Tomah Health Offers Noise Safety
In the U.S., hearing loss is the third most common chronic physical condition after high blood pressure and arthritis. Tomah Health Community Outreach staff took note of the statistic and provided some sound-safe tips during the 20th edition of the annual Monroe County National Night Out Aug. 1.
Children and parents learned about noise-induced hearing loss and how to prevent loud noises from causing permanent damage. Parents were given tips to reduce noise exposure and step-by-step instructions to place decibel limits on their children’s devices.
“Kids loved learning how their ears worked and making their own giant ear-bands,” said Community Health Educator Whitney Sanjari. “One lucky winner took home their own pair of decibel-controlled headphones.”
Despite temperatures in the upper 90s, hundreds of residents attended the annual event billed as a way to bring organizations together to share information on how to keep families safe.
Tomah Health, Viterbo Provide Foot Care
Dick Baumgarten is thankful that a partnership between Tomah Health and Viterbo University of La Crosse is helping area residents have healthy feet. The Tomah resident was one of 32 people to get complimentary foot care during a daylong Foot Care Clinic held at Tomah Health March 29.
“It’s hard at my age to get down to my feet and get a decent job, so this really works out good,” said Baumgarten of the treatment he received.
Tomah Health provided space for the clinic, staff resources and helped coordinate details with Viterbo. Nurse practitioner students from Viterbo cleaned and moisturized the feet, assessed each foot for areas of concern, trimmed and clipped the nails to eliminate any friction, which can lead to further issues.
“The training is unlike anything students obtain in the classroom,” said Viterbo University assistant professor LuAnn Fowler, DNP, FNP-C. “This is very different from an in-clinic type of appointment setting evaluation.”
