Arbor Health | Arbor Health and Life | Winter 2019-20

ARBOR HEALTH AND LIFE is brought to you by Arbor Health Foundation as a community service for the friends and patrons of ARBOR HEALTH, P.O. Box 1138, Morton, WA 98356, telephone 360-496-5112. Information in ARBOR HEALTH AND LIFE comes from a wide range of medical experts. If you have any concerns or questions about specific content that may affect your health, please contact your health care provider. Models may be used in photos and illustrations. 2019 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Arbor Health, Morton Hospital re- cently added a new position with the hire of Behavioral Health Counselor Tera Stickley. “This is the first time we have had a full-time behavioral health specialist,” Chief Clinical Officer Terri Camp says. “However, with the value- based health care delivery model that we are working towards (see related article on page 2), this is a natural step. We were very fortunate to find Tera. She comes to us with a rich history of successful experience in a variety of behavioral health settings. Our patients and staff are quickly warming to her Tera Stickley, Behavioral Health Counselor Meet our new behavioral health specialist kindness and compassion, which is readily apparent when you meet her.” Tera is a Washington native. She was born in Tacoma and mostly grew up in Rochester with her grandparents and her two younger sisters. She went to college at Pierce Community in Puyallup and then finished her undergraduate and graduate studies at St. Martin’s University in Lacey, where she earned a master’s in Counseling Psychology. A wealth of experience Tera has worked in behavioral health and social services since high school, when she started as an in-home caregiver for developmentally de- layed youth. She then worked in child protective services with the Division of Children and Family. In 2007, she Sometimes the signs and symptoms of a stroke go away almost as swiftly as they arrive. But that doesn’t mean the danger has passed. Brief stroke symp- toms can be caused by a TIA—short for transient ischemic attack . TIA: Take this warning seriously started working at a residential facility for adults with chronic mental health conditions and later moved into com- munity mental health services. Tera has also worked in crisis services and in private practice as a therapist. Over the next three to six months, Tera will be collaborating with staff members from the clinics, medical staff and case management to assess the needs and identify opportunities within the Arbor Health system. To expand behavioral health services, her role will build upon the work already underway with the clinics’ care coordinators and the Tele-Psych services in the clinics and hospital. Tera will provide consult- ing services and will see patients in emergency situations but will not have a caseload of patients at this time. Like a regular stroke, a TIA hap- pens when the brain’s blood supply is blocked by a clot. A TIA usually lasts only for a few minutes—the blockage dissolves on its own. As a result, a TIA doesn’t cause permanent brain damage or disability. However, a TIA is a warning. It means you’re at risk for a full-blown stroke. The good news? After a TIA, treatment can help prevent future strokes. So if you think you may have had a TIA in the past, tell your doctor. And remember this, should you ever experience the signs and symptoms of a stroke: Don’t wait for them to pass. Call 911 right away. There’s no way to know whether you’re having a TIA or a stroke— and the latter could kill or paralyze you if you don’t get immediate help. The signs and symptoms of both stroke and TIA come on suddenly and include: ●   ● Trouble talking or understanding others. ●   ● A severe, unexplained headache. ●   ● Trouble seeing in one or both eyes. ●   ● Numbness or weakness on one side of the body. ●   ● Dizziness. Sources: American Stroke Association; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke A TIA is a warning. It means you’re at risk for a full-blown stroke. ! MYARBORHEALTH.ORG 4