From the editorialstaff, a BIG WELCOMEto the first issue for 2009of the Eastern ColoradoHealth Care System’sVeterans InformationPeriodical or VIP. TheVIP will keep veterans in-formed about health con-cerns, classes, and what isgoing on in the DenverMedical Center, as well asthe Community-BasedOutpatient Clinics. Infor-mation is supplied by staffas well as veterans. Wehope you enjoy this issue2 and look forward to pub-lishing many more issuesin the future.

Denver will host one ofthe world’s most strenuousand spirited athletic com-petitions in July 2010,when more than 500wheelchair athletes fromacross the United States,Puerto Rico and GreatBritain will arrive tocompete in the 30th

N a t i o n a l V e t e r a n sWheelchair Games, Gameswith Heart a Mile High.

The Games, presentedeach year by the Depart-ment of Veterans Affairs(VA) and the ParalyzedVeterans of America(PVA), are open to all U.S.military veterans who usewheelchairs for sportscompetition because ofspinal cord injuries, ampu-tations, certain neurologi-

cal conditions or other mo-bility impairments. The2010 event will be hostedby the VA Eastern Colo-rado Health Care System(ECHCS) and the Moun-tain States Chapter (MSC)of PVA. Competitiveevents take place July 4-9,2010.

Since October 2008,volunteers from both theMSC PVA and VAECHCS have spent theirS u n d a y a f t e r n o o n sworking a concessionstand at home Broncog a m e s .

This fun fundraiser hasbeen a great team buildingeffort as well as a success-ful fund raiser for theGames. Because this pro-gram was successful andgenerated a lot of interest,the group will again staff astand for the 2009 season.Volunteers are certainlywelcome.

In November, staff fromboth VA ECHCS and MSCPVA participated in theVeterans Day parade. Thefloat honored wheelchairathletes and celebratedDenver’s 2010 selection.

Issue 2, January 2009

Editorial staff: Rena Wilkins,Regina Alexander-Reis, VickieCuster, and Barbara Lilly

For questions, comments, orideas, please email:rena.wilkins@va.gov or call(303)399-8020, ext. 3853

The content of this newsletterdoes not necessarily reflect theopinions of, or include supportof the Administration Board,Editorial Staff, or Departmentof Veterans Affairs.

GAMES WITH HEART A MILE HIGH MINUTE

For additional informationabout sponsorship or volunteer

opportunities for the 30th

National Veterans WheelchairGames, please contact AmandaEckman at (720) 201-0455, or via

email atamanda.eckman@va.gov

Flu season is not over!Protect yourself and yourfamily----get your flu shotas soon as possible at the

VA. Questions? Call(303)399-8020, ext. 7514

The Department of VeteransAffairs (VA) ranks as one ofthe nation’s leaders in healthresearch. Thousands of stud-ies are being conducted atVA medical centers, outpa-tient clinics, and nursinghomes each year. Thisresearch has significantlycontributed to health im-provements for other veter-ans and many people fromevery walk of life.

For example, the VA has: Developed artificiallimbs that allow amputeesmore independence and abetter quality of life Invented the cardiacpacemaker Performed the first suc-cessful liver transplantation Played a major role inthe development of the CT(or CAT) scan to view theinside of the body Tested new drugs andtreatments for such diseasea s A ID S , d i a b e t e s ,Alzheimer’s, and osteoporo-sis Developed the nicotinepatch to help people stopsmoking.

None of the advances inhealth care would be possi-ble without individualswilling to volunteer to takepart in research. You maybe asked to volunteer for aresearch study approved bythis VA Medical Center.In future editions of thisnewsletter, additional in-formation will be providedto help you understand someof the basic requirements forparticipating in a researchstudy at VA ECHCS.

PAGE 2 VIP NEWSLETTER ISSUE 2

New EveningStop-Smoking

Classes

Every other Wednesdaya one-time class is

held from5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in

room 1B-100.Walk-ins or returns forrefresher information

are welcomed!

