• Wear Red Day 2007

• Act in Time!

• Spotlight in Wellness

• Benefits Corner

• Learn and Live Quiz

• Wellness Staff Development Sessions

• Step Aerobics

• Ballroom Dancing Lessons

• Water Aerobics

• Employee Assistance Program

Learn and Live Quiz

By taking this brief quiz, you will get a list of resources to help you live a longer, stronger life. You will find potentially lifesaving resources such as free health programs and questions to ask your doctor at your next appointment.

If you save your results and register, you will receive a free copy of the American Heart Association's "Learn and Live Recipes" cookbook!

3 Easy Steps

1. You answer some questions

2. You receive feedback

3. You take control...

Take The Quiz NOW!

©2007 American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved.
http://www.americanheart.org

Step Aerobics

Ballroom Dancing Lessons

Water Aerobics

Wellness...a way of life!

Love your heart! The American Heart Association’s National Wear Red Day will take place on Friday, February 2, 2007.

Wear Red Day is part of the Go Red For Women campaign, a nationwide movement celebrating the energy, passion and power we have to band together and wipe out heart disease – the No. 1 killer of women. Millions of Americans – women and men alike - will be wearing red to show their support.

Contact your local American Heart Association representative to see how you or your organization can become involved.

"Go Red For Women Day", February 2nd, 2007 Let's all wear RED and show our support!

©2007 American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved.
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3043786

The American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute have launched a new "Act in Time" campaign to increase people's awareness of heart attack and the importance of calling 9-1-1 immediately at the onset of heart attack symptoms.

Dial 9-1-1 Fast

Heart attack and stroke are life-and-death emergencies -- every second counts. If you see or have any of the listed symptoms, immediately call 9-1-1. Not all these signs occur in every heart attack or stroke. Sometimes they go away and return. If some occur, get help fast! Today heart attack and stroke victims can benefit from new medications and treatments unavailable to patients in years past. For example, clot-busting drugs can stop some heart attacks and strokes in progress, reducing disability and saving lives. But to be effective, these drugs must be given relatively quickly after heart attack or stroke symptoms first appear. So again, don't delay -- get help right away!

Statistics

Coronary heart disease is America's No. 1 killer. Stroke is No. 3 and a leading cause of serious disability. That's why it's so important to reduce your risk factors, know the warning signs, and know how to respond quickly and properly if warning signs occur.

Know the Warning Signs

Heart Attack Warning Signs
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense — the "movie heart attack," where no one doubts what's happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.   

• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.   

• Shortness of breath. May occur with or without chest discomfort.  

• Other signs: These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness       

As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

If you or someone you're with has chest discomfort, especially with one or more of the other signs, don't wait longer than a few minutes (no more than 5) before calling for help. Call 9-1-1... Get to a hospital right away.

Calling 9-1-1 is almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment. Emergency medical services staff can begin treatment when they arrive -- up to an hour sooner than if someone gets to the hospital by car. The staff are also trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped. Patients with chest pain who arrive by ambulance usually receive faster treatment at the hospital, too.

If you can't access the emergency medical services (EMS), have someone drive you to the hospital right away. If you're the one having symptoms, don't drive yourself, unless you have absolutely no other option. 

Stroke Warning Signs
The American Stroke Association says these are the warning signs of stroke:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body

• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding

• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes

• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

If you or someone with you has one or more of these signs, don't delay! Immediately call 9-1-1 or the emergency medical services (EMS) number so an ambulance (ideally with advanced life support) can be sent for you. Also, check the time so you'll know when the first symptoms appeared. It's very important to take immediate action. If given within three hours of the start of symptoms, a clot-busting drug can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke.

Cardiac arrest strikes immediately and without warning. Here are the signs:

• Sudden loss of responsiveness (no response to tapping on shoulders).

• No normal breathing (the victim does not take a normal breath when you tilt the head up and check for at least five seconds). 

If these signs of cardiac arrest are present, tell someone to call 9-1-1 and get an AED (if one is available) and you begin CPR immediately.  

If you are alone with an adult who has these signs of cardiac arrest, call 9-1-1 and get an AED (if one is available) before you begin CPR. 

Use an AED as soon as it arrives.

©2007 American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved.
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3053

If you do not already know her, let me introduce you to Brenda Huston, MISD’s Director of Library Services. Brenda is actively involved in many district activities and committees, not the least of which is the Wellness Program. She is interested in health because she has been a diabetic for seven years and she cares for her elderly, ill mother. Watching the declining health of our parents is often the impetus required for us to be determined to not follow a similar life style.

Brenda decided to lose weight last April. Her goal is to manage her diabetes without medication. Since April, she has lost 52 pounds! When asked how she accomplished such a notable task, she states she did it by changing her eating habits. With her busy life style, fast food had been the easy answer to feeding herself and her mother. Making the change to healthier foods such as salads, vegetables, yogurt, etc. has made an effective difference in her appearance, her energy level and her lab values.

Congratulations Brenda! You are “In the Spotlight”. Keep up the hard work. You look great!

Sharon B. Wilkes, RN, MA, CPS, CCS, Coordinator, Prevention Services

OPEN ENROLLMENT CHANGES

By now, payroll deduction adjustments resulting from changes made to Health/Dental and Voluntary Insurance Plan benefits during the October open enrollment period should have been reflected in your paycheck stub.  You should review your paycheck stub and report any errors to the Employee Benefits Office.  To verify the coverage change, contact the respective company or the Employee Benefits Office.  

Health Insurance ID Cards reflecting the changes made during the enrollment period were mailed to employee’s home address. If you have not received your American Administrative Group (AAG) ID card by now, please contact the Employee Benefits Office.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

The District has workers’ compensation coverage to protect you in the event of a work related injury or illness. 

The District, through a self-funded program administered by Anchor Claims Management, will pay for the medical treatment for a compensable injury or illness if the injury occurred at work or the disease or illness is job-related.  It will also replace some lost wages if the injury or illness caused the worker to lose some or all income for more than seven days. 

Employee should notify the campus principal or direct supervisor of the job related injury or illness within 24 hours to initiate the claims process.  All campus/departments also have a primary point of contact (Safety Contact) familiar with the reporting and other procedures related to a work related injury that will need to be notified timely.  If an employee does not report the injury or illness within 30 days of the date on which the injury occurs or the date the employee knew or should have known of an illness, the employee could lose their rights to benefits.  For more information on Workers’ Compensation benefits refer to Worker Rights and Responsibilities at: http://www.oiec.state.tx.us/documents/IERightsandResponsib2.pdf and the Office of Injured Employee Counsel at: http://www.oiec.state.tx.us/topics/index.html

Visit the MISD Employee Benefits Department web site for up-to-date benefit forms and information.

Mr. Andres Silva is the Director of Employee Benefits/Risk Management

Lunch and Learn Sessions

All sessions will take place in the Board Room of the McAllen ISD Administration Office from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm.

	www.deeroaks.com

For Health/Wellness Information, library of resource documents and other useful information, click here.