MINUTECLINIC ® CVS PHARMACY Walk in medical clinic inside select CVS Pharmacies, the Minute Clinic provides convenient healthcare to all patients 18 months and older. Open 7 days a week with no appointment necessary. Most insurance accepted. Our Nurse Practitioners provides a wide variety of services including minor illness and injury exams, skin conditions, vaccinations, health conditions monitoring, wellness and physical exams. Visit minuteclinic.com for details. 474 2 INDI A N S CHOOL ROA D • 8 6 6 -3 8 9 -A S A P (2 7 2 7 ) CENTER EDGE – BRAIN GYM® CONSULTING Now accepting clients of any age who would like to quickly and easily improve reading, comprehension, focus, organization, math, test taking, physical coordination, behavior issues, relationships, & more. Explore what improved “brain organization” can do for your child - or for you! Sessions facilitated by Kathy Brown, M.Ed., Licensed Brain Gym® Instructor, and author of Educate Your Brain. In practice in Arcadia for 17 years. centeredge.com. W W W.CEN T EREDGE .COM • 6 0 2 .9 52 .7 0 0 1 NEXTCARE URGENT CARE - ARCADIA Finding quality healthcare that you can trust is important to you. At NextCare Urgent Care, we take that to heart, making sure you, your family, and your community are well-cared for. Daytime, evenings, weekends and holidays, NextCare Arcadia is here for you when you need quality healthcare from a compassionate, caring staff. NextCare Urgent Care – when feeling great can’t wait. Visit www.nextcare.com for hours and additional location information. 47 3 0 E . INDI A N S CHOOL RD. # 211 • 8 7 7- 617- 418 6 KOALA CENTER FOR SLEEP DISORDERS Koala Center for Sleep Disorders provides the Oral Appliance solution to the Medical Condition of Sleep Apnea. Dr. Hamann and Dr. Aftahi have nearly 50 years combined experience in dentistry and advanced training in the treatment of sleep disorders. They provide comfortable treatment options for patients who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, snoring, and temporomandibular joint disorder using non-invasive oral appliance therapy. koalasleepcenters.com/phoenix-biltmore . 4 2 3 5 N 3 2ND S T #A • 6 0 2-3 57- 9 8 4 5 Promote your business with a listing in the November Health & Wellness page. Contact Roni Mier at 602-840-6379 or roni@arcadianews.com for more information. Page 52 September 2015 By Michelle Donati-Grayman Attention: If you ever ride in a vehicle with a child, this column is for you. Car crashes are the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 13, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In Arizona, 9,744 children younger than 5 involved in motor vehicle collisions were uninjured in 2012 as a result of being properly secured in a child safety seat. That’s proof that using proper child restraint systems work. “Arizona has become a slightly safer place for child passengers, especially since the state’s child passenger safety law was expanded three years ago to include older child occupants,” said Linda Gorman, director of communications and public affairs for AAA Arizona. “Yet, many child passengers are still at risk as the majority of car seats – three out of four – are installed incorrectly.” Child Passenger Safety Week (September 13-19) is a good time to remind Arizonans about the importance of protecting our most precious cargo. In honor of this week, safety advocate AAA would like to give parents and caregivers the lowdown about child occupant protection: CAR SEATS Children up to at least age 2 must ride in a rear-facing car seat. Car seats installed in the center of the back seat – whether front- or rear-facing – are the safest. Even after they turn 2, children should remain rear-facing until they reach the top height or weight limit allowed by the seat’s manufacturer. Once they outgrow the rear-facing seat, they’re ready to transition to a forward-facing seat with a harness. BOOSTER SEATS Using a booster seat is 60 percent safer for kids than being restrained by a seat belt alone. When children in Arizona turn 5, they can start using a booster seat. Per state law, children must remain in a booster or child safety seat until age 8 or until the child is taller than 4 feet 9 inches. Keep children in booster seats until they’re big enough to fit properly in a seat belt. For a proper seat belt fit, the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face. SEAT BELTS According to the Centers for Disease Control, seat belts reduce serious crash- related injuries and deaths by about 50 percent. All drivers and front-seat passengers must wear seat belts in Arizona. Kids younger than 13 should ride in the back seat with seat belts on because that’s where they’re safest. When purchasing a car seat or booster seat, make sure to mail in its registration card so you will be notified of any recalls. Never buy a used car seat or booster seat, because the history often isn’t known, and car seats expire after six years. You can find the expiration date stamped on the seat. “Having the proper equipment is only half the battle – it’s important to use it properly for safety’s sake,” said Gorman. If you want to make sure your child’s car seat is properly installed, contact a certified car seat technician. On September 19, National Seat Check Saturday, AAA and Safe Kids Arizona are hosting a free car seat check event at the AAA Chandler office, which is located off of Ray Road and McClintock Drive. For more information on the event, or to make an appointment with AAA’s certified car seat technician, call 602-241-2945. — Michelle Donati-Grayman is an Arcadia resident who works for AAA Arizona. Child passenger safety tips The proper use of a car seat can reduce a child’s fatal crash risk by 71 percent. Make sure your seat is installed properly.

