Dr. Joyce Simpson replaces Dr. Robert Tomec as president of The Medical Foundation

At the 2015 annual meeting The Medical Foundation board of directors voted in Dr. Joyce Simpson to serve as President of the organization beginning June 8.  Dr. Simpson replaces Dr. Robert Tomec following his retirement after 35 years.

As president, Dr. Simpson will oversee the multiple facets of the organization that provides clinical and pathology services in four states, more than one hundred hospitals and thousands of physicians. She will lead over 700 employees and 20 pathologists.

Dr. Simpson is a graduate of Indiana University School of Medicine, completing her residency at Methodist Hospital of Indiana. She has a Fellowship in Surgical Pathology and is certified in anatomic and clinical pathology and cytopathology. She joined The Medical Foundation staff in March 2007 and was named the Executive Vice President in 2013.

“I have the utmost confidence about turning over the organization to a smart, capable leader that will take the organization through future changes in healthcare,” said Dr. Tomec. “Dr. Simpson is a person who truly cares about the patients and clients we serve and values our many long-term loyal staff.”

At the same time, Dr. Amobi Ezenekwe will become The Medical Foundation’s Executive Vice President, replacing Dr. Simpson. Dr. Ezenekwe is a graduate of the University of Nigeria College of Medicine, Enugu-State, Nigeria. He completed his Pathology Residency and his fellowship in hematopathology at St. Louis University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, Missouri.  He is certified in anatomic and clinical pathology by the American Board of Pathology. Dr. Ezenekwe has been a staff pathologist since 2005.

 

 

Jamie shares his story: Gluten-free isn't so bad...

Blood Donor Attendant Jamie McGraw wanted to share his story
about being diagnosed with celiac disease with those who have
lab work completed at The Medical Foundation.

Jamie McGraw has had a few battles to fight in his 28 years, but has developed into a rather independent, hard-working young man. His latest battle? Celiac Disease.

Celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food.

The Medical Foundation Blood Donor Attendant noticed some problems with his stomach several years ago and sought medical advice. 

“I had to have a blood test because the doctor thought maybe I had celiac.  I got the blood test and it didn’t even hurt,” said Jamie.

Following the blood test, which triggered a positive result, Jamie endured two scopes and a biopsy at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. Soon after, Jamie began a gluten-free diet.

“I’m gluten-free and it’s not that bad, I’m doing well being gluten-free,” said Jamie.

Jamie, who dreams of one day being a flight attendant, mentioned that he doesn’t even have trouble getting a good gluten-free snack on a flight.  According to him, “Delta and United both serve gluten-free items.  I had a granola bar, oh my God it goes well with Sprite,” he said with a little laugh and a huge smile.

Celiac is a condition he shares with his mother, who has also changed her eating habits over the last few years. But according to Jamie, she’s a great cook and makes a mean Quinoa salad, which happens to be his favorite unless Ian’s gluten-free chicken nuggets are on table!

Before his change in diet, Jamie said he felt, “lousy, my stomach would hurt every night.”

According to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, approximately 1 in 133 Americans has celiac disease, which affects both men and women across all ages and race. This number is probably a bit skewed, since about 83% of Americans who have the disease are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions.

The first step in being diagnosed with celiac disease is doing exactly what Jamie did by getting a blood test. Recommendations from the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness include tests offered in the CeliacPanel offered by The Medical Foundation for $150.  To view the description of the test and for more information on ordering the test, please click here.

Are you unsure if you have celiac disease? If so, don’t make dietary changes until after you have diagnosed.  The Medical Foundation has added a blood test, celiac serology profile, to our Direct Access Testing website at www.YourDirectTest.com.  Take the first step in managing your health by ordering the test. If the test is positive, we recommend you visit your primary physician who can follow up with further testing including a biopsy.

 

 

New Medical Foundation Pathologists: Canfield and Alam join TMF Staff

The Medical Foundation would like to introduce two new pathologists who have recently joined our team over the last few months.   

Dr. Patty Canfield will serve as the medical director at several of our southwest hospital locations.  She has been certified in Clinical Pathology by the American Board of Pathology since May of 1998.  Most recently, Dr. Canfield has been teaching pathology to osteopathic medical students at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine.  Her background also includes experience as lab director, medical director, medical review officer and consulting pathologist. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Shadia Alam graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and continued at the Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus where she completed her fellowship in Hematopathology. Prior to her employment with the Medical Foundation, she was located in Battle Creek, Michigan working as a staff pathologist for Regional Pathology Consultants. Dr. Alam is a member of the Michigan Society of Pathologists, Integrated Health Partners, and College of American Pathologists. She is also a certified personal trainer and wellness coach who is focused on mind-body healing and has taught community workshops on holistic health.

