Marshfield Clinic Health System in the News
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Latest Updates https://www.marshfieldclinic.org/covid-19-employee-information#goodnews Community health and wellness benefits from Neillsville's 'extraordinary women' During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen how people come together to benefit their community. This was recently demonstrated in Clark County after “100 extraordinary women" raised more than $100,000 for medical equipment at Marshfield Medical Center-Neillsville. Marshfield Clinic Health System Foundation created the 100 Extraordinary Women initiative to ask for a minimum of 100 women (or men in honor of an “extraordinary woman" in their lives) to donate or pledge $1,000 over three years. The initiative began in March and more than 100 women have already raised $104,900. “This is a way for women in our community to come together in support of health and wellness in our community," said Sheri Dick, gift officer, Foundation. The 100 Extraordinary Women initiative was part of a larger campaign to help build an infusion suite and wellness center at the new hospital currently under construction. The infusion suite will bring chemotherapy and other infusion services to Clark County for the first time, and the Wellness Center will offer needed wellness opportunities in the area. All donations go directly to these two projects at the newly- constructed hospital. Together the community has come together and raised $1.4 million toward the overall campaign goal of $1.75 million. For their donation, each woman will have her name, or name of a woman in honor or memory, permanently listed on the donor recognition wall. Men also could honor or remember a woman who is important to them. Marshfield Medical Center-Neillsville construction is scheduled to be completed by February 2021, with an opening date in early May 2021. If you would like to join 100 Extraordinary Women and support the future of health and wellness in Clark County, please contact Sheri Dick at [email protected] or 715-897-3741. Research Institute studying whether taking statins could prevent dementia Marshfield Clinic Research Institute is participating in a new research study called PREVENTABLE (Pragmatic Evaluation of Events and Benefits of Lipid-Lowering in Older Adults). This study will investigate whether taking atorvastatin, a drug commonly used to lower cholesterol (also called Lipitor®), can help older adults aged 75 and over prevent dementia, disability and heart disease. PREVENTABLE is one of the largest pragmatic trials ever conducted in older adults, and will include more than 20,000 participants from 100 sites across the U.S., including Marshfield Clinic Research Institute. Participants without heart disease or dementia will be randomly assigned to receive either atorvastatin or placebo. Researchers will then follow participants for up to five years using electronic health records, Medicare data and study visits over the phone to test their thinking, physical abilities and monitor for future events such as heart attacks or strokes. Individuals can participate in PREVENTABLE virtually, and are not required to come to Marshfield Medical Center (medical offices). “PREVENTABLE is a remarkable study for many reasons," said Research Institute site investigator Jeffrey VanWormer, Ph.D. “Statins have long been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, but there is little prior research in elderly populations." Research Institute co-investigator Karen Shulman, M.D., added, “PREVENTABLE is special because it will help us learn whether statins are helpful for older patients, both for the prevention of heart disease and dementia." In the U.S., about one in three adults over the age of 75 without heart disease take a statin. So in addition to learning whether statins can prolong health in older adults, the PREVENTABLE study will help clarify which older adults should not be taking statins. “Patients often ask me what they can do to stay healthy and prevent dementia." said Karen Alexander, M.D., a geriatric cardiologist at Duke University Medical Center and Principal Investigator for PREVENTABLE. “This study will help to clarify the benefit of statins for this population. This is important to do before adding one more medication to the list of medicines older adults are often already taking. Results from this study will help us provide valuable answers to improve how we age." PREVENTABLE is funded by the National Institute of Aging and the National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. To learn more about the PREVENTABLE trial and why it is important to older adults, visit this video or www.preventabletrial.org. Marshfield Clinic Health System patients who appear to be eligible for PREVENTABLE will receive invitations from the study team over the coming months. For more information, you can reach the local study team by phone at 715-221-6052 or by email at [email protected]. NIOSH renews funding for National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) announced that it has awarded the National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, a five-year competitive grant renewal of $1.2 million in Year 1, with options to add two more projects in subsequent years. “This major award will significantly expand our efforts to integrate proven safety strategies into programs of organizations and businesses that are best- positioned to influence the safety of children living and working on farms," said Barbara Lee, Ph.D., National Children's Center director. “We want to ensure that optimal safety interventions and guidelines are sustained beyond the span of the grant period." The National Children's Center is one of 11 agricultural centers funded by NIOSH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the only center dedicated to childhood agricultural injury prevention. NIOSH has supported the National Children's Center since 1997. The new NIOSH grant includes six distinct research studies and an outreach program, along with administrative, scientific and evaluation oversight. New studies to be launched address some of the most pressing safety concerns including youth operating ATVs for farm work, adolescent mental health, and the impact of available childcare on safety practices. Principal investigators within the Research Institute include Lee; Casper Bendixsen, Ph.D.; Bryan Weichelt, Ph.D.; Marsha Salzwedel, Ed.D.; Florence Becot, Ph.D.; and Jeffrey VanWormer, Ph.D. External principal investigators are Farzaneh Khorsandi, Ph.D., and Fadi Fathallah, Ph.D., University of California-Davis; Shoshanah Inwood, Ph.D., Ohio State University; and Josie Rudolphi, Ph.D., University of Illinois. Andrea Swenson, Ph.D., will oversee evaluation of the center's process, outcomes and impact. The center will continue to partner with Migrant Clinician's Network, working with Amy K. Liebman, M.P.A., and her team of professionals dedicated to improving the health of migrant farmworkers and other mobile underserved populations. “The center blends seasoned scientists with junior scientists who represent the next generation of agricultural safety and health," Lee said. “In addition, our investigators are drawn from eight fields of discipline, enabling us to approach disease and injury challenges from multiple directions." Although the rate of non-fatal injuries to children in agriculture has dropped by 60 percent since the National Children's Center was established in 1997, agriculture remains hazardous for children and youth. About every three days, a child dies in an agriculture-related incident, and each day, about 33 children suffer preventable injuries. During the past decade, youth worker fatalities in agriculture have exceeded all other industries combined. Bendixsen, director of the National Farm Medicine Center and associate director of the National Children's Center, said he was proud of how investigators and staff pulled the comprehensive renewal application together remotely this past spring after COVID-19 forced relocation from their offices. “The pandemic has increased children's exposure to farm hazards," Bendixsen said. “In an era of home-schooling and with children spending increased time on the farm, it has never been more important for us to address issues of childhood agricultural health and safety." The projects: “Surveillance of Medically Attended Agricultural Injuries in Farm Children" – VanWormer “Linking Childcare to Farm Children Safety" – Becot “Farm Kid Paradox: Anthropological Inquiry Into The Benefits and Risks of Child- Livestock Interaction" – Bendixsen “Assessing the Impact of Traumatic Injury News Articles on Farm Mothers and Educators" -- Weichelt “Farm Adolescent and Mental Health" – Rudolphi “Capabilities and Limitations of Youth Operating Agriculture All-Terrain Vehicles" – Khorsandi and Fathallah “Outreach Core" – Salzwedel The National Children's Center is also supported by Marshfield Clinic Health System and through generous donations and other grants. Thao appointed to Gov. Evers' Health Equity Council Gov. Tony Evers announced 33 appointments to the Governor's Health Equity Council in September. One of those members was Marshfield Clinic Health System's Mary Thao, project excellence manager, Enterprise Project Management (ePMO). The purpose of the council is to address the various factors that exacerbate health disparities by creating a comprehensive plan to achieve long-lasting