Summer 2017 Volume 1, Issue 1 FMHC’s Patient Newsletter A message from President and CEO, Ted Epperly, MD There is so much good work going on here at the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho (FMRI) and Family Medicine Health Center (FMHC). It’s challenging to sum everything up in a simple way that does justice to our organization and makes it easy to pass on the information to others in our community. It is so important that our patients, other healthcare operations, and the greater com- munity understand the gravity of what we do here and the impact we have on the populations we serve. At the top level, we are a Teaching Health Center, which is a residency program combined with a Federally Qualified Health Center. Family Medicine Residency of Idaho (where we educate our family medicine providers) does business as Family Medicine Health Center (the six clinics where we care for our patients and train our residents). There are currently 59 Teaching Health Centers in 27 states across the country, training 742 residents. We were one of the first 11 in the nation. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Summer Safety Tips ........... 2 We teach and we provide care. We operate many specialty clinics (HIV, Hepati- From our Board Chair ........ 2 tis C, Refugee Clinic, and Rheumatology), we have an in-house pharmacy, and we have six clinics from Kuna to Boise. We continue to grow and expand access Water Safety ...................... 2 so that we can meet the needs of those who need primary care. This makes us a Behavioral Health .............. 3 pretty incredible and valuable entity, greatly contributing to the overall health Health Nutrition ................. 3 and wellbeing of our community. Sweet Potato Fries .............. 4 FMHC Pharmacists ............ 4 Our staff (270 strong)—from reception, to nursing, to our providers, to billing— are committed to providing high-quality care to our patients. We constantly What is a CHC .................... 5 strive to integrate our values (integrity, compassion, accountability, respect and Class of 2020 ...................... 4 excellence) into everything we do here. Thank you for choosing the Family Medicine Health Center for your medical care. KEEPING OUR We welcome feedback from our patients. There are surveys located in the wait- ing rooms of each of our clinics. These can also be accessed through the elec- PATIENTS tronic patient portal. We appreciate your time in providing this and take each and every response seriously. INFORMED Our latest survey results revealed that 94% of our patients who responded were overall satisfied with the care they received and 95% would recommend us to their family or friends. We work hard for these outcomes and hope that is ap- parent in the treatment you receive while at any of our clinics. SUMMER SAFETY TIPS—SUBMITTED BY LISA FARMER, RN AND KENDRA WATTERS, RN The first, and best, line of defense against harmful ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure is to cover up. Looking for other tips to protect yourself and your family from potential damage caused by sun? Stay in the shade whenever possible, and limit sun exposure during the peak intensity hours - between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wear a hat with a three-inch brim or a bill facing for- ward, sunglasses (look for sunglasses that provide 97% -100% protection against both UVA and UVB rays), and clothing with a tight weave. On both sunny and cloudy days use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater that protects against UVA and UVB rays. Be sure to apply enough sunscreen -- about one ounce per sit- ting for a young adult. Reapply sunscreen every two hours, or after swimming or sweating. Use extra caution near water and sand (and even snow!) as they reflect UV rays and may result in sunburn more quickly. WATER SAFETY TIPS—SUBMITTED BY MELANIE PARISH FROM OUR BOARD CHAIR: As the weather warms up it’s important to review water safety tips with your FMRI is truly an amazing organ- children. Reviewing the rules and revisiting them throughout the summer ization, and it has been exciting can keep them fresh in your children’s minds as they have fun in our pools to be a part of the Board of Di- rectors through the expansion of and lakes this season. this dynamic, growing organiza- Always swim with a buddy. tion. To paraphrase Margaret Mead, a small group of commit- Swim only in areas that have a lifeguard or responsible adult who is ted (individuals) can truly make watching. a difference, and this is played out daily at FMRI by individuals Stay away from canals. Never, ever swim or play in a canal—this mes- who are committed to FMRI's sage is for adults and children! dual mission to provide quality Stay out of the water if you are very tired, very cold, or overheated. graduate medical education and meet the health care needs of If you can’t see the bottom of the pool or the water is cloudy, don’t swim our citizens. On behalf of the there. Board of Directors, thank you for choosing FMRI/FMHC as Avoid swimming in unlighted areas. your care provider. Get out of the water if you see lighting or hear thunder. Swim a safe distance away from diving Linda Clark, EdD boards and slides. Never swim under them. Chairman Never swim near a dam or boat ramp. FMRI BOARD OF DIRECTORS Avoid swimming in river currents. Be aware of the potential for Electric Shock 2 Drowning near docks where boats are present. