Oxford Health & Life Spring 2024

OXFORD SPRING 2024

| TRIHEALTH.COM/MHMH

MEET OUR NEW PRESIDENT AND COO BUILDING SKILLS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS EAT BETTER, FEEL BETTER

SERVING THE OXFORD COMMUNITY FOR OVER 60 YEARS

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Working in the MHMH kitchen are (from left) Dylan Carrell; Adam Chaney, Food and Nutrition Services Supervisor; TJ Burkhardt; and Jenny George, Intervention Specialist.

PART OF THE TEAM AN EMPLOYABILITY PROGRAM OFFERS SKILLS AND SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. IF YOU EAT lunch at the McCulloughHyde Memorial Hospital (MHMH) cafeteria, look for the sweet, friendly smile of Dylan Carrell. You might bump into Dylan while he’s portioning salads, collecting trays or organizing the cafeteria’s pantry with classmate TJ Burkhardt and Talawanda High School Intervention Specialist Jenny George.

Dylan and TJ, who both have Down syndrome, are enrolled in the school’s Employability Program and have found purpose in this transformative initiative.

George created the program four years ago to offer a range of vocational training and support services for 18- to 22-year-old adults with special needs.

Students meet in a classroom four days a week, but for part of the day, they trade traditional desks for a range of worksites where they practice everyday skills. One day, they might strip beds and collect trash at a hotel; the next, they might roll silverware and chat with residents at a retirement community. They even run a

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bustling café called The Perfect Blend, serving hot chocolate and coffee out of Talawanda High School’s teacher lunchroom twice a week. By practicing these activities, “the hope is for them to gain employability skills and become lifelong employees,” George says.

REACHING FULL POTENTIAL At MHMH, students like Dylan and TJ truly shine. Beyond skill development, they find opportunities to build relationships and socialize in the hospital’s kitchen.

Adam Chaney, Food and Nutrition Services Supervisor, challenges them to embrace new and unfamiliar tasks such as washing dishes. Brad Loyd, the security guard, greets them with a warm smile and a high five. The entire staff knows the students’ names, treating them like invaluable members of the team. “That makes them feel super welcome,” George says.

Misty Allmon, Dylan’s mother, attests to the program’s impact. The

supportive and inclusive environment at MHMH has equipped Dylan with practical skills and employment experience, she says. More importantly, she has witnessed her son’s improved confidence and independence. “It’s great to see him grow and thrive through this program,” she says.

Looking ahead, George envisions expanding the Employability Program to offer a wider variety of worksites tailored to individual student interests.

Her students have expressed curiosity about everything from childcare to hairstyling to music.

While the ultimate goal is lifelong employment, George hopes that the program will help her students find a passion—“not just a job, but a job in something that they’re interested in,” she says.

As the program expands, Allmon enthusiastically recommends it to others. “It has been a game changer for my son,” she says. “The program has helped him reach his full potential.”

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Account for every surgery you’ve had. Many doctors report having new patients say they’ve never had surgery—and then noticing a surgical scar during the first exam.

Often it’s an abdominal scar indicating an appendix or gallbladder removal that may have happened decades ago. No one can blame you for putting it behind you, but your provider needs to know such details about your past to, for example, interpret lab results properly.

HOW TO HAVE YOUR BEST

DOCTOR VISIT

A LITTLE BIT OF LEGWORK CAN HAVE A BIG PAYOFF FOR YOUR HEALTH. IF YOU FEEL YOUR DOCTOR ASKS a lot of questions when you come in for an appointment, that’s a good sign.

A capable primary care provider wants to know everything about you.

“Information about your past medical history, your family history and the medications you take are all important factors in making decisions about your care,” says Amy Khera, DO, a primary care physician with Oxford Internal Medicine.

Yet there’s a limit on how much time a provider can spend with any one patient. To make sure the two of you cover as much ground as possible during your visit, it pays to take 15 to 20 minutes before the appointment to do a bit of prep work. No need to be fancy (jotting notes on a sheet of paper is fine), but try to cover the following items.

Amy Khera, DO

Write down what’s worrying you.

Acknowledging something to yourself makes it easier to remember and talk about it. If your concern is a bit embarrassing, jotting it down can make it seem less awkward—and will help ensure that you don’t forget to mention it.

List the specialists you’ve seen. A lot of people forget a doctor’s name in part or completely, especially if it’s a specialist they don’t see regularly. But having this information makes it easier for your primary care provider to understand what’s happening with you and follow up with the other provider if needed.

