Health & Wellness
Healthbeat
WFUBMC's Rieker
elected to national board
Michael Rieker, director of the Nurse Anesthesia
program at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical
Center, has been elected secretary-treasurer of the
National Board on
Certification and
Recertification of Nurse
Anesthetists (NBCRNA).
After previously serving as'
secretary-treasurer for the
Council on Certification of
Nurse Anesthetists, Rieker was
promoted to manage the
finances of the parent organi
zation at the fall meeting of the
NBCRNA.
"Our certification program
is undergoing growth and
Ritktr
improvement to remain on the leading edge of com
petency assurance," said Rieker. "It is an exciting
time to serve on the leadership team of the NBCR
NA."
The NBCRNA is a national board whose primary
purpose is to protect the public by establishing the
qualifications and standards for nurse anesthesia prac
tice. The NBCRNA is responsible for formulating and
administering the National Certification Examination
for more than 2,000 nurse anesthetists annually, and
for re-certifying the nation's 40,000 nurse anesthetists
on an ongoing basis.
Rieker earned his Bachelor of Science in nursing
at Pennsylvania State University. He completed a
Master of Science in nurse anesthesia and a doctorate
in nursing practice with emphasis on business and
leadership in health care at Rush University.
Community college's nursing
DVD being used statewide
Since it was first developed as an instructional
tool at Davidson County Community College in
2005, a nursing assistant instructional DVD for use in
college classrooms has become popular in communi
ty colleges and high schools across the state and
nation.
The instructional DVDs contain hands-on skills
demonstrated by nursing instructors and students por
traying patients. They teach skills that Nursing
Assistant 1 students must learn and perfect before tak
ing their state examinations. Money to produce the
DVDs came from the DCCC Foundation after Rose
Runion-McDaniel, assistant dean of Health, Wellness
and Public Safety at DCCC, applied for a grant.
The videos were shot by McDaniel and Marsha
Roddenberry and edited by Christopher Ferrell, a for
mer DCCC student. The original intent was to film
the learning sequences to supplement DCCC stu
dents' classroom study. Since then, the five-series
DVD set has become useful not only to DCCC stu
dents, but to other nursing assistant instructors and
students at all other community colleges in the state as
well as individuals and health care providers for use
in staff development training.
CD features local bike trails
Authors Judi Lawson Wallace and Ken Putnam Jr.
have released a CD-ROM containing updated infor
mation from their popular book, "Great Bike Rides In
and Around Winston-Salem." Originally published by
John F. Blair Publisher in 2000, the book is no longer
in pnm.
"I still get
many requests
for information
on where to ride,
so Judi and 1
decided that a
CD with ride
information
from the book
would be a con
venient way for
cyclists to
access the infor
m a t i o n , "
explained
Putnam.
The 44 on
road bike routes included in the CD-ROM all start
within Forsyth County and range in distance from 8 to
70 miles; some routes also explore surrounding coun
ties. Nine family rides focus on greenway trails and
neighborhood streets that are good places to ride with
children. Places for mountain biking include
Tanglewood Park. Salem Lake and Hobby Park. Each
ride includes a description of the route, a map, and
tum-by-turn directions. A screened box at the front of
each section tells the starting point, length of the ride,
terrain, where cyclists can find food and drinks and
recommendations for that specific ride.
The CDs are available at Ken's Bike Shop,
vvww.kensbikeshop.com. or
www.wallaceconsulting.biz/bikepedservices.htm.
Physics Department
at N.C.A&T joins PTEC
The Department of Physics at North Carolina
A&T State University is now part of the Physics
Teacher Education Coalition (PTEC), a network of
institutions dedicated to improving and promoting
physics and physical science teacher education.
PTEC is a project of the American Physical
Society (APS), the American Association of Physics
Teachers (AAPT), and the American Institute of
Physics (AIP). Dr. Abdellah Ahmidouch is chair of
A&T's Physics Department.
Man who shed half his body weight
among the 2009 Heart Walk honorees
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
A Winston-Salem man who has lost a
whopping 178 pounds was among several
Forsyth County residents and businesses
recently honored for their commitments to
heart health.
Carlos Flores-Santiago won the
Lifestyle Change Award during the 2009
Start! Tanglewood (Park) Heart and Stroke
frWalk in mid-October. At his highest
-weight, Flores-Santiago wasn't able to
walk around the parking lot at his job and
his type-2 diabetes required frequent shots
of insulin. He shed the weight the old
fashion way - through watching his diet,
exercising daily and working devotedly
with the Weight Watchers program.
Flores-Santiago now walks 1 1 miles a
day and has even taken part in a few
marathons. His diabetes, which he had for
14 years, is now under control. He is nee
dle-free. He has not only changed his own
life, but has inspired 13 friends and fami
ly members to regain control of their lives
by either losing weight or exercising.
