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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL Houston Healthcare EMS earns first in campaign Collects 4,800 canned goods for needy families Special to the Journal Houston Healthcare’s Emergency Medical Services staff collected more than 4,800 canned goods this holiday season, finishing first place in the statewide Cans for Kids Campaign sponsored by the Region V Emergency Medical Services. The cans, according to a release, were collected at all Houston Healthcare facili ties through employee and public donations. The largest public dona tion - more than 400 cans in all - was made by Gilbane Building Company, the construction manage ment company overseeing the expansion currently going on on the Houston Medical Center campus in Warner Robins. According to Brenda Dale, EMT-P with Houston EMS, all of the collected canned goods were packed into food Is it food poisoning or the flu? Special to the Journal Each year, 76 million Americans contract food poi soning, affecting more people than the common cold. More than 300,000 require hospitalization and millions more end up in emergen cy departments or physi cian offices. Unfortunately, approximately 5,000 cases of food poisoning are fatal each year. There are a number of ways to prevent food poison ing from buying food to stor ing and preparing it. Tips for buying food include: 0 Never buy packages with tears or leaks. 0 Do not buy foods past their expiration date. 0 Do not buy produce that appears bruised or otherwise damaged. 0 Do not buy fresh-cut pro duce that has not been refrig erated or stored in ice. 0 Keep raw beef, pork and poultry separate from other foods. 0 Put refrigerated or fro zen items in the shopping cart last, just before check ing out. D If possible, store refriger ated or frozen items in insu lated bags until they can be refrigerated. 0 Bring cold foods home immediately. Tips for storing food include: 0 Always refrigerate perish able foods quickly. 0 Store eggs in their original carton in the coldest part of the refrigerator. D Cool large volumes of food in several small containers. D Do not store milk in the refrigerator door. 0 Do not let perishable food stand at room temperature for more than two hours. 0 Store meat on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator or in the back or in the freezer. 0 Make sure the refrig erator is set to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. The freezer should be set to zero degrees Fahrenheit. Tips for food prepara tion include: □ Wash hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water before and after cook ing. 0 Wash countertops and tables before and after cook ing. 0 Wash fruits and vegeta bles with cold running water Best Cooks In Perry! oreen derby WaoHiiHMK boxes and distributed to families in need throughout Houston County by Venture Crew 346, a new youth civic club in Houston County, as well as by Project Giving, a civic group that spon sors families for Christmas through the Houston County School System. For their efforts, Houston Healthcare EMS will receive a fully stocked Braslow®/ Hinkle pediatric bag and a TV/DVD combination unit for the ambulance fleet. The second place winner was Putnam County EMS with more than 1,500 canned goods. They also won a fully stocked Braslow®/Hinkle pediatric bag as well as a Brady Pediatric Prehospital Care Instructional Package. Jasper County EMS won third place with more than 800 canned goods. They won a pediatric pack and a jump bag. before cutting or eating, and remove any damaged areas before eating. □ When preparing both meat and vegetables, use separate cutting boards for each. 0 Defrost meats in the refrig erator or microwave and then cook immediately. □ When using a marinade for meat, it must be cooked before being placed on cooked meat. D Cook foods to appropriate temperature. □ Marinades used on raw meat or poultry should never be reapplied to cooked foods. 0 Never place cooked meats on dishes that previously head raw meats. 0 Use a clean produce brush to scrub fruit and vegeta bles. 0 Dry produce with a paper towel or clean cloth to reduce any additional bacteria. Tips for food safety while '* IT JL JLouston Healthcare’s Med-Stops offer care for your family’s minor illnesses and injuries on a walk-in basis when your regular doctor’s office is closed or when you don’t need the technical services of the Emergency Room. The Med-Stops are staffed by Board Certified Family Practice and Internal Medicine physicians working with nurses and medical technicians. Lab and x-ray services are available on-site. * Hwy. 127 and Moody Road 9884865 Open Mon - Sat 7 am - 6:30 pm 158002 -tt&ggaWHjr < .. • . - - ftmk ' , . .t ■ ri , i ujj • -'i'V'’ ' " * ' T ' 1 r f' * v Houston Healthcare Emergency Medical Services staff members stand next to the 4,800 canned goods they recently collected as part of the Cans for Kids Campaign. eating away from home (on picnics, car trips or sporting events) include: 0 When transporting food, make sure the cooler is clean and dry before adding food. 0 Keep foods well wrapped in plastic wrap or plastic con tainers. 0 Keep foods cold with a cooler, ice, ice packs or insu lated bags. 0 Place meats at the bottom of the cooler to prevent drips onto other foods. 0 Pack two coolers - one for food and another for bever ages. Q Store the cooler in the coolest part of the car and out of the sunlight. 0 Bring disposable hand wipes for cleaning if soap and water are not available. 0 Do not consume foods that have been left out in hot temperatures for more than a few hours. Urgent Care... when you need it. Houston Lake Med-Stop MIND * Pavilion Med-Stop N. Houston Road at Houston Mall 923-2843 Open Daily 8 am - 7:30 pm '■ •** r>om ruling you ran feel good about HRfarmattu® / in Hie nipt issue of the Ifouston Jtmw lour mat SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2007 ♦ Hilary Kate Ellwood, MD Board Certified, American Academy of Family Medicine Kimberley R. Ham, MD Board Certified, American Academy of Family Medicine Cynthia M. Jones, MD Board Certified, American Board of Family Medicine Gayatri Kamat, MD Board Certified, American Board of Internal Medicine Barbara A. Matthews, MD Board Certified, American Board of Family Medicine Jodie Velie, MD Board Eligible, American Board of Family Practice Ferial Walid, MD Board Certified, American Board of Family Medicine 9B Contributed 150606 : 50626