Transfusion Thoughts with Dr. Bobbie Sutton

We have known for decades that blood transfusion is a life-saving medical intervention.  Just ask any survivor of severe traumatic injury, a complicated surgical procedure, or cancer, where necessary chemotherapy slowed the body’s ability to replace oxygen carrying red blood cells, infection fighting white blood cells or hemorrhage stopping platelets:  Transfusion saves lives.  However, an accumulating body of data also shows that there are significant risks associated with transfusion, and in some circumstances, those risks may outweigh the benefits.  For example, a large meta-analysis of transfusion data published in early 2014 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that a restrictive approach to transfusion, i.e., giving less blood rather than more, was safer for many patients.  These researchers found that the risk of serious hospital-acquired infection was lowered substantially among patients whose doctors ordered a blood transfusion at a lower hemoglobin level, compared with those whose caregivers used a higher cutoff [1].  For surgical patients, blood transfusion has been associated with more postoperative pulmonary and infectious complications, prolonged ventilator support, and higher mortality.

In response to these and other data, today there is broad recognition that we should improve overall  patient blood management.   Broadly defined, patient blood management is an evidence-based, multidisciplinary process that is designed to promote optimal use of blood products in the hospital.  This concept places patient safety first, and includes transfusing only when medically necessary, thus potentially reducing overall patient morbidity and mortality.  In the cost conscious medical environment of today, a secondary goal of blood management is reduction of costs associated with treating any adverse events we now understand could be associated with transfusion, as well as just not having to collect, process and transfuse as much blood.   

Throughout the state, many of the hospitals we serve have embraced patient blood management.   At one hospital, posters reminding physicians to carefully consider transfusion requests are prominently displayed in physician elevators and other areas.  At another, blood utilization and management data spanning several years was published as an abstract at the AABB 2013 national meeting, entitled  “Reducing Platelet and Red Blood Cell Utilization in a 325 Bed Hospital” [2; on display, 4^th floor, Main Lab TMF].   Dr. Bobbie Sutton, Medical Director of Blood Donor Services and Blood Bank Services at The Medical Foundation, has lectured about Blood Management to multiple groups regionally.  Dr Sutton is working with clinicians at facilities to update existing transfusion policies and better reflect these new ideas.    “The data is out there, and the time to act is now” she says.  “Having shared hospital transfusion criteria in our region as a readily available practice guide for all physicians is a big step in the right direction.  It should facilitate more appropriate blood utilization and transfusion data review.”

1.  Rohde JM, Kimcheff DE, Blumberg N et al.  Health Care-Associated Infection After Red Blood Cell Transfusion.  A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.  JAMA 2014;311(13):  1317.

2.  SuttonBC, RobertsD, Wright M et al.  Reducing Platelet and Red Blood Cell Utilization in a 325 Bed Hospital.  2013 AABB National Meeting.  Poster AP1.

Shed Some Light On Your Vitamin D!

Over the last few years you may have heard some buzz about Vitamin D.  Although you may have heard bits and pieces, and you obviously know there is such a thing as Vitamin D, do you know its benefits? How much you should have on a daily basis? Read on to find out why Vitamin D is such a hot topic.

Vitamin D is needed in your body for the regulation of the minerals calcium and phosphorus.  Having the proper amounts of Vitamin D in your system is important because it has proven to aid in preventing the weakening of bones, bone loss and low calcium.

It can also be used to help conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, weak muscles, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and even tooth and gum disease. 

So how much Vitamin D is enough? And where does it come from? The recommended dietary allowance http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/ss/slideshow-vitamin-d-overview  for vitamin D is 600 IU (international units) per day for adults up to age 70. Adults above the age of 70 should aim for 800 IU daily.  Amounts for children and newborns vary and can be viewed here. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/   Those of us in Indiana during the winter may be a bit lacking as far as receiving natural Vitamin D lately, because the sun hasn’t been shining very much!   Experts http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/ss/slideshow-vitamin-d-overview  for vitamin D is 600 IU suggest that if you can tolerate two 15 minute sessions of sunlight each week, it will be enough natural Vitamin D from sunlight.

