Newsworthy

Dear Community Partners,

Here are today’s updates:

• We Can Do Better
• “To Your Health” on WIBW-TV Tonight

We Can Do Better

Our hearts ache.

Last week, 19 children and two teachers were fatally shot in their classroom in a Texas elementary school.

Then yesterday afternoon, four people were killed by a gunman at a Tulsa medical building, where multiple more were injured before the suspect died of a self-inflicted wound.

The senseless suffering. The devaluing of human life.

Schools and hospitals are supposed to be safe places. Places where children go to learn and to be nurtured; where people go to be cared for and to be healed. Not places for weapons and deadly shootings.

Guns are a polarizing issue. We know the situation is complex and involves more than just weapons – but they are at the core. For the children and loved ones in your life, gun owners and enthusiasts need to take a stand about gun safety and gun access. Politicians need to join together – regardless of party affiliation – and tighten policies and laws to keep guns out of the hands of those who will potentially do harm.

We can’t ban guns. We can’t ban gun shows. However, we can strengthen registration and checkpoints for access. We can promote gun safety. This includes responsible firearm ownership, safe firearm storage, gun safety courses and more.

Stormont Vail’s Trauma program provides information to our community about firearm safety and distributes free gun locks to ensure firearms are safely stored. Upcoming events where our

Trauma team will provide the cable locks are:

• Friday, June 17, at the Dr. Charles R. Drew Memorial Blood Drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hillcrest Community Center. Our Mobile Clinic will also be open for tours at the event and educational health materials will be available.
• Saturday, June 18, at Walk with a Doc event on the east side of Washburn University, 9 a.m.
• Saturday, June 25, at Pridefest in NOTO at the Shawnee County Suicide Coalition booth.

In addition, gun locks are available at the monthly Safe Kids Car Seat Check Lane events and the Stop the Bleed trainings our Trauma team conducts. The Stop the Bleed program teaches how to control bleeding in an emergency situation, saving your life or the life of a loved one. This 60- to 90-minute class teaches you how to recognize life-threatening bleeding, use a tourniquet or apply pressure until emergency medical professionals get to you.

Upcoming Stop the Bleed courses are 6 to 7:30 p.m. June 9, and 9 to 10:30 a.m. June 11 in Stormont Vail’s Pozez Education Center. To register for the free class, please go to Trauma Prevention’s Classes and Events page, where information is also available about upcoming Safe Kids Car Check Lane events.

For more information or to arrange a Stop the Bleed class for an outside organization, please contact Stormont Vail Health’s Injury Prevention Coordinator at (785) 354-5428 or email [email protected].

 “To Your Health” on WIBW-TV Tonight: Pharmacist Maia Ray

Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, is a medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration to reverse opioid overdose. It only works if a person has opiates in their system. The state of Kansas allows pharmacists to dispense naloxone at their discretion, pursuant to a statewide protocol. Learn more about this from Stormont Vail Retail pharmacist Maia Ray on tonight’s “To Your Health” segment at 10 p.m. on WIBW-TV, Channel 13. The segment will typically repeat at 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. Fridays on 13 News This Morning and be posted on wibw.com.

We together,
Dr. Kenagy