Tag Archives: Capital Blue Cross

Listen Up: Americans face threats to hearing, but solutions exist

October 11, 2022 | by Think Capital Blue Cross

Female doctor examining the ear of a senior woman in clinic. ENT physician examining ear of a female patient with an instrument.

Some 22 million American workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work each year, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Occupational hearing loss is the third most common chronic physical condition among adults behind hypertension and arthritis. American businesses pay an estimated $242 million annually in workers compensation claims tied to hearing loss, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Hearing loss is about more than missing out on conversations. It can lead to depression, feelings of isolation, and cognitive impairment, and it can increase the risk of workplace accidents, according to research from the Mayo Clinic and Grigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Fortunately, much is known about preventing hearing loss, and many resources exist to help keep workers and others safe in a noisy world.

Factory workers, musicians, farmers, dental workers, construction workers, coaches and game officials, military personnel, and first responders often face hazardous noise levels, according to NIOSH. The cumulative effects of hazardous noise levels can be serious.

“People with hearing loss face an increased risk of disability and dementia, and men with hearing problems face an increased risk of depression,” said Dr. Jennifer Chambers, chief medical officer at Capital Blue Cross, citing research from the University of Bordeaux in France.

Loud music, crowd noise, traffic noise, and other sounds of everyday life can slowly chip away our hearing health. Researchers largely agree that 85 decibels is a kind of tipping point when it comes to noise hazards. NIOSH reports that a person exposed to sounds levels of 85 decibels for more than eight hours could begin to damage their hearing, and adds that safe exposure time gets cut in half for 3-decibel increase above 85 decibels.

Normal conversation registers between 60 and 70 decibels while fireworks or gunshots can soar to ear-splitting levels of 140 or 150 decibels. A person pushing a lawnmower registering between 90 and 110 decibels would risk hearing damage in less than 30 minutes without protection, NIOSH estimates.

“The world can be a noisy place,” Dr. Chambers said. “The best advice for employers and workers is to take sensible precautions and to learn more about hazardous noise exposure.”

Anyone with a smartphone, for example, can download free noise meter apps like the NIOSH Sound Level Meter.

The NIOSH website is loaded with helpful information. It urges employers to require ear protection, to identify dangerously noisy areas, and to encourage employees to have annual hearing exams to determine baseline hearing ability.

NIOSH’s “Buy Quiet,” initiative encourages machine makers to design quieter tools, and machine users to buy or rent quieter tools for their employees. It even maintains a database of power tools ranked by how much noise they make.

And while occupational hearing loss is not reversible, technology can help. Dr. Chambers said the risks of depression, disability, and dementia often associated with hearing loss can be reduced with the use of hearing aids.

THINK (Trusted Health Information, News, and Knowledge) is a community publication of Capital Blue Cross. Our mission is to provide education, resources, and news on the latest health and insurance issues.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

High Cholesterol: Prevention, Causes and How to Cope

September 8, 2022 | by Capital Blue Cross

Her father had a heart attack at 36, and died from another one at 51.

“I had thought his problems were due to lifestyle,” a woman identified only as Rhiannon tells the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “He was a smoker and didn’t have the healthiest diet. Imagine my surprise when I saw my cholesterol screening results from a life insurance blood test.”

Despite being a 30-year-old, fit, non-smoker with a healthy diet, Rhiannon’s bad cholesterol was triple the normal reading for her age. For Rhiannon and tens of millions of other Americans, high cholesterol is hereditary.

That’s just one reason the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that adults 20 and over, regardless of fitness and lifestyle, have preventive screenings for cholesterol every four to six years. An estimated 12% of Americans, or about 94 million people, have high cholesterol: levels of 200 milligrams or more per deciliter of blood, according to the CDC.

“Because high cholesterol comes without noticeable symptoms, it can lead to serious or even fatal consequences if left untreated,” explains Dr. Jennifer Chambers, chief medical officer at Capital Blue Cross. “Too much LDL – or what we often call ‘bad cholesterol’ – can build up and eventually block a coronary artery. This could limit blood flow to the brain and lead to a stroke, or can cause a heart attack.”

