The Mentor Connection Blog: February 2010

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Journal Entry 7 - Tenzin Lhamo

This week my mentor taught me about general information and what physical therapy looks like when a patient first comes to visit. This is called an evaluation. I watched and learned as she evaluated a foot.

1. Strength: how strong is the leg? Is the leg working regularly?

2. Range of Motion: Is the leg working properly, is the range of motion the same as it is in uninjured individuals?

3. Flexibility - Can the patient move as smoothly as an uninjured person?

4. Gait - How is the person's ability to walk?

5. Joint mobility - Is the patient's muscle joint at the right or the back?

6. Balance - Can the patient balance like an uninjured person?

7. Posture/positioning of foot - Does the patient have normal flat feet? Do they arch? Is there swelling/

Faith Fordjour 8 - Journal Entry

This week was alright. I was supposed to shadow a doctor but they were all very busy. Sonia, my mentor was asking nurses to allow me to shadow them like I did the last time. The nurses were also busy so I went back to helping the kids read and color. This was good for me because we have been so busy, I haven't done this in a while!

One time I helped another volunteer clean up Sonia's Office. Sonia's office is like a closet filled with books so Paul, one of the volunteers, and I decided to clean it out. It was a lot of hard work and organization but we did it. We made the office look half empty by the time we were done. We sorted out the books and placed them in categories. this was a good lesson to me because i learned not to wait until things pile up to start them!

Journal Entry 6 - Zaire Smalls

This week at my site, Lauren and I went to the MediCaid office. Lauren showed me how to hand in the form for presumptive and regular medicaid applications. This was very interesting to do because it is so simple. Not in a bad way though, in a good way: You show your ID and go to a window just for health care workers and hand the form in. You also pick up any form that needs to be approved or denied.

After this, I got to spend some one on one time with my mentor, which was awesome. It was a nice day in general.

Journal Entry 6 - Viviana Sanchez

This week, I completed an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) training. I went with Fay and with another worker. The whole purpose of this training is to learn how to put a patient's medical records on a computer instead of keeping them in written medical files. The whole procedure was a lot to absorb. There were parts that were more difficult than others. I go to this computer training every Monday. Fay told that later she will teach me more about EMR procedure because I will be doing it later on.

The next day I came in and we were talking about the training that I wen tot. We started doing supervision worksheets. She taught me about supervision and when and where it is used. The purpose of these worksheets is just to get together with Fay and tell her about my work and whether I have any questions or need help so she can help me with anything that I need.

Journal Entry 6 - Sherlyn Aldas

I have not spent a lot of time at my externship due to schedule changes. However, I did not just spend time doing nothing. I decided to start working on a new way to get more books for the Reach Out and Read program.

I also got evaluated by Emelin, my mentor for my performance review. Although she mostly had positive things to say, she wants me to converse more and be a bit more outgoing. I shared with her the idea of extending the book drive and she told me I should go to her in case I need more help but to mostly try to solve the problems immediately and face on.

Journal Entry 6 - Tenzin Lhamo

This week my mentor taught me about the upper part of our body. The sternum, which is also known as the breast bone is connected to our ribs, although not all of our ribs are connected to the sternum. The upper sternum is called the Manubrium and the lower is called the Body. Both the Manubrium and Body are connected with only 6 ribs even though we have 10 ribs. It is because some of our ribs are connected with other ribs, through the Costal (hyaline) cartilage.

In total, we have 20 ribs, 10 in each side, both left and right. We have ribs because they protect our lungs, heart and kidneys. It is amazing to find out how important our ribs are.

Journal Entry 7 -- Faith Fordjour

This week was so wonderful. I finally got the chance to shadow a nurse. But that was on Friday. Before that I went to my placement and my mentor was not there so I busied myself with cleaning and tidying the tables with crayon marks on them. On Friday, it was very interesting. We had to ask the kids to help us make Thank You! cards for an organization that donated books for the kids. It was amazing what some kids made. It was art. After that, Sonia asked one of the nurses if I could shadow her. Her name was Diane and she was very nice. We talked about her job, what education is required and how long you have to be in school. I walked with her and she gave this girl asthma medication which helps her breathe better. She also gave this six month old her first flu shot. It was cute. I found out that babies get their shots on their thighs where their biggest muscles are.

Journal Entry 5 - Viviana Sanchez

I interviewed my mentor Fay this week adn I found out some interesting things about her. I found out that she went to Lehman College for her undergraduate and for her graduate she went to Hunter College. During her undergraduate years, seh participated in different types of internships about social work. But it was her last internship that really incluenced her career decision. The last internship was on HIV prevention. This is how she decided to make her career all about HIV prevention. I feel like I know a lot more about her now.

Journal Entry 5 - Zaire Smalls

This week at my site, I went over what is a Mental Helath Assessment is and why social workers have to do them. Mental Health Assessments are done to determine the status of the patient before, during and after tereatment and whether a person needs teratment or counselling and a diagnosis if neccessary. It's a series of about 15-20 questions and you are given it if you are referred to a social worker by your doctor.

Journal Entry - Sherlyn Aldas 5

On Thursday, I went to New York Presbyterian Hospital to see Emelin after a long break. I learned a lot about her after asking her questions for the Mentor of the Month survey. She gave me advice which I intend to follow. After that, I went to Audobon Clinic to read to the children but it was mostly filled with infants so I instead began talking with one of the foster grandparents and we discussed the Haiti earthquake. I was a bit inspired because she told me that she was planning to donate to the Haitians.

Journal Entry 5 - Tenzin Lhamo

This week I learned many things about my mentor. I interviewed her and I learned that she stayed in college for seven years. In her college years she was a very active students, joining many sports, doing many extracurricular activities. She also told me that one of our AHEC board members was her professional mentor. She gave me advice saying "you can achieve anything as long as you put your mind to it! Stay positive! Keep your eye on the prize!!"

Monday, February 8, 2010

HealthTopics: Obesity

Pushback on Obesity: An African-American View
Written by Barbara Hesselgrave

Children who now spend more time in front of a screen (usually snacking) than on the playground can't help but pack on the pounds and reports of childhood obesity have reached epidemic proportions.

The statistics are especially dismal for African-American girls; studies show they start out life at the same weight as their white counterparts but see their body mass index blossom in adolescence.

African-American women between the ages of 12 and 19 are nearly 60 percent more likely to be overweight; less likely to eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains and less likely to be physically active than white women in the same age group.

And the long-term results can be deadly. An overweight child has an 80 percent chance of becoming an overweight adult, and with that comes an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other weight related problems...

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