Clinton County Spring celebration
a courtesy album
Clinton Substance Awareness & Prevention Coalition to celebrate our helpers in Clinton County at Rotary Park. They had 80 folks from various human service groups connect, award, and eat. They would like to thank their friends at the Clinton County Building Stronger Communities Council and Clinton County Child Abuse and Neglect Council for joining them in putting on this collaborative event.
A big helping hand from SJ Call-In Coalition, Caring and Sharing Family Life Services, Clinton County Juvenile Court, Mid Michigan District Health Department, Community Mental Health Authority of Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties, and Eaton RESA rounded out the list of collaborators.
Clinton County Commissioner Dwight Washington gave the keynote, and they awarded 3 Champions for Children Winners. Big thanks to Spun Confection for the Americana Cotton Candy.
Sparrow Clinton Hospital awards scholarships
Sparrow Clinton Hospital, on behalf of the Merten and Geraldine Whyman Health Careers Scholarship Fund, has awarded $2,000 scholarships to five Clinton County students pursuing education in a health-related field.
The scholarships are being awarded with the hope of supporting the graduates in achieving their goals and, in turn, encouraging them to assist Sparrow Clinton’s highly skilled caregivers in their efforts to provide leading-edge and compassionate care, close to home.
The Merten and Geraldine Whyman Health Careers Scholarship Fund, an endowment established in 1986, provides annual scholarships to Clinton County residents for education in a health-related field. The fund has grown thanks to additional contributions by community members. To date, 336 students have received Whyman scholarships, representing a total education investment of more than $385,600.
2023 Whyman Scholarship recipients are:
· Taylor Bierstetel, of Westphalia; Nursing at Davenport University.
– Erik Keisling, of DeWitt; Biology at Hope College.
– Faith Lutz, of DeWitt; Biomedical Science at Grand Valley State University.
– Zachary Pierson, of St. Johns; Pre-Medicine at Grand Valley State University.
– Lauren Schafer, of Fowler; Exercise Science at Grand Valley State University.
For more information on Sparrow Clinton Hospital go to Sparrow.org/Clinton.
Always happy to go to work
Advocate Sophie of The Voice for Clinton County’s Children is proud to be Clinton County’s first Canine Advocate. She is happy to be at work on court days.
“It is funny to me how happy she always is when we pull into the parking lot of the courthouse,” says program director Kelly Schafer.
SJPS holds Senior Awards Night
Members of the Class of 2023 were honored at the Senior Awards Night held on 5/31 in the St. Johns High School Auditorium. In addition to honoring graduates, awards night celebrates the legacy and memory of several other members of the St. Johns Community.
Senior Scholars: Vanessa Bailey, Allie Brown, Jessi Burgess, Jordyn Chant, John DeLison, Nicholas Doerr, Tyler Dohm, Alexa Dubois, Mayalin Faloon, Georgia Fromson, Lily Gifford, Lyric Hein, Jenna Heyer, Delaney Hutton, Christopher Kaufmann, Jamison Kotowicz, Samantha LaFleur, Caleb Longoria, Grace Lounds, Andrew Mansfield, Fynn Matice, Aaron Medina, Mallory Morrison, Karsyn Near, Mitchell O’Malley, Caden Ojibway, Joshua Pages, Emma Parsons, Treyven Peters, Zachary Pierson, Carson Pieters, Breanna Pifer, Ethan Pollak, Chloe Puetz, Emily Robbins, Charley Russell, Laura Schloegl, Jayci Simon, Josie Stehlik, Anna Thornburgh, River Toepler, Emily VanElls, Garrett Walter, Tyler Weber, Isabelle Wicker, Sidney Zelenka
HIFCM celebrates June Nurse Aide grads
Congratulations to Hazel Findlay Country Manor’s June Nurse Aide Training Program graduates.
If you are interested in attending the next program, check out the website at hazelfindlay.com and click on Job Openings.
Remember When – CMH names Healthcare Hero in 2009
St. Johns resident Janet Pline, RN, a 28-year Associate, has been named the Clinton Memorial Hospital’s January/February Healthcare Hero.