There are also several foods which include Vitamin D.  These include: some fish, fish liver oils, egg yolks, and fortified diary and grain products. 

So if you are one of those people who isn’t in the sun very much, suffer from milk allergies and are on a strict vegetarian diet, you might be Vitamin D deficient. But how can you be sure?

Although there are some warning signs for people who are lacking in Vitamin D, such as bone pain or muscle weakness, blood tests can tell you for sure if you are deficient.

The Medical Foundation http://www.sbmf.org/index.php/clinicaltests/search/  offers the two most common types of Vitamin D testing: Vitamin D, 1,25-Dihydroxy and Vitamin D, 25-hydroxy, total.  Vitamin D undergoes two hydroxylations in your body for activation.  The first is in the liver where it is converted to Vitamin D 25-hydroxy.  The second occurs in the kidney and creates Vitamin D, 1, 25-hydroxy.  The concentration of Vitamin D 25-hydroxy is the best indicator of your Vitamin D status.  It reflects the amount of Vitamin D produced and obtained by your body.  However, this test does not indicate the amount of Vitamin D stored in your body’s tissue.  To see how much is stored in your tissue, opt for the Vitamin D, 1, 25-hydroxy, which is a better indicator.

Although it is still a little too soon to tell and further studies are being conducted, it is thought that maintaining adequate Vitamin D levels will reduce the likelihood of colon cancer and may help to prevent both breast and prostate cancer. It has also been associated with boosting the immune system and preventing autoimmune disease.

While it may seem as though the benefits far outweigh the negatives associated with Vitamin D, more isn’t necessarily the best option.  Rather, too much Vitamin D can damage blood vessels, causing damage to the heart and kidneys.

So as the snow flies throughout the Midwest and Vitamin D from the sunshine is a little less than preferred, let your ears perk up next time you hear some buzz about Vitamin D. 

Now you can order Vitamin D labs at http://www.yourdirecttest.com. 

If your thyroid gland isn’t working properly, neither are you!

More than 30 million people suffer from thyroid disease and about half, 15 million, don’t realize they have it.

The thyroid can be thought of as the master gland of metabolism. The butterfly shaped gland is located in the base of the neck, just below the Adam’s apple. When the thyroid isn’t properly functioning, it affects weight, depression and energy levels.  It also affects the heart, brain, liver, kidneys and skin.  As you can imagine, if the thyroid gland isn’t working properly, then neither are you!

Dr. Jeffrey R. Garber, http://www.thyroidawareness.com/about-your-thyroid breaks the thyroid down into a manageable analogy by comparing the thyroid to a car engine.

A car engine sets the pace of a vehicle, just as the thyroid gland sets the pace at which your body operates. While the engine produces energy for how fast the car moves, the thyroid manufactures energy, or thyroid hormones, which prompt cells to move at a certain rate.

In order to make the vehicle run, it must have gasoline, just as the body needs fuel to be able to move.  The body doesn’t use gasoline, but rather iodine, which ends up producing two much needed hormones called thyroxine, or T4 and triiodothyronine , or T3.

Although you may have the engine and the gasoline in place, the car is unable to move along unless you press the accelerator, right? Well, the body is very similar because it also needs something to tell it how fast to go.  This master gland is located in the brain and is referred to as the Pituitary gland.  This pea-shaped master gland sends messages to the thyroid in the form of thyroid stimulating hormone, better known as TSH.  TSH levels rise and fall depending on how much of the hormone is produced. 

Someone who is battling fatigue and/ or weight issues might be experiencing symptoms of a poorly performing thyroid gland.  Although thyroid disease is predominately found in women, many men suffer from the disease, as well.  You may want to consider a thyroid evaluation if a parent, sibling or child suffers from a thyroid disease or if you have taken the prescription medications Lithium or Amiodarone.  Finally, if you have had head or neck radiation and are experiencing some of the symptoms listed above, you may also have an increased risk of thyroid disease. 

Having a blood test at The Medical Foundation that determines your TSH levels can be instrumental in diagnosing whether or not you are suffering from hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism.  Hyperthyroidism is a condition where your thyroid is being overactive and hypothyroidism is where your thyroid is under performing and may be causing you to feel sluggish.