Multiple costs

High cholesterol – whether the cause is hereditary or due to poor diet or sedentary lifestyle – is among the reasons heart disease and strokes are the leading and fifth-leading causes, respectively, of death in the U.S.

The condition drains dollars as well. A 2015 report funded by the AHA found that high cholesterol would cost the United States $276 billion in lost productivity by 2030.

So while the CDC applauds progress in America’s cholesterol fight – roughly 2 in 3 U.S. adults say they’ve had a cholesterol screening in the last five years – more work clearly remains.

Keeping Things in Check

Experts across the board agree on proven approaches to help lower dangerously high cholesterol levels:

Take cholesterol-lowering medications when prescribed. These include those in the widely used statin family. Despite their proven effectiveness, these medications are taken only by about 55% of U.S. adults who could benefit from them, the CDC says.

Maintain a diet low in saturated fats. Saturated, or “bad,” fats are the main culprits leading to high LDL.

Manage your weight. Excess body fat often means higher cholesterol.

Don’t smoke. The habit makes LDL “stickier,” and more likely to clog arteries. It also lowers HDL, or “good,” cholesterol.

Here to help

Rhiannon’s cholesterol is now under control thanks to a regimen of medication, diet, and exercise recommended by her doctors. Her story exemplifies how important it is to have health insurance that covers cholesterol screening, counseling, and treatment.

Capital Blue Cross offers a variety of preventive services with no cost share to members who have standard benefit coverage. Services related to healthy cholesterol levels may include:

An annual preventive visit to review health, as well as family and personal risk factors.
Preventive medications such as statins. See a full covered medication list at capbluecross.com.
A lab test, called a lipid panel, to check cholesterol levels.
Blood pressure screenings.
Behavioral counseling for cardiovascular disease prevention.

“High cholesterol doesn’t have to create huge health problems,” Dr. Chambers said. “Preventive screenings, prescribed medications when appropriate, a healthy diet, and proper exercise can help control it, and help those with high cholesterol get their levels in check and lead healthy lives.”

THINK (Trusted Health Information, News, and Knowledge) is a community publication of Capital Blue Cross. Our mission is to provide education, resources, and news on the latest health and insurance issues.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Capital Blue Cross’ Commitment to Harrisburg

August 31, 2022 | by Todd Shamash

Todd Shamash

As the only health insurer headquartered in central Pennsylvania, Capital Blue Cross has called Harrisburg home and provided peace of mind to individuals and families in the greater Harrisburg region and the Lehigh Valley for nearly 85 years.

While our primary focus is on building strong communities by promoting health and wellness—and providing the products and services to help everyone live their healthiest—we also realize educational opportunities are critical to our collective success and growth as a community. That’s why we have such strong relationships with schools, educational foundations, and arts and civic organizations that help our children learn and grow.

We are proud to be the health plan of choice for more than 85 school districts, intermediate units, and technical schools in Pennsylvania. Our involvement with the education community goes beyond the traditional carrier-customer relationship. Capital also makes ongoing community commitments to help our children benefit from quality learning opportunities and resources that help them achieve.

Our education-focused contributions to the Harrisburg region include:

Volunteer involvement and financial support for the Big Brothers Big Sisters “Beyond School Walls” mentoring program for minority students from the Harrisburg School District. Capital was the first company in central Pennsylvania to participate in this research-based mentoring model, which was designed to create a trusting relationship between young adults and professionals, inspiring the students to see a future beyond high school.
Financial assistance and support of the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.
Investments in the Dauphin County Library System’s ongoing library renovations.
Support for the Boys & Girls Club of Harrisburg, the Hannah Education Foundation, the Lower Dauphin Falcon Foundation and other entities across central Pennsylvania through the state’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program.
Live Healthy School grants that support schools looking to implement health and wellness initiatives that help students stay physically active, improve their nutrition, or provide nutrition education. In 2021 alone, Capital awarded $60,000 through these grants to 33 districts, schools or intermediate units.
Support of arts and culture opportunities for our young people, including funding for the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, the CASA Charter School, Open Stage of Harrisburg, and the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg.

