Employees from Mercy Assisted Care in Janesville showed their team spirit for the Packers vs. Bears NFC Championship game January 23. In addition to wearing their favorite team apparel, they had Packers vs. Bears cookies for sale and raised over $80 to benefit the House of Mercy Homeless Center in Janesville. Now, that’s team spirit!

On Friday, February 4, several employees will continue to show support for the Green Bay Packers now that they’ve advanced to SuperBowl XLV! Watch our Facebook page for more team spirit photos!

Guest post: Glenn Milos, DO, is a board certified trauma/emergency medicine physician at Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center in Janesville and Mercy Walworth Hospital.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates carbon monoxide poisoning claims nearly 500 lives, and causes more than 15,000 visits to hospital emergency departments annually. In fact, just today, five people were taken to the hospital for having high levels of carbon monoxide in their systems. According to local news reports, Alliant Energy indicated a malfunctioning furnace caused the carbon monoxide release. The family did not have a carbon monoxide detector in their home.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas produced by burning material containing carbon. Common household appliances usually produce it.  It’s dangerous because you can’t see it, smell it, or taste it; but overexposure can cause brain damage and death.

Early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning such as headaches, nausea and fatigue, are often mistaken for the flu because the deadly gas goes undetected in a home.

The best way to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning is to install a carbon monoxide alarm on each level of your home.

On February 1, new Wisconsin law requires all residential properties to install carbon monoxide detectors. The new state law will require carbon monoxide alarms in all single family and two-unit homes, with an alarm on every floor level, and near sleeping areas. Existing homes may install any type of CO alarms: battery, plug-in, or combination smoke/CO devices. Additionally, alarms in newly constructed homes must be hard-wired with a battery back-up.

Please check your existing detectors and make sure they are working properly. Check the battery life and wiring connection. If you don’t have a detector(s), please plan to buy and install them immediately.

For more information about carbon monoxide poisoning, please click here. For more information about the new Wisconsin law, click here.

Guest post: Kevin Bluemel, MD, is a board certified family medicine physician at Mercy Brodhead Medical Center. For more information, call (608) 897-8664.

Currently, several states are reporting an increase in whooping cough cases, including a statewide epidemic in California. The following information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can help you protect yourself and your family from this serious disease.

Whooping cough, also called pertussis is a very contagious disease caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. People with pertussis usually spread the disease by coughing or sneezing while in close contact with others, who then breathe in the pertussis bacteria. Many infants who get pertussis are infected by parents, older siblings or other caregivers who might not even know they have the disease.

Among vaccine-preventable diseases, pertussis is one of the most commonly occurring ones in the U.S. Since the 1980s, there has been an increase in the number of cases of pertussis, especially among teens (10–19 years old) and babies less than six months old. In 2008, there were more than 13,000 reported cases including 18 deaths from pertussis nationally.

What to watch for

Pertussis can cause serious illness in infants, children and adults. The disease starts like the common cold, with a runny nose or congestion, sneezing, and maybe mild cough or fever. But after one to two weeks, severe coughing begins. Infants and children with the disease cough violently and rapidly, over and over, until the air is gone from their lungs and they are forced to inhale with a loud “whooping” sound.

Pertussis is most severe for babies, especially for infants who are too young to be fully vaccinated; more than half of infants under one year old who get the disease must be hospitalized. About one in five infants with pertussis get pneumonia (lung infection), and about one in 100 will have convulsions. In rare cases (one in 100), pertussis can be deadly, especially in infants.

Preventing pertussis

Parents can help protect infants by keeping them away as much as possible from anyone who has cold symptoms or is coughing.

The best way to prevent pertussis is to get vaccinated. The recommended pertussis vaccine for children is called DTaP. This is a safe and effective combination vaccine that protects children against three diseases: diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.

Vaccine protection for pertussis, tetanus and diphtheria can fade with time. There are boosters for adolescents and adults that contain tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (called Tdap). Getting vaccinated with Tdap is especially important for families with and caregivers of new infants.