As part of our new Direct Access Testing program called, Your Direct Test, visit our website at www.YourDIrectTest.com and order the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone test for $35.00.

If you are currently taking corticosteroids, lithium, dopamine or other various thyroid medications, you will want to have your blood drawn for the test before you take your medication for the day.

You may notice blue paisley ribbons in the community as a way to gain awareness and advocacy for thyroid disease, because January has been noted as the month of observance.  The blue paisley was chosen to represent thyroid disease because of its resemblance to cross-sections of thyroid follicles.

To learn more about the thyroid and its functions visit the Thyroid Disease Awareness page on Facebook www.facebook.com/ThyroidDiseaseAwareness or the American Association of Clinical Endrocrinologists website,  www.thyroidawareness.com.

 

Take the Test; Take Control

Did you know that Friday, June 27^th is National HIV testing day?

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is urging people to “Take the Test; Take Control.” According to the CDC, black women, more than any other women in the United States are getting HIV. Of all the women in the United States, 66% are African American and 87% of these women got HIV from unprotected sex with a man. 

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) occurs when the body is unable to clear the virus as it does with common flu viruses.  Once you get HIV, you have it for life, because it attacks your CD4 cells or T-cells.  These cells are responsible for helping the body fight against disease and infection. Once HIV weakens and destroys your cells, it weakens the immune system. 

Without treatment, a person with HIV can develop Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).  AIDS is the final stage of HIV. 

How do you get HIV?

Having unprotected sex is the number one way that women get HIV.  The truth about unprotected sex is that if you have had unprotected sex (anal, vaginal or oral) you may be at risk for HIV. 

You can also acquire HIV by sharing needles, syringes, or other injection equipment with someone who is HIV positive. 

HIV can also be spread through pregnancy from the mother to the baby during birth or through breastfeeding. 

Why is it important to be tested for HIV?

Finding out that you are HIV positive can help you live longer if it is caught early.  Remember, you can screen positive for HIV and feel perfectly healthy.  Treatments are available if the HIV is detected early and can help you live a longer, healthier life.

If you know that you are HIV positive, you will be able to look out for yourself and those you love.

Finally, it’s fast, easy and confidential!

What does the HIV test screen?

The test measures the antibodies, special proteins in the body.  Most people will show affected antibodies in 2-8 weeks after exposure, but for some it takes longer.  The CDC recommends that if you lead a lifestyle that may put you at risk, that you get tested every three months.

If you would like to be tested, The Medical Foundation offers HIV testing at all of our locations.  To view a list of our hours and locations click here.  An appointment is not necessary. Take the Test; Take Control.

Visit The Medical Foundation at this week's IRHA Conference

Several members of The Medical Foundation team are packing up and heading south for a few days and we hope you will stop at our booth during the Indiana Rural Health Association’s 17^th Annual Rural Health Conference. 

“All Aboard for Rural Health” is held on June 10^th and 11^th at the Crowne Plaza Union Station in Indianapolis.

Stop at The Medical Foundation’s booth (#40) to see Carrie Robinson, Director of Regional Marketing, and Mary Swift, Manager of Regional Marketing.  If you have any questions about our laboratory operations or would like information about what The Medical Foundation has to offer, Carrie and Mary will be able to help! Christina Tembo, Manager of Blood Donor Recruitment, will also be on hand to answer any questions you may have about blood products.

Tom Liddell, The Foundation’s Vice President of Information Systems is also gearing up for the Indiana Rural Health Association’s conference because he will taking center stage and speaking to conference attendees about Meaningful Use as he and Tim Roberts give the presentation, “Making Stage 2 Meaningful Use Really Meaningful: A Closer Look at PHRs and Transitions of Care.”

You can hear Tom and Tim present their presentation on June 10^th from 1:30pm until 2:15pm in the New York Central room at the Crowne Plaza Union Station.

IRHA’s annual conference brings together physicians, nurses, pharmacists, public health professionals and other rural health practitioners and advocates with residents of rural communities. It is an opportunity for those in the healthcare field to share experiences with each other and to learn more from national experts who will be discussing various topics.  For more information on the conference visit http://www.indianaruralhealth.org/main/annual-conference/

Medical Foundation Director speaks in Spain regarding new Beckman Coulter instrument

Dr. Qing Li, Director of New Test and Technology Development at The Medical Foundation, just returned from a trip to Barcelona, Spain where she presented a poster for the clinical study, “Multi-Center Clinical Performance Evaluation of an Integrated Nucleic Acid Real Time Polymerase ChainReaction (PCR) System for Quantitative Detection of Human Cytomegalovirus(CMV). 

