ProMed Honored with LTC LINK Elite Supplier Award

Professional Medical, Inc. (ProMed) is proud to announce that it has earned an Elite Supplier distinction for the 7th Annual LTC LINK Meetings. This award is given to the suppliers that participated in LINK 2010 and ranked in the top 25% of suppliers based on provider scores for their ability to be consultative, innovative and address providers’ specific needs.

"We're honored to receive the Elite Supplier Award, especially since it recognizes our success in achieving one of our primary goals as a company - providing innovative solutions for meeting our customers' needs," said ProMed CEO Matt Barnes.

“This seal identifies Professional Medical Supply as a progressive thought leader in long-term care and as an organization that understands how to build partnerships with clients,” explained Scott Brown, LINK Conference Director and Vice President, Post Acute Group Director for Lincoln Healthcare Events.

LTC LINK brings top executives from large long-term care provider organizations together with executives from leading suppliers for peer-to-peer education, networking and consultative meetings centered on generating actionable business improvement ideas. LINK suppliers represent over 35 product/service categories, with participation from innovative industry leaders and emerging companies. LINK is exclusively for senior level long-term care provider executive teams from organizations with revenue over $30 million.

Happy Memorial Day from Team ProMed

Team ProMed wishes you and yours a happy and safe Memorial Day! We also wanted to remind you that our office will be closed on Monday, May 30 in honor of the holiday. All regular Monday deliveries will be made on Tuesday, May 31 and all regular Tuesday deliveries will be made on Wednesday, June 1.


 

Coming Soon: New Embrace and Compliance Skin Protectants

ProMed is excited to share with you that we’ve made a great product even better – by giving you more of it in every tube. Our Embrace™ Skin Protectant with Breathable Barrier, previously packaged under the name Get Relief, will now arrive in sleeker, more streamlined 4.5-ounce tubes.

You can expect the same great performance from dermatologist-tested Embrace Skin Protectant that you enjoyed with the Get Relief product. It’s enhanced with dimethicone, chamomile and organic aloe vera to help prevent perineal rash and seal out wetness.

Additional features:

• Soothes and moisturizes skin
• Forms a protective dimethicone barrier
• Fresh, clean, gender-neutral scent

We’re also proud to announce that ProMed is adding another great product to our comprehensive Skin Care Management line. Dermatologist-tested Compliance® Skin Protect is a cost-effective antimicrobial barrier cream that utilizes zinc oxide to form a protective barrier against wetness.

Additional features:

• Soothes and moisturizes skin
• Enhanced with organic aloe vera
• Forms a protective barrier with zinc oxide
• Gender-neutral fresh scent

Both of these products will be available to order within the next several weeks. To learn more about either item, please contact your ProMed territory manager or our Customer Care team at 800-648-5190.

ProMed Extends Sympathies to Joplin Tornado Victims

Team ProMed extends our thoughts and prayers to those affected by the tornado in Joplin, Missouri. We were saddened to learn today that at least 10 nursing home residents and one employee were killed in the storm.

According to an article in McKnight's, Greenbriar Nursing Home was directly in the path of the tornado. Ten of the home's employees fought to protect 85 residents in the building's central hallways, but several people were pulled through the roof by the high winds. As of Tuesday evening, one of Greenbriar's residents was still unaccounted for.

Greenbriar residents, along with residents from two other facilities that are uninhabitable following the tornado, have been moved to nearby facilities.

Jon Dolan, the executive director of the Missouri Health Care Association, credited Joplin's first responders and individual nursing home operators with saving many lives by successfully executing emergency evacuation plans.

The Red Cross is currently collecting donations for their disaster relief efforts in Joplin. The organization is providing shelter supplies, water, snacks and much-needed emotional support to people affected by the tornado. To donate to the Red Cross's disaster relief fund, click here.

Study: COPD Drugs Can Result in Urinary Problems

We didn't set out to make this "COPD Week" on the blog, but intriguing new information just seems to keep popping up!

A study out of Canada found that anticholinergics, a drug class used to treat COPD, can result in urinary problems, especially in men. The drug class includes treatments such as Spiriva (tiotropium), Atrovent (ipratropium bromide) and Combivent (ipratropium combined with albuterol).

The researchers analyzed the medical records of 565,000 men and women aged 66 and older who were diagnosed with COPD. Of the subjects, 9,432 men and 1,806 women developed an inability to pass urine. Men who were on inhaled anticholinergics were 40 percent more likely to develop the condition than men who had been taking the drugs for four weeks or less. Men with enlarged prostate glands were 80 percent more likely to be unable to pass urine.

To learn more, click here.

Exercise, Confidence-Building Programs Help COPD Patients Increase Activity

Researchers in Illinois and Michigan found that combining exercise classes and confidence-building programs can help individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) increase their physical activity.

