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The Lakes Region Vis-iting Nurse Association paused from their hec-tic schedules to recog-nize and thank a group of devoted community members and volunteers on May 18th, during the organization’s annual meeting & awards cer-emony. The meeting took place at 2pm at the Mer-edith Community Cen-ter, located at One Circle Drive in Meredith, NH. The LRVNA board mem-bers submitted their an-nual Secretary’s Report and Treasurer’s Report. The Lakes Region Visit-ing Nurse Association projects spending ap-proximately $240,000 in 2016 providing nursing services for those in the community that cannot afford care. Generous donations by the com-munity helps keep these programs going.

During the presenta-tions, it was announced that the Lakes Region Visiting Nurse Associa-t ion and Pemi Baker

Community Heroes Honored at

LrVna annuaL Ceremony

Community Health lo-cated in Plymouth have entered into a memo-randum of understand-ing that aims to create a partnership that will advance and expand ser-vices to the community. This partnership will al-

low growth and provide cost efficiencies that will enable the organizations to provide quality home care and hospice to the communities served.

The program continued with a special presenta-tion by Dr. David Strang,

chairman of the New Hampshire’s Prescrip-tion Drug Monitoring Program Advisory Coun-cil. Dr. Strang provided great insight into the history of the rising drug crisis in New Hampshire and the programs that

will help combat the ris-ing use of opioids.

The annual meeting & awards ceremony guests were treated to home-made refreshments be-fore the meeting was adjourned. The Lakes Region Visiting Nurse Association is located at 186 Waukewan St. in Meredith. For more information call 603-279-6611 or visit www.lrvna.org.

LRVNA: The Lakes Region Visiting Nurse Association was founded in 1923, initially as the “Meredith Public Health Nursing Associat ion” consisting of a single nurse in Meredith, NH. The LRVNA currently serves Meredith, Cen-ter Harbor, Moultonbor-ough, Sandwich, Laconia and Gilford, providing a full range of nursing, so-cial services and thera-peutic services. LRVNA.org

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Tooth decay is largely preventable, yet it ranks as the most common chronic disease among children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A recent survey by The Pew Center on the States gave New Hampshirea “B” in managing children’s oral health based on key measures such as opti-mally fluoridated water and availability of school-based dental programs.

Some people believe baby teeth are not overly important, yet decay even in baby teeth can lead to speech problems, oral infections and discolored, crooked and damaged adult teeth.It’s important to keep baby teeth healthy

and in place to ensure permanent teeth come in properly.

Maintaining proper oral health among children is relatively easy. For ex-ample:

For baby’s teeth and gums:

•Never put baby to bed with a bottle of milk, for-mula, fruit juice or sweet-ened liquid. When these liquids pool in a baby’s mouth, they form a sug-ary film on the baby’s teeth, leading to decay and infection.

•Starting at birth, clean the baby’s gums with wa-ter and a soft cloth or child-sized tooth brush. Once a child reaches age 2, parents can start brushing a baby’s teeth with a soft bristled tooth-brush and a smear-sized dab of fluoride toothpaste (no larger than a grain of rice), making sure to teach the toddler to spit out the toothpaste.

•Schedule the baby’s first dental visit when the first tooth comes in, usu-ally between the child’s first six to 12 months.

For children’s teeth and

gums:•Help your child brush

twice a day with a small amount of fluoride tooth-paste; for children ages 3 to 6, this means a pea-

sized dab. Make sure your child does not swal-low toothpaste, which may expose them to too much fluoride.

•Begin flossing when back teeth begin to come in. Toothbrush bristles cannot reach between teeth, leaving those teeth vulnerable to bacteria and decay.

•Limit sugary snacks and drinks between

meals. When sugar comes in contact with teeth, de-cay-causing bacteria can produce acids that dam-age your child’s teeth. Encourage children to eat healthy snacks, such as fruits and vegetables.

