Many thanks to Dr. Steven Phillips (here with a former patient) for sharing two hours of very valuable information on Lyme disease to a rapt audience at RVNAhealth last Thursday, September 20.  Attendees travelled from as far as Northern New Jersey, Long Island, and even Germany to hear and meet Dr. Phillips at Lyme: News You Need to Know.*

Dr. Phillips, a noted tick-borne illnesses expert (i.e. rock star), has practiced in the field for decades and is currently conducting promising research and study. In addition to providing clinical insights and pragmatic direction, Dr. Phillips offered many instances of wisdom and humor. One of our favorite quotes: “Sometimes you have to forget everything you learned to find something novel.”

Thank you, Dr. Phillips, for your brilliance and hope and thank you to Karen Gaudian. Lyme Connection, and the Town of Ridgefield for partnering on this important event.

*Note:  Our German guest was in the area for only two days, seeking treatment for Lyme Disease. She had arrived the day prior and was leaving the day after, and felt truly fortunate to coincide with Dr. Phillips’ Lyme presentation. He is world renowned.

It’s good to be Yhon Zuluaga.  Because wherever he goes, there he is.

And Yhon Zuluaga is very . . good . . company.

Just ask his colleagues, his patients, and the world he inhabits.  Yhon’s happiness, charm, and melody shine from within …. and make the world around him a happier place.

Read on.

Where did you grow up and where do you reside now?
I grew up in Medellin, Colombia.  I currently live in Danbury CT.

What brought you to RVNAhealth?
A friend of mine worked at RVNA and he told me how nice a company it was to work for.  And he was certainly right.

What is your role at RVNAhealth?
I work as a home health aide.

How long have you worked at RVNAhealth?
I have been working at RVNAhealth for 10 years.

What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of the job is seeing a client improve and me being part of it, and also helping them with their ADL (activities of daily living). This means a lot to me.

Did you ever consider a field other than healthcare?
No.  I always knew I wanted a job where I helped people.  It’s very rewarding to me.

What do you love to do when you’re not working?
I love to travel. I just got back from Dublin, Ireland and I really had a great time.  I can’t wait to travel more.

What is your hidden talent?
I know how to dance salsa.  Dancing is a big part of Colombian life and I spent my childhood dancing.

What would you do if you won the lottery?
I would travel the world and open an animal sanctuary for animals in need.

Do you have a favorite RVNAhealth moment or story?
It’s a special moment every time I return from vacation and my clients tell me how much they missed me.  I really feel that I am making a difference in their life.

Chances are you’ve been cautioned about “text neck,” a relatively recent condition that refers to pain in the neck caused by straining to see a small, hand-held device.  But your cell phone isn’t the only culprit.  And “text neck” isn’t new.  It’s just a catchy name for an old problem: neck strain due to poor posture.

And while it’s now impacting people at much younger ages, it’s been going on for centuries.

In “proper posture,” the head is held over the shoulders in a neutral position. Looking down with your neck extended for long periods of time puts extra stress on the cervical spine. The more you do this, the weaker your neck muscles become.  And weakness begets pain.

The solution?  Proper posture! Head held over shoulders in a neutral position. The key to good posture is strengthening the muscles of your upper back (the trapezius, rhomboids, and cervical extensors) and stretching the opposing muscles of the chest to counteract a forward-leaning tendency.

It sounds complicated, but it’s not. In fact, the following simple exercises, done regularly at home, work, or wherever you are, will make a big difference.

• Chin tucks: gently retract or move the head backward while keeping your chin parallel to the earth. Hold for five seconds. Repeat 10 times.
• Shoulder blade squeezes: squeeze shoulder blades together to “un-hunch” your posture. Hold for five breaths, release.
• “Doorway Stretch”: Lean forward while bracing your arms against a door frame.

Additionally, simple awareness – being mindful of how you’re positioning your body throughout the day – can go a long way toward alleviating discomfort and pain in your neck.