Contact your PCP orthe specialty desk,

extension 5117, formore information andconfirmation of class

times.

Should I take part in a research study?

OEF/OIF PROGRAM

ALSO KNOWN AS

RETURNING COMBAT

VETERAN PROGRAM

OR SEAMLESS

TRANSITION PROGRAM

Services Offered:

Compensation & Pension

Counseling Services

Case Management

Dental Care

Emergency Care

Family Program

Infectious Disease

Mental Health Treatment

Primary Care

Physical Therapy

Prosthetics

Pharmacy

Residential PTSD Program

Social Services

Substance AbuseTreatment

Sexual Trauma Services

Stress Management

Traumatic Brain Injury

Vocational Rehabilitation Women's Health Services

We also have an OEF/OIFClinic held every Thursdayin Colorado Springs andevery Friday in Denver.Veterans receive a completephysical by a Primary CareProvider, an assessment bya Combat Stress Specialist,a briefing by the RegionalOEF/OIF Benefits Coun-selor, and a new veteran ori-entation class. We also havean Employment Specialistand Vocational Rehabilita-tion Counselor available. It'sa 1 stop shop for our return-ing combat veterans. Wesincerely thank you for yourservice to our country.

It's now our turn toServe You!

Jeriann Ascione RN MSNProgram Manager

303-393-5223Janie Hirth RN BSN

Case Manger303-399-8020 x2790Tommy Murphy BS

Transition Patient Advocate303-399-8020 x3674

Minutes matter! Fastaction can save lives —maybe your own. Don’t

wait more than fiveminutes to call 9-1-1 in

an emergency.

Reasons for disposing ofunusable, unwanted,or out-of-date drugs:

Keeping drugs you don’ttake can increase yourrisk of accidentally tak-ing the wrong medicine

Drugs may have expired;therefore, they may notwork as well

Keeping medicines you donot take can increase therisk of a child or petgetting them

Drugs are a hazardouswaste and can be a

threat to ourenvironment. We

must dispose of themproperly!

How to dispose of thesemedications:

The best and safest thingto do is contact one of thefollowing:

For instructions on how todispose of yourmedications:

The Colorado Departmentof Public Health

and Environment

Hazardous Materials andWaste Management Div.

Denver, Colorado

303-692-3320 or toll-freeat 1-888-569-1831, 3320

The Household HazardousWaste Disposal (for Den-ver County residents only)

1-800-449-7587 forinstructions for them tocome directly to your

house. Can also email themyour name, address, and

phone number towww.hotline@curbsideinc.com and they will call you

back.

To see options for disposalof wastes in counties otherthan Denver County,residents can go towww.cdphe.state.co.us/HM/hhwcollect.htm#D

If you decide to throwyour medications in thetrash, please follow thesesteps to decrease wasteand abuse, improvesafety, and protect yourprivacy:

Remove drugs from theircontainers, mark out nameon container and throw it inthe trash.

Make as unappealing aspossible by crushing tab-lets, mixing with water,and then mixing the medi-cation with undesirablethings such as used coffeegrounds or kitty litter.

Securely wrap the medicinemixture in a sealable plas-tic bag. Then you canwrap this in several layersof newspaper. Put this in

a trash bag, out of reach ofchildren and pets, and waitto put it out for the garbagepick-up until around yourpick up time.

Do not flush drugs downthe toilet unless you aretold to do so!

PAGE 3 VIP NEWSLETTER ISSUE 2

Proper Disposal of Prescription andOver-the-Counter Drugs

Denver VA Medical Center Home Oxygen Program

The Home Oxygen Program office at the Denver VA is open from8:00 to 4:30, Monday through Friday. The office phone is

303-399-8020, ext. 2781.

