Two nurses receive Shining Star Award
The Southwestern Colorado Area Health Education Center announces local registered nurses Lynn Westberg and Linda Young as the recipients of the newly established Shining Star Award.
Westberg is a retired nurse and former director of the San Juan Basin Health Center. She served for 30 years as a local and state leader in public health. In the past months, she has been volunteering at the recently closed La Plata Community Health Clinic.
Young is the trauma department director at Mercy Regional Medical Center. She also is co-chairwoman for the Mercy Regional Medical Center Trauma Committee meetings, which aim to assure all trauma patients receive high-quality care.
The Shining Star Award honors registered nurses who have 20 or more years of experience with demonstrated leadership skills and who have made an impact on the profession and patients.
Residents reminded to be salmonella aware
San Juan Basin Health Department reminds residents to be salmonella aware.
While salmonella is most often a foodborne illness, close contact with live poultry such as baby chicks and ducklings may expose a person. Other pets such as snakes, lizards and turtles also can cause infections with salmonella bacteria.
Symptoms may include diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever, vomiting and dehydration. The risk of infection and more serious illness is higher for children younger than 5 years old. Onset of symptoms generally occurs between 12 and 72 hours after infection.
To avoid salmonella infection:
Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water right after collecting eggs, touching live poultry or anything in the area where live poultry live and roam.
Clean any equipment or materials associated with raising or caring for live poultry outside the house. Do not wash the cage or any related equipment in the kitchen sink or with a kitchen sink scrubber.
Never bring live poultry inside the house, in bathrooms or especially in areas where food or drink is prepared, served or stored.
For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/salmonella.
Free blood-pressure checks to be offered
Free blood pressure checks and an introduction to how to control blood pressure naturally will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at Durango Natural Medicine, 117 East Animas Road (County Road 250).
To schedule an appointment or for more information, call 247-0737.
Suicide-prevention training available
QPR Suicide Prevention Training will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 24 and May 15 in Program Room 3 of Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave.
The class will have a size limit of 15. QPR has been awarded recognition as an evidence-based program by the National Repository for Evidence-Based Programs and Practices.
For more information and to register, call Jessica Chamblee at 563-4517.
Resolving allergies to be discussed
Caleb Gates, a licensed acupuncturist, will give a talk called “Resolving Seasonal Allergies, Sinusitis and Allergic Asthma” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Program Room 2 of Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave.
Gates will discuss Advanced Allergy Therapeutics, which are safe, noninvasive treatments to resolve allergy symptoms.
For more information, call 259-9488 or visit www.allergyreliefbeyondbelief.com.
Herald Staff
