Hope you are doing well and staying safe during this pandemic that is affecting us all. I wanted to update you since we have been closed down since mid-March. Jerry's Gift Shoppe re-opened on June 22nd with limited hours, 9 am - 1 pm, Monday through Friday.
I would like to personally welcome our newest members, Lucy Cornford, Melisa Collum, Rosie Fernette, and Becky Johnson. We are so happy to have you on board.
Partners were able to award four $1,000 scholarships to area high school graduates planning to pursue careers in the medical field. This year's recipients were: Alexandra Baxter of Prairie du Chien, entering a Pharmacy program; Faith Shier of River Ridge High School, entering a Physical Therapy program; Maya Butikoter of MFL/MM High School, entering a program of speech-language pathology; and finally McKenna Green of Seneca High School, entering a nursing program.
At this time any fundraisers we are able to sponsor will be held virtually, so stay tuned for updates.
Partners will be sponsoring an American Red Cross Blood Drive on September 29, 2020 at the United Methodist Church in Prairie du Chien. If you could help with registration or canteen duties, please let me know. As you can imagine blood supplies are critically low. If you can donate, please do so.
A virtual Livin' Well Health and Wellness Fair is being planned for September. To participate, either listen to People, Places and Things on WQPC, 94.3 every Monday at 9 am, watch the presentation airings on Wednesdays at crossingrivers.org/livinwell, or read the Livin' Well featured article weekly in the Courier Press. Enter to win $50 each week and to qualify for the Grand Prize of $200 by calling the ADRC each week at 608.326.0235 or visiting crossingrivers.org/livinwell with the secret word. The weekly topics will include tips and ideas for physical health, mental health, nutrition, social well-being, and financial wellness.
Follow Partners activities on Facebook. Enjoy the rest of your summer as best you can and stay safe.
Best Regards, Jan Weisensale, President of Partners of CRH
Mental Health During Pandemic
Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations such as an infectious disease outbreak. It is normal to experience a wide range of emotions. It is natural to feel stress, anxiety, grief and worry during and after disaster. your own feelings will change over time. Notice and accept how you feel. Taking care of your emotional health during this time will help you think clearly and react to urgent needs to protect yourself and your family.
Measures to assist with Improving Mental Health
Take care of your body - Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, and get plenty of sleep. Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
Connect with others - Share your concerns and how you are feeling with a friend or family member. Maintain healthy relationships and build a strong support system.
Take breaks - Make time to unwind and remind yourself that strong feelings will fade. Try taking in deep breaths. Try to do activities you usually enjoy.
Stay informed - When you feel that you are missing information, you may become more stressed or nervous. Watch, listen to, or read the news for updates from officials. Be aware that there may be rumors during a crisis, especially on social media. Always check your sources and turn to reliable sources of information like Crossing Rivers Health and local public health.
Avoid to much exposure to news - Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories. It can be upsetting to hear about the crisis and see images repeatedly.
Listen to your favorite music - It can help you recall positive memories, providing an escape from the day-to-day difficulties you may be facing. Recalling these memories by listening to music is an easy and passive way to boost your mood.
Develop a daily gratitude practice - It doesn't have to be a big ordeal; just think of one to three simple statements a day such as, " I am grateful for the sun that rises each morning that I feel on my skin", or "I am grateful for friends". At the end of each day, write in a journal or say aloud the things you were grateful for, as simple as they may be.
Spend time in a vision practice - Close your eyes and focus on your very favorite place, person, verse, or even vacation. Breathe into the moment and envision yourself in this space or situation. Consider the colors, tastes, textures, and conversations. Try to spend a dedicated five minutes soaking in the moment, slowing down your breathing and relaxing your body. In this way can help remind you that aspects of the COVID-19 situation - such as isolation, sadness, and desperation - are temporary. You will once again have more positive experiences, and these short meditations may even help you create new ones.
Find the "awe" in every day - "Awe" is the concept of experiencing wonder and amazement. Researchers are finding that if we take the time to notice small, pleasurable moments every day, we can reap benefits. Awe moments can be found in seeing the sun rise, for example. We can also experience "awe" by reading beautiful poetry or hiking on a new path and seeing interesting rocks or flowers. Take the time to notice things around you that you may have taken for granted.
Send letters, poems, or drawings - to first responders, essential workers, or elderly people who are sheltered in-place. By engaging in this activity, you are bringing a sense of comfort and joy to others and giving yourself a feeling of fulfillment for having passed on some happiness to others.
Run an errand for a friend or order food for them - Helping others with even something small can be a big stress reducer right now. They will be so thankful. And from their gratitude, you'll experience a sense of joy - as will they.
Seek help when needed - If distress impacts activities of your daily life for several days or weeks, talk to a clergy member, counselor, doctor, or contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-985-5990.