And while that may seem a little complicated, don’t stop reading just yet.  There are several companies worldwide who create and implement various instruments for laboratory testing.  The company, Beckman Coulter, is one of those.  Recently, Beckman Coulter developed a new instrument which tests for CMV, which is a large DNA virus that is a member of the herpes virus family.  CMV is widely dispersed throughout the population and can cause latent infections. 

When Beckman Coulter created the VERIS Cytomegalovirus Assay which is used on the VERIS MDx System, they needed a few laboratories to participate in a clinical trial to be sure the instrument performed as they expected. Along with the Indiana School of Medicine, The Medical Foundation was also asked to participate in the clinical trial which took place from September 2013 until December of the same year.

Dr. Li presented the findings of the study to those at Beckman Coulter and they were pleased with the findings.  As the user of many molecular products from various companies, Dr. Li was able to provide feedback regarding the Beckman Coulter product.  This is Beckman Coulter’s first Molecular product for the CMV detection by Real Time PCR.

Following the success of the clinical trial, representatives from Beckman Coulter invited Dr. Li to present a poster at the 24th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) conference on May 12^th in Barcelona.  The poster was available all day for conference attendees to examine and copies were available for them to peruse at a later time.  Dr. Li was on hand in the afternoon to answer any questions about the clinical trial and the pros and cons of using such an instrument.

Looking at its analytical performance, the Beckman Coulter product ranked with the others as far as being impressive, but there were additional benefits to the product, as well.  Dr. Li pointed out that unlike other analyzers, today in microbiology it is hard to find skilled technologists and this instrument does not require a skilled technologist with specialized training. 

The Medical Foundation has been instrumental in other clinical trials and is looking forward to participating in more to come.

In the picture above: Dr. Li is joined by her study group, from left to right, Steve Kye from Beckman Coulter, Medical Foundation technologist Jennifer Strefling, Dr. Qing Li, Foundation technologist Andrea Lehr, Kevin Maggert, Manager of Molecular Pathology and Flow Cytometry and Beckman Coulter’s Dennis Broyles.

In My Words... (Part 2 of 6)

Yesterday, I began a blog about the progress The Medical Foundation's six Healthy Me! Program participants have made. The blog, In My Words, has personal opinions written by me: Colleen Hahn, the Manager of Public Relations at The Medical Foundation. Yesterday, I posted the first one with a little background information and my reflections on Shaun Riffle's first month in the program.

Today, you'll learn about Erika Jackson, 33, South Bend, Indiana.

Since the program started, Erika has been motivated to succeed and she has. Sitting with her at Dr. Brian Jacobs office, I could see the determination as she stepped on the scale and the nurse read her weight as 227 pounds. She had lost 7 pounds in one month. 

She had a good month, but it didn’t come without sacrifices! Erika told me that one night she really wanted a Pepsi, but she knows that water is a better choice. She walked down to the vending machine and the Pepsi was completely out, her only choice was water.

Easter Sunday her family ate at Ponderosa. If you have ever tried to watch what you are eating, you have probably found that buffets make it hard to choose wisely.  Yes, there are salads and fruits, but there are also lots of fried foods and many desserts! She managed to stick to a bit of fish and a salad and maybe one dessert. It was a success, considering her choices changed from the last time she ate at a buffet. Again, small changes over time make a big difference!

She’s also been working out under the direction of Memorial Health & Lifestyle Center’s Fitness Specialist, Jonell Witkowski twice a month. Jonell has her doing some strength training and some cardio workouts such as rowing, cycling, planks, modified push-ups on the railing, squats and other exercises. There’s not a moment of down time when you are training with Jonell!

Other successes this month for Erika have been that she stopped smoking cigarettes and she lowered her blood pressure from 126/82 to 110/70.  She is currently taking medication to lower

Her original goal when she met with Dr. Jacobs on April 3^rd was to lose 10 pounds by her birthday, which is June 2^nd. I have no doubt that Erika will conquer that goal and hopeful add a few additional pounds lost to that number.

Erika is walking with The Medical Foundation in South Bend’s West Side Memorial Day Parade and she’s also planning on walking in the 5k Sunburst.  She’s taking strides to conquer her battle with weight, as well as her high blood pressure.