Take a Sneak Peek

It’s time to plan your bidding strategy for Saturday’s Autumn Dinner. Here’s a taste of some auction items to whet your appetite. But you’ve gotta be in it to win it.

Date Night for a Year!
Has Date Night fallen off your calendar? it’s time to reclaim your couple time with a dinner date each month for a year. This package includes gift certificates to 11 of Ridgefield’s best restaurants, movie night at The Prospector Theater, and an overnight getaway at the new Hotel Zero Degrees in Danbury, including a romantic dinner and breakfast for two. No need to go far to get away!

Loon Mountain, NH Ski Getaway
One-week stay at the InnSeason Resorts –New Hampshire’s only Five-Star condominium resort — from February 15-22, 2019. Two-bedroom suite sleeps 6 and comes complete with a kitchen, whirlpool bath, and complimentary shuttle to and from Loon Mountain for some of the best skiing in the East. Includes access to the resort fitness center, indoor swimming pools, sauna and game room. There’s something for everyone!

Catered Dinner by Chef Nancy Burke
Chef Nancy Burke, certified caterer from the Culinary Institute of America and former proprietor of Ridgefield’s popular eatery, Thirty-Three & 1/3, will cook dinner for 10 in the intimacy of your home. Package includes a $100 gift certificate to Ancona’s Wines & Liquors and consultation with their Wine Director to help you choose wine for your meal.

Broadway Night in Ridgefield
Experience Broadway in Ridgefield with two tickets to the performance of Evita at ACT of Connecticut on Saturday, November 3. Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Evita is a seven-time Tony Award winning musical about Argentina’s Eva Perón. Make a day of it with a spa treatment and bistro dinner /drinks before the show. Package includes 2 tickets to Evita and 2 glasses of wine at the theater; a $290 gift certificate for a spa treatment at Adam Broderick Salon & Spa; and a $100 gift certificate to Sarah’s Wine Bar.

Caps and Corks Pull
Pull a fine one – or a frothy one – in the Caps and Corks Pull sponsored by Ancona’s Wines & Liquors and featuring their hand-picked selection of wines and beers. The Corks wine pull includes a range of vintages from across the globe representing a variety of grapes and styles. The Caps craft beer pull features combination 4-packs including the freshest, original brews from hoppy to spicy and everything in between. No two wines are the same and the 4-packs are original combinations featuring four distinct beers.

Every industry and field has its rock stars — experts who move the field forward and help define its progress and direction. People without whom the world would be a different place.

Dr. Steven Phillips is one of these people, a true authority — and hero — in the world of tick-borne diseases and Lyme Disease.  And lucky for us in Connecticut, Dr. Phillips is local.

His work and research take him far afield, but Dr. Phillips practices in Wilton, CT and on Thursday, September 20 at 7:00pm, RVNA and the Lyme Connection have the privilege of hosting Dr. Phillips at Lyme Disease: News You Need to Know.   The evening will feature an overview on Lyme; important information on diagnosis, testing, treatments, and recognizing the different symptom presentations; as well as meaningful direction for getting the help you need. Dr. Phillips will also provide an update on current treatment protocols and a glimpse into his current research.

Whether your life has been impacted by Lyme disease, and you understand its power and scourge, or you are fortunate enough to remain unscathed, this is an opportunity to meet and hear a foremost Lyme Disease expert and leave educated and informed.  That’s never a bad thing.

This event is free and open to the public.

Lyme Disease: News You Need to Know is taking place at RVNA, 27 Governor Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877 on Thursday, September 20 at 7:00pm.

* For additional convenience, RVNAhealth will be offering flu and pneumonia shots to interested attendees from 4:00pm – 6:30pm in advance of the evening’s event. Please call 203-438-5555 if you would like to receive your immunization this evening.

If you’ve ever planned a large party or event, you know the onslaught of details and tasks that occupy the final days before everything falls right into place. It’s inevitable. RVNAhealth Development Associate, Joanna Roche, knows all about this — especially this week as the RVNAhealth philanthropy team puts the finishing touches on this Saturday’s Autumn Dinner.

