Health notes

St. Luke’s nurse named lead
author for nursing guidelines

Debbie Summers, an advance practice nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, is lead author on the American Heart Association scientific statement outlining the clinical guidelines for the nursing care of patients with acute ischemic(blood clot) strokes.

The guidelines serve as the principal source of evidence for nurses throughout the United States.

StandUp, free health clinic earn
REACH Foundation grants

The REACH Foundation’s Board of Directors last week approved grants totaling $2.2 million for 29 projects that provide access to health services for the region’s poor children and adults.
StandUp Blue Springs, a program that addresses health and community wellness issues, got $70,840 to provide oral screenings for children in the Blue Springs School District and refer then to dental care as needed.

Also, the Jackson County free health clinic received $31,000 to support medical care for uninsured adults who have at least one chronic disease.

Independence Health Department
looking for help fulfilling grant

The Independence Health Department is seeking applicants for a Women’s Heart Risk Assessment program.
The department received a $20,000 grant earlier this year from the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City to fund women’s heart health and is preparing with Centerpoint Medical Center to provide the assessments.

The program provides a heart assessment and education to 50 qualifying uninsured and under insured women between the ages of 25 and 45 years.
Applications are available at the health department at 515 S. Liberty. The deadline is December 2009.
For more information, call the health department at 816-325-7185.