Health Notes: Duluth Family Practice Center aces flu shot challenge
The goal was 95 percent, but Duluth Family Practice Center achieved 100 percent, its administrator says. The medical clinic was among more than 30 family medicine clinics in Minnesota to meet the “Flu Vaccination Challenge.”By: Compiled by John Lundy, Duluth News Tribune
The goal was 95 percent, but Duluth Family Practice Center achieved 100 percent, its administrator says.
The medical clinic at 330 N. Eighth Ave. E. was among more than 30 family medicine clinics in Minnesota to meet the “Flu Vaccination Challenge” posed by the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians at the start of the influenza season, a news release from the organization said.
To meet the challenge, clinics had to achieve a 95 percent vaccination rate among staff members who have direct patient contact by Nov. 30. But all of the 64 people in that category at Duluth Family Practice Center were vaccinated by then, administrator Kate Dean said.
“We approached it from the standpoint that we need to protect our patients,” Dean said.
Since the start of what has so far been a mild flu season, 42 people in Minnesota have been hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed flu, three flu-related deaths have been reported, two outbreaks of flu have been reported in long-term care facilities and 14 schools have reported outbreaks of flu-like illness, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
Erin Kennedy, a researcher for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the usual peak of the flu season is in January or February.
Diabetes care leader
Patti Urbanski of Cloquet has been named to the board of directors of the American Diabetes Association, the nonprofit announced in a news release.
Urbanski is diabetes program coordinator/nutrition and diabetes specialist for the Duluth Family Practice Center and Family Medicine Residency Program in Duluth. She previously worked as an inpatient hospital clinical dietitian, a chief clinical dietitian and the coordinator of a hospital-based diabetes education program.
Urbanski has been involved in the American Diabetes Association for more than 20 years and has served as secretary and board member of the Northeastern Minnesota chapter. She also is immediate past chairwoman of the Diabetes Care and Education Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Recent estimates project that as many as one in three American adults will have diabetes by 2050 if present trends are not reversed, the news release said.
Baby help via text
New moms and moms-to-be can get answers to their questions via text message.
The program, called Text4baby, sends free text messages to phones with health tips for pregnancy and for caring for a baby up to 1 year old, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which is among supporters of the service.
To sign up: Text “baby” to the shortcode 511411.
Blood drive in Maple
A community blood drive will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday at Northwestern High School, 4751 S. High School Loop, Maple. The drive is conducted by Memorial Blood Centers.
For more information, call (888) GIVE-BLD or visit www.MBC.org.
Mental health help
The Mental Health Meeting is a free and confidential meeting for people who have mental illnesses. It’s sponsored by the Mental Health Association of Minnesota. February meetings are from 5-7 p.m. Feb. 2 and Feb. 16 (Thursdays), in Meeting Rooms 1-3 of the Miller-Dwan Medical Center, 502 E. Second St. The rooms are on the lobby level on the east side near the auditorium.
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