KACHINA Quality Dry Cleaning 602-955-5540 3926 E. Indian School Road Arcadia Family Owned & Operated Since 1959 Home & Office Pickup & Delivery Available salon SANDOVAL 3703 east indian school ❙ phoenix, az 85018 ❙ 602.957.9910 www.salonsandoval.com Check out the salon’s reviews on and H A P P Y H O U R B L O W D R Y ❰ B L O W O U T ❰ W A S H I N C L U D E D ❰ S A N D O V A L S A N G R I A $ 35 Tuesdays and Thursdays 3 – 6 pm Bring your girlfriends and enjoy a blowout that will get you ready for the weekend. One drink per client with select stylist. Blog: salonsandoval.wordpress.com @salon_sandoval Page 53 September 2015 By Alessandra Dagirmanjian Knowing which hospital to go to or send a loved one to can be difficult, and often health care statistics and rankings can be difficult to understand. Fortunately, though, Phoenix and Scottsdale residents can rest easy knowing that BetterDoctor recently ranked the Mayo Clinic 13th in the United States in a recent study on readmission numbers, complications and deaths. BetterDoctor is an online tool to help consumers find and evaluate doctors through comprehensive data, with the goal of creating transparency for consumers seeking health care options. In a recent study based on data provided by Medicare, BetterDoctor analyzed 4,500 United States hospitals based on 19 different categories. They rewarded hospitals with one point if they performed better than the national average, no points if they were the same, and one negative point if they were below the average. As BetterDoctor Health Care Analyst Andrea D’Eramo explains, there were only a few outliers either below or above the national average and the Mayo Clinic performed above the national average in five categories, including cuts and tears from medical treatments, rate of readmissions after discharge, and rate of general serious complications. “Mayo Clinic hospital in Phoenix did really well across five categories, which is very impressive. Most hospitals excelled in one or two categories, but not five. So that is definitely something to be proud of,” said D’Eramo. While the study is important for consumers, it is also crucial information for hospitals – especially for outliers below the national average whose administrations may need to strengthen their level of communication. If a hospital has high readmission rates, which Medicare defines as an unplanned return to the hospital within 30 days, they may face the possibility of financial penalties under the Affordable Care Act. Mayo Clinic’s results demonstrate what D’Eramo described as “a positive culture of communication” in which physicians, nurses and administration work together towards lower readmission rates and ultimately, better patient care. Professor of Neurosurgery at the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Richard Zimmerman explained how the Mayo Clinic creates this positive culture. “All of our quality care and process improvement is done with the team approach. We have physicians and nurses, physicians and administrators, and nurses and administrators all working together,” said Zimmerman. While the care a patient receives during surgery is crucial, the care they receive after leaving the hospital is just as important. By assessing the readmission risk of each patient and identifying those patients with a higher risk of readmission, the Mayo Clinic can take concrete steps to keep them healthy after surgery and ensure low readmission rates. All high-risk patients receive a phone call three days after they are discharged, as well as a mandatory home visit after five days. Additionally, the Mayo Clinic analyzes 100 percent of its readmissions, in an effort to improve and prevent any mistakes in instructions or follow up from reoccurring. “Because of the team structure at Mayo Clinic, we are able to focus on improvement and we do not have to worry about judgment. The simple question is, what can we do to prevent this from happening again?” said Zimmerman. Through its careful analysis of readmissions; thorough post-surgery care; and a strong community of doctors, nurses and administration, Zimmerman predicts a sustainable future for the Mayo Clinic. BetterDoctor’s ranking of the Mayo Clinic confirms the hospital’s high-quality care and offers promising statistics to prospective patients so that they may rest easy knowing they are in capable hands. Better Doctors’ recent ranking puts Mayo Clinic as 13th in the US Using the BetterDoctor website can help patients find the best doctor or hospital for their needs.