•Take your child to the dentist regularly and ask about fluoride supple-ments, which make the tooth enamel strong and help protect it from decay. For most children, that means visiting the dentist twice a year.

•Sealants are plastic coatings placed on back teeth to protect them from decay, and they are usu-ally covered as a preven-tive service by many den-tal plans, requiring little or no out-of-pocket costs. Ask the dentist about placing sealants for your child once he/she turns 6, when molars first come in.

Be sure to take advan-

tage of your health plan’s preventive dental ben-efit and visit your den-tist regularly. By taking a few simple steps, you can start your children down the road of good oral health.

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Your Health is in Your Hands

by Dr. Graham Moneysmith, DC.Contributing Writer

Have you noticed the de-crease in national atten-tion span? Maybe it’s been on a steady decline for decades, but the decrease seems to have accelerated in the last 10 years. The way we communicate via cell phones, emails, and text is instant. We binge watch years of a televi-sion show on Netflix in a week or two. Fast food, 8 minute abs, and in-stant downloads of music and movies are the norm. We’re constantly plugged in, with information bom-barding our senses at mindboggling rates. We no longer wait for any-thing.

When this concept is applied to our health, it is remarkably problematic. Expecting instant results in your physical health almost always leads to shortcuts. These short-cuts generally, turn out to be quick fixes, with poor results. So instead of stretching daily, we take an anti-inflammatory pill. Rather than plan healthy meals ahead of time, we grab fast food. We want to lose weight, so we take a pill or crash diet, in-stead of healthy diet mod-ification and exercise. You see the issue? Exchang-ing truly healthy habits for an easier path today, almost always leads to issues tomorrow. So we overuse the anti-inflam-matories and maybe our stomach or liver doesn’t like it. We always eat the quick junk food and our…well, everything doesn’t like it. We crash diet 30 pounds off and gain back 40 pounds.

I think most of us, as Americans, have these

types of issues regarding our health. We are one of the most, if not the most, unhealthy nation in the history of the world. We don’t die because of war or plague, we die by life-style choice. But, why? We aren’t stupid, we know the better choices for our health. It is my belief that as we became a bus-ier, faster, more instant results oriented people, we lost ability to be pa-tient with ourselves. We gave up the skill of think-ing long term. We trade big picture results for the convenience of now.

The way back from this trend starts here: 1) Un-plug. Seriously. Much of our instant culture can be attached to our constant and immediate stream of electronic device us-age. Unplugging from the electronics, allows us to focus on ourselves, oth-ers, and the world around us in real time, instead of at warp speed. 2) Plan ahead. This one is big. By planning our time, meals, etc. beforehand, we can control our situations, to a greater extent. So by taking a little bit of time and perhaps pre-cooking meals, we can avoid put-ting ourselves in the posi-tion to have to eat on the fly and thus choose lower quality foods. 3) Create patience via awareness. Learn how long stuff ac-tually takes. Then re-spect that time. Think of your body. When we want to lose weight, we want it done yesterday. If we allow these kind of thoughts drive us, then we will become frustrated when the weight comes off slowly, and this may lead to unhealthy shortcuts or quitting all together. Or consider when you’re in-jured. A soft tissue prob-lem could take weeks or even months to heal com-pletely, depending on the case. If you know this, maybe you can be patient. If you don’t know this, maybe you begin to push it too soon and get more injured.

These ideas are just the

tip of the iceberg. My sug-gestion is to look at your quality of life. Are you healthy, rested, and not overly busy or stressed? If you are any of these things, then it may be time to consider how you can change. Perhaps by slowing down, unplug-ging, and patiently build-ing a new you. The bottom line is this: in everything we do, we must stop trad-ing tomorrow’s health for today’s convenience. My hope for you, is that you live a long, healthy, and happy life. The road to that goal starts today.

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LRGHealthcare Announces New President & CEOThe LRGHealthcare Board of Trustees (Board) is

pleased to announce they have selected Kevin W. Donovan, FACHE as the organization’s next President and Chief Executive Officer.

