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Health & Wellness
Healthbeat
Bremer one of the best
Brenner Children's Hospital, the pediatric
arm of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center^ is
among the best children's hospitals in the
country according to U.S. News & World
Report's 2013-14 Best Children's Hospitals
rankings.
1'His marks
Brenner Children's
debut on the annual
pediatric hospitals list;
the hospital is ranked
in three pediatric spe
cialties: neonatology
(# 36), orthopedics
(#44) and urology j
(#33). Brenner leads I
North Carolina chil
dren's hospitals in the
urology category.
Scott
"We are delighted to have been ranked this
year by U.S. News and World Report," said
Dr. Marty B. Scott, vice president, Brenner
Children's Hospital. "As the region's only aca
demic medical center, we have provided the
highest level of care available to help children
get back to being children for more than 25
years."
This year's rankings highlight the top 50
U.S. hospitals in each of these pediatric spe
cialties: cancer, cardiology & heart surgery,
diabetes & endocrinology, gastroenterology &
GI surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurolo
gy & neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology,
and urology. Eighty-seven hospitals ranked in
at least one of the 10 specialties.
D?Mstt rMtoct
nonprofit rtceicvcs grant
Next Step Ministries, Inc. has received a
generous donation from the Lawrence E. Pope
Foundation, a charitable foundation based in
Kemersville.
Next Step Ministries is a local 501C-3
non-profit that operates a domestic violence
shelter in Forsyth County. It was founded in
1998 by a local pastor and community leaders
who saw a need for a safe haven for victims of
domestic violence.
The safe house provides a way of escape
for victims. During their stay, the loving staff,
empowers and assists residents in moving
beyond the abuse to live a safe and productive
lives. Next Step Ministries also operates a
thrift store, which helps to support the shelter
operations.
If you or someone you know is living in an
abusive situation, there is a way of escape. For
help or further information, please call the
NSM 24 Hr. Crisis Line at 336-413-5858.
Anyone interested in volunteering or pro
viding financial support for this ministry may
contact them by phone at 336-413-7054 or by
mail at P.O. Box 793, Kemersville. NC 27285.
HaQan legislation would
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neip military famines
U.S. Senator Kay Hagan, a member of the
Senate Armed Services Committee, has intro
duced the Disabled Military Child Protection
Act to enable military retirees to transfer
Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities to a
Special Needs Trust (SNT) to provide long
term care for a disabled child. While the gen
eral public can transfer funds into an SNT,
there is currently no mechanism for members
of the military to do the same.
"The Disabled Military Child Protection
Act ensures that special needs dependents of
our servicememoers
receive the care they
need, deserve and
have earned while
making sure military
special needs children
are treated the same as
those of civilians,"
said Hagan. "North
Carolina is the most
military-friendly state
in the nation, and I am
committed to support
Ha fan
ing common-sense legislation like this to sup
port our military families that sacrifice so
much to protect us."
Hagan is working to include her legislation
in the annual National Defense Authorization
Act that is being marked up by the Armed
Services Committee this week. Congressman
Jim Moran (D-VA) has introduced a compan
ion bill in the House of Representatives.
Currently, a military retiree can dedicate
up to 55 percent of his or her monthly retire
ment pay to a Survivor Benefit Plan to provide
a monthly survivor benefit to a spouse after
their death.
The Disabled Military Child Protection
Act would enable any military retiree who
invests in an SBP to transfer their benefit to an
SNT. The SNT would enable dependent chil
dren to access funds for treatment, while still
qualifying for means-tested federal programs,
including Social Security Disability Insurance
and Medicaid.
To qualify for Medicaid, individuals can
not have assets greater than $2,000. Individual
care costs can top $100,000 each year for
those who do not qualify. An SNT, adminis
tered under federal and state law, is catego
rized as a trust by Medicaid, rather than as
individual income or assets.
Green Machine
Cool, eco-friendly car touts UNCSA
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE _ __
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) is taking the concept of a
"green" vehicle to a new level, thanks to a gift from Bob King Automotive Group.
Robert L. "Rob" King III, CEO of the automobile dealerships, donated the lease for a
Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric car to UNCSA's Advancement Division. The car has a combined
city/highway rating of 112 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe), a measure of the average
distance traveled per unit of energy consumed. It produces no on-road emissions, and does
not require motor oil. Recycled materials are used in the body and interior.
UNCSA plans a social media campaign to name the car.
"It is my pleasure to support UNCSA in any way I can," King said. "This vehicle will
neip me sian 10
promote the school,
to communicate its
unique mission,
and to tell its com
pelling story."
King is chair of
UNCSA's Board of
Trustees.
The school
enlisted a local
company to "wrap"
the vehicle graphi
cally in honor of
the school's mas
cot, The Fighting
Pickle (aka The
uni\.3A rnno
Fighting Pickles). Mark Hough (left) receives the keys to UNCSA's Pickle Car from
Mark Hough, Robert L. "Rob" King III.
UNCSA's Chief
Advancement
Officer, said the vehicle is both a promotional tool and a practical one.
"We do a lot of traveling around the Triad, building support for the school," he said.
"With the Pickle Car, we can make every mile count, save money on fuel, and reduce our car
bon footprint. It's a win all the way around. "Plus, it's a blast to drive!"
The pickle wrap was designed by Terri Renigar, brand marketing manager for UNCSA.
to reflect the school's celebrated mascot.
The Fighting Pickle became the School of the Arts' mascot in 1972 as the result of a cam
pus-wide contest. At that time, the seven-year-old school was planning its first Homecoming
celebration, and needed a name for its intramural football team. The origins of the Fighting
Pickle have become something of a campus legend. .
