HJLR May/Jun 2019

40 MAY / JUN 2019  I  Healthcare Journal of little rock   Healthcare Briefs to make our employees and students feel whole and supported.” Cannady holds a master’s in education in phys- ical education from the University of Arkansas. She graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in 2005 with a bachelor’s in kinesiology with an emphasis in exercise science and minor in nutrition. Following her undergraduate education, Can- nady served as the fitness coordinator for the Baptist Health Fitness Center for nine years. She joined UAMS in November of 2014 to manage the UAMS Fitness Center. Cannady said she will build successes one day at a time. “I like to say, ‘start small, win big.’ Lit- tle changes in our day help manage stress – add- ing activity and making healthy food choices can help. We don’t have to make a bunch of changes all at once. We at UAMS will tackle it all, one piece at a time, and we will do it together.” ADH Issues PrivateWell Water Testing Guidance for Two Counties The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) is issuing private well water testing guidance for homeowners in Benton and Phillips counties. The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) works with public water systems to regulate drinking water. The ADH monitors public drink- ing water systems for contaminants and follows up with systems to address any issues that are detected in accordance with the Safe Drink- ing Water Act. A few public water systems that have well water as their source in both Benton and Phillips counties have had levels of cyanide detected in water that are slightly above federal drinking water limits. Those systems are taking appropriate follow-up actions. It is not uncom- mon to detect cyanide at low levels in some water sources. Out of an abundance of caution, the ADH is working to provide water testing guidance to pri- vate well water owners who are not on the pub- lic water systems in those areas. Private wells get their water from groundwater that eventually works its way through the soil and into the well. Even though private well owners are not regu- lated by the ADH and are responsible for testing their own well water, this guidance is being issued to inform private well owners that public drinking water sources in their area have had detectable levels of cyanide. The ADH is not able to deter- mine the source for these detections of cyanide. Private well owners should also be aware that pri- vate labs that test drinking water may not be test- ing for cyanide unless specifically asked to do so.  Guidance: 1.    Private wells should be checked every year for mechanical problems, cleanliness, and the presence of coliform bacteria, nitrates, and any other contaminants of concern. 2.    In addition to testing for usual contaminants, private well owners in Benton and Phillips coun- ties should consider testing well water for the presence of cyanide. 3.    Private labs are able to perform this testing for a fee. The ADH is also able to test private drinking water wells in these areas for the pres- ence of cyanide at no cost to the homeowner. 4.    If present in well water, cyanide can be removed by installation of home reverse osmo- sis treatment systems. It is expected that most home owners will not need to install treatment equipment. Testing for cyanide can determine if it is present, and if it is present in high enough concentration to warrant the purchase of treat- ment equipment. 5.    It is important for private well owners to know the Environmental Protection Agency has set a safe lifetime exposure level of cyanide in drink- ing water at 0.2 mg/L or 0.2 ppm. At or below this level, public health is protected. If a private homeowner wants ADH to test their well water for cyanide, they should contact the ADH at (501) 661-2171. Concerned individuals can also contact ADH by calling (501) 661-2623 or emailing  safewater@arkansas.gov  to ask ques- tions and receive additional guidance. UAMS-Led Stroke ProgramHelps Lower Arkansas to Seventh in Stroke Deaths among All States Arkansas recently fell from sixth to seventh place in the nation in the number of stroke deaths per capita, a huge improvement that health offi- cials credit in part to a statewide telemedicine program of stroke education and treatment led by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). Only four years ago, Arkansas was still ranked first in per capita stroke deaths based on data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The UAMS-led Arkansas Stroke Assistance through Virtual Emergency Support (AR SAVES) program provides 54 Arkansas hospitals with round-the-clock access to stroke neurologists who can quickly assess whether a stroke patient can be helped by a clot-busting drug— alteplase — that often restores complete function to the patient. AR SAVES is a part of the UAMS Institute for Digital Health and Innovation. “Through digital health technology at the insti- tute, UAMS knowledge and expertise in pro- grams like AR SAVES add value to the popu- lation in making these patient care decisions,” said UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, MD, MBA. “We can improve the lives of people in ways we couldn’t before and do it wherever they are. UAMS is training the future health care work force to use digital health, and the institute is coming up with new ways of caring for patients and keep- ing them healthy.” The AR SAVES program recently celebrated a milestone of having surpassed a total of 2,000 patients who have been treated with alteplase through its network of hospitals. The program also conducts statewide outreach to educate the public on how to recognize and get help fast for those having a stroke. AR SAVES uses a high-speed video commu- nications system that enables a stroke neurolo- gist to evaluate patients at partner hospitals that lack such specialists. Patients must be evaluated and treated within the critical four-and-a-half- hour period following the first signs of stroke. Since the program began Nov. 1, 2008, more Natalie Cannady, MEd