When you feel yourself getting caught up in the fear of what might happen, try to shift your focus to things you can control. For example, you can't control how severe the coronavirus outbreak is in your city or town, but you can take steps to reduce your own personal risk (and the risk you'll unknowingly spread to others), such as:
Washing your hands frequently (for at least 20 seconds) with soap and water or hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Avoiding touching your face (particularly your eyes, nose, and mouth).
Staying home as much as possible, even if you don't feel sick.
Avoiding crowds and gatherings of 10 or more people.
Avoiding all non-essential shopping and travel.
Keeping 6 feet of distance between yourself and others when out.
Getting plenty of sleep, which helps support your immune system.
Wearing a face covering - CDC recommends that people wear masks in public settings and when around people who don't live in your household, especially when social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
Following all recommendations from health authorities.
Look out for these common signs of distress:
Feelings of fear, anger, sadness, worry, numbness, or frustration
Changes in appetite, energy, and activity levels
Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
Difficulty sleeping or nightmares
Physical reactions, such as headaches, body pains, stomach problems, and skin rashes
Worsening of chronic health problems
Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs
If you experience these feelings or behaviors for several days in a row and are unable to carry out normal responsibilities because of them, seek professional help.
Ellen Zwirlein, Partners of Crossing Rivers Health Community Health Education Chair
It has been a little over 5 months since we have seen most of you. I can say from the bottom of my heart that we miss you all so much. At the beginning of June, we sent out a Readiness to Return Survey to our active volunteers. We heard from a few of you who were ready to return, and we were so thrilled to welcome you back!
I wanted to give you an update on what has been happening at Crossing Rivers Health. We are requiring everyone who enters our building to wear a mask and temps are being taken of all staff, patients, and visitors. The Main Entrance is still closed to the public until further notice. The North Entrance is open Monday and Tuesday from 7 am - 5 pm, and Wednesday and Friday from 7 am - 4:30 pm. It is open for all services except Emergency and Urgent Care. After business hours, all patients only enter through the Emergency Department. The visitor restrictions and guidelines that are in place may be found at https://www.crossingrivers.org/coraonavirus-disease-covid-19/visitor-restricitions/.
The information we received from the Readiness to Return Survey helped us to create a sustainable plan for the next few months as we continue to navigate during these difficult times. On June 22, we deemed it was safe to resume some volunteer services, and also reopened Jerry's Gift Shoppe with limited hours of 9 am - 1 pm with protocols in place.
We continue to work on our resumption of services plan, but don't anticipate we will be returning to business as usual for quite some time. Based on your answers on our survey and direction from CRH leaders, some assignments may not be completely filled or we may prioritize shifts. Please know that your health and safety are very important to us, and we have protocols in place to ensure your safety.
We are very anxious to see you all again as we continue our process of your return to service. You have been missed by so many! We ask that you please be flexible and understanding as we navigate through something we've never had to do.
If you have any questions or concerns about returning to volunteer at CRH, please do not hesitate to contact me at shawna.atterbury@crossingrivers.org or 608.357.2621.
Looking forward to seeing you all again soon! Shawna Atterbury, Volunteer Services Coordinator
The need is constant.
The gratification is instant.
Give Blood.
Crossing Rivers Health
Blood Drive
United Methodist Church
625 Dousman Street
Prairie du Chien, WI 53821
Tuesday, September. 29, 2020
12:00 to 5:00 pm
Hosted by Partners of Crossing Rivers Health
For an appointment call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or Click here to schedule a donation time
Appointments Recommended
As incredibly disappointing as it is to announce, Partners Board of Directors have made the decision to cancel the following events due to the uncertainty of what the COVID-19 situation will be at the time of these events:
Partners Semi Annual Meeting, typically held in September
Jerry's Gift Shoppe Holiday Open House, scheduled for November 9
Trees of Enchantment & Silent Auction, scheduled for November 30 - December 6
Christmas Right Here, scheduled for December 6
Season of Lights & Walk of Stars Tree Lighting Ceremony, scheduled for December 6
The decision to cancel these events was one that the board was very reluctant to make, but nothing is more important than the safety of our community, fellow volunteers and staff. We are exploring options to provide a virtual experience for some of our fundraising events that were to be held this Fall and will get that information out as soon as possible.
Although our Fall 2020 events will not take place in the way we intended, we continue to strive toward our purpose which is to assist in meeting the health care and wellness needs of our health care community.
We look forward to hosting our events and seeing you all in 2021!
Each month during the year, we will honor and remember your loved ones with a photo featured at the Main Entrance of the hospital.
A keepsake card will be mailed to the person of your choice informing them of the star event. Notification of the star honorees will also be made available to the local newspaper, radio stations, and Facebook.
Reservations may be made by completing a request form and returning it with your donation. Request forms and photos may be dropped off at Crossing Rivers Health concierge desk or Jerry's Gift Shoppe.
For more information please call Iva Mulhern, Project Coordinator, at 608.326.9062.
Your donation of $25 ensures that Partners can continue making a difference in the health and quality of life in our community.
