Grundy County Memorial Hospital | Live Well | Spring 2018

Specialty Clinic Visiting Specialists Audiology Seema Arab, AuD Cardiology and Echocardiogram Kalyana Sundaram, MD Kari Haislet, DNP Abbie Schrader, ARNP Dermatology Angela Buttjer, PA-C Ear, Nose and Throat/Skin Cancer David J Congdon, MD, MPH, FACS Tricia Thompson, ARNP Gastroenterology/Hepatology Srinivas Kalala, MD Tracy Elliott, ARNP General Surgery/Colonoscopy Paul Burgett, MD, FACS Nephrology T. Michel Daoud, MD Vinay K. Kantamneni, MD Oncology Community Cancer Center Ophthalmology Benjamin Mason, MD Theresa Larson, MD Orthopedics Robert B. Bartelt, MD Podiatry Stephen Solomon, DPM Psychiatric Social Work and NP Debra Estes, LISW Kelsie Swisher, ARNP GCMH Services Anti-Coagulation Ariel Loring, PharmD Andrew Washburn, PharmD GCMH Orthopedics Douglas Cooper, MD Pain Management J. Craig Vana, CRNA, ARNP Sleep Disorders GCMH Sleep Service Wound Healing Amanda Vervaecke, ARNP CALL Call 319-824-5081 or 888-824-5081 for scheduling information. The summer sun gives us a great reason to be outdoors, enjoying favorite pastimes from biking to gardening to golf. But the summer sun and your increased time outdoors comes with a word of caution. Physician’s assistant Angela Buttjer, PA-C, of Dermatology Associates, P.C., recommends taking steps to protect yourself from the sun’s damaging rays, which can increase your risk of all forms of skin cancer (including melanoma, the deadliest kind), age you prema- turely, and damage your eyes. Buttjer sees patients on Thursdays during the Dermatology Clinic in the Grundy County Memorial Hospital (GCMH) Specialty Clinic. “Although we have good treatments available for sun-damaged skin, nothing can replace good preventive medicine,” she says. She advises moderation when it comes to sun exposure: 1 Avoid sunburns and tans. If you desire a tan for cosmetic reasons, a spray-on tan is much safer than a tan from the sun or a tanning bed. Accord- ing to the Skin Cancer Foundation, a single indoor tanning session increases a user’s chances of developing mela- noma by 20 percent. 2 Use sunscreen routinely. Put it on all of your exposed skin, even on cloudy days. Use a water-resistant, broad- spectrum sunscreen—it will reduce your exposure to both UVA and UVB rays— with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30. Rub in a generous amount, and reapply it at least every two hours and also after swimming or sweating. 3 Cover up. Even if you use sunscreen properly, some rays will still penetrate your skin. So cover up exposed areas, and wear a hat, which provides protec- tion to your face, ears, and the back of your neck. Buttjer says she especially likes the sun-protective clothing, such as swim shirts, for children. 4 Try to avoid the midday sun. If pos- sible, head indoors or find someplace shady to hang out between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. GCMH D E RMATO LOGY C L I N I C Must-do’s for sun safety Angela Buttjer, PA-C The Dermatology Clinic is available each Thursday in the Specialty Clinic, and specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin conditions. Protecting your skin from the sun’s damaging rays this summer should be an everyday effort. 5