Before you know it, it will be time for back to school, back to work, off to college – and the perfect time to make sure your vaccinations are up-to-date. With flu season coming up in the fall, reminders about the importance of getting your seasonal flu shot will be everywhere.

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dDon’t forget: It’s also important to get vaccinated against other serious diseases including measles, whooping cough, meningitis and more, accord-ing to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Keep Your Family SafeVaccines help keep you and those around you safe from disease in a number of ways.

Do I need vaccines if I’m healthy? Yes, it’s still important to get the recommended vacci-nations. In addition to protecting you, vaccines work by preventing the spread of illness to the very young, very old and those who have health conditions that put them at greater risk of com-plications or even death from certain illnesses.

Vaccinations for TravelersVaccines are recommended to protect travelers abroad from acquiring illnesses during their travels and to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. In some countries, vaccines are required for entry. Follow these tips if you plan to travel outside the U.S.: » Consult your doctor or travel clinic to determine if you’ll need additional vaccines before you travel. The vaccinations you may need depend on a variety of factors including your destination and the time of year when you will be traveling. Learn more at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website for travelers at wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel. » Check your medical history to make sure that your routine vaccinations and immunizations are up-to-date. The vaccines you will need for your trip are affected by your previous immunizations. » Set up an appointment with your doctor or travel clinic four to six weeks prior to departure. Some vaccines are given in a series of shots over a period of time, while other vaccines take some time to become effective.

Websites not belonging to this organization are provided for information only. No endorsement is implied.

Infants and Young Children

Note: The arrows indicate a range of recommended ages for all children except certain high-risk groups.Source: Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This schedule indicates recommended ages for routine immunizations. Since your child may have specific health issues, be sure to talk with your child’s health care provider about an appropriate vaccination schedule.

Birth 1 month

2 months

4 months

6 months

12 months

15 months

18 months

19-23 months

2-3 years

4-6 years

HepB HepB HepB

RV RV RV

DTaP DTaP DTaP DTaP DTaP

Hib Hib Hib Hib

PCV PCV PCV PCV

IPV IPV IPV IPV

Influenza (yearly)

MMR MMR

Varicella Varicella

HepA (2 doses)

Are there risks involved in getting vaccines? According to the CDC, the United States currently has the safest, most effective vaccine supply in history. In very rare cases, a person may experi-ence a serious side effect, such as an allergic reaction. In most cases, vaccines are effective and either cause no side effects or result in a mild fever or soreness at the injection site. Skipping recommended vaccinations involves a much greater risk.

What vaccines should my family get and when? Children should receive regularly sched-uled vaccinations (see chart) at well-child checkups, plus a yearly flu shot.* If your child has missed any vaccinations, call to schedule an appointment to catch up on shots. Adults should

STAY PROTECTEDWITH UP-TO-DATE SHOTS

receive recommended vaccinations (see chart), including a flu shot in the fall.*

Should I get vaccines if I have special health concerns? If you are pregnant or have other health conditions, you should follow the vaccine schedule that your doctor recommends. ❚

* People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs, as well as certain other individuals, should not be vaccinated without first talking to their doctors.

Websites not belonging to this organization are provided for information only. No endorsement is implied.

For more information about vaccines, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules

Preteens and Teens

** The HPV vaccination is recommended for girls 11 through 12 years old. Three doses of the vac-cine are recommended for all girls and women age 11 through 26. The vaccine is also safe and effective for boys and men 9 through 26 years old. Talk to your doctor for more information.

** The meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV) is recommended at age 11 or 12, with a booster shot at age 16. If your teenager missed this vaccine, ask your doctor about getting it now – especially before moving to a college dorm or military barracks.

Source: Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This schedule indicates recommended ages for routine immunizations. Since your child may have specific health issues, be sure to talk with your child’s health care provider about an appropriate vaccination schedule.

Age Vaccinations

7 to 10 years

11 to 12 years

13 to 15 years

16 years

17 to 18 years

Influenza(yearly)

Influenza(yearly)

Influenza(yearly)

Influenza(yearly)

Influenza(yearly)Tdap HPV* MCV4**

MCV4**

Adults

* Substitute one-time dose of Tdap for Td booster to protect against pertussis (also called whooping cough). This is especially important if you are a health care worker or if you have contact with an infant.

** For adults who lack evidence of immunity (lack documentation of vaccination or have no evidence of previous infection).

*** A catch-up vaccination for women who did not receive the HPV vaccination at age 11 or 12.

Source: Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This schedule indicates recommended ages for routine immunizations for adults who have received all of the recommended childhood immunizations. Consult your health care provider for a recommended schedule for you based on your specific health conditions and health history.

Age Vaccinations

All adults

Women age 19-26

60 years

65 years

Influenza(yearly)

Td(every 10 years)*

Varicella(2 doses)**

MMR(1 or 2 dosesage 19-49)**

HPV(3 doses)***

ZOS

Pneumococcal

DTaP Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough)

HepA Hepatitis A

HepB Hepatitis B

Hib Haemophilius influenza type B

HPV Human papillomavirus

Influenza Seasonal flu

IPV Polio

MCV4 Meningitis

MMR Measles, mumps and rubella

PCV Pneumococcal infections

Pneumococcal Pneumococcal infections

RV Rotavirus

Td Tetanus and diphtheria

Tdap Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough)

Varicella Chickenpox

ZOS Herpes zoster (shingles)

Decoding the Names of VaccinesThe following vaccines provide protection against a number of serious diseases.

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a

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Center for Wound Healing Recognized

The Center for Wound Healing at Decatur County Memorial Hospital was recently presented with the “Center of Distinction” Award. The award recognized out-standing achievement, and the DCMH Center was one of only 83 centers in the country to receive the award this year.

The Center was able to garner the recognition with patient satisfaction exceed-ing 92%, and healing rates in less than 30 median days over 91%; rates which have been sustained for more than 12 consecutive months.

The Center for Wound Healing has quickly become the place to turn when someone is faced with a chronic, non-healing wound. More information about the Center for Wound Healing and its services may be obtained by calling (812) 222-HEAL (4325).

Don’t Be “Vein”Are your legs sore at the end of the day? Do they itch, burn or swell? Is there brownish discoloration near your ankles? You could have chronic venous insufficiency.

What Is Chronic Venous Insufficiency?Chronic venous insufficiency is a progressive disease that is caused by degeneration of the vein valves, which allows blood to pool in the legs instead of returning to the heart for re-circulation.

Vein disease occurs in up to 40% of the U.S. popula-tion, with men more commonly affected after age 70, and women after age 40. Risk factors include: obesity, family history, personal history of blood clots, prolonged standing, lack of exercise and pregnancy.

Symptoms include swelling of the legs/ankles/feet, cramping, itching, burning sensation in the lower legs and ankles, leg fatigue, varicose veins, harden-ing or thickening of the skin, and finally, ulcers.

Treatment OptionsThe first step toward getting treatment for venous insufficiency is to get a diagnosis. This is often done by visiting your doctor and having an ultrasound of the affected extremity performed. This is a pain-less test that uses sound waves to check for the problem. Once the diagnosis is made, you and your doctor should discuss treatment options. There are

both non-surgical and surgical treatments available for venous insufficiency depending upon the sever-ity and type of disease, as well as your budget.

Non-surgical treatment options range from simply elevating the legs as much as possible and avoiding prolonged sitting/standing, to wearing over-the-counter or prescription compression socks to keep the abnormal veins from dilating.

Surgical treatments include destruction and/or excision of the affected veins to prevent progres-sion of the disease. Decatur County Memorial Hospital recently began offering a new procedure that effectively treats superficial venous insuf-ficiency by destroying the affected vein, which greatly decreases the pain and recovery time, compared with traditional vein “stripping” with excision. For more information, contact the DCMH Department of Surgery at (812) 663-1351. ❚

Dr. Brian Albers consults with patients and conducts surgeries at DCMH on a regular basis. For more information regarding visiting specialists at DCMH visit www.dcmh.net or call (812) 663-1311.

DCMH Named a Top Workplace

Decatur County Memorial Hospital was named one of Central Indiana’s Top Workplaces by the Indianapolis Star following participation in a survey administered by Workplace Dynamics of Exton, PA. In total, 675 Central Indiana employers were invited to participate and the employees of those participating responded to 23 statements in areas such as appreciation, work/life balance, leadership, management, growth opportunities, company values and others.

This was the second year in which DCMH was named, however this represented the first appearance in the top 5 for the Hospital. This year, Decatur County Memorial held the number three position in the large company category behind Barnes & Thornburg and Federal Express. The Hospital was also presented a “special award” in the cat-egory of Work/Life Flexibility. This award was based on standout scores for specific survey statements related to that category.

Travel Clinic in Greensburg!