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES AT FMHC—BY TOM AHLRICHS, LCSW You may ask yourself “why is FMHC offering behavioral health services—isn’t this a Family Medicine Clinic?” To answer that question, we look to the research. First, research shows us that having a behavioral health consultant as a regular part of medical appointments helps patients better manage disease and illness. Second, research indicates that most people who experience a behavioral health concern are first identified and treated by their Primary Care Provider. So, having direct access to behavioral health specialists in our clinics improves our ability to care for our patients and help people feel better quicker! Everyone knows that the biological, psychological and social parts of our lives can’t be separated. At FMHC we strive to provide care that addresses these whole-person concerns. That is why we at FMHC have worked hard to seamless- ly incorporate behavioral health services into Primary Care. You can access a behavioral health specialist at any medical appointment by requesting she or he join your visit. We call this a behavioral health consultation. During this time the behavioral health consultant may talk about your dis- ease or illness, lifestyle issues, stress, emotions, behaviors, or any number of concerns that impact how you are feel- ing. She or he may suggest various strategies for managing your concerns more effectively or have ideas that will help you get your needs met. In addition to this service, many of our behavioral health consultants are also available for formal counseling visits that are scheduled outside of your visit with your Primary Care Provider. FMHC’s behavioral health consultation team is made of up of at least 10 providers. We have two staff Psychologists who provide care, supervise our behavioral health team and teach behavioral medicine skills to our Resident Physicians. In each of our clinics we also have at least one Licensed Clinical Social Worker available to assist you and your Primary Care Provider as consultants or for regularly scheduled appointments. We have a staff Psychiatrist and rotating Psychiatry Resident Physicians who provide consultation and care for our patients and teach our Resident Physicians. We have a Registered Dietician that rotates through all of our clinics to provide consultation regarding clinical dietetics and dietary behavioral change and who is also available for regularly scheduled appointments. The Behavioral Health Consultation team at FMHC looks forward to meeting you at one of your future medical ap- pointments! HEALTHY NUTRITION— TIPS FROM FMHC’S DIETITIAN, KELSEY RUSZEL, RD “What are the best foods for me?” We have all seen diets and meal plans advertised pretty much every- where – television, internet ads, newspapers, best-selling books. It can be overwhelming and confusing to find out which plans actually work and which are just trying to sell you a product. As a dietitian, many of my clients do not want to start a diet but they do want to know “what are the best foods for me?” The best thing you can do for your health is to eat enough of fruits and vegetables. It is a simple concept but is often forgotten. Plant-based di- ets can help with weight loss, improve blood sugars and blood pressure, help with digestion and can help prevent heart disease and certain types of cancer. Many people eat fruits and vegetables every day, but they may not be getting enough to see the health benefits. 75% of Americans do not eat the right amount of fruits and vegetables. “How many fruits and vegetables should I be eating every day?” Each box shows an example of the right amount in a whole day – 2 cups 3 of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables. Do you eat as much as the pictures show? If not, think about ways to get more. The website 9 pictures of your daily servings of fruits and www.cookinglight.com has recipes if you need inspiration. vegetables. From thekitchn.com HEALTHY RECIPE—SWEET POTATO FRIES Besides having great flavor, sweet potatoes are full of vitamins and fiber. Frozen sweet potato fries can be costly; however, they are so easy to make! One large sweet potato will serve 2-3 people as a side.