Thanks to widespread community support, the Fork in the Road Restaurants’ annual “Boot Out Cancer” fundraising program to benefit YRMC’s BreastCare Center raised a grand total of $30,670.00. This remarkable achievement marks an 18-year partnership to help the underserved in our community receive breast wellness services. Throughout the month of October – National Breast Cancer Awareness Month – area Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants, together with Gurley Street Grill, Murphy’s, and The Office, invited their patrons to lend their support to the battle against breast cancer. The hundreds who did signed their names to pink “Boot Out Cancer” boots that adorned the walls in these restaurants throughout our community. “We are so grateful for the partnership we have enjoyed with the Fork in the Road organization these past 18 years. We are equally grateful for our community’s outpouring of support for our BreastCare Center,” said Dave Barrett, Chair of the Yavapai Regional Medical Center Foundation. “Community members value the fact that 100 percent of their donations stay in our community to help battle this disease and recognize we are fortunate to have such a high quality program.” Funds donated to YRMC’s BreastCare Center are used to provide screening mammograms for those who do not have the ability to pay, to help ensure the Center has the latest medical technology, and pay for professional education and training and community outreach. To learn more about the BreastCare Center’s programs and services, visit YRMC or contact the YRMC Foundation at (928) 771–5686.

The stained glass windows at the Chapel of the Valley in Prescott Valley tell many stories. The eight windows – works of art made in Europe – depict stories from the Bible. They also are the source of less obvious stories about the history of healthcare in the Prescott area, a friendship that led to the realization of dreams for two people and a gift to the community. Let’s begin with the story about the history of healthcare. The Sisters of Mercy opened Mercy Hospital, Prescott’s first hospital. Soon after the hospital opened its doors, they began work on a Chapel, a separate structure that would reside on the hospital’s grounds. The stained glass windows were to be the Chapel’s focal point. The sisters had them made in Germany and transported to Prescott. Windows Spared from Fire “The Chapel’s windows were created in an old world style,” said Dawn Wasowicz, Director, Chapel of the Valley and Owner, Rafter 11 both in Prescott Valley. “It’s very different than how stained glass is created in our country.” In the United States, Dawn explained, small fragments of glass are “leaded” together to form a picture. “In Europe, they use elements of the earth and oxidize them,” she said. “For instance, the greens are created from oxidized copper and the reds are created from oxidized gold.” These glass pieces are pieced together to create a picture. In this case, they were framed into eight windows for Mercy Hospital’s Chapel. The Chapel with its breathtaking stained glass windows opened in 1906. Unfortunately, Mercy Hospital burned down in 1940. While the Chapel was not damaged, the sisters decided not to reopen the hospital. The stained glass windows were put into storage. Johnie Lee Fain’s Dream Which takes us to the story of the friendship forged around the Chapel’s windows. Johnie Lee Parsons moved with her family to Prescott when she was in her early teens. The Texas-born Johnie Lee loved horseback riding, playing basketball and making music on the piano. At Prescott High School, she met Norman Fain. The two married in 1928 and the couple worked together running ranches that grew to include much of what would eventually become Prescott Valley. According to granddaughter Dawn, Johnie Lee was a very spiritual woman. “When Johnie Lee walked into a room, grace walked in,” said Dawn. “It was like turning on a light or a sunrise. It was that profound.” Johnie Lee also had many diverse interests and talents. She was a writer who shared stories about pioneer life on the radio. She served as president of the Arizona State Cowbelles, a voluntary organization dedicated to supporting beef cattle ranching. “Before she married, my grandmother studied music at the Conservatory in Fort Worth,” said Dawn. So it was no surprise that Johnie Lee was eventually invited to a piano recital at the home of Henry Lovell Brooks. A teacher at Orme School for 14 years, Henry loved music. He was an organist at churches in Chino Valley and Prescott. “Everybody in the Prescott area has someone who has been at a piano lesson with Henry Brooks,” said Dawn. Windows Find a New Home Henry also valued art, history and was a spiritual man. This no doubt motivated him to salvage the Mercy Hospital stained glass windows. At great personal expense, Henry had the windows restored and then placed, as a temporary location, in his home. Johnie Lee began taking piano lessons from Henry at his home. Inspired by the beautiful stained glass windows, Johnie Lee and Henry shared their dreams. She wanted to build a Chapel that would be open to all people. Henry wanted a permanent home for the stained glass windows. Together, they began working on making their dreams a reality. While Johnie Lee did not live to see the Chapel completed, she was involved in selecting its location near Fain Lake in Prescott Valley. “Johnie Lee wanted the Chapel of the Valley to be nestled in nature,” Dawn said. She also participated in other decisions about the Chapel of the Valley. Henry donated the stained glass windows to the Chapel. He visited them many times in their permanent home. He also donated his organ to the Chapel of the Valley after his death. In a final tribute to the windows’ history, each individual stained glass window was dedicated to a community member, many involved with the community’s first hospital. The names of the hospital’s first chief of staff, a nurse, a former patient and more are engraved on plaques beneath each Chapel of the Valley window. Dawn knows Johnie Lee and Henry would appreciate this gesture to people dedicated to the first hospital in the community. “Johnie Lee wanted to create a Chapel for all people to enter and have peace, feel secure and have that sense of healing that we want so much in our county,” said Dawn. That dream was fulfilled thanks to Johnie Lee Fain and Henry Brooks.