Ask your parents about their health. This can be tough if elders tend to be tight-lipped about personal issues. However, important information pertaining to family history that can have a bearing on your own health may come up in these intergenerational discussions.

Check your insurance.

Ask your insurer in advance whether your visit to a given provider will be covered— and write down your account information or bring your insurance card to the appointment. That way, you won’t be in the position of having to reschedule or pay more out of pocket for services than you expected.

Bring your medicines with you. If writing down all your medications feels cumbersome, just throw them all in a plastic bag and take them along—in fact, many doctors prefer physically going through the prescriptions.

Providers often find that patients may be avoiding medicines that cause stomach upset, or that they’re taking multiple medications prescribed by different doctors for the same problem. By understanding everything you’re taking, your primary care provider can help weed out medications that aren’t working for you.

Finishing this exercise helps your provider know more about you—and better equips your provider to help you.

TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER, CALL OXFORD INTERNAL MEDICINE AT 513.523.4195.

OXFORD HEALTH & LIFE | SPRING 2024

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LEADING WITH HEART JEREMIAH KIRKLAND BRINGS A PERSONAL PASSION FOR HEALTHCARE TO HIS NEW ROLE AS MHMH PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER.

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WHEN JEREMIAH KIRKLAND talks about getting healthcare right, he isn’t just sharing his professional vision. For him, healthcare is intensely personal, rooted in the experience of his family.

“My father died of stage 4 colon cancer in his 50s,” he says. “If he had done what I believe is important today—getting the right screenings, seeing his primary care physician once a year—he may have had the chance to meet his grandchildren.”

Jeremiah Kirkland

Today, Kirkland has turned his heartbreak into hope, driving positive change in healthcare as an accomplished hospital leader. Now the President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital (MHMH), Kirkland remains committed to his calling. “We’re all put here for a purpose,” he says, “and my purpose is to take care of people.”

DRIVING CHANGE Inspired by his mother, a hospital nurse, Kirkland knew he wanted to work in healthcare his entire life. So, when a school-to-work program gave him the

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Jeremiah Kirkland (right) receives an award from TriHealth CEO Mark Clement at an event called Men of Honor | A Salute to African American Men.

met Mark Clement, Chief Executive Officer of TriHealth. “I told him at the time that I wanted to lead in healthcare the way he leads,” Kirkland says. “I never guessed we’d go from that conversation to where we are today.”

Kirkland joined TriHealth six years ago and has made a profound impact.

He’s grown the number of OB/GYN providers system-wide, led TriHealth’s mission-critical work in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) and transitioned Evendale Hospital to the Beacon/TriHealth Ambulatory Surgery Center. Most recently, Kirkland served as President and COO of Bethesda Butler Hospital.

“If you look at employee engagement and patient satisfaction scores, he’s knocked it out of the park as it relates to providing really great services in the markets he’s led,” says John Ward, Senior Vice President of Regional Operations for Bethesda North, where Kirkland previously served as Director of Operations.

GUIDING YOUTH TOWARD HEALTHCARE CAREERS One of Jeremiah Kirkland’s major accomplishments at TriHealth has been the creation of its School to Work program. Modeled after his own experience, it connects Cincinnati public school students with paid work opportunities in entry-level positions at TriHealth Good Samaritan Hospital.

Kirkland sees potential for these types of programs in the Oxford community as well and will explore whether a school-to-work initiative makes sense at MHMH. He’ll also look to extend existing partnerships with Miami University.

“I’d love to introduce students to career paths in healthcare that they can pursue right out of high school in partnership with the local university,” Kirkland says.

A VISION FOR OXFORD

opportunity to work inside the same hospital as his mom at age 14, he jumped at the chance. “I was a patient transporter and patient care assistant, learning what it was like to care for patients at the bedside,” he says.

When he reached his senior year of high school, however, he realized that he wanted to go beyond bedside care.

“I wanted to drive change in the health system, and I felt the best way to do that was to work as part of a leadership team,” he says.

Kirkland earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in healthcare administration. On the way, in 2006, he

As MHMH President and COO, Kirkland sees plenty of opportunities to grow services for the benefit of people in and around Oxford. “Our focus early on will be to recruit more OB/GYN providers to ensure that community members can deliver their babies and access highquality OB/GYN care close to home,” he says.

Another priority is furthering the investments TriHealth has already made in enhancing the MHMH campus. “I’m looking to create a multiyear plan to renovate and upgrade our facilities,” he says. Kirkland will also work with employees and the community to incorporate new technologies into MHMH where it makes the most sense.