Follow The Medical Foundation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SBMFLAB and this blog for stories about Erika and the rest of the Healthy Me! Participants. Check back Monday for Bob’s progress.

In My Words...

In My Words... is written by Colleen Hahn, Public Relations at The Medical Foundation. I am the coordinator of the Healthy Me! Program and occasionally write first hand about what I have seen in the program. If you would like to share your story about becoming healthier, please submit it to info@sbmf.org.  Stories about our other Healthy Me! Program participants will be shared in the coming weeks on this blog...In My Words!

 

If it was easy to lose weight or to be skinny, the whole world would be.  There wouldn’t be a supersized hamburger meal or potato chips with precisely the right flavor and crunch factor.  But that just isn’t the case. There are sugary beverages and unhealthy meals at almost every social event and on nearly every corner.

The choices we make determine how healthy we are or are not and those choices compounded over time often lead to extra pounds.  Those extra pounds often lead to high cholesterol, high blood pressure and many other health challenges.  Then, when we’ve finally had enough and want to do something to change our habits, we often feel as though it’s too hard to exercise because of the extra weight. But don’t worry, if I just described you, you aren’t destined to be fat, there’s hope! And if you don’t believe me, read on and learn about the stories of six individuals who are changing their lives and becoming healthier.

It’s been a month since our Healthy Me! Program participants began the process of meeting monthly with a physician from Family Medicine ofSouth Bend, P.C. and Erin Hurst, a Registered Dietician from Saint JosephRegional Medical Center.  They’ve also been working with Jonell Witkowski and Dave Woods twice a month at MemorialHealth & Lifestyle Center and they’ve each completed a round of lab tests at The Medical Foundation.  In addition, several of them have had a consultation and x-rays completed with Dr. JeffreyMader, a dentist in South Bend. As you can see, they’ve been busy!

And in between all of these appointments, they’ve made a commitment to themselves and to the program to do their best to become healthier, which means eating healthier and working out on a regular basis.

Shaun Riffle, 24-years-old, Mishawaka, Indiana
Shaun Riffle just celebrated his 24^th birthday and less than a week later, he learned that he had dropped 18 pounds during his first month in the program and now weighs 456 pounds. This isn’t his first attempt at fighting the battle of weight loss, he’s been trying since he was labeled as obese when he was about 7-years-old. Following his high school football days and graduation, Shaun signed up for Weight Watchers and lost 85 pounds.  But after awhile, he stopped going to meetings and reverted to his old eating habits and gained back his 85 pounds plus many more.

Just as the Healthy Me! Program began, Shaun was working with his physician to begin using a CPAP machine to help with his sleep apnea.  Not only does he have the challenge of getting good sleep, but quantity of sleep is also a challenge because he starts his day at 3:30am to work at Martin’s SuperMarkets. 

Since meeting with Erin Hurst, the Registered Dietitian at Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, he has tried to plan ahead and have something ready for breakfast each morning, because he was going to work without eating and then waiting too long until break to eat. Providing proper nutrition for his body is important and something he is still trying to do before he goes to work. One of Shaun’s biggest successes during his first month was that he hasn’t really eaten potato chips! What used to be second hand nature, digging into a bag of chips out of boredom, has now become non-existent.

Shaun’s girlfriend noticed that he also eats a lot less when they sit down to a dinner at the table rather than eating in front of the television. Small changes in habits over time, make a huge difference!

In early April, Shaun went to The Medical Foundation to have some lab work completed.  While meeting with Dr. John Jacobs from Family Medicine of South Bend, P.C. they reviewed the results of the lab work and found that Shaun is very Vitamin D deficient.  Normal reference ranges for Vitamin D are between 30 and 80 ng/mL; however, Shaun only registered with a reference range of 10 ng/mL.  Currently, Dr. Jacobs encouraged him to take approximately 800 mg of Vitamin D supplements daily to bring his Vitamin D levels to an acceptable range.

If losing weight was easy, the whole world would be skinny. We all know that losing weight, whether it is five pounds for some and two hundred pounds for others, isn’t easy.  Shaun is making a number of small changes in his life and is off to a great start to becoming healthier.

I’ll highlight the other five Healthy Me! Program participants in the days to come. Please visit our blog tomorrow for an update on Erika Jackson.