Science and history intersected during Patient Blood Management: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Yavapai Regional Medical Center’s (YRMC’s) 6th Annual Patient Blood Management (PBM) Symposium. Approximately 350 people – PBM advocates from across the southwest, physicians, nurses, college students and more – gathered for the 2018 PBM Symposium at Yavapai College Performing Arts Center in Prescott. Throughout the world, even more streamed the Symposium live on laptops, smart phones and other devices. “It was the best of both worlds,” said Dale Black, Patient Blood Management Program Coordinator at YRMC. “Our guests enjoyed a pre-Symposium reception that included an array of appetizers, lots of friendly conversation and information from our industry partners who support YRMC’s vision for Patient Blood Management.” Industry leaders who joined YRMC at the PBM Symposium include: Instrumentation Laboratory Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. Haemonetics Baxter “During the Symposium,” said Black, “we welcomed guests from throughout the globe who live-streamed the event. All Symposium participants took away new information about the value of PBM and the leadership role YRMC plays in PBM.” If you missed the Symposium, we’ve collected some highlights to get you up to speed on PBM’s science, history and future.  #1 Patient Blood Management wasn’t built in a day. The 6th Annual PBM Symposium coincided with YRMC’s 75th anniversary, a perfect opportunity to highlight the history of PBM, courtesy of Pierre Tibi, MD, FACS, Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Medical Director of the James Family Heart Center at YRMC West. Dr. Tibi said the idea of transfusing blood goes back to 1556, but the first actual human-to-human “blood transfer” happened in 1818. Fast forward to the early 1900s for another milestone: the identification of human blood types—A, B, AB and O. Soon after, a test that allowed physicians to ensure blood compatibility before transfusing patients was introduced. Another big breakthrough coincided with World War II as researchers discovered how to break down blood into components and products. Plasma – a blood product – saved the lives of many wounded soldiers during the war. #2 Blood is one tough tissue. Daniel Beck, MD, Anesthesiologist at Prescott Anesthesia, emphasized that blood – a connective tissue – actually functions like a complex, multifaceted organ. Comprised of water, electrolytes, small molecules, proteins and cells, blood performs many significant roles in the body. For example, Dr. Beck highlighted the important job performed by one of our two types of white blood cells. “These white blood cells repair all types of tissue damage,” said Dr. Beck. “The repairs range from paper cuts to broken bones and all of the way to heart attacks.” #3 When it comes to the safety of our blood supply the expression, “we don’t know, what we don’t know,” applies. Medical experts in the United States agree that our blood supply is the safest it has ever been when it comes to disease transmission. “The concern is always about unknown infectious diseases,” said Elizabeth Black, Data Manager and Administrative Assistant, YRMC’s PBM Program. “Current blood testing measures are only going to test for infectious diseases we know about. You can’t test for something if you don’t know it exists.” #4 Storing your own blood for surgery comes with some potential complications. Storing your blood for use during and after surgery sounds like an ideal way to prevent the transfusion of a virus. However, autologous blood donation – as it’s called – may lead to anemia, which can slow recovery. “Even your own blood is stored blood,” said Elizabeth Black. “It is not the same quality as the fresh blood moving through our bodies or the blood that’s taken immediately before surgery.” #5 Physicians and PBM experts know: If you don’t use it, you won’t lose it. YRMC’s thriving Structural Heart Program demonstrates