Renewal of the oxygen prescription is required before the first sixmonths have passed from the initial oxygen order, and then once peryear after that. Patients are sent a renewal reminder letter two monthsbefore their prescription expires. If they are unable to see their pri-mary care provider before the expiration date, a Home Oxygen Clinicis held on Mondays and Wednesdays, by appointment only.Appointments can be made by Phylis at 303-399.8020, ext. 2179 oncethe renewal letter is received.

Oxygen Safety Tips DO NOT SMOKE WHILE WEARING OXYGEN!

Any oxygen equipment needs to be turned off and the patientneeds to be 15 feet away from any source of flame before lighting acigarette.

Store oxygen away from any heat source and do not store tanksor liquid oxygen in areas where the temperature can reach 120 de-grees Fahrenheit.

Oxygen tanks should be securely stored in tank racks provided bythe home oxygen company and no more than 12 tanks may be storedin the home at one time.

Make sure there is a working smoke detector in the home.Never use grease or oil on oxygen equipment. Oil based face creamsor salves (Vaseline/petroleum jelly) and oxygen in contact with bareskin will cause surface burns. Please use water based products such asurgilube or KY jelly for sensitive areas around the nose and lips thatbecome irritated from continuous nasal cannula use.

Traveling with OxygenPatients on the VA Home Oxygen Program will need to contact theRotech Travel Department when planning for their oxygen needsaway from home. Their number is 1-800-514-9342. Federal regulations prohibit patients from using their own homeoxygen equipment on commercial flights. Most airlines require at least 48 hours notice of need for oxygenbefore flying. They may also require a letter from a physician andcompletion of a form before the trip. Please allow plenty of time tocomplete these tasks and plan ahead. Airlines will charge a separate fee for use of their oxygen on theflight. Call the VA Home Oxygen staff for additional travel assistance.

Please DO NOTbring ANY

medications tothe pharmacy—

we CANNOTtake them back.

What is C. difficile?Clostridium difficile is a type of bacteria thatcan live in the environment and in the colon.The symptoms of a C. difficile infection caninclude abdominal discomfort, bloating, and di-arrhea. In severe or untreated cases, it can lead tobowel perforation. The C. difficile bacteria make sporesthat can live on environmental surfaces for up to fivemonths.

How is C. difficile spread?C. difficile is spread through direct contact and it is trans-mitted through the fecal-oral route. When a patient getsinfected with C. difficile, unwashed hands can spread thebacteria and the spores throughout the environment. Toiletseats, door knobs, bed rails, faucets, linens, clothing andhands can become contaminated. We can stop the spread ofC. difficile with good hand washing, contact precautionsand environmental cleanliness.

Who gets C. difficile?People at risk for C. difficile:• take antibiotics• have chemotherapy• have abdominal surgery• have stomach or intestine problems are already sick and in the hospital

Hand washing!C. difficile can spread from patient to patient in the hospi-tal. It is very important to take steps to prevent C. difficilefrom spreading. • Wash your hands with soap and warmwater. Do not use the alcohol hand gel because it will notkill the C. difficile spores.

• Wash your hands before you eat and after youuse the bathroom.

• Health care staff will wash their hands beforeentering and after leaving your room.

Your visitors will wash their hands before entering andafter leaving your room.

Contact precautions!While you are in the hospital, Contact Precautions will beused to prevent the spread of C. difficile. Our Contact Pre-caution practices keep you safe during your stay with us:

• You may be placed in a private room.• Patients with C. difficile stay in their rooms except for

essential medical appointments.• Health care staff will gown and glove before entering the

room. Your visitors will also be asked to gown andglove.

• Health care staff and visitors will wash hands beforeentering and after leaving your room. Only use soap andwater for hand washing. Do not use alcohol gel.

Hand washing is thesingle most effective wayto prevent the spread of

infection.

Protect yourself and others by washingyour hands.

Department of Veterans AffairsEastern Colorado Health Care System1055 Clermont StreetDenver, CO 80220

Clostridium Difficile….What you need to know!