palmlake

by Palm Lake's Clinic Nurse Jean Drivas, RN

Special Health Notice from OCPS

With all the current news about Staph and MRSA (methycillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) infections in the news, Orange County Public School district would like to give you some important information about this bacteria, its causes and its treatment:

What is Staph?

Staph is a type of bacteria. It may cause skin infections that look like pimples or boils. Skin infections caused by Staph may be red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage.

Who gets staph infections?

Anyone can get a Staph infection. People are most likely to get a Staph infection if they have:

Skin-to skin contact with someone who has a Staph infection
Contact with items and surfaces that have Staph on them
Openings in their skin such as cuts or scrapes
Poor hygiene

How are Staph infections treated? Treatment for a Staph skin infection may include taking an antibiotic or having a doctor drain the infection.

How do we keep Staph infections from spreading?

Wash you hands often or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
Keep your cuts and scrapes clean and cover them with bandages
Do not touch other people’s cuts or bandages
Do not share personal items like towels, razors, or sports equipment

OCPS is encouraging students and staff to practice good hand-washing techniques and to wash their hands often. Custodians are doing their part to keep our schools clean. Please follow up at home as well, that all students can remain healthy and infection free. Thank you.

THE HEALTH CENTRAL FOUNDATION

The Foundation's goals are to:

provide Registered Nurses in the area schools to care for 34,000 children.
operate a free monthly children's medical clinic to ensure no child goes without treatment or a physician. More than 500 children have been seen by volunteer physicians, nurses and lay people.
provide a free children's dental clinic. The dental clinic was started in February of 2003. Many chronic health issues are related to lack of dental care.
ensure our elder's are not unnecessarily placed in long term care early by providing scholarships to Health Central Park's Adult Day Care Program.
provide families with support and relief when faced with end of life issues through the creation of a Family Room.
bring children and elders together to learn, love, and share their experiences with one another. This provides a *purpose* for our elders and a caring for many of our neglected children.
assist with the purchase of expensive medical technology and expansion of healthcare services.

The West Orange Healthcare District opened in 1952 This public hospital opened following a charter by the Florida Legislature to serve the rural community's surgical, maternity and general healthcare needs.

The District later established the area's first hospital-based ambulance service in 1966, obtained the long-term care facility that is now known as Health Central Park, in the late 1970s and opened the urgent care walk-in center Express Care in 1987.

Health Central's mission is to improve the health of our community . Our team of employees is truly people caring for people and strive to treat every person with the compassion and dignity they they deserve.

By 1990, the rapid growth of the West Orange Community demanded a larger facility and more advanced healthcare and in 1991, the District broke ground on Health Central.

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