Health e-News
May 2012
Welcome Your Connection Specialist
Why Primary Care?
10 Tips for a Doc Visit
Migraine Management Program
Walk-in Injury Care
Quick Links
Greetings!

 

Do you know where to go for great health care? In this edition of Health e-News, we're helping you get connected - with primary care providers, specialists, and more.

Affinity Occupational Health is pleased to introduce our new Connection Specialist - a role dedicated to connecting your employees with the wealth of excellent services and providers Affinity offers.

We encourage you to pass the news on to your employees. Their version of this month's newsletter can be found at http://conta.cc/IXvLlG.

To your health!
 
Lisa Kogan-Praska
Director, Employer Solutions and Urgent Care
Sarah JedlickaPlease Welcome Your Connection Specialist! 

Big news! Affinity Occupational Health is pleased to welcome Sarah Jedlicka to our team, in the newly created role of Affinity Connection Specialist. Sarah is here to serve you, to connect you to personalized care, and to act as your organization's liaison for all things Affinity.

What is the Connection Specialist?
The Affinity Occupational Health Connection Specialist is your employee concierge, dedicated to connecting your employees to a primary care provider. The Connection Specialist will meet personally with employees, serving as their readily accessible liaison, answering questions and providing insight into a perfectly matched physician relationship for your workers and their families.

Sarah is available to come on site and provide the following services:
  • Set up a booth to meet and greet your employees with a variety of information on Affinity's services
  • Provide information on Affinity Medical Home and our specialty providers
  • Answer questions about which providers are taking new patients
  • Meet one-on-one with employees to provide a concierge-level service to help them find a physician
  • Sarah can even help employees set up their first appointment.
Get Connected!
If you wish to invite Sarah on site to participate in an upcoming wellness event or employee meeting, please call us at 1-800-541-0351. Otherwise, one of our team members will call within the next few weeks to arrange a meeting time with our Connection Specialist. Stay tuned for more information!
 
Primary Care ProviderThe Importance of Primary Care 

When you have health concerns, it helps to talk to someone you trust. This kind of personalized care starts with a primary care provider.

What is primary care?
Your primary care provider (PCP) is the physician or nurse practitioner you see first for most health concerns. This includes preventive care, or to diagnose and treat an illness.

Primary care providers typically specialize in family medicine (all ages), internal medicine (adults), pediatrics (children) or, in some cases, obstetrics and gynecology (women). When needed, your PCP may refer you to a specialist such as a cardiologist, dermatologist, surgeon, or other.

Why is primary care important?
Your primary care provider gets to know you, your medical history, and your care preferences. He or she is in your corner, treating your body and spirit with compassion, skill, and understanding.

How do I find a primary care provider?
If you don't have a primary care provider, Affinity is happy to help you find one. Browse our list of providers online at www.affinityhealth.org/doctor. Or, meet with our new Connection Specialist, your liaison committed to matching patients one-on-one with the right provider, based on personality and care needs.

The Affinity connection specialist will be visiting many local workplaces in the near future to provide information about primary care, and to answer any questions you may have. Take advantage of this opportunity to choose a primary care provider. For more information about meeting with our Connection Specialist, call Affinity Occupational Health at 1-800-541-0351.
Ear Doctor10 Tips for A Successful Doctor Visit

Once you've found your primary care provider, here are some ways you can help make your first visit a success.

1. Make sure your doctor knows your medical history, medications, and allergies. Bring records if you have them, or have them sent by previous providers.

2. Have a list, in your wallet, of the names of medications and supplements you are taking, how often you take them, and their dosages.

3. Write down a list of questions to ask the doctor, and bring it to your appointment.

4. Ask questions about making healthy lifestyle changes, as an alternative to medication or to help your medications work better.

5. Check to see if there is a generic form of your medication for cost savings. Ask if a larger tablet of your medicine can safely be split in two, as this might save money also.

6. Don't be shy about asking your doctor questions if you have them; otherwise your doctor may assume that you understand everything discussed.

7. Talk about allergies or reactions to medications that you have had in the past.

8. Ask for information such as brochures or written instructions for health concerns.

9. Ask your doctor about age and gender specific prevention screenings that you should have done routinely.

10. Have your cholesterol checked routinely at least every five years from age 20.
 
Fun RunTry This! Workplace Wellness Tip 
Support the community and employee health
by promoting local fun runs!

To get your workforce and their families moving, encourage employees to participate in local fun runs! Post a list of area run/walk events in highly visible areas such as bathrooms and on the company wellness website. Include where employees can register or find more information - example, www.active.com.  

To motivate participation, offer a discount - such as $10 off the registration fee of any one event this summer. Just ask employees to bring in their registration confirmation to receive the credit. Or if your budget allows, pay for their registration and get your company name printed on the back of your race shirts to promote your business, teamwork, and their sense of belonging to your company.
Share Your CareWhat's Happening at Affinity?

Share Your Care!
National Health Care Week, May 6-12 
We're grateful for our team members (from patient service representatives and financial associates, to doctors, nurses and everyone in between) and the impact they have on our patients' lives by providing personalized care.

