Ohio Department of Insurance Director Judith L. French and Medicare experts from the department’s Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) are hosting a free, virtual town hall on Oct. 1 at 10 a.m. to help Ohioans prepare for the upcoming Medicare open enrollment period and officially launch OSHIIP's annual statewide Medicare Checkup events.
By Karen Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team
Scurvy is usually associated with pirates since sailors were susceptible to scurvy. In a January 10, 2022 article published in the Military Health System news, author Janet A. Aker reports 2 million sailors died of scurvy between the 16th and 18th centuries.
By Jenn Reese, BSH, MBA
Director, Blanchard Valley Pain Management
Why is Pain Awareness Important?
With an increased focus on pain awareness this month, pain management care team members are dedicated to educating the community on the impact of chronic pain. The purpose of highlighting pain awareness is to instill a greater understanding among healthcare professionals, individuals, and families who are struggling with pain management. The same applies to the business community, legislators, and the general public, as pain is a serious public health issue.
Screening of documentary film Inheritance at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 1 at the Freed Center. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
By Karen Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team
In 2024, David Yost, Ohio’s Attorney General, released statistics about fentanyl (a synthetic opioid) and overdose deaths in Ohio. In the United States as of 2023, there were over 70,000 fentanyl-related overdose deaths with 3,579 of those in Ohio.
By Alissa Ibarra
Peer Recovery Supporter, Behavioral Health Services – Blanchard Valley Health System
My name is Alissa, and I am an addict and alcoholic in recovery. Today, I work as a peer recovery supporter, using my lived experience with addiction to help others find a path toward healing. When I was younger, I believed that people addicted to drugs could quit if they wanted to. That belief changed when I experienced addiction firsthand after a stillbirth at age 28. In my grief and trauma, I turned to drugs to cope.
By Gina Bailey, BSN, RN
Infection Preventionist, Quality/Infection Control, Blanchard Valley Health System
Sepsis is a public health crisis unfamiliar to many people, even though 1.7 million are diagnosed every year, and sepsis is the number one cause of death in U.S. hospitals. Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming response to infection. It leads to over 350,000 adult deaths and almost 7,000 pediatric deaths annually. Sepsis is the number one cost of hospitalization and skilled nursing care at an estimated $62 billion annually.