During their study, researchers split individuals with COPD into three groups. One group did upper-body resistance exercises along with participating in a self confidence-building program, the second group did upper-body resistance training and participated in health education and the third group performed gentle armchair exercises and took part in health education classes. The researchers used a device similar to a pedometer to determine that the patients who attended the self confidence-building courses were able to increase their light physical activity.  To learn more, click here.

The most recent issue of ProMed's exclusive magazine, Embrace, also featured an article on the causes of and treatment options for COPD. To read it in its entirety, click here.

FDA Pulls Avandia from Market

The FDA has pulled Avandia from pharmacy shelves because the drug poses a significant heart attack risk, the agency announced  Wednesday.

Avandia is used to treat type II diabetes, but its use has been linked in studies to a 40 percent higher risk of heart attack. As of November 18, only doctors will be able to prescribe the drug. Before a patient can be prescribed the drug, they will either need to have taken it safely before or have found that other medications did not adequately control their diabetes. They will also need to be briefed on the risks associated with the drug.

To learn more, click here.

CDC Prepares Citizens for Zombie Apocalypse (and Other Disasters)

The CDC has taken a tongue-in-cheek approach to getting more citizens prepared for emergencies. In their recent blog post Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse, the agency shares tips for being prepared should the dead rise and roam the streets...as well as for emergencies that could actually happen.

Whether it's a zombie, a hurricane or a pandemic, the same basic preparedness rules apply (with the exception of finding something sharp with which to behead zombies, of course):

• Keep a stocked emergency kit on hand
• Develop an emergency plan
• Trust that the CDC will conduct an investigation and provide assistance

Click here to learn more. This post was actually so popular that it caused the CDC's website to crash briefly, but it's now up and running and ready for you to get a chuckle - and learn a thing or two.

FDA Releases Safety Labeling Changes

The FDA has released a summary of changes recently made to drug product safety labels. These changes include alterations to boxed warnings, contraindications, warnings, precautions, adverse reactions and patient inserts/medication guides.

The medications affected by the changes include common OTCs, such as Advil and Aleve, among many others.

To view the list of medications and the changes that were made to their safe labels, click here.

ProMed's Memorial Day Closing and Delivery Modification Notice

ProMed will be closed on Monday, May 30 in honor of Memorial Day. Customers who normally order on Monday for Tuesday delivery should place their orders by Friday, May 27 at noon. All normal Monday deliveries will be made on Tuesday, May 31 and all normal Tuesday deliveries will be made on Wednesday, June 1.

If you have any questions regarding this revised delivery schedule, we encourage you to contact our Customer Care team at 800-648-5190.

Dementia Patients' Spouses Also at Risk of Memory Problems

New research has indicated that elderly caregivers of spouses with dementia are at an elevated risk of developing their own problems with attention and memory. This is being attributed to spousal caregivers sharing lifestyle risk factors with the person who has dementia as well as the ongoing stress of caring for that person.

Factors that put a caregiving spouse at a higher risk of cognitive decline or dementia include:

• Depression
• Loneliness
• Sleep problems
• Social isolation
• Exercise (or lack thereof)
• Diet
• Other factors, such as obesity

The authors of the study encourage health professionals to talk with caregivers about the "hidden risks" that come with caregiving and to stress the importance of healthy eating and exercising.

To learn more, click here.

Congrats to Mary Rose Peek, Nurse of the Year!

Team ProMed would like to congratulate a nurse at one of our customer facilities on being named Nurse of the Year - Midwest Region by Positive Promotions!

Mary Rose Peek, RN, has worked at Carlyle Healthcare Center in Carlyle, Illinois for 35 years. According to Positive Promotions, "Mary's love of her professions and her compassion for others shines through in everything she does at Carlyle. If another nurse or a nursing assistant calls in or needs help, Mary fills in, no matter the time of day. When new staff members are hired, they attend the 'School of Mary Peek.' She provides encouragement to employees, and she completes each task with humor and a beautiful smile. She even finds time to organize fun activities for her coworkers during special events. Mary has received several other awards for exceeding expectations, doing her best to foster a positive work environment, and creating a pleasant home for residents."

Congratulations, Mary!

To learn more about the Nurses of the Year, click here.

GAO: CMS Needs to Get Tougher with Complaint Investigations

A new report out of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) calls on CMS to put more oversight into nursing home complaint investigations.

The report says that 19 states had trouble investigating high-harm complaints within the established time table and that CMS' oversight of complaint investigation is flawed because of unreliable data. The information in the report was gathered after the GAO received inquiries from Congressional leaders.

Additionally, the GAO report found that state survey agencies received 53,313 complaints about nursing homes during fiscal year 2009. The complaints varied widely from state to state. Eleven states received 15 or fewer complaints per 1,000 residents while 14 states received more than 45 complaints per 1,000 residents.

In light of their findings, the GAO recommended that:

• CMS identify issues with data quality
• CMS clarify guidance to states about how particular fields in the complaint database should be be interpreted
• State survey agencies prioritize complaints based on their level of egregiousness

To learn more, click here.