Nonetheless, Joanna, a true team player, took time from her busy and varied day to share her story.  Read on … it’s a good one.

Where did you grow up and where do you reside now?
I was fortunate to have had a very enriching childhood. I was born in Paris and from there lived in Venezuela, Colombia, Nicaragua, and Malaysia. At the age of 18, I had the opportunity to work and live in New York. After that, my life took a dramatic turn. After many flights across the Atlantic, between London and New York, my future husband brought me back to the States. Some 27 years later, I currently reside in the tiny rural town of Sherman, CT.

What brought you to RVNA?
A change of career! My husband and I founded a small media communications agency. After 18 successful years running our own business, it became time for me to find my own career path. An acquaintance spoke highly of RVNAhealth and encouraged me to apply for a job in the Development office. I soon realized I had found my calling working in Development and Fundraising.

What is your role at RVNA?
I am a Development Associate, providing support to MJ Heller, Director of Philanthropy and Alice Meenan, Director of Donor Relations. I assist with donor cultivation, acquisition of new donors, donor retention, and I solicit donations through fundraising events, mailings and direct donor engagement. I also coordinate the execution of annual fund appeals, manage/maintain our donor database, and prepare daily correspondence to thank our donors, and keep the department organized and on track!

How long have you worked at RVNA?
I joined RVNAhealth three and a half years ago in February 2015.

What is your favorite part of your job?
I really enjoy developing and maintaining donor relationships. This requires reaching out to donors thanking them for their donations. A phone call usually leads to why they support RVNAhealth and I hear their gratitude for the wonderful care they receive from our clinicians and caregivers and how they deeply value RVNAhealth and our mission.  At RVNA, our donors are also partners and friends and that makes my role a very nice one.

Did you ever consider being a nurse?
No, but I really admire those that have chosen this profession.

What do you love to do when you’re not working?
I love relaxing at home, taking my dog for a walk, seeing friends, going out to a great restaurant.

What is your hidden talent?
Hmmm that’s a tough one – I have a knack for remembering strings of numbers, like credit card numbers and phone numbers. Odd but true!

What would you do if you won the lottery?
Travel the world. Have another home in England to spend more time with my family, and maybe a villa in France or Italy that produces wine.

Do you have a favorite RVNAhealth moment or story?
I do. I have an absolutely fabulous RVNAhealth story to share, but you’ll have to come to the Autumn Dinner this Saturday to hear it.  You’re going to love it!

Reliance Merchant Services, Reli-Bid and Mary Kate Gobleck…..

Good Things Come in Threes!

Part of what makes it possible for RVNA to enrich the lives of the communities and individuals we serve every day is the strength of our supporters, sponsors, and partner relationships. Beyond their financial contributions, it is their gifts of time and expertise that truly make a difference. Reliance Merchant Services and its subsidiary, Reli-Bid LLC, are certainly no exceptions.

Founded in 2004, Reliance Merchant Services provides credit and debit card processing to businesses of all sizes in Fairfield, Westchester and New Haven counties and beyond.  It’s subsidiary, Reli-Bid, offers event and fundraising packages for non-profit organizations like RVNA. Auction management, ticket sales, on-sight payment processing, and a mobile bidding platform are all part of the offerings designed to increase revenues at fundraising events.

A long-time client of Reliance Merchant Services, RVNAhealth will be using Reli-Bid at our upcoming Autumn Dinner on September 15^th.  This year’s event returns to Silver Spring Country Club and will build upon the fun and success of the 2017 dinner with a casual feel and organic theme, plus the added bonus of mobile bidding! A mix of contemporary and traditional bidding and payment options will be available to guests, with Reli-Bid facilitating the whole process.

“Reliance Merchant Services President Mary Kate Gobleck is deeply committed to her community and feels very strongly about giving back with time and charity,” says MJ Heller, RVNAhealth Director of Philanthropy.  “Her commemorative bench, a contribution made in support of our capital campaign, honors her parents and is situated on the pathway that winds around RVNAhealth’s headquarters on Governor Street – a testament to her personal philanthropy.”