The easiest thing for adults to do is to get Tdap instead of their regular tetanus booster every 10 years. The dose of Tdap can be given earlier than the 10-year mark, so it is a good idea for adults to talk to their health care provider about what is best for their specific situation.

Note that pertussis vaccines are very effective, but not 100% effective. If pertussis is circulating in the community, there is still a chance that a fully vaccinated person can catch this very contagious disease. When you or your child develops a cold that includes a prolonged or severe cough, it may be pertussis. The best way to know is to call your doctor.

Kevin Bluemel, MD, is a board certified family medicine physician at Mercy Brodhead Medical Center. For more information, call (608) 897-8664.

Dr. Asad Rafiq, gastroenterologist with Mercy Health System, is offering a simple, take-home colon cancer screening January 17-31 at several Mercy clinics.

Colon cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in men and women in the United States, but early detection saves lives. Dr. Rafiq is offering free colon cancer screenings at the following locations:

•Mercy Algonquin Medical Center
2401 Harnish Dr.

•Mercy Barrington Medical Center
500 W. HWY. 22 (Located at the intersection of Hwy. 22 and Kelsey Rd.)

•Mercy Crystal Lake Medical Center-West
350 Congress Pkwy. Ste. E.

•Mercy Harvard Hospital Clinic
1001 Grant St.

•Mercy McHenry Medical Center
3922 Mercy Dr.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Rafiq, call (815) 477-1555.

We’re pleased to introduce Healing Touch, Mercy Health System’s free health e-newsletter. Each month, our new Healing Touch e-newsletter keeps you up-to-date about health topics that are important to you. From pediatric care to cardiovascular health to weight loss and women’s health, we’ll send you the latest news and information on new treatment options, every day health tips and Mercy services and programs to help you and your family live a healthier life.

To receive this e-newsletter, please visit MercyPulse.org, click on “Join our mailing list” and complete the information requested. Then, with your new subscription, you receive up-to-date medical news and health information via email to read at your convenience.

Plus, as a “thank you” for subscribing, you’ll be entered in to our monthly drawing to win a prize!  Prizes include blood pressure monitors, deluxe first aid kits, executive physicals, full panel cholesterol screenings and heart scans.

Please note: Mercy Health System respects your privacy. We do not sell, trade, rent or share personal information about our users to or with any third parties. We will use your e-mail address only to send you our e-newsletter, unless you indicate below that you would like to receive other occasional news from us. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Do you have a health-related question, news or want to talk with a doctor? Ask us on Facebook or Twitter. All questions are kept confidential if requested.

Mercy Harvard Hospital, 901 Grant St., is hosting a community blood drive Thursday, Jan. 13, 2-6 pm, in the lower conference room.

To participate, blood donors must be at least 17 years old (16 years old with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds and be in general good health. In one hour’s time, you can donate one unit of blood that can be separated into four individual components that could help save multiple lives.

Staff members will be taking appointments in 10-minute increments.

Please make your appointment today by calling Penny Gustafson at 815-943-8209.

While this may sound simple, it is much more difficult than it appears. But with the help of Mercy Health System’s Smoking Cessation program, the road to quitting can be much easier.

This four-session program is designed to encourage and support the quitter and a support person. During this program, you won’t be told WHY to quit, you’ll be told HOW to quit.

Crucial factors include:

•Making the decision to quit

•Setting a quit date and choosing a quit plan

•Dealing with withdrawal

•Maintenance or staying quit

Cost is $25. Classes can be taught individually, in a group setting or at the workplace.

Smoking cessation classes are available at the Henry Palmer Building. For more information or to register, call (608) 741-2411.

Still unsure? Here’s what a past smoker had said about Mercy’s Smoking Cessation program:

“I have been smoking for 48 years. I knew I needed to quit and I enrolled in the smoking cessation class at Mercy Health System. I was smoking 2-3 packs per day. My oxygen level at my doctor’s appointment at the end of September was 86%. I went back to the doctor at the beginning of December and it was 96%. I even received a hug from my physician. I am thankful for the class at Mercy Health System and I feel like a different person today because of them.”