In celebration of National Health Care Week, Affinity Health System invites you to "Share your Care" and recognize an individual who has made a difference in your life. Go to facebook.com/affinityhealthsystem and write a message on our wall describing why this person is special. While you're there, don't forget to "like" our page! 

MigraineMigraine Management Program 

Pounding pain. Flashing lights. Nausea, numbness, the urge to crawl into bed and hide. Is it just a bad headache, or something more? Affinity's Migraine Management Program can help.

Fact: 28 million Americans suffer from migraines. And according to the National Headache Foundation, migraines cost employers over $50 billion a year in medical costs and lost productivity. While effective treatment options are available, many migraine sufferers are either unaware that they have migraines or are under-treating their condition. 

Affinity's Migraine Management program is designed to help participants identify their migraines and start appropriate treatment to reduce the frequency and severity of their headaches. Components include:
  • Migraine self-quiz provided to all employees to help them determine if they have migraines
  • Direct mailing to employees that were identified through your HRA as having headaches to encourage their participation in the program
  • Group educational presentation that provides an overview of migraines including symptoms, causes, myths and facts, treatment options and resources
  • Individual 30-minute consultation sessions with a nurse practitioner to develop a personalized treatment plan including:
    -- Review of health history
    -- Review of participant's headache journal (provided at educational session)
    -- Prescription for triptan medications
    -- Instructions for proper use of medications
    -- Techniques for managing a migraine
    -- Review of alternative treatment options
    -- 15-minute follow-up session to review participant status and answer additional questions

For employees requiring further follow-up care, we can refer to physicians specially trained in treating migraines.

Call Affinity Occupational Health at 1-800-541-0351 to bring our Migraine Management Program to your work site.

Dr JonesGet to Know Our Providers 
Meet Robert Jones, MD, a neurologist for Affinity Medical Group in Oshkosh. He provides personalized treatment for migraines and other neurological conditions including spine care, epilepsy, seizures, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, neuropathy, myofascial pain, neuro-sleep and fatigue, Parkinson's disease and strokes.

"Getting to know my patients through the treatment process is very important to me," Dr. Jones says. He cares for adults and teens at his office in the Mercy Oakwood Medical Building on the campus of Mercy Medical Center.

Outside of the office, Dr. Jones enjoys singing in the church choir with his children, playing the keyboard, biking and attending University of Wisconsin events.
Dr. Jones welcomes new patients by referral. If you suffer from migraines or other neurological concerns, talk with your doctor about referring you to specialized care.
CrutchesWalk-in Injury Care 

Injuries are never convenient. But your injury care can be. Affinity Occupational Health is now providing walk-in injury care at our Oshkosh clinic. No appointments needed - just show up between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and our occupational health experts will be on call to tend to your (non life- or limb-threatening) work-related injury.

Affinity Occupational Health
1855 S. Koeller Street, Oshkosh
(920) 223-7075

Walk-in care available Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
It's injury care on your schedule.  
Breakfast CerealBreakfast With the Experts 
Injury Prevention Strategies for the Workplace
Presented by Alex Garcia, MD, Affinity Medical Group
Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine

Wednesday, May 9
7:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Bridgewood Resort and Conference Center
1000 Cameron Way, Neenah

 

Are the physical demands of the job keeping your employees from performing tasks at an optimal level? Join us for this session, in which Dr. Alex Garcia will discuss common overuse injuries and the role of strengthening exercises to help prevent injuries from happening on and off the job. Dr. Garcia will explain why injuries such as rotator cuff, elbow tendonitis and low back pain occur and how to enable the same prevention strategies used for athletes to help reduce the number of days lost to injury.

Dr. Garcia, an Affinity Medical Group orthopaedic provider, specializes in sports medicine and non-operative medical treatment of joint and back pain. His goal is to return individuals of all ages as quickly and safely as possible to full function, minimizing disability and time away from sports, work or school. Dr. Garcia also has a special interest in promoting lifelong fitness and wellness, and counseling on injury prevention.

To register for this free seminar, contact Tammy Davis at (920) 628-1532 or [email protected].

 

 
Your Affinity Occupational Health Sales Team 
 
Holly Tomlin, coordinator of account management for Affinity Occupational Health, enjoys building relationships with clients while finding creative solutions for their needs.  Holly's background includes 15 years of experience in the health care field, with a strong background in employee assistance programs and occupational health. 

Riley McDermid, employer health and wellness consultant, is passionate about identifying opportunities for local businesses to enhance their occupational health programs.  In addition to her role in new business development for Affinity Occupational Health, Riley is a certified tobacco cessation specialist.

Tammy Davis, customer account liaison for Affinity Occupational Health, provides immediate response to customer service requests.  She works closely with Holly and Riley to coordinate educational programs and provide clients with valuable services information.  Tammy has 14 years of experience in marketing, sales and customer service.

To contact Holly, Riley or Tammy, call the Affinity Occupational Health office located in Menasha, at 1-800-541-0351, or e-mail [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]..