OIG: 1 in 7 Nursing Home Residents Incorrectly Prescribed Antipsychotics

An alarming new report from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) reveals that as many as one in seven nursing home residents are incorrectly being prescribed psychotropic medications that increase the risk of death.

According to report:

• 51 percent of the antipsychotics paid for in the first half of 2007 were "erroneous"
• 83 percent of the claims were associated with off-label use
• 88 percent of the claims were used to treat residents with dementia, for whom antipsychotics can be fatal

In light of these findings, the OIG is calling for more aggressive provider education efforts on the use of psychotropic medications, including antipsychotics such as Seroquel, Zyprexa, Risperdal and Abilify.

Following the release of the findings, two U.S. senators, Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Herb Kohl (D-WI) drafted a letter to CMS Director Donald Berwick that asked why Medicare has paid millions of dollars in claims for drugs that are not being used appropriately. CMS alleged that some of the improper use can be tied to drug manufacturers paying kickbacks to nursing homes to increase prescriptions for certain medications.

The American Medical Directors Association (AMDA) cautions that the findings, which are based on 2007 data, might not be an accurate reflection of what is happening in 2011 and that many facilities have likely rolled out education programs that address unnecessary drugs and pharmacy services.

To learn more, click here.

HealthBeat Talks High Blood Pressure

A recent HealthBeat hosted by the Department of Health and Human Services took a look at doctor-recommended strategies for preventing and controlling high blood pressure.

Their tips included:

• Exercising vigorously for 30 minutes or more at least three times a week
• Losing weight - three quarters of adults with high blood pressure are overweight, obese or morbidly obese
• Talking with your healthcare provider - many people who have high blood pressure don't know it

To learn more, click here.

Happy National Nursing Home Week!

All of us here at ProMed wish you and your team a Happy National Nursing Home Week! The celebration kicked off on Sunday, May 8 and is sponsored by the American Health Care Association (AHCA). The theme of this year’s week is “Fulfilling the Promise.”

According to the AHCA, “NNHW spotlights nursing home residents and staff and encourages all to celebrate those that make a positive difference in their lives every day. A supportive and caring environment, such as a nursing home, provides enrichment for residents and families to continue growing, learning and teaching through various ways. The week also provides an opportunity to honor all those who contribute to our nation’s nursing homes – residents, family members, employees and volunteers.”

To learn more about National Nursing Home Week, click here.

Happy National Nurses Day!

Today, May 6, is National Nurses Day! It's also the kickoff of National Nurses Week, which is always celebrated from May 6 through May 12, Florence Nightingale's birthday. The theme of this year's celebration is "Nurses: Trusted to Care."

The American Nurses Association posted this tribute to nursing on their website:

Often described as an art and a science, nursing is a profession that embraces dedicated people with varied interests, strengths and passions because of the many opportunities the profession offers. As nurses, we work in emergency rooms, school based clinics and homeless shelters, to name a few. We have many roles - from staff nurse to educator to nurse practitioner and nurse researcher - and serve all of them with passion for the profession and with a strong commitment to patient safety.

To learn more, click here.

Depressed Diabetics See Physical Improvement with Depression Treatment

Researchers at the University of Michigan found that depressed diabetics are more likely see improvements in their physical symptoms if they are also treated for their depression. According to the researchers, depression can make diabetics less likely to exercise or be vigilant about monitoring their blood sugar or following a proper diet.

Over the course of the yearlong study, a group of subjects received 12 weeks of cognitive behavior therapy followed by nine "booster" sessions once a month. They also began a walking program. At the end of the study, this group successfully lowered their blood pressure, increased their physical activity and improved their depressive symptoms.

To learn more, click here.

Study: 15% of Nursing Homes Cited on Infection Control Every Year

According to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, as many as 15 percent of U.S. nursing homes receive citations (specifically, F-441) for deficient infection control practices every year.

The research also revealed a strong link between staffing levels and deficiency citations. Researchers theorized that this is because when staffing levels are low, caregivers are more likely to be hurried and skimp on infection control measures, such as hand hygiene.

Infections lead to almost 400,000 nursing home deaths every year.

To learn more, click here.

Study: Combining Tai Chi, Antidepressants Can Help Manage Depression

A new study out of UCLA found that combining tai chi and an antidepressant can help seniors successfully manage late-life depression.

During the study, researchers worked with a group of seniors who were taking the antidepressant Lexapro. Seniors who saw an improvement in their depression while taking the drug were then either assigned to 10 weeks of tai chi therapy for two hours per week or to 10 weeks of health education classes for two hours per week.

Ninety-four percent of the seniors who were in the tai chi group achieved scores that were consistent with improved depression symptoms and 65 percent experienced remission. In the health education group, only 77 percent had improved symptoms and 51 percent went into remission.

Approximately 50 percent of long-term care residents suffer from depression, which is linked to greater morbidity, disability, mortality and increased cost of care.

To learn more, click here.