The 2009 Start! Tanglewood (Park)
Heart and Stroke Walk raised more than
$500,000 for the American Heart
Association's (AHA's) ongoing efforts to
fight against heart disease and stroke.
AHA Photos
Carlos F lores-Santiago accepts his award
as Volunteer Gina Ramsey stands by.
According to the AHA. Forsyth County
currently ranks fourth-highest in stroke
Caroline and Elizabeth Crotts are held by
their parents.
related deaths and fifth-highest in heart
disease related deaths in North Carolina.
In the Triad, $1.57 million is currently
being provided by the American Heart
Association to researchers working on 1 16
different heart disease and stroke initia
tives.
Honors were also presented to the fol
lowing:
Wake Forest University Baptist
Medical Center, the main sponsor of the
walk, received an award for having the
See Heart on AV
NCDOT PtKUo
Secretary Gene Conti observes as Child Passenger Safety Technician
Jan Parker checks to ensure that infant car seats are properly
secured.
Safety-seat
Checklist
Winston-Salem Police will conduct free safety-seat
inspections on Saturday
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
j ______
State Transportation Secretary Gene Conti urges people to make
sure children are safe while traveling this holiday season.
"As families travel this season, I urge everyone to make sure their
children are buckled up in car seats, booster seats or with seat belts,"
Conti said. "As a father, I know how precious children are, and I
encourage everyone to take a little extra time to make sure their chil
dren are safe this season."
In 2008, 4,268 children age seven and younger were injured, and 20
See Seats on A 10
Grant will feed
local residents
living with HIV
CHRONICLE staff report
Blessings Project Foundation has granted local non-prof
it AIDS Care Service (ACS) $37)00 to reduce hunger and
malnutrition among HIV-positive indi
viduals and their family members
through the ACS Food Pantry.
"Generosity is welcome any time of
the year and especially helpful during
winter months, when many clients will
be making tough choices between buy
ing food or paying high utility bills."
said Katherine Foster, ACS' vice-presi
dent of operations. "This grant is
indeed a gift and will allow the ACS
Food Pantry to purchase fresh produce
and fruit that's not readily available
this time of year. I look forward to
enriching this partnership and welcome
anyone affiliated with Blessings to visit
our pantry and other programs to see
how these 'blessings' are serving our
community."
The Blessings Project Foundation
Inc. is a 50 1 (c)3 non-profit organiza
tion that originated as a Reynolda Road
antique shop with a social conscience.
The concept of donating a percentage
of sales to charitable organizations
grew, and the Foundation was formed
Foster
Garland
to provide funding support to small non-profit organizations
and projects that, through their efforts, improve the lives of
others and offer hope for a world more healthy and humane.
Amy Garland, Blessings Project Foundation Director
said, "We are very pleased to support AIDS Care Service in
this important endeavor and proud to partner with organiza
tions throughout our community who support our mission
and commitment to humanity, the environment and the arts."
Coping with the Holiday Blues
The holidays are often seen as joyous occasions to come together with
friends and family. Many individuals and families, however, will have a dif
ficult time this holiday season due to various reasons. Instead of feeling joy,
many people experience the "holiday blues" and do not feel like celebrating.
Below are some tips from which everyone can benefit during this holiday ?r:
season: - A jjj
- Set realistic goals for the holidays. Keep expectations simple for your
self and others.
- Make a budget and stick to it. Financial worries add more stress. Spend
what you can afford.
- Do not ovefeat or drink alcohol excessively to escape stressful feelings. .J
Eat healthy foods and get plenty of exercise. Excessive use of alcohol only
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increases your feelings of sadness and can put
you at high risk of harming yourself and others. ^
- Allow extra time when traveling. Delays "*F
will occur because of possible increased security -
coupled with a high number of people traveling
during the holidays. Practice patience.
- Remember that the holidays are more than
one day. The holidays are part of a whole sea
son. Pace yourself. Do not focus entirely on one
day.
1 ? - Try a new way of celebrating. Attend a cel
ebration of another faith; give the gift of your time.
- Helping others can help you feel better. Volunteer at a homeless shelter, buy
a present for a child in need or visit people in nursing homes.
- Reach out - get involved in the community. Contact local clubs, religious
groups or community centers to see if they are holding activities that may interest
you.
- Allow yourself some time to feel sad, angry or lonely. These are real, legitimate
feelings. Nurture yourself. Take some time out each day to care for and celebrate
yourself.
- Stay in the present; look forward to the future. Prioritize what is
currently important in your life. Come to terms with the fact that
life brings changes; embrace the future.
Signs to Seek Help
Having the "holiday blues" will pass with the sea
See Blues on A9
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