Basic HTML Version
Call-A-Nurse for life’s little emergencies
Your son falls and hurts his arm playing on a Saturday afternoon. Is it
broken? How can you tell? Your baby won’t stop crying in the middle of
the night. Is she sick or just fussy?
Call-A-Nurse for Children from Methodist Children’s Hospital is avail-
able evenings, overnight, weekends and holidays for professional advice
on life’s big and little emergencies. When your doctor’s office is closed,
our team of specially trained nurses will be available by phone Monday
through Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m., and around the clock on weekends
(Friday from 5 p.m. through Monday 8 a.m.) and on major holidays.
By calling
22-NURSE
(
226-8773
)—or from outside San Antonio,
toll-free at
877-MHS-7440
(
877-647-7440
)—during these hours, you
can speak with an experienced registered nurse who can evaluate your
child’s health problem and make appropriate suggestions.
For life’s little emergencies,
22-NURSE
is the number to call for a
friendly and helpful voice and the peace of mind that comes as a result.
FEBRUARY IS AMERICAN HEART MONTH
CHOLESTEROL COUNTS
Learn about your levels
SO WHAT ARE
your cholesterol numbers?
If you’re drawing a blank right now, it could mean
you’re overdue for the routine blood test that helps give
a heads-up on your risk for heart problems or a stroke.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that helps our bodies
function properly. The liver makes the cholesterol we
need, but we can get more from what we eat.
The two main types of cholesterol are:
●
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or bad cholesterol.
Excess amounts can build up in the walls of arteries,
narrowing the passageways and reducing blood flow to
the heart and brain. This is called atherosclerosis—or
hardening of the arteries—and it increases your risk for
heart disease, a heart attack or a stroke.
●
High-density lipoprotein (HDL), or good cholesterol.
It helps clear excess cholesterol from blood vessels.
Keeping cholesterol levels in a healthy range helps re-
duce your risk for cardiovascular disease. But you won’t
know if your numbers need improving unless you have
them checked. A simple blood test called a lipoprotein
profile reveals your total cholesterol count, as well as lev-
els of LDL and HDL cholesterol and another type of fat
called triglycerides. Most adults should be tested at least
every five years, according to the National Heart, Lung,
and Blood Institute.
Your doctor can explain what your numbers mean
along with what your cholesterol goals should be. If you
need to improve your numbers, talk to your doctor about
what you can do. Lifestyle changes such as these can help:
●
Adopt a healthy diet low in saturated fats, trans fat and
cholesterol and high in fiber, fruits and veggies.
●
Get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most
days.
●
Lose weight, if needed.
Some people also need medicines to help lower choles-
terol. But even if you take medications, lifestyle changes
are important.
Take the first step. Ask your doctor about having your
cholesterol checked, and learn your numbers. See page
7
for information about our heart health events.
Looking for a cardiologist?
Call DoctorSource at 210-575-0355
or visit
www.SAHealth.com
.
YOUR FIRST
CHOICE—
AGAIN!
METHODIST HEALTHCARE HAS
been named the winner of the Con-
sumer Choice Award
11
times. Meth-
odist Healthcare leaders consider this
among our highest honors because
it comes from the people of the
community we serve and is at
the very heart of our mis-
sion of
Serving Humanity
to Honor God
. The award
is determined by National
Research Corporation,
an independent orga-
nization that surveys
250,000
households in
South Texas about their
impression of health care providers
who rank highest in quality and
image.
More and more, the Consumer
Choice Award reflects the role con-
sumer choice plays in the health
care industry. Thank you, San
Antonio and South Texas, for
recognizing our commitment to
caring for you and your family.
KEEPING WELL is published as a
community service for the friends
and patrons of METHODIST
HEALTHCARE, 8109 Fredericksburg
Road, San Antonio, TX 78229,
telephone 210-575-0355,
website
www.SAHealth.com
.
Jaime Wesolowski
President and CEO
Palmira Arellano
Vice President of Marketing
and Public Relations
JoAnn King
Director of
Public Relations
Information in KEEPING WELL
comes from a wide range of
medical experts. If you have any
concerns or questions about
specific content that may affect
your health, please contact your
health care provider.
Models may be used in photos
and illustrations.
Copyright © 2012
Coffey Communications, Inc.
HST27804h
SPRING
2012
M
e t h o d i s t
h
e a l t h c a r e