The Great People We Meet

A while back my 4-year old daughter and I were enjoying a day of skiing at Powderhorn. During lunch we were sitting at a communal table and started talking with two women. They were a mother and daughter who had moved to Grand Junction for health reasons several years ago. In true small-world, smaller-town fashion, we discovered that we live in the same neighborhood and I had seen the older woman’s sister some years ago for a diabetes education class.

They shared with me an interesting story of how they had transitioned through different physicians, clinics, and hospitals through their time in the valley. It turns out now they are both recipients of services here at our own Community Hospital. When I told them I work at Community Hospital, they became quite animated and had lots of positive things to say including a comment from the mother about how great the people are that work at Community Hospital. I agreed with her as we continued our conversation. Eventually, we went our separate ways, but her great people comment stuck with me.

Later that same evening, we attended the Moonlight Ski and Campfire event on the Mesa at the Skyway cross-country ski area. Many people on the Community Hospital wellness committee spent lots of time to organize this event. There was an excellent turnout with over 20 employees plus family and friends present.

One person that stands out in my mind is a quintessential cowboy and gentleman named Spurs. Yup, Spurs. He is the friend of a Community Hospital employee who attended the event. Spurs arrived with a flat bad pick-up truck loaded with logs; enough for a week’s worth of fires. Before long he had built a roaring fire, around which many of us huddled. During the evening, he conversed with my young daughter, deftly wielded an axe to cut firewood, and stopped an errant log from escaping the confines of the fire.

As I was leaving a bit earlier than everyone else, I asked Spurs if he would see that my camping table was returned to me. Two days later to my surprise, not only was the table returned, but a long-broken fastening strap had been repaired. What a great guy.

0 comments - Posted by Ray Jensen at 10:54 AM - Categories:

Groundhog Day

There is likely more folklore surrounding the weather than any other aspect of daily life. The width of the center band on the wooly caterpillar predicts the severity of the coming winter. A green Christmas means a white Easter. The weather of each of twelve days of Christmas predicts the weather for the corresponding month in the coming year. Surely you have your own favorites.

My grandfather was a dairy farmer, completely dependent on the weather for his livelihood. He listened to the National Weather Service forecast every day; but he also consulted the Old Farmer's Almanac.

As a Pennsylvanian, the dearest folklore has to be Punxsatawney Phil, the groundhog whose interest in his shadow attracts media coverage from around the world. If the day is sunny, Phil sees his shadow indicating six more weeks of winter. If cloudy, spring is on its way.

According to the Official Website of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, Phil will be texting his forecast this year.

The best thing going for Phil is that by the time spring arrives, we have long forgotten if he saw his shadow or not.

1 comments - Posted by Steve Rauch at 1:29 PM - Categories:

Reflections on Luck

Like our CEO Chris Thomas this is my first attempt delving into the blogosphere. Well sure, I’ve read some friend’s blogs but never posted anything. As it says in my intro, I am a Registered Dietitian and Diabetes Educator. I spend a good part of my professional life talking about food and its relationship to our health. As I pondered a topic for my first posting, I could not take my mind far from the tragedy in Haiti.

If we read the paper, go online, or watch the television news we are inundated with mind boggling statistics of death, destruction, and rampant human suffering. Local people, as well of the rest of the country have responded with great empathy and efforts to help the people of this impoverished island nation. The politics and history of Haiti’s existence is best left for others to discuss, however there are a few thoughts I’d like to share.

It’s said that two-thirds of Haiti’s population lives on less than 1 U.S. dollar per day. As I went through the cafeteria line here today and electronically charged my $6 meal to a payroll deduction, I thought to myself, “Wow, I am lucky!” Now I know that on-site cafeteria with payroll deduction may in itself seem like extra luxury, but the truth is for most of us, we live in a world of relative abundance in terms of food. Food advertisements often tout a value or savings menu of items for a mere $1. In Haiti, that’s a day’s work. My lunch today - 6 days work. I truly am blessed.

If we got up today brushed our teeth, took a shower and flushed the toilet we used more fresh water than a typical Haitian has access to on a normal day, pre-earthquake. With the current catastrophe it is known that thousands more will parish due to lack of access to drinking water or from diseases associated with contaminated water. Going to bed hungry is one thing, but going for days completely without water is unimaginable. As the United States and much of the world airlifts water and food to the people of Haiti, again I am reminded of my good fortune as I fill my water bottle daily.

Some things we say become cliché because they are, for the most part, true. Working in healthcare, we need not look far to find others less fortunate. I think most would agree that despite all the negatives in our lives, the truth is we have it pretty good. One thing we must never take for granted is our health. Please join me in recognizing our own personal good fortune, and if you’re so inclined, say a prayer for people suffering throughout our country and throughout the world; and especially the people of Haiti.

Be well, Ray

1 comments - Posted by Ray Jensen at 2:30 PM - Categories:

Community Hospital on Tom Brokaw Series

0 comments - Posted by Administrator at 9:54 AM - Categories:

Why I Ride

0 comments - Posted by Administrator at 12:29 PM - Categories:

A Healthy Community Takes a Village

1 comments - Posted by Chris Thomas at 11:05 AM - Categories: