You are here

Home » News

Blanchard Valley Health System

Mid-week doctor: A couple reminders about hand hygiene

When practicing hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette, you are not only protecting yourself, you are taking measures to protect others
Posted by Fred Steiner on May 27, 2020 - 6:43am

By Colleen Abrams, Infections Preventionist
Blanchard Valley Health System
Proper hand hygiene is the number one way to prevent the spread of infection, any time of the year. This is particularly important during winter months.

According to the Ohio Department of Health, this flu season alone, there have been over 5,400 influenza-related hospitalizations in Ohio. You can take measures to prevent illness at any time of the year by taking the following minimum measures every day:

Section: 
Blanchard Valley Health System
»

Weekend doctor: The rise of spring allergies: Fact or fiction?

Each spring isn’t necessarily worse than the last
Posted by Fred Steiner on May 23, 2020 - 6:52am

By Maria Slack, MD, MMSc
This spring allergy season could be the worst yet, or at least that is what you might hear or be feeling. Every year is particularly bad for allergy sufferers, but are spring allergies this year really worse?

While it’s true that allergies are on the rise and affecting more Americans than ever, each spring isn’t necessarily worse than the last. The prevalence of allergies is surging upward, with as many as 30 percent of adults and up to 40 percent of children having at least one allergy.

Section: 
Blanchard Valley Health System
»

BVHS joins Mayo Clinic in convalescent plasma transfusion

For treatment of patients with COVID-19
Posted by Fred Steiner on May 20, 2020 - 6:10am

Blanchard Valley Health System (BVHS) has been accepted and registered as a participating site in Mayo Clinic’s Expanded Access Protocol for Convalescent Plasma Program for treatment of patients with COVID-19. 

Researchers believe that convalescent plasma (CP), which refers to blood plasma collected from people who have recovered from COVID-19, may help patients with advanced illness from COVID-19.

The antibodies in the plasma may have the ability to help patients fight the virus and recover more quickly.

Section: 
Blanchard Valley Health System
»

Bluffton Hospital will test all patients coming for scheduled surgeries, procedures

Change from previous practice
Posted by Fred Steiner on May 19, 2020 - 3:48pm

Bluffton Hospital has initiated COVID-19 testing for all patients coming to the hospital for scheduled surgeries and procedures. 

This is a change from the previous practice of testing only those exhibiting symptoms of the disease and referred by their primary care physicians.

The hours of operation for pre-surgery and procedure swabbing at Bluffton Hospital follows:
• Mondays through Fridays – 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Weekends – 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Persons need to contact their physician to schedule a pre-surgery or procedure swabbing.

Section: 
Blanchard Valley Health System
»

Antibody testing for COVID-19 now available

Through Blanchard Valley Health System 
Posted by Fred Steiner on May 19, 2020 - 10:52am

Blanchard Valley Health System (BVHS) is now offering antibody testing for COVID-19.

Patients who would like to know if they have had COVID-19 should contact their primary care provider who will then order a test through the BVHS outpatient laboratory.

Unlike the nasal swabs that test for active COVID-19 infections, the antibody test is taken through a blood draw. The antibodies will typically show-up about one to two weeks after someone has been infected with COVID-19. 

Section: 
Blanchard Valley Health System
»

Weekend doctor: What is EoE?

The patient has difficulty with solid foods and may feel like food gets “stuck” in the throat or chest
Posted by Fred Steiner on May 16, 2020 - 10:03am

By Brenda Keller, APRN-CNP, Certified Nurse Practitioner
Gastroenterology Associates of Northwest Ohio

Eosinophilic esophagitis, or “EoE” for short, is a condition that affects the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. In cases of EoE, the esophagus has cells called eosinophils.

Eosinophils are not normally found in the esophagus. They are cells associated with allergies. The exact cause of EoE is unknown but thought to be related to food allergies.

Section: 
Blanchard Valley Health System
»

Pages