Additionally, Kirkland will seek opportunities to bring more specialty care and surgical specialties to MHMH, either through partnerships or using telehealth. “Jeremiah’s ability to collaborate—and his experience working in the TriHealth system—will ensure that people in Oxford will be able to seek higher levels of care in the right places when they need it,” Ward says.

One of Kirkland’s biggest strengths, Ward says, is his ability to connect with the communities he serves. Over the next few months, Kirkland will embark on what he calls a “listening tour.”

“We have a very diverse community of people in Oxford,” Kirkland says. “My goal is to listen to them. I’ll attend community forums and seek to fully understand what we can do to meet their unique needs.”

Kirkland will also use his expertise in DEIB to recruit diverse physicians and advance practice clinicians. “I want to make sure our workforce reflects our community in terms of race, culture, gender and diversity of skills,” he says.

And he’ll expand health equity efforts to ensure, for example, that all patients who need lifesaving screenings such as mammograms can access them.

The opportunity to lead MHMH, Kirkland says, is a blessing. “I’m grateful to be part of a faith-based system that helps me carry out this mission,” he says. “I want people in Oxford and the surrounding communities to know that if they ever need us, we’ll be here for them.”

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IS YOUR CHILD AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES? 6

HOW PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS CAN HELP KIDS AVOID HIGH BLOOD SUGAR

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WHAT IS TYPE 2 DIABETES? A KID-FRIENDLY EXPLANATION • W hen you eat food, you get glucose, a sugar that is a source of fuel for your body.

• Your pancreas (a small gland behind the stomach) produces a hormone called insulin to help the body use the glucose.

• W hen a person has Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas can’t produce enough insulin to process the glucose.

• Levels of sugar in the body become too high. This can cause a person to be tired and can lead to damage to other parts of the body.

• The good news is that Type 2 diabetes can be treated with a healthy diet and physical activity.

NOT LONG AGO, Type 2 diabetes— the form of diabetes that is diet-related and develops over time— was rare in children. Now the number of children with Type 2 diabetes is rising, an issue that’s closely linked to the rise in the number of overweight children and teens.

Type 2 diabetes has the potential for long-term consequences related to the heart, kidneys, eyes and circulation. However, parents and caregivers should know that it can be prevented, and sometimes even cured, by lifestyle changes.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS? • OVERWEIGHT: Children’s weight is evaluated based on their BMI (body mass index)—a ratio of weight to height—which is then compared with the average weight range in their age group. Children whose weight is in the 95th percentile or above are considered obese and are at greater risk for developing diabetes.

• F REQUENT URINATION: The child’s body may be trying to get rid of extra blood sugar by passing it out in urine.

• T HIRST: The child’s body craves fluids to make up for the frequent urination.

• FATIGUE: The child is often tired because the body can’t process sugar for energy.

• T HICK OR DARK PATCHES IN THE SKIN: An elevated insulin level may cause this condition, especially in the folds or creases of skin.

If one or more of these conditions is present, the pediatrician may order a test to measure the levels of glucose in the child’s blood and may make a referral to a pediatric endocrinologist.

HOW IS TYPE 2 DIABETES IN CHILDREN TREATED? • W ITH HEALTHY EATING: That means eating fewer carbohydrates— foods like pasta, rice, bread and desserts—and more vegetables, fruits and proteins. Avoid sugary drinks and high-calorie snacks.

• W ITH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: Exercise and movement allow the body to use insulin more efficiently.

• W ITH MEDICATION: If healthy eating and activity don’t control blood sugar, Type 2 diabetes is typically treated with metformin, the same drug that adults use. Insulin or other, newer medications may be used as well.

• W ITH EDUCATION: As kids develop and grow, learning about proper nutrition is just as important as learning about math and reading or other school subjects. Teach children how to take care of their bodies before problems develop.

KEEP KIDS HEALTHY AND ACTIVE Today’s busy families often have an uphill battle when it comes to making sure children eat well and move enough. But you can keep kids healthier with steps like these.

• When there’s no time to cook, take advantage of prepared foods at the supermarket such as cut-up vegetables, bagged salads or rotisserie (not fried) chicken.

• Keep healthy snacks in the house. These may include fruit cups without added sugar, whole-grain crackers with cheese or with peanut butter or almond butter, hummus on a tortilla and low-fat yogurt with fruit.