Have a health-related question, news or want to talk with a doctor? Ask us on Facebook or Twitter. All questions are kept confidential if requested.

The Mercy Health System Family Medicine Residency Program celebrates its 20-year anniversary this month.

This community-based, three-year program trains medical residents to become competent and well-rounded family medicine physicians. Residents work in close partnership with faculty members in inpatient, outpatient, hospice and home settings. All of our graduates have become certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and are successfully practicing in their communities of choice. Since inception, the program has graduated  over 1,000 physicians.

We asked residents and graduates of the program, what they thought of their experience. Here’s what they said:

Dennys Maldonado, MD, family/sports medicine doctor at Mercy Clinic East

“I’ve been with Mercy for six years, with two years as a medical student, three years as a family medicine resident and one year as the sports medicine fellow. My experiences have been second to none and I appreciate the opportunity to learn the art of medicine from experienced and knowledgeable physicians.”

Tamara Kramer, MD, family medicine doctor at Mercy clinic East

“I was looking for a supportive learning environment that provided guidance while allowing autonomy. That is exactly what I found here. Over the three-year program, I was able to learn more about myself. That helped to shape my practice to fit my personal interests. We were encouraged to work hard, apply ourselves and have fun. Through this, I can say that I became the provider I wanted to be for my patients. I would recommend Mercy to anyone looking for well-rounded family medicine training.”

Jonathan Schafer, MD, third-year resident

“It is well understood by the supervising physicians, nurses and administrative team at Mercy Clinic South that the time spent in residency is for many physicians the most important, significant and challenging period in their training. The practical application of a large body of medical knowledge is encountered; learning to provide meaningful compassion and understanding multiple times a day in diverse situations is experienced; and beliefs, many fixed early in life, about what it means to be a physician, are often painstakingly examined.”

Melissa Amertil, MD, second-year resident

“The Mercy Health System Family Medicine Residency Program is a place where individual growth is fostered and where faculty and staff are dedicated to the patients, just as much as they are dedicated to the residents and each other. I am glad and honored to be a member of such a family where excellence is mandatory and commitment is exemplified.”

Justin Frey, MD, first-year resident

“We quickly realize that we are part of a tradition of a close-knit group of faculty, residents and staff whose collective goal is to create well-rounded family physicians. In addition to practicing effective evidence-based medicine, we learn to work together with our patients to address emotional and psychosocial challenges, to provide comprehensive therapy in all aspects of primary care.”

Mercy will recognize the successful program with a cake celebration today at noon. To view photos later today, visit our Facebook page at Facebook.com/mercyhealthsystem

Hypothermia is a term we often hear about each winter but don’t realize how dangerous it can be, especially for infants and the elderly.

Hypothermia is a condition that develops when your body loses more heat than it produces, leading to an abnormally low body temperature. If you suspect you or someone else has hypothermia, seek immediate medical attention.

Symptoms of hypothermia include shivering, confusion, clumsiness, memory loss, slurred speech, slowed breathing and cold, pale skin. Hypothermia can even result in death, specifically when the heartbeat decreases, becomes irregular and stops.

Before you or your loved one step out into the cold air, try to follow this advice:

•Dress in layers. Always wear several layers of warm, windproof and waterproof clothing, plus a hat, mittens, socks, boots, and a scarf to cover your mouth and nose to protect your lungs against cold air.

•Stay dry. Pay special attention to places where snow can enter, such as in loose mittens or snow boots. Avoid strenuous outdoor activities that will make you sweat. The combination of wet clothing and cold weather can give you chills and reduce your body temperature which can make you susceptible to hypothermia.

•Travel smart. Keep emergency supplies in your car in case you get stranded. Supplies may include several blankets, matches, candles and food such as granola bars or crackers.

Remember: Hypothermia can be prevented. Follow these tips, spread the word and stay warm.