Of course, our support of our region’s children goes beyond learning opportunities. We also make continuing investments in their overall health, safety and wellness. For example, we donated 150 infant CPR kits to Hamilton Health Center to help prevent injury or death due to choking, suffocation or sudden cardiac arrest, which affects more than 7,000 children a year, according to the American Heart Association.

Over the years, we have donated millions of dollars to support countless events and organizations in and around the capital city, and we will continue to support the community we call home. We recognize the important role education plays in promoting good health, and we are committed to helping our schools and educators improve the wellbeing of our students, their families and the neighborhoods we serve. Never has there been a more important time to thank our educators for the tough years we’ve endured and their critical role in the promise of our future.

Capital Blue Cross has an unwavering commitment to Harrisburg, and we have never forgotten our roots here. We will continue to be an active participant in the region’s vibrant growth and continued success.

Todd Shamash is president and CEO of Capital Blue Cross.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Community Comment: Loneliness Can Threaten Lives

August 19, 2022 | by Capital Blue Cross

Senior man sitting on bench in garden.

It’s not as if loneliness had never been on health researchers’ radar before COVID-19.

A 2018 Kaiser Family Foundation report found that nearly 60 million Americans – or 22% – often or always felt lonely or isolated. The problem is particularly poignant in adults over 60, 43% of whom reported feeling lonely.

And in 2019, just prior to the pandemic’s outbreak in America, the Health Resources & Services Administration cited a staggering warning that social isolation can cause as much harm as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Loneliness spiked to crisis status during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report from Harvard University’s Making Caring Common Project, which found more than a third of all Americans – 36% – feel “serious loneliness.” That includes 61% of young adults and 51% of mothers with younger children.

“Emotional and physical Isolation were already underreported problems prior to the pandemic,” says Karie Batzler, Capital Blue Cross director of behavioral health. “But the pandemic escalated them to an epidemic that carries long-term consequences that could potentially damage, or even cost, countless lives. It’s imperative, collectively as communities, that we work together to lessen loneliness, especially for those most susceptible to it, such as seniors and young adults.”

The issue has health implications that go beyond mental wellness. Several analyses have reported that loneliness carries a higher mortality risk than obesity.

Lessening the Loneliness

The good news is we can all help fight our feelings of isolation by:

Creating group activities – at work, with family, or with friends – that that help build a bigger sense of community.
Educating ourselves and those close to us on how to cope with isolation. The Harvard report suggests “including strategies that help them identify and manage self-defeating thoughts and behaviors that fuel loneliness.”
Extending the commitments we have to ourselves to the well-being of our family, friends, and co-workers, particularly those we sense may be vulnerable.

Capital Blue Cross helps through a variety of behavioral health initiatives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the health insurer unveiled a behavioral health toolkit for employer groups, and helped bring to market a new mobile app that helps users improve their mental wellness.

“We can help by understanding that what lonely friends, family, or coworkers need more than anything is to connect and reach out to others, and for others to reach out to them,” Batzler said. “But sometimes the shame that accompanies loneliness pushes them in the other direction, and that can spiral downward quickly. Regularly scheduled things like group activities, providing information about how to cope with loneliness, and guidance toward available programs or tools to handle it are critical.”

Community Comment: Understanding healthcare coverage–who pays for what?

July 13, 2022 | by Capital Blue Cross Staff

You visit your doctor and show your insurance card … and they tell you there’s a $25 copay.

You get a prescription filled and the pharmacist says you owe $30, even with insurance.

You have a medical procedure and receive a bill for $300 after your insurance coverage is factored in.

What’s going on here? If you have health insurance, what exactly are you paying for?

Healthcare coverage, like many other forms of insurance, doesn’t entirely eliminate your costs. It’s a shared responsibility with your insurer, and understanding how it works can be confusing sometimes.

Generally, healthcare costs when you have insurance can be sorted into three basic steps:

Your costs– With the start of each new plan year, you pay for your healthcare services until you meet your deductible – a pre-determined amount that must be reached before your insurer begins sharing your healthcare costs.
Shared costs– Once you’ve reached your deductible amount, you insurer will start to cover a certain percentage of your healthcare costs, called your coinsurance, until you reach the maximum amount that you or your family pay during a benefit period – an amount called your out-of-pocket maximum. You also continue to cover any applicable copays during this period.
Insurer costs– Once you’ve reached your out-of-pocket maximum, your insurer pays all covered costs for the rest of the plan year. When the next plan year begins, so does this three-step cycle.