Students studying abroad, business executives, vacationers and travelers visiting friends and relatives in foreign countries often do not receive any pre-travel care or immunizations. This is why Workwell Occupational Health, a division of Decatur County Memorial Hospital, launched a travel clinic to serve the travel advice and immunization needs of these international travelers from our community.

Partnering with Travel Clinics of America, Noel P. Mungcal, M.D., a family physician for 15 years, is providing the traveling public with state-of-the-art medical care in travel medicine. Dr. Mungcal has obtained additional training in travel medicine and is certified to administer the yellow fever vaccine with all other travel vaccines being avail-able. As a service of the clinic, travelers will receive face-to-face counseling and receive pamphlets and other important information to take on their trips. Dr. Mungcal and his staff will be available for consultations on relatively short notice, when necessary.

Workwell Occupational Health is now seeing patients for its travel clinic and they can be reached at (812) 662-6450. More information regarding the travel clinic is also available at the Hospital website at www.dcmh.net.

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mMark your calendar on Thursday, June 21, for the annual Decatur County Memorial Hospital “Healthy Fair.” This popular community event offers more than 50 booths filled with information and screenings for better health and wellness.

The DCMH Healthy Fair is the perfect opportunity to gain the latest health informa-tion, get free healthy snacks, receive free health screenings and have the opportunity to interact with healthcare professionals. The Hospital Foundation of Decatur County has once again provided a grant to our Hospital to enable free blood testing to take place at the fair. So why not join us on Thursday, June 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Greensburg Elementary School. For more information regarding the Healthy Fair, call (812) 663-1167. ❚

JOIN US FOR THE DCMH HEALTHY FAIR

June 211-4 p.m.

iI’d rather be fishing. I’d rather be golfing. I’d rather be running. I’d rather be playing with my kids.

Let’s face it – there are many things you’d rather be doing than going to the doctor for a checkup. But taking time to assess your overall health with a physician each year is important. It could even save your life so you can keep doing all the activities you enjoy.

If you’re a man – or a woman who is concerned about the health of your husband, father, grandfather, son or other male loved one – you’ll want to be aware of these recommended checkups, screenings and immunizations

for men. Keep in mind that these are general guide-lines and you should check with your doctor for a

schedule that’s right for you.

Physical exam. A once-a-year exam by a primary care physician may include an assessment of height, weight, blood pres-sure, skin cancer risk, eating and exercise habits, and emotional well-being. The doctor will ask about your family health history and answer any questions you have about sleep/snoring, sexual health or other health concerns.

Immunizations. Men should get a flu shot every year and a tetanus-

diptheria and pertussis (Tdap) or tetanus-diptheria (Td) booster

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every 10 years. Your doctor may recommend other vaccines depending on your age and health history. Eye exam. If you have problems with vision, you should schedule an eye

exam every two years. Dental exam. Don’t forget to visit the dentist every year for an exam

and cleaning. Cholesterol screening. Most men should be checked every five years. You

may need to be monitored more closely if you have high cholesterol or risk factors for heart disease or diabetes.

Diabetes screening. If you are age 45 or older and overweight, or if you have other risk factors, your doctor may recommend that you be tested for diabetes.

Colon cancer screening. Starting at age 50, your doctor may recommend a colonoscopy or other screening test for colon cancer.

Prostate cancer screening. Men age 50 and older may benefit from pros-tate cancer screening. African-American men and those with a family history of prostate cancer may begin screening earlier, at age 45.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening. If you are age 65 to 75, an ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm could save your life. This test is especially important for men who have ever smoked cigarettes.

Hearing test. Starting when you’re age 65, your doctor may screen for hearing loss and suggest ways to protect the hearing you have, as well as recommend hearing-aid devices if needed.

Need a Doctor?If you’re a guy who never gets sick and hasn’t set foot in a doctor’s office for a few years, it’s probably time for a checkup. A primary care physician can team up with you to take care of your health now and going forward. ❚

EVERY GUYSHOULD GET

CHECKUPS

20s 30s 40s 50s 60+

Blood pressure screening

Cholesterol test

Diabetes screening (if overweight)

Colon cancer screening

Prostate cancer screening

Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening

Time to Man Up for Screening Tests?

These are general guidelines and are not intended as medical advice. Talk to your doctor about screening tests that may be right for you. Sources: National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association.

dDo-it-yourself projects can save you money and provide a sense of accomplishment – but it’s important to make safety your top concern. Home improvement projects often involve danger-ous tools, hazardous materials and unfamiliar procedures. The combination could result in an unwanted trip to the emergency room – or worse!

