01/30/2012 Press Release: February 3 is Give Kids a Smile Day – Free Dental Appointments Available Locally

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 30, 2012

Contact:

Eileen Fernandes

Greater Monadnock Public Health Network Coordinator

Office: 603-354-5454 Ext. 2130

Email: efernandes@cheshire-med.com   

February 3 is Give Kids a Smile Day – Free Dental Appointments Available Locally

KEENE, NH, 01/30/12 — Friday February 3 is Give Kids a Smile Day! Free dental appointments are available for children ages 3 – 18 who are Cheshire County residents. Parents can call 603-762-3770 or email givekidsasmileday@yahoo.com to sign up their child for a free dental appointment. Parents must accompany their children to their dental appointment. This event is supported locally by dentists and dental hygienists in Cheshire County, and is sponsored by the Dental Public Health Task Force and the Monadnock Dental Society.

Give Kids a Smile Day is a program sponsored by the American Dental Association (ADA). According to the ADA website, “Each year on the first Friday in February, thousands of the nation’s dentists and their dental team members provide free oral health care services to children from low-income families across the country.” (Source: http://www.ada.org/givekidsasmile.aspx ) This year marks the tenth anniversary of the nation-wide program.

For more information contact Eileen Fernandes at efernandes@cheshire-med.com or 603-354-5454 Ext. 2130.

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Press Release from Monadnock Community Hospital: MCH Resumes Normal Operations Following Decrease in Gastrointestinal Cases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE           

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Phil McFarland

Manager Marketing & Communications

Monadnock Community Hospital

(603) 924-4653 phone

Philip.McFarland@mchmail.org

MCH Resumes Normal Operations

Following Decrease in Gastrointestinal Cases

Peterborough – Monadnock Community Hospital has resumed normal operations as of Wednesday, 1/25/12 following a decrease in reported cases of gastrointestinal illness by patients and employees. All entryways to the facility are once again open. For the previous 48 hours, MCH had limited the available entrances to the facility in order to greet and educate the public on proper hand hygiene and the use of facemasks within the facility. An initial report of cases with gastrointestinal symptoms had led to that decision on Sunday, 1/22/12.

“The reported cases of patients and staff with gastrointestinal symptoms have stabilized and decreased,” notes Phil Vuocolo, MD, Chief Medical Officer at MCH. “We will continue to remind visitors about the importance of hand hygiene for the next 24 hours however, all entrances into the facility are again open and business operations are continuing normally. Staff at the hospital will continue to use standard precautions as well as facemasks in clinical areas when treating patients and we will continue to carefully monitor the situation.”

Visitors entering MCH always have the choice of using a facemask if they choose. Those supplies will continue to be made available, per usual.  All scheduled appointments are expected to occur.

Monadnock Community Hospital is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital offering medical, surgical and Intensive Care; Obstetrics; Pediatrics; and Mental Health services. In addition, a wide variety of outpatient services are available, including Pulmonary, Cardiac and Physical Rehabilitation; 24-hour Emergency Care; a fully equipped laboratory; and an extensive Radiology department. MCH is blessed with strong leadership and a dedicated medical community that allows us to meet the ever-changing requirements of today's healthcare environment. As that environment changes, MCH is also committed to changing and providing the communities we serve with appropriate and innovative program.

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