• At meals, aim to have everyone fill half their plate with vegetables, a quarter with whole grains and a quarter with protein. Fruit makes for a sweet dessert.

• After school, have children drink eight ounces of water, eat a healthy snack and move around to “get the wiggles out” for at least 20 minutes before doing homework.

• Reduce or cut out sugary beverages, including juice.

Water is the healthiest option and can be infused with fruits for a hint of flavor. Naturally flavored seltzers can be a good alternative to soda. Fruit juices, even the 100 percent fruit kind, are high in natural sugars. If your child is going to drink juice, dilute it by adding water.

• For healthy, kid-friendly recipes, check out the American Diabetes Association’s website, www. diabetesfoodhub.org.

TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT AT OXFORD PEDIATRICS, CALL 513.523.2156.

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THE SECRETS OF CHILDREN’S SLEEP A GUIDE TO EYE-OPENING TRUTHS ABOUT KIDS AND THE EFFECTS OF TOO LITTLE SHUT-EYE

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THE BABY WHO WAKES you at 3 a.m. The nap-resistant toddler.

The teen who texts deep into the night, then sleeps too late in the morning.

For many parents, concerns about when a child should and should not be sleeping begin at birth and don’t end until the child is out of the house—and for good reason.

Sleep is the glue that holds us together, and lack of it contributes to difficulties with learning, memory and emotional control, and causes disruptive behavior, decreased energy and lack of motivation. So how can you help write a better bedtime story for your child?

THE EARLY YEARS: BABIES AND TODDLERS Newborns don’t enter the world with an internal clock. Before 3 months of age, baby doesn’t know the difference between day and night. But once they are about 3 months old, you can teach baby to self-soothe and fall asleep without parental presence, and keep to a schedule.

Most babies will take a morning nap and an afternoon nap. Between 1 and 2 years old, the morning nap gradually gets later and becomes the only nap. Since nap time often becomes a battle of wills, how does a parent know when to insist? One guideline is based on your child’s behavior: If a child is 3 years old, doesn’t nap and is a wreck the whole day, then that child still needs a nap.

Having an established sleep routine at night (for example, taking a bath, brushing teeth and reading a book) helps signal the brain that there is about to be a shift to sleep.

LATER ON: TWEENS AND TEENS

COULD IT BE A SLEEP DISORDER?

By the teenage years, most kids have evolved from larks (showing a preference for waking early and going to bed early) to owls (staying up later and wanting to sleep later).

A “perfect storm” of sleepdisturbing factors takes place in these years: School starts earlier, kids go to bed later and electronics in the bedroom detract from sleep.

Uneven schedules also play a role. Teens sleep in on weekends, stay up even later on weekend nights and create a bad cycle of morning sluggishness for the beginning of the new school week.

To compensate, many teens go back to taking a nap. Napping can be good if it’s 20 to 40 minutes and if it’s sporadic, but many teens nap after school and then have trouble going to sleep at night. Try to allow no more than two hours’ difference between weekend and weekday bedtimes.

Another problem endemic to this age group: Teens do everything in their bedrooms, including homework, phone calls and social media. That can become bad for sleeping, as teens subconsciously associate the stresses of life with bed instead of looking at bed as a place for sleep and comfort.

Regardless of age, these suggestions can help set the stage for a good night’s sleep.

• Keep the bedroom cool (at a temperature less than 75 degrees), comfortable and quiet.

• Block out as much light as possible.

• Keep electronics out of the room and keep pets out of the bed.

If your child’s sleep-related behavior is troubling, a sleep disorder is a possibility.

Doctors classify something as a sleep disorder when a lack of sleep seeps into daytime behavior or activities. If you have a child who is snoring three or more days a week or who is exhibiting daytime sleepiness or difficulties in school, speak to your pediatrician or consider seeing a sleep doctor. Diagnosis of a sleep disorder begins with a thorough history and physical exam. For babies and younger kids, keeping a sleep log can be helpful. For teens, a wrist recorder or smartwatch can track this information.

The most common childhood sleep disorders include: • Obstructive sleep apnea, marked by snoring and feeling tired even after a full night’s sleep.

• Insomnia, which causes trouble falling asleep and/or staying asleep.

• Hypersomnia, which causes excessive sleepiness.

• Parasomnia (sleepwalking or sleep-talking).

• Rhythmic body movements. The most common of these is restless leg syndrome, which causes a creepycrawly feeling in the legs, often mistaken for growing pains.

• Secondary nocturnal enuresis, a form of bed-wetting that develops six months or more after a child has learned to control his or her bladder.