how medicine is integrating PBM into its less invasive procedures. Soundos Moualla, MD, FACC, FSCAI, Interventional Cardiologist at the James Family Heart Center at YRMC West, uses less-invasive procedures and advanced technologies to help people previously considered too high-risk for surgery. These procedures require small skin punctures, rather than major incisions. “These new technologies allow us to safely perform minimally invasive procedures,” said Dr. Moualla. “The procedures do not require blood use and typically there is no blood loss.” #6 New procedures at YRMC’s Heart Center support PBM principles. In the 1980s, cardiology took its first steps in this direction with the introduction of cardiac stenting, which allowed some patients to forego open heart surgery. Today, many heart procedures are minimally invasive, including these which are available at the James Family Heart Center at YRMC West. Left Atrial Appendage Closure (WATCHMAN) Mitral Valve Repair with MitraClip Paravalvular Leak Closure (PVL) Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) #7 Your YRMC providers are your PBM partners. PBM is at its best when there is strong communication between nurses, patients, family members and other patient advocates. This is standard operating procedure at YRMC. “We’ll literally report at your bedside to involve you and your family,” said YRMC’s Selina Bliss, MS, PhD, RN. “This allows us to clearly communicate a care plan for your anemia.” YRMC’s multi-disciplinary team – advanced clinical practitioners, dietitians, medical laboratory professionals, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, physicians and more – also share their best practices for preventing patient anemia during “Lunch and Learn” programs. Recently, YRMC’s Emergency Department team outlined how early admission of a medication to treat excessive blood loss has helped patients experiencing traumatic bleeding. The ICU staff shared a successful strategy to monitor hemoglobin counts – a low count may indicate anemia – as a way of reducing the frequency of patient blood draws, which can lead to anemia. #8 Researchers are applying leading-edge science to the study of blood. Creating a blood substitute…developing a universal blood type…transforming human stem cells into units of blood…all of these and more are under research today. “Scientists are looking for the optimal artificial human blood that can carry oxygen to our tissues without any of the biological baggage associated with a unit of blood,” explained Jared Head, AGACNP-BC, Hospitalist, NAZ Hospitalist. #9 PBM’s future is now. During the PBM Symposium, Dale Black, PBM Program Coordinator, spoke with Tucson resident Anthony Caballero about the extensive heart procedures he underwent at YRMC’s Heart Center, all using PBM principles. Even as researchers race toward an array of alternatives to blood transfusions, most medical experts point to PBM as the most effective way to safely care for patients. “What we are doing now may well be the future,” stated Head. “Keeping blood inside of the body and minimizing the number of blood draws to harness anemia—these and other PBM strategies may be the future of transfusion medicine.” #10 PBM is making a difference at YRMC today. YRMC has experienced an impressive reduction in the use of blood products, thanks to its hospital-wide PBM Program. “YRMC launched its PBM Program in 2012,” said Diane Drexler, RN, BSN, MBA, FACHE, Chief Nursing Officer at YRMC. “Since then, our use of red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma has declined by 32 percent and 61 percent, respectively.” Why is this decline good news for YRMC’s patients? It means YRMC’s surgeons and other physicians are minimizing patients’ blood loss and reducing unnecessary transfusions. And, as studies have shown, both of these PBM strategies can improve patient outcomes and speed recovery. For more information about YRMC’s Patient Blood Management Program, visit us here.