Kevin is currently the President and CEO of Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center in Windsor, VT; a position he has held since September, 2010. He will officially begin his tenure at LRGHealthcare mid-June.

Though the sudden resignation of LRGHealthcare’s previous CEO, Seth Warren, took place only two months ago, the decision to offer the position to Kevin was not complicated. When the search for a new CEO commenced previously, Mr. Donovan was viewed as a top candidate alongside Seth. With three final candidates put before providers, administration, and the board; it was both Seth and Kevin who were the number one choices. Each came with extensive experience and the leadership skills to be the right fit for LRGHealthcare.

“I was confident in our decision as a board to explore the opportunity with Kevin after Seth’s

resignation,” states Scott Clarenbach, Chairman of the Board. “We were pleased to learn that he was still available and interested in the opportunity to lead our organization.”

Prior to joining Mt. Ascutney as President and CEO, Kevin’s previous roles included serving as a Senior Vice President at the Elliot Health System in Manchester, Director at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, and a hospital and physician practice leader in various organizations in Massachusetts.

Kevin’s professional experience in healthcare dates back to the early 90’s though he’s been around it his entire life growing up with several family members who were clinicians as well as hospital administrators.

“I have been working towards a position such as the President and CEO of LRGHealthcare for as long as I can remember”, said Donovan. “It has always been my goal to lead a full-service, community-focused hospital and health system like those I grew up around. The position at LRGHealthcare is the perfect blend of opportunity for me as it achieves my professional goals and allows me to work and remain

in New Hampshire where I have raised my children for the last 17 years.”

In addition to the positions he’s held at various healthcare organizations throughout NH, Kevin has been heavily involved with a number of professional and community organizations. To name just a few, he is a fellow of both the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American College of Medical Practice Executives; the president-elect for the Northern New England Association of Healthcare Executives; a board member for the Vermont Association of Hospital and Health Systems; a member of the American Hospital Association (AHA) Small and Rural Governing Council; and past president of the Windsor, VT Rotary Club and the Vermont Regent to the American College of Health Care Executives.

Kevin currently resides in New London with his four high-school aged children but plans to move to the area. Please join LRGHealthcare in welcoming Kevin W. Donovan to the LRGHealthcare family and its communities.

LRGHealthcare is a not-for-pro�t healthcare charitable trust representing Lakes Region General Hospital, Franklin Regional Hospital, and a�liated medical providers. LRGHealthcare’s mission is to provide quality, compassionate care and to strengthen the well-being of our community.


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(BPT) - Did you know that you could be slowly getting sicker with artery blockage, even if you are symptom free and not diagnosed with heart disease?

Your gender, age and whether you have diabetes all affect the prevalence of certain kinds of peripheral vascular disease, which is a condition that affects the blood vessels, accord-ing to a new study led by researchers at New York University Langone Medi-cal Center. This study ana-lyzed data from 3.6 million patients who were screened by Life Line Screening.

This insight could help doctors have a better un-derstanding of who is at risk for which diseases.

Younger women: Pe-ripheral artery disease: Peripheral artery disease is a narrowing of the blood vessels to the limbs, es-pecially the lower limbs, caused by an increase of fatty deposits in the arterial walls. Most patients de-scribe numbness or pain in the calf, hip, thigh or but-tock, but up to 40 percent of people who are diagnosed do not feel any symptoms. Though often associated with older age groups, the NYU study found a distinc-tion in younger age groups: The disease is actually more prevalent in young-er women than younger men to a dramatic degree. Screening for peripheral artery disease can be as simple as comparing blood pressure in your ankle as your arm, known as an ankle brachial index.

Older men: Carotid ar-tery stenosis: A narrowing of the arteries that carries blood to the brain is known as carotid artery stenosis, usually caused by an in-

four faCts about artery HeaLtH

Study reveals new risks for diabetes patientscrease of fatty deposits. Most commonly, symptoms are not apparent until the patient has a stroke. The NYU study found a more pronounced and higher prevalence of this block-age in older men than in older women. If a patient does opt for screening, a non-invasive method is recommended, such as one offered by Life Line Screen-ing, which uses ultrasound to visualize the arteries.

