Arbor Health | Arbor Health and Life | Fall 2019

>> health NEWS Chest discomfort. Typically, that discomfort is in the center or left side of the chest. It usually lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. It can feel like squeezing, pressure, fullness or pain. The feeling can be mild or severe. Upper body discomfort. You may feel pain or discomfort in your back, shoulders, neck, jaw, one or both arms, or above your belly button. Shortness of breath. This may be your only symptom. Or it may occur before or with chest discomfort. A cold sweat. Fatigue for no reason— sometimes for days. Light-headedness or dizziness. Nausea and vomiting. If you’re a woman, know this: Like men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain. But women are more likely than men to have back or neck pain, indi- gestion, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, extreme fatigue, or problems breathing. Is it a heart attack? Don’t wait—call 911 right away if you’re having: Remember: Every minute matters. Acting fast could save your life. Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute It’s a stretch to compare managing the Arbor Health (Morton Hospital, Randle Clinic, Mossyrock Clinic and Specialty Clinic) health system with driving a race car. However, one com- monality comes to mind—focus. Just as race car drivers do not concentrate on the pavement immediately in front of their bumpers but rather focus far ahead to anticipate what’s coming, it falls to the hospital district leadership to look ahead as well. Our road map to the future Part of looking ahead is conducting a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). After all, it’s hard to meet the community’s needs if you don’t first determine what those needs are. This process can take a variety of forms. In the past, we’ve undertaken endeavors such as community focus groups and telephone surveys. And, of course, a great deal of information is gained from looking at the diagnosis trends from this area. For instance, does our com- munity have a high rate of respiratory illness? Or perhaps there is a high rate of diabetes. This type of information Leianne Everett, CEO Looking ahead to meet your needs can help set us in the right direction. The next phase entails discussing these findings and brainstorming how we will meet our community’s health needs. Our healthcare facilities, col- lectively known as Arbor Health, are publicly owned. Our legal name is Lewis County Hospital District No. 1. Five com- missioners govern the 900-square-mile hospital district, which stretches from Packwood to Mineral to Silver Creek. Those hospital commissioners, as well as administrators, physicians and other staff, work through a two-day process. The final product is the CHNA document as well as a three-year strategic plan. As chief executive officer, this plan is essentially the board’s directive to me to put into operation. Be part of the process We are nearing the end of the 2016 strategic plan. The next one will take us through 2022. We will be meeting in November at the Lewis County Public Utility District office in Morton. As a community member, you are welcome to attend all or part of this two-day event. Watch for the dates announce- ment on our facility reader boards, our Facebook page and the East County Journal community calendar. 2 MYARBORHEALTH.ORG