The easiest way to find out what your copay, deductible and out-of-pocket amounts are is to ask your insurer or employer for a summary of benefits and coverage, or SBC. This document shows how you and your insurance plan share costs for covered health care services, and it will list specific amounts related to your coverage.

Once you know which costs you are responsible for, you can take steps to save money by choosing the most affordable healthcare options that suit your preferences and needs.

Community Comment: Tap into Summer Hydration Tips

July 7, 2022 | by Capital Blue Cross

As an avid runner, certified running coach, and veteran of a variety of marathons, Nicole Cassel knows the importance of proper hydration.

She understands it so well, in fact, that she actually makes hydration plans before logging longer runs – like the 40-mile solo run she completed to celebrate her 40^th birthday.

“I went out the night before and stashed my water bottles and some high water-content food along the route to ensure I had of plenty of hydration to sustain my run,” says Cassel, senior health education consultant at Capital Blue Cross. “I knew it was important to replenish with the proper nutrients, including water, every 45 to 60 minutes to be able to endure the total mileage, keep my body from experiencing muscle cramps, and maintain my energy.”

Cassel couldn’t have finished those 40 miles minus those planned fueling pick-ups. But you needn’t be a marathoner to require proper hydration.

Exercisers and non-exercisers alike must replenish vital fluids, particularly as we enter summer’s most sweltering stretch. Failure to do so, says Johns Hopkins Medicine, may put our bodies at risk of being unable to cool themselves, raising our internal temperature and potentially leading to heat stroke.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) adds that dehydration can cause foggy thinking, overheating, mood swings, and constipation. Prolonged dehydration cases, the Mayo Clinic reports, can even trigger urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and kidney failure.

“It’s important to drink several glasses of water daily to stay well hydrated,” advises Debi Garzon, a registered dietitian with Capital Blue Cross. “However, you can also complement your water intake by eating foods high in water content. Fresh produce is your best source for hydrating foods – things like watermelon, cucumber, strawberries, celery, tomatoes and zucchini, to name a few.”

Statistics suggest too few Americans follow such advice. One study of more than 15,000 Americans concluded that 43% of men and 41% of women aged 20 to 50 fall short of the daily water intake urged by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. Those age 50-70 drank even less, and those 71 and older were the worst offenders: 95% of men and 83% of women in that age group didn’t drink enough water.

Keep It Flowing

We can all lower the health and low-energy risks associated with low hydration, and there are resources available to help.

Many covered by their employer’s Capital Blue Cross health plans, for instance, have access to the health insurer’s “Wat’r You Drinking” initiatives. Capital’s “Wat’r You Drinking Challenge” – which Capital also offers to its own staff – is a 30-day water-drinking program that helps participants better hydrate throughout the day. “Wat’r You Drinking Live” is a 30-minute onsite or virtual presentation that teaches the health benefits of drinking water and discusses how to make healthy drink choices and increase daily water intake.

Garzon also suggests these hydration tips:

Begin the day with a glass of fresh water or water infused with things like a favorite fruit free of artificial sweeteners or sugars.
Steadily drink water throughout the day. A general rule is to drink half your body weight – in ounces – daily. So a 200-pound man should drink roughly 100 ounces of water.
Eat foods with high water content such as cucumbers (95% water), melons (92% water), or strawberries (91% water).
Avoid alcohol, sugary drinks, and caffeine.
Before reaching for a snack, drink some water. We often mistake thirst for hunger.

If that’s too many pointers to track, don’t fret. Garzon summarizes proper summer hydration with one key principle: “Remember that when you sweat you are losing fluids, so make sure to sip water throughout the day!”

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Freedom Festival: This month’s Juneteenth celebration in Harrisburg is set to be the biggest yet.

May 31, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Juneteenth organizers

For Dr. Kimeka Campbell, Juneteenth means a lot of things.