Safety Is No AccidentKeep safety in mind as you plan your project and always remember that it’s better to be safe than sorry. The following tips can help.

Read and follow all safety instructions. When manu-facturers’ safety precautions accompany materials, tools, etc., be sure to familiarize yourself with them thoroughly before beginning work.

Be careful with ladders. Be sure you have a stable, level surface to put your ladder on. Lock A-frame ladders in the open position. Place extension ladders one foot away from the upright surface for every four feet of height. Never step on the top two rungs of a stepladder or top three of an extension ladder. Don’t use a ladder near power lines or electrical wires.

Protect your eyes. Nearly 1 million Americans have lost some degree of sight due to an eye injury, and the home is the fastest-growing source of eye injuries.* Airborne dust, debris and fumes can injure your eyes, so buy good-quality safety glasses and get in the habit of using them.

Wear a mask or respirator. If your project creates dust or vapors, use an appropriate dust mask or respirator. Some are designed to filter out par-ticulates, while others also protect you from harmful fumes.

Dress for safety. It’s the little things that people often over-look. Avoid dangling sleeves, jewelry, loose long hair or anything else that could get caught in a power tool. Choose footwear that protects your feet – closed-toe shoes or per-haps steel-toed boots, depending on the job.

Hire professionals for some work. Electrical work can be deadly if you make a mistake, so consider hiring an electrician if you’re not totally comfortable with the task. Never make repairs involving gas yourself – always hire a professional. For jobs that involve working at heights, consider hiring a professional, who likely has a safety harness or other gear to make the job safer.

Be safety conscious for everyone. Keep children and pets away from your work area. Never walk away from a plugged-in power tool even for a few minutes.

Be prepared for emergencies. Keep a fully stocked first aid kit and a fire extinguisher handy. Be sure to regularly inspect the fire extinguisher according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep a cell phone nearby and call 911 in an emergency. ❚

* Source: Prevent Blindness America®.

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STAY SAFE

20s 30s 40s 50s 60+

Blood pressure screening

Cholesterol test

Diabetes screening (if overweight)

Colon cancer screening

Prostate cancer screening

Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening

We’re Here for YouWe hope that your DIY project

brings you the satisfaction of a job well done. But if by chance it results in an injury, you can take comfort

knowing that expert medical care is available nearby, 24/7.

When Working on Home Projects

This publication does not constitute professional medical advice. Although it is intended to be accurate, neither the publisher nor any other party assumes liability for loss or damage due to reliance on this material. If you have a medical question, consult your medical professional. Images may be from one or more of these sources: ©Thinkstock, ©iStock, ©Fotolia. ©2012 BlueSpire Strategic Marketing I bluespiremarketing.com.

720 N. Lincoln Street Greensburg, IN 47240

www.dcmh.net

“Celebrating the Past, Building the Future”

0On Feb. 4, 1922, Decatur County Memorial Hospital (DCMH) opened its doors as a memorial to those who served in World War I. A community celebration on Saturday, Aug. 4, will be held on the DCMH campus mark-ing 90½ years since that opening.

New Building ProjectIn addition to the special historical birthday celebration, the DCMH lead-ership will embark on a new building project during the celebration. The building project includes a new third and fourth floor to be constructed over the existing ER and OB units. This first phase addition will feature all private rooms on the third floor and will replace the semi-private rooms of the existing medical-surgical unit. Each room will contain its own bath and shower and feature additional space for visitors.

The second phase of the project would see a new medical office build-ing constructed in front of the original hospital building. This building would be two-story new construction and feature space for oncology and physical therapy as well as outpatient space for visiting physicians. This

enhancement would include the addition of 78 parking spaces just to the south of the addition to allow convenient access for patients.

Adopt a RoomIn support of the construction project the Hospital Foundation announced the opportunity to adopt a room during its annual meeting in late February. The same group became the first to adopt a room when a presentation was made to the DCMH board in late March. Room adop-tion can be made by a family, business or organization and can be made as a multi-year gift to the project. The minimum gift is $25,000 or $5,000 annually for five years.

More information regarding the celebration and the building project is available on www.dcmh.net. Interested persons may also share their positive DCMH story at www.dcmh.net/90. If volunteers are interested in assisting with the event they may contact co-chairs Bobbi Ebbing at (812) 663-1167 or David Fry at (812) 663-1220. ❚

DCMH 90th

Birthday CelebrationJoin Us

Saturday, Aug. 4