Men and women: Ab-dominal aortic aneurysms The aorta is a major blood supply line to your body, running from your heart to your abdomen. When an aneurysm occurs, an area in this vital artery be-come enlarged and could eventually grow and rup-ture. These ruptures are serious, as they are life threatening and difficult to operate on. Causes are not known, but research-ers have found a correla-tion with tobacco use, a hardening of the arteries and high blood pressure. Most people are unaware of having this condition, but a major symptom is a feeling of pulsation from the na-vel. According to the NYU study, prevalence of ab-dominal aortic aneurysms was similar across all age groups. Annual screening can be done with a simple ultrasound.

Diabetes patients: Pe-ripheral vascular disease: Patients with diabetes are often screened for heart disease, just because of the great risk factors present in these patients. But the NYU study results indicate that doctors might want to consider the onset of pe-ripheral vascular disease in their diabetes patients as well. Patients with dia-

betes were at a very high risk of developing periph-eral vascular disease in the lower extremities or the carotid artery - even if they were not diagnosed with heart disease, according to the study.

Future study is needed to see if screening could lead to better health for diabe-tes patients, says senior investigator Dr. Jeffrey S. Berger, an associate pro-fessor in the Leon H. Char-ney Division of Cardiology at NYU Langone.

“We know that if you have carotid artery steno-sis, you’re at an increased risk for stroke, and we know that if you have lower extremity arterial disease, you’re at increased risk for significant impairment in your daily activities like walking, and even amputa-tion,” he says. “What these studies show is the power of large data sets to provide insight into the prevalence of and risk factors for car-diovascular disease.”


For more information and to join our mailing list, visit the website at www.genesisbh.org.Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@GenesisBHNH)!

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“Adventure programs are based around activi-ties like hiking, camping and surfing, for instance, but the potential they have goes far beyond developing those related skills,” said New Heights Executive Director Trac-ey Tucker.

Longtime Adventure

Coord ina to r a t New Heights, Sally Gregory agrees with Tucker and said extended adven-ture trips, such as their Cape Cod Surfing Safari & Adirondack Canoeing Expedition this coming summer, are particularly suited to help kids learn valuable life lessons.

“When students get out on these kind of expedi-tions, they are stripped absolutely bare—no so-cial media, cars, music, family, friends, girl or boyfriends, or comforts of home,” she said. “Even the food is different and

the clothes are different. All that’s left is the raw honesty of each indi-vidual.”

In creating opportuni-ties for youth to reveal such raw honesty, Greg-ory said she and her staff are in “the same boat.”

“We are right alongside the kids revealing our own vulnerabilities and our real selves,” she add-ed. “It’s developmentally important kids see that so they can identify with you as the adult mentor and guide.”

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Due to the nature of adventure programs—Gregory said they are in fact physically, emotion-ally and mentally chal-lenging—she noted kids are in fact more apt to take direction and listen to those around them.

“Adventure mandates that you look outside yourself and not only see the big picture of your natural surroundings, but that you pay atten-tion to the needs of those in your group and every-one else around you,” she said. “Kids can’t help but reach out to a 70 year old hiker hiking the same trail who may need a little help on the last step or two.”

In debunking a myth about such program-ming, she said “adven-ture” does not refer to any sort of false ma-chismo.

“Adventure mandates our respect,” she said. “There is no such thing as ‘conquering a mountain or a wave.’ That is really not what it is about at all. We climb mountains, ride waves, respect them, love them, play on them and in them, sometimes fear them—but we never

‘conquer.’”If Gregory was to distill

all that youth learn in the program into two pri-mary skillsets, she said they would be empathy and vulnerability.