• Delayed sleep phase syndrome, in which sleep is delayed by two or more hours beyond bedtime and thereby causes difficulty waking.

However, most children’s unhealthy sleep patterns can be improved or corrected with simple steps that ensure the bedtime story has a happy—or at least more restful—ending.

TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT AT OXFORD PEDIATRICS, CALL 513.523.2156.

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FOOD THAT LIFTS

YOUR MOOD THE MOST POWERFUL “MEDICINE” FOR FEELING GOOD MAY BE WHAT YOU PUT ON YOUR PLATE.

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WHAT IF you were offered a tool that was guaranteed to lift your spirits and give you the energy to do all the things you want to do?

The fact is, you already have this tool at your disposal. Numerous medical studies have found that what we eat on a daily basis is powerful “medicine”—perhaps the most powerful—for fighting depression and fatigue.

Most people associate comfort with some kinds of food, such as pasta or ice cream. But the connection between food and how we feel is much deeper than many of us know. Food actually triggers chemical reactions in our brain that can lead to changes in our moods.

How does what we eat affect the way we feel?

Food can reduce depression risk.

Research shows that a higher risk of depression is linked to a diet that includes few fruits and vegetables but lots of red or processed meat (deli meat, bacon, hot dogs) as well as high-fat dairy products such as whole milk and butter.

Meanwhile, a diet that includes lots of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, fish and olive oil is strongly associated with a lower risk of depression.

Food can increase energy. Sugary foods such as soda and candy lead to a sharp surge of energy because they trigger the brain to release a feel-good chemical called dopamine. However, this so-called “sugar high” will be brief and will be followed by a slump in mood and energy levels.

On the other hand, a well-balanced diet that includes healthy fats, whole grains, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables leads to steady levels of energy. Doctors sometimes see this effect in patients, with many of those who focus on a mostly plant-based diet reporting that they experience higher and more sustained energy levels.

YOUR PLATE, YOUR WAY Good-mood meals can be created using your favorite ingredients—no matter what cuisine you like.

The eating plan most often linked to positive moods is called the Mediterranean diet, which is based on the traditional diet of people in areas bordering the Mediterranean Sea. But in reality, this way of eating has no geographic boundaries. Fruits, vegetables and fish differ from country to country, but they are just as nutritious and good for you wherever you live.

The Mediterranean diet includes: • Daily consumption of seasonal vegetables and fruits, whole grains and healthy fats (such as

Food can improve memory and thinking skills. Research into large population samples from dozens of countries around the world have found that people who eat the healthiest diets are significantly less likely to have a decline in their thinking skills compared with people who ate the least healthy diets.

Food can ease anxiety. Certain foods spur the release of the feel-good brain chemicals dopamine and serotonin.

This category includes foods rich in the

those found in nuts and olive oil) •W eekly eating of fish, poultry, beans and eggs • Moderate portions of dairy products • Limited intake of red meat.

The plan is easy to adapt, as can be seen in cuisines throughout the world.

For example, many people of West African heritage use a lot of vegetables in favorite dishes, such as fufu, a recipe that begins with pounded yams or plantains. Beans, corn and peppers—all Mediterranean diet staples—are common in many Caribbean and Central American dishes. Black rice, used in many Chinese and Southeast Asian recipes, has higher levels of antioxidants (which protect cells) than many other types of rice.

nutrient magnesium, such as leafy greens like spinach and Swiss chard, as well as nuts, seeds and whole grains. The same is true for foods rich in B vitamins, such as avocados and almonds, and foods that contain zinc, such as oysters, cashews, liver and egg yolks.

These emotional benefits, of course, come on top of the physical benefits of a healthy diet—joints that don’t ache, fewer colds, better bowel function, lower cholesterol, reduced risk of heart and kidney disease, and much more.

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NON PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID Harrisburg, PA Permit #324

110 N Poplar Street Oxford, OH 45056

MHMH Top Maternity Hospital Ad_v3_crops.pdf

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McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital

Named among Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.

At TriHealth, we’re committed to serving the needs of our region’s growing families.

Our team at McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital is proud to be named a 2024 High Performing Hospital for Maternity Care (Uncomplicated Pregnancy), the highest award a hospital can earn for U.S. News’ Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.

Thanks to the generosity of our community, the OB Unit received $1 million in support through the McCullough-Hyde Foundation, meaning even more resources and expertise to support maternity care.

Be seen. Be heard. Be healed.

TriHealth.com/MHMH

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