Not many (if any) foods can lower cholesterol, drop blood pressure, control blood sugar, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and certain types of cancer, like beans can! Humble, but nutritionally powerful, beans are budget-friendly super-foods that can be dressed up or dressed down in countless, delicious ways. We recently took YRMC’s Your Healthy Kitchen into the studio, where we turned a simple pot of white beans into three flavorful dishes, while sharing tips on how to select and cook beans for the best texture, flavor, and digestibility! Cooking beans from scratch – from dried beans – is really simple. All you need is water, salt, and something to cook the beans in, preferably for a few hours, for the best flavor, texture and digestibility. Add a few flavorful herbs, vegetables, or spices, and you’ll enjoy a bowl of one of the most nourishing and delicious comfort foods on the planet! The best tasting beans take awhile to cook, but the cooking time is mostly hands-off. Once they start simmering, beans cook on their own just fine. One of the great advantages to cooking beans at home is the ability to flavor them any way you like. For example, a slowly cooked pot of pinto beans goes from simple to sublime when you simmer them with whole cloves of garlic, a dried chili, and some Mexican oregano. White beans love to be paired with bay leaves, garlic, and fresh rosemary or sage. Inexpensive vegetables, like carrots, onion and celery can provide rich flavor to all types of beans. An added bonus: home cooked beans are also much lower in sodium than canned! Check out this video to see how easy it is to prepare a delicious pot of white beans at home! Carefully Choose and Soak Your Beans for Perfect Flavor and Texture For the best flavor and texture, buy dried beans from a store that has good bean turnover. In other words, purchase beans from stores that sell a lot of them! Beans that have been sitting on the shelf for too long sometimes never fully cook, no matter how long they simmer, resulting in a pot of beans that are crunchy and far from tender. For guaranteed flavor and freshness, try beans purchased from local growers (locally grown pinto beans are available at the Prescott Farmers Market) or online specialty farms, like Rancho Gordo. Soaking beans (either overnight or using the quick-soak method), then rinsing and cooking them in fresh water, shortens cooking time, improves texture, and removes some of the carbohydrates in beans that can cause gas. A long overnight soak (10-12 hours) works well, but if you are in a hurry, the quick soak method will do! Just place your beans in a pot and cover them with water. Bring the pot to a boil, turn off the heat, and let the beans soak for an hour or more before rinsing and cooking them in fresh water. The quick soak method will reduce gas a bit more than long soaking, but the texture of the beans might not be as good. The Many Health Benefits of Beans Cooking beans at home is the most delicious and affordable way to include them in your diet. However, whether you cook beans from scratch or simply spoon them out of a can, the health benefits from eating beans can be profound. Abundant research shows that eating beans improves glucose control in people with diabetes, prevents weight gain and metabolic syndrome, protects individuals against cardiovascular disease and several types of cancer, and even helps maintain the integrity and health of our bones. How can one food provide so many benefits? A combination of fiber, phytochemicals, and a special type of starch make beans one of the healthiest foods on the planet! Beans contain two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. While both types contribute to good bowel function and the prevention of certain types of cancer (especially breast, colon and rectal cancer), soluble fiber takes the lead in lowering cholesterol. In fact, according to the National Cholesterol Education Program, just 5-10 grams of soluble fiber per day in the diet can lower LDL cholesterol by 5%. You can meet your soluble fiber goals with just 1 cup of beans a day! Phytochemicals are natural substances in plants that contribute to many of the health benefits of plant-based diets. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant phytochemicals in beans seem to reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Some phytochemicals, like those found in deep purple-colored foods, like black beans, may also reduce insulin resistance.   Interestingly, recent studies also show that phytates, a class of phytochemicals found in abundance in beans, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, may improve bone density by reducing the loss of calcium from bone. Beans also contain resistant starch, a carbohydrate that digests slowly and helps to keep blood sugars in check. Resistant starch also reduces LDL cholesterol levels and acts as a probiotic, providing food for the healthy bacteria that live in your digestive tract. If beans are not currently a part of your diet, add them to your meals slowly. Try a few tablespoons of beans in a salad or soup or enjoy a small portion as a healthy side dish and gradually increase how often and how much you eat. Your belly will thank you for moderation! Cook up a cozy pot of white beans at home and enjoy our White Bean Salad with Vegetables and Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette, White Bean and Basil Hummus, or just a comforting bowl of beans drizzled with a bright herb pesto tonight!  After dinner, check out all of the videos, easy recipes and simple cooking tips we’ve collected for you at Your Healthy Kitchen!  And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook at YRMC’s Your Healthy Kitchen, where I share what I am making at home with pictures, recipes, and short instructional videos, and include cooking tips and links to food- and health-related events in the community.