This prestigious award is presented only six times a year. Healthcare Heroes are nominated by their peers based on criteria defined in the Sparrow Health System Pillars of Excellence, which include people, service, resources, quality and growth.
Pline, a Registered Nurse with the CMH Surgical Services Department, was nominated for her outstanding work with nursing policies and procedures as well as her exceptional supervisory skills and dedication to service.
“Janet has served our hospital well for many years,” said Cathy Hallead, Clinton Memorial Hospital Vice President of Patient Services. “Her unique nursing skills and calming persona provide comfort and care for surgical patients. She is the backbone of our Nursing Policy and Procedure Committee, and because of her strong commitment to her peers, the nurses at Clinton Memorial are more at ease with their jobs, knowing their resources are up to date.”
A graduate of the St. Joseph School of Nursing in Flint, Pline began her nursing career in the Labor and Delivery Department, spending the bulk of her time in Obstetrics and Gynecology before moving to surgical nursing nine years ago. She drew on her extensive experience in OB for 25 years, teaching prenatal classes at Clinton Memorial Hospital.
Pline’s hobbies include snowmobiling, golfing, motorcycling, gardening, playing cards, traveling and spending time with her grandsons, Keegan and Riley.
She and her husband, Roy, have three daughters, Kristin, Kathy and Lisa, and one son, Mike.
Maralyn’s Pet Corner – The Dangers of High Protein Dog Foods
-courtesy of Ashley Gallagher, DVM
Choosing what to feed your dog can be an overwhelming decision. Pet food stores are packed with row after row of different brands of food all containing clever marketing slogans to convince you they are the best for your dog. Many of these dog foods boast about containing extremely high levels of protein that claim to satisfy your dog’s instinctual need for meat as well as make them healthier and live longer.
Are Dogs Carnivores?
Marketing tactics by some pet food companies have fueled a common misconception among pet owners that dogs are obligate carnivores and require a diet that consists mostly of meat. This is not true. Dogs, like people, are omnivores and do best with a balanced diet of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Excessive protein consumption is unnecessary for dogs at best and for some dogs with medical conditions can actually be harmful.
Proteins are the building blocks of the body and an absolute necessity for daily function. However, when a dog consumes too much protein in a meal it cannot all be utilized at one time, nor can it be stored for later. The body will then excrete the excess protein through the kidneys and out of the body via urine. Thus the quality of the protein actually becomes more important that than actual amount as a high quality protein is more bioavailable and can be better absorbed by the body.
Another issue is that the meat in these diets acting as the protein source contains other nutrients that you do not want in excessive amounts. For example, when a diet is mostly meat it becomes very difficult to maintain a proper calcium-phosphorus ratio. When this ratio is out of balance disruptions in bone growth or kidney damage can occur. Well formulated dog foods have an appropriate balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrates to prevent this from happening.
Is Excessive Protein in Dog Food Bad for My Pet?
Protein is a calorie dense nutrient and many of the high protein diets are extremely high in calories and can quickly lead to weight gain. With over 50% of dogs in the U.S. considered overweight or obese, dog owners need to be aware of where those extra calories are hiding. If a dog has kidney or liver issues consuming too much protein can increase the workload on these organs and upset the balance of nutrients leading to exacerbation of disease.
Rather than look for a dog food that contains excessive levels of protein you should find one that is specifically formulated for your dog’s lifestyle, life stage, and size. A working sled dog, for example, will have significantly different nutrient and caloric requirements than the average pet dog that ventures outside for a few walks a day and spends the rest of the time lounging. These two dogs should not be fed the same diet.
Puppies, meanwhile, require more protein than adult dogs because their bodies are busy growing. Among breeds of puppies there are different requirements for nutrients as well. For instance large breed puppies like Labrador retrievers need a much different diet than a Yorkie for optimal growth. Feeding large breed puppies something that is too high in protein may make them put on weight too quickly causing abnormal joint development and making them more prone to issues like arthritis in the future.
The safest diets are those that have been developed by pet food companies that invest in scientific research, consult with veterinary nutritionists, and perform feeding trials to develop their diets. This will provide a pet food that is properly balanced without any excess nutrients that are unnecessary and in some cases harmful for your dog.