It’s about celebration, history, reflection, rest, education and economics. People may spend the day differently, but one thing’s for sure—it’s an important holiday for all.

“We are celebrating American history,” Campbell said. “It’s an important day for every single American. How you observe it is in your hands.”

All of these different meanings behind the holiday will be spotlighted in this month’s Juneteenth HBG event, hosted by the Young Professionals of Color-Greater Harrisburg (YPOC), co-founded by Campbell. And while the holiday itself may be just one day, YPOC plans to celebrate all week long with conferences, reenactments, art experiences, concerts and vendor markets.

Juneteenth—June 19—commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States. It is recognized as the day in 1865 when the remaining African American slaves in Texas received word that they were free. While celebrations of the holiday date back to as early as the year after those last slaves were freed, Juneteenth was only officially recognized as a national holiday in 2021.

YPOC has held Juneteenth events for the past few years, but 2022 will be their biggest yet. Their vision is far-reaching, as shown through their theme, “One City. One Team. One Economic Impact.”

The economic impact of Juneteenth is of special importance to Campbell and the team as they head into the holiday.

“The ending of slavery is not just about freeing people physically, it’s also about being free to economically advance,” Campbell said. “Wealth was stolen from Black people, even post-slavery.”

After slavery ended, targeted policies and structural practices such as sharecropping, Jim Crow laws and redlining made economic advancement difficult. With the long-lasting, multi-generational effect of this history in mind, YPOC came up with its program for Juneteenth.

“It’s this idea of economic impact and restoring wealth to the Black community,” Campbell said. “This is a drop in the bucket of that very huge landscape, but we wanted to do something and craft a week where we had education, economic drivers, entertainment and celebration.”

Throughout May, the committee held microenterprise business courses, free to 10 local entrepreneurs. All of those who completed the course were offered free vendor slots at the June events. La Cultura, a partner in the Juneteenth events, hosted the courses.

“There needs to be more Black businesses to shop from, and they need to last longer,” said La Cultura founder Elyse Irvis.

People will be able to shop from local Black-owned businesses at a few of the Juneteenth week events, most notably the Juneteenth Jubilee.

The Jubilee will take place on June 19 at Reservoir Park. The event will showcase live music, local vendors, speakers, talent acts and community resources.

Additionally, earlier in the week, organizers will hold a concert, featuring rapper Bow Wow, at XL Live, a Harriet Tubman reenactment, and a “Paint Noir” interactive art event with artist Bryan “King Prolifik” Hickman on City Island.

Additionally, there will be a downtown restaurant crawl, a joint event with UPMC’s “Healthy Harrisburg” program and a kickoff event at the state Capitol. A Juneteenth conference will be held on June 14 at HACC, featuring local speakers from the region and nationally renowned keynote speaker Michael Eric Dyson. The event will include interactive sessions, panel discussions and a Q&A. Many of the events are free, but some require tickets.

Legacy Building

Campbell is proud of the unity her organization has achieved through partnerships in the Juneteenth event. In past years, community groups have largely held separate events scattered throughout the city, but she feels that this year is more of a collective effort.

“It is probably the most collaborative Juneteenth event the city has ever seen,” she said. “Together, we can do more and leave more of an impact.”

Organizations like UPMC, the African American Chamber of Commerce, The Singer’s Lounge, La Cultura, Capital Blue Cross and Dauphin County are partners in the event.

YPOC also received a state grant from the Pennsylvania Tourism Office’s “Journeying Toward Freedom” grant program in April. The funds will support their Juneteenth efforts.

“To see it come this far—I’m very grateful,” Campbell said. “This is a legacy building event for the city.”

While the team plans for the day, Campbell has a request for Harrisburg-area businesses—give employees the holiday off from work.

“You’ll actually make your employees feel like you care about them,” Campbell said. “It’s a tangible thing to do. Give people the day off.”

Shaniqua Williams, another member of the Juneteenth leadership team, sees the day off as a way for people of all races and cultures to learn more about the history of the holiday. She hopes YPOC’s events will prove educational for attendees.

“This is something that Harrisburg truly needs,” she said. “There’s just so much to celebrate. The celebration starts in your heart.”