“Real people are born when normal guarded people access their real selves—their heart and soul,” she said. “The thing that makes them tell their truth while star-ing into a fire, even if it feels a little, or a lot, uncomfortable. The thing that allows a 16 year old boy to walk across a circle of peers and hug an 18 year old boy who is crying because of a recent loss.”

Citing Gregory’s 20-plus years’ experience leading such programs at New Heights, Tucker said she especially en-joys seeing the long-term impact they have had on participants.

“Every summer and during winter breaks when families are visiting one another, we see for-mer participants come by and seek Sally out and thank her for all she did for them,” Tucker noted. “It is the kind of impact we want to have on every participant that comes

heiGhts from 6 through here.”Deflecting any sort of

praise for her past work, Gregory said she instead focuses on the present

“Who can I reach to-day?” she rhetorically asked. “What can I do bet-

ter? What can I change? I love what we do here and believe we are changing lives one adventure at a time. Sounds corny, but it turns out there is more truth to it than poetry—it’s what makes me love

what we are doing here.”To learn about New

Heights in Portsmouth and Exeter, visit www.newheightsonline.org.


The New Hampshire Department of Environ-mental Services (NHDES) is observing national Drinking Water Week, May 1-7, by urging ev-eryone to know what’s in their drinking water, and to protect it from possible contamination. The theme of this year’s Drinking Water Week is, “Your Water – To Know It Is To Love It.”

Roughly half of New Hampshire residents are served at home by com-munity water systems, and half by private wells. Community water sys-tems, which must meet extensive testing and wa-ter quality requirements, provide their custom-ers with an annual wa-ter quality report, either in hard copy or online.

Since there are no simi-lar testing requirements for private wells, NHDES urges private well users

can reach groundwater, and ultimately water sup-ply wells and reservoirs. NHDES urges well users to prevent any spills of gasoline or similar pol-lutants, and to make sure fertilizers and pesticides are kept away from wells and used according to label directions. “Prevent-ing contamination of wa-ter supplies is everyone’s job,” according to NHDES water supply administra-tor Sarah Pillsbury. “Indi-viduals and businesses, and local and state gov-ernments all have a part to play.”

Knowing what it takes to ensure a safe and re-liable water supply is another focus of drink-ing water week. The job of public water systems continues to be extremely challenging—especially in an era of scarce public funds. The drinking water infrastructure in many cities is aging and pres-ents daunting financial demands. “In New Hamp-shire, the estimated fund-ing need is $2.9 billion over the next 10 years for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades, repairs and replacement,” according to Pillsbury. “When you consider how important safe drinking water is to your health and your family’s health,that re-ally puts your water bill in perspective with other monthly expenses such as cable and cell phone service. The same is true of the cost of testing and treating water from a pri-vate well.”

For more information, search the internet for “NHDES DWGB.”

Know your water and proteCt your water durinG drinKinG water weeK and year ‘round

to have their water tested every three to five years at an accredited laboratory. Well users can then use

NHDES ’s “Be Well Informed” website to un-derstand their test results and learn about wa-ter treatment options based on those results. Testing recom-mendations, a list of accredited labs, and the Be Well Informed tool can be found by searching the internet for “NH-DES Private Well Testing.”

Both commu-nity water cus-tomers and pri-vate well users

should also know how to protect the sources of their water supplies. If spilled on the ground, pollutants

Page 9 • June 2016 • The Home Town Voice

Cyan M

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Page 27 • August 2015• The Home Town Voice Please check all dates and times!!!

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work through his emotions by painting. He does remember some of what he

a compelling compilation of those sight memories mixed with his current kaleidoscopic visions. It’s an innovative and highly personalized art form

can’t wait for it; it may never come if you do."He also triumphed over his blindness by setting the world record for the

-iates traveling exhibit. George was inspired by the beauty and local people

Newfound area with his sister and extended family.

Introducing Local Acupuncturist Heidi Botnick

ments. (Continued on page 31)

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May Healthy Living