, Stephanie Kling, and Elysa Gaffney demonstrate how private and comfortable two of the three newly-installed phlebotomy (blood draw) patient stations are in MGH’s recently remodeled laboratory. “The goal of the remodel was to accommodate our growth in outpatient testing, provide privacy, and support national patient safety goals regarding positive patient and sample identification,” said Dee Ann Kline, Ph.D., director of laboratory services. “Adding cubicles gives us a degree of privacy that we had not previously been able to provide. The addition of a third draw station creates less waiting time for the patient. We placed a computer at each draw station and now the phlebotomists are entering the lab order and labeling tubes with the bar-coded label that positively identifies the sample, throughout the entire testing process.” MGH employs a professional team of highly trained and experienced lab techs who are skilled and competent in patient draws.
What’s Inside: 2 3 4 5 6
Free Community Connections for Elders Two Local Champions Honored Traveling Abroad — Healthfully 2007 Quality Care Open Immunizations at Oakland Bay Pediatrics, North Mason Medical Clinic 7 News Briefs 8 Open Letter, MGH Free Class Saves a Life
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12th annual Fantasy Forest, sponsored by Mason General Hospital Foundation, is gearing up for the 2007 season. It is scheduled to run from November 14 to 17, at The Pavilion at Sentry Park, Shelton. Here is how you can help make this year’s event the best ever: ✦ Volunteer to work at Fantasy Forest events ✦ Donate goods, services, holiday baskets, art, or anything else to be used for Fantasy Forest auctions and raffles ✦ If you are a craftsperson, artist, cottage products entrepreneur, commercial retailer of holiday gifts, or anyone who has seasonal goods to sell, apply for your space, now for the Fantasy Forest Bazaar on Friday, November 16 If you are able and willing to help, or if you wish additional information or an application for vendor space, please call the Foundation Office at (360) 427-3623 (from Belfair (360) 275-8614). For more information visit www.MasonGeneral.com.
Blood Sugar Control Is Improving Of the 20.8 million Americans with diabetes, more than half are keeping their blood sugar at the level recommended by their doctors, compared to only a third who had their blood sugar under control in 2001. Tight control of blood sugar is crucial to preventing diabetic complications that affect the heart, large and small blood vessels, nerves, kidneys, eyes and other organs. [SOURCE: Julie Steenhuysen, “Americans Making Progress Managing Diabetes,” Reuters Health, June 23 2007]