For more information about Juneteenth HBG and the Young Professionals of Color-Greater Harrisburg, visit www.ypoc-hbg.org.

Juneteenth HBG Events

Meeting of the Minds Community Summit: Saturday, June 11, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Keystone Building

Capital Kick-Off: Sunday, June 12, 12 to 2 p.m. at the state Capitol steps

Harp Love in Action Protest: Monday, June 13, 3 to 5 p.m., at the Harrisburg Mall parking lot, opposite the Dauphin County Prison

Juneteenth Conference: Tuesday, June 14, 12 to 6 p.m. at HACC

It’s Lit Black Theater Cafe + Harriet Tubman Reenactment: Wednesday, June 15, 6 to 8 p.m. at Open Stage Theatre

Paint Noir: Thursday, June 16, 6 to 10 p.m. at the City Island carousel pavilion

Discovery Walk and Restaurant Crawl: Friday, June 17, 5 to 10 p.m., starting at Ad Lib Kitchen and Craft Bar inside the Hilton Harrisburg

UPMC Healthy Harrisburg Kick-Off: Saturday, June 18, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on N. 2nd Street in downtown Harrisburg

Juneteenth Concert: Saturday, June 18, 8 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.) at XL Live

Juneteenth Jubilee: Sunday, June 19, 1 to 8 p.m. at Reservoir Park

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

In a Heartbeat: Bicyclist’s tale of survival is reminder that immediate CPR saves lives.

May 31, 2022 | by Capital Blue Cross Staff

Stacy Teets, Bobbie Ayers, Bonnie Rhoad, Rich Williams, Jennifer Stokes, Steve Wade

As he had done countless times before, Rich Williams, a fit, lean, 62-year-old, joined friends for a long bicycle ride through Lebanon County farm country on the morning of Sept. 4, 2021, unaware of the ticking time bomb in his chest.

He has no memory of what happened next. The cardiac arrest, the bike crash, the ambulance ride to the hospital—it’s all a blur. What he knows is that he is alive today because friends leapt to his aid, called 911, and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the crucial minutes before help came.

June 1 to 7 is recognized each year as CPR and AED (automated external defibrillator) week by the American Heart Association, and Williams’ ordeal is a compelling reminder of the unpredictable nature of sudden cardiac arrest and the vital role that ordinary bystanders can play when the unexpected happens.

More than 350,000 people suffer sudden cardiac arrest outside of the hospital each year, and about 90% die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nearly 80% of sudden cardiac arrests occur at home or in a nursing home setting, while about 21% occur at work and in other public areas. Warning signs are rare.

“I heard someone holler, ‘Rich went down,’” said fellow rider Bobbie Ayers, a registered nurse and clinical vendor consultant at Capital Blue Cross. That triggered a textbook emergency response.

Someone called 911. Ayers checked for Williams’ pulse while Jennifer Stokes, a nurse at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, began rapid chest compressions to preserve blood flow to the brain.

Paramedics arrived on the scene within about 12 minutes, restarted Williams’ heart with one jolt of electricity from their automated external defibrillator (AED), and sped him off to Good Samaritan Hospital in Lebanon.

While Ayers and Stokes are well informed on CPR techniques, the CDC urges bystanders who witness sudden cardiac arrest to help even if they have no such training:

Call 911.
Start CPR chest compressions. Push down hard and fast in the center of the chest with about 100 to 120 pushes per minute. The American Heart Association recommends pushing to the beat of songs like “Stayin Alive” by the Bee Gees or “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor.
Use enough force to push the chest down about two inches.
If in a high-traffic public building or arena, ask available bystanders to try to locate an AED while you continue chest compressions. AEDs are increasingly common in public places.
Continue CPR chest compressions until medical help arrives.

Studies show the chance of survival can double or triple for a person who receives CPR in the minutes before medical help arrives, according to the CDC.

“This could happen anywhere,” said Ayers. “Just as an innocent bystander you could save somebody’s life and allow them to get another chance.”

On Dec. 4, three months to the day after he got another chance, and nearly three months after surgeons performed quintuple bypass surgery to restore normal function to his heart, Williams saddled up for a 27-mile ride through farm country.