City Adds 19th Fire House
? I I I P I ? I i i ?i i ? mi
City of W-S Phom
Fire Chief Antony Farmer (fourth from left) joins City Council members and City admin
istrators late last month in dedicating Winston-Salem's newest fire station. Engine
Company 19 at 4430 Glenn Hi Road. Most of the station's $2.6 million price tag was cov
ered by a grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Preparing an emergency/first aid kit i
Summer time is always filled with fun. vaca
tions and all types of adventures! Unfortunately,
bumps, bruises and broken bones can often
accompany these adventures, and emergencies
and accidents can happen at any time. Knowing
when and how to administer first aid can prevent
a visit to the emergency room, and/or can help
provide important
information to emer
gency workers or
prevent anxiety and
serious complica
tions if you do have
to go to the emer
gency room.
How do you han
dle a nosebleed, a
sprain, broken bone
or scratches? What to do if your child has a
seizure? What is the best way to relieve minor
eye irritations caused by dirt. sand, or something
in the eye? What to do if your child swallows
something poisonous like cleaning fluids? What
not to do if this happens? Twisting a muscle can
be very painful... What can you do to relieve the
pain? TTiese are all common occurrences for
which we should be prepared.
Most scrapes, scratches and bumps can be
treated at home without the need for profession
al medical care. It is important though, that any
time you know or suspect that someone may
have a minor trauma, such as a sprained joint or
minor cut, that you i ^ y?i
seen medical care
with your health
care provider (or
an urgent care
facility if you don't
have a primary
care provider). You A
should go to the jm
Emergency Room Q
or call 911 if some- I
one has an injury I
that results in any I
of the following I
symptoms:!
stopped breathing. |
stopped or slow
heartbeat, bleeding that cannot be stopped, loss
of consciousness, head or eye injuries, broken
bone, injury while on blood thinning medica
tions and/or severe pain.
In addition to knowing where to seek help, it
is important to have a first aid kit at hand.
See First Aid on A7
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The People's Clinic
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Texting and
driving a
hard habit for
teens to break
SPECIAL TO THE
CHRONICLE
Nearly half of the stu
dents surveyed at Spring
Valley High School in
Columbia, S.C. said their
attitude towards texting
while driving had changed
follow
ing a i
four- ?
month- I
long
anti
texting- I
while- I
driving ^
cam
paign
spear
Crosby
headed by AAA Carolinas'
Foundation for Traffic
Safety and the South
Carolina Public Safety
Foundation.
However, the survey -
conducted in January and
again in May - showed
only incremental improve
ment in their behaviors
concerning distracted driv
ing. The percentage of stu
dents surveyed who said
they never text and drive
grew just slightly, from 59
percent to 61 percent.
"The results show the
| difficulty of modifying
teenagers' behavior, even
after they become aware of
risk," said Tom Crosby,
president of the AAA
Carolinas' Foundation for
Traffic Safety. "Texting
while driving among teens
is like watching cancer
slowly spread in someone
you love but you don't
know how to stop or cure
it."
The four-month-long
effort involved educational
events at the school, includ
ing graphic videos, a tex
ting-while-driving cone
course, brake reaction test,
essay contest, texting simu
lators and a speech by
Presley Melton, a victim of
texting while driving, and
her father. Bruce.
Asked what influenced
their attitude change most.
38 percent of students sur
veyed cited the Meltons'
presentation describing a
2006 crash. Then-15-year
old Presley was a passenger
in a car when her friend and
driver was possibly dis
tracted by her cell phone
"I can't remember."
Presley told more than 900
junior and senior students
"Maybe I don't want to
remember"
The driver, 17-year-old
Lindsay Craven, did not
survive the crash. Presley,
who lives in Rock Hill.
S.C., initially had a two
percent chance of survival
with every bone in her face
shattered; it is now held
together with 20 metal
plates.
"It really opened my
eyes to what could happen
if you do text and drive."
said one student in the sur
vey.
Another 30 percent of
the respondents noting atti
tude change cited graphic ?
videos and statistics on
deaths and injuries caused
by texting while driving.
A Rarity: State not experiencing drought conditions
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
North Carolina is not experiencing
drought or abnormally dry conditions for
the firtt time in three years, thanks to
recent rainfall from Tropical Storm
Andrea and several other storm systems.
The rainfall from Tropical Storm
Andrea helped eliminate lingering abnor
mally dry conditions in eastern North
Carolina. The last time the U.S. Drought
Monitor depicted no drought or abnor
mally dry conditions in North Carolina
was during the week of April 20. 2010.
These conditions are reflected on the
federal drought map for North Carolina,
which is released every Thursday. To see
the most recent drought map. go to
www.ncdrought.org.
"Recent rains have brought relief to
the lingering dry conditions in eastern
North Carolina." said Bob Stea, chairman
of the N.C. Drought Management
Advisory Council. "Streams, groundwa
ter and soil moisture levels have greatly
improved and are near longer-term aver
ages."
While dry conditions are no longer
present, drought officials say they cannot
forecast what the summer months will
bring.
"North Carolina's rainfall becomes
more difficult to forecast, as well as less
reliable, during the summer months,"
said Michael Moneypenny, a meteorolo
gist for the National Weather Service in
Raleigh and a member of the N.C.
Drought Management Advisory Council.
"Weather systems are typically weaker
and the bulk of our rainfall comes from
scattered shower and thunderstorm activ
ity that pops up during the heat of the
day."