Gobleck volunteers on RVNA’s Development Committee and was a mastermind in the creation of our Governor Society, an opportunity for loyal business donors to structure their annual contributions in a way that is particularly meaningful to them as individuals and naturally aligned with their business offerings.  Gobleck has served up drinks to benefit RVNAhealth at RVNAhealth’s Celebrity Bartender Night, hosted by Gallo Ristorante, and has frequently hosted a table of personal guests at RVNA’s annual Spring Breakfast fundraising event.

“We’re grateful to Mary Kate for her assistance to ensure the success of our Autumn Dinner and her generosity to RVNAhealth as a whole,” adds Heller. “It’s difficult to describe just how much dedicated supporters like her mean to the fulfillment of our mission.”

It’s Not a Laughing Matter… Or is it?

We’ve all heard laughter is the best medicine. That’s patently clear in “A Man and His Prostate,” a one-man show starring Ed Asner that chronicles the true story of a man (in this case, the playwright himself, Ed Weinberger) who has a prostate attack and emergency surgery while on vacation in Italy. Much of the humor comes from the main character’s need to pantomime his very personal symptoms to a doctor who didn’t speak English. The rest comes from Asner’s inimitable characterization of a curmudgeon who isn’t about to take this lying down.

All kidding aside, the startling reality behind the comedy is that, other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men, with a man dying from the disease in the U.S. every 16 minutes. While a sense of humor and positive attitude are important when facing any serious health concern, it’s even more important to be an active and informed participant in your own healthcare.

“You are your own best advocate,” says RVNAhealth Director of Nursing Services, John Apinis. “Particularly as we get older, it’s critical to pay attention to our health, have regular check-ups, and speak up when something doesn’t seem right. This is the single best thing you can do to prevent conditions from becoming too serious before they’re caught,” he adds.

While A Man and His Prostate takes a comedic approach, serious realities are woven in, including a tribute to well-known men who have suffered from the disease. The play seeks to strip away the embarrassment of talking about the issue and remind men and their loved ones that getting screened isn’t an option, it’s a necessity.

For more information or tickets, visit the Ridgefield Playhouse. 

Infections are frightening – just ask anyone with an imminent surgery, joint replacement, or hospital stay, and many will tell you their biggest concern is developing an infection while there.

And their fear is not unwarranted.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 25 patients will have at least one infection following their hospital stay.  Also known as HAIs (healthcare-acquired infections), many infections are the result of germs picked up during a hospital stay, resulting in issues such as pneumonia, gastrointestinal illness, or sepsis.  The tricky part …  HAIs aren’t necessarily revealed at the hospital; they can develop as much as a week or month after going home.

Which means both you, and your home health care team, need to be especially vigilant.

RVNAhealth home health nurses, therapists, and aides — who treat patients following discharge from a hospital or facility — are highly-skilled and trained in assessing for infections and administering appropriate interventions when appropriate. They monitor patients at every visit, testing for fever, tracking wounds that aren’t healing, monitoring the warning signs, and referring patients to their physicians immediately if an infection is identified or suspected.

Common signs of infection include chills or generally feeling unwell; discharge at the wound or surgical site; increased pain/tenderness; and fever, particularly when combined with increased swelling, redness, and warmth at the site.

All RVNAhealth clinicians also practice “universal precautions” for infection control and prevention— hand washing, glove wearing, and the rigorous protocols added when treating a patient with a wound.

While most infections can be treated successfully with antibiotics if identified early, it’s important to understand that, as a healthcare consumer, you must also be your own best advocate. Monitor the signs of infection; keep all follow-up appointments after returning home from the hospital; and don’t be afraid to speak up if your healthcare personnel aren’t following universal precautions when administering treatment.

Infections are frightening, but they are neither inevitable nor untreatable. Your best defense is a good offense: remember the signs, advocate for yourself and, when possible, return home from the hospital or facility as soon as possible with an excellent home health agency. One like RVNA.