Blood now flows freely through Williams’ surgically repaired heart. “I’m feeling better than I have in years,” he said. “It’s like night and day.”

“There is no way to express the gratitude I have,” he added. “I feel that encouraging people to learn about CPR is really a civic duty of mine at this point. You just don’t know when somebody is going to need help.”

For more information about Capital Blue Cross, visit www.capbluecross.com.

This column is sponsored by Capital Blue Cross.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Proactive, for Prevention: Cervical cancer remains a peril

March 31, 2022 | by Capital Blue Cross Staff

Roughly 14,500 women in the United States were newly diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2021, and about 4,300 U.S. women died from it last year, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

While vaccinations and appropriate screenings such as pap and HPV tests have dramatically dropped the number of cases, cervical cancer remains the fourth-most-common cancer among women worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

“So we cannot be complacent, because when not caught in time, the disease remains every bit the deadly threat it’s always been,” said Dr. Jennifer Chambers, chief medical officer at Capital Blue Cross.

The disease remains perilous, and statistics even suggest recent slippage in the cervical cancer fight, partly due to missed cervical screenings during the pandemic. The ACS projections for 2021 are trending in a troubling direction: nearly 500 more people diagnosed in 2021 than in 2020; nearly 1,700 more people diagnosed than in 2017; and nearly 100 more expected deaths vs. 2017. Also, despite steady improvement in survival rates, more than a third of Pennsylvania women diagnosed with cervical cancer will still die within five years, according to state Department of Health data.

Strikes in Life’s Prime

According to the ACS, cervical cancer primarily is most frequently diagnosed in women age 35 to 44. In Pennsylvania, the state Department of Health reports, the median age of incidence is 52.

It’s a costly disease, too. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put America’s annual cervical cancer bill at $1.6 billion.

We can all help improve these bleak statistics by encouraging women we know to be proactive about their preventive care. Capital Blue Cross helps do just that. The health insurer:

Reminds its members who have no cervical cancer screening records about the importance of having routine screenings.
Provides education, through member and employer-group newsletters, on screening’s importance and other preventive measures, including HPV vaccinations.
Shares with its medical providers best practices for increasing screening rates and offers some providers incentives for good performance in this area.
Shares screening information on social media.
Provides employer toolkits that include self-service guidance, step-by-step instructions and suggestions for promoting screening among employees, as well as the ability to provide presentations and post exhibits.

“Emphasizing the importance of cervical cancer screenings is an enormously effective first step,” Dr. Chambers said. “It’s important to take that step decisively.”

For more information about Capital Blue Cross, visit www.capbluecross.com.

This column is sponsored by Capital Blue Cross.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Hamilton Health Center receives donation of CPR training kits to curb sudden infant deaths

March 1, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Hamilton Health Center

Local healthcare providers are taking the initiative to make sure that infants are safe when facing life-threatening situations.

Capital Blue Cross recently donated 150 infant CPR kits to Hamilton Health Center in Harrisburg with the hopes of preventing injury and death due to choking or suffocation.

“In the frightening event of an infant suffering from cardiac arrest or having an airway blocked, prompt recognition and immediate CPR are the keys to survival,” said Susan Hubley, Capital Blue Cross vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility. “That’s why we’re so thrilled to have provided these kits to Hamilton Health Center.”

Capital Blue Cross noted that according to the American Heart Association, out-of-hospital, sudden cardiac arrest affects more than 7,000 children a year. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia reports that it accounts for 10% to 15% of sudden infant deaths, they added.

Infant CPR kit. Photo courtesy of the American Heart Association.

The kits focus on teaching CPR and choking relief for infants, from newborn to 1 year old. They come with an infant CPR manikin, 22-minute training DVD, and two “Quick-Reference Skills Reminders.”

“Many times family members and loved ones feel helpless when they are faced with someone experiencing a life-threatening emergency,” said Hamilton Health Workforce Development Manager Melisa Burnett, who provides CPR certification training. “Providing the training and skills needed to help someone in distress increases the survival rate many times over, as well as helps the rescuer feel a sense of relief.”

Hamilton Health Center is located at 110 S. 17^th St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit their website.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like