Month: March 2019

A blister on the nose isn’t necessarily a small thing

If you happen to see a blister on the tip of your nose, get yourself to the doctor right away. It could be shingles, and it could cost you your sight, according to doctors at the University of Kansas Hospital.

If you’ve never had shingles, consider yourself lucky. Those who have say it’s one of the most painful experiences of their lives.

Shingles involves pain, itching, or tingling of the skin, with a painful rash of blister-like sores, usually on one side of the body, often on the torso or face. Nearly 1 in 3 people in the U.S. will develop shingles, according to the CDC. Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox — varicella zoster virus.

After people recover from chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in the body and can reactivate many years later, leading to shingles. Nearly all Americans born before 1980 have had chickenpox, the CDC says. Besides the rash, there can be headache, chills, fever and upset stomach. About 10 percent of those who get shingles have persistent nerve pain for months or even years after being affected.

The good news is there’s a new vaccine for anyone 50 or older that can prevent shingles.

Dr. Dan Aires, head of dermatology at The University of Kansas Health System, described shingles and how it occurs. He also explained the differences between the old and new vaccines, and how the new two-shot vaccine regimen raises the effectiveness from about 50 percent with the old vaccine to 90 percent with the new.

He also warned that a blister on the tip of the nose is a medical emergency, it could be a sign the virus may be invading the area around the eyes, leading to blindness.

For more information on this topic, visit http://www.medicalnewsnetwork.org/NewsNetwork/DocTalk/S/Why%20a%20Blister%20on%20The%20Tip%20of%20Your%20Nose%20is%20a%20Medical%20Emergency.

Measles cases on the rise

Back in 2010, the measles was considered eliminated in the United States. But the disease is making a comeback, and the consequences could be dire for some children.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed 228 cases of measles in 12 states so far this year, on track to be a record-breaking year. The cases are linked to unvaccinated American travelers bringing measles back into the U.S. from other countries where large measles outbreaks are occurring, such as Israel and Ukraine, the CDC said.

Public health officials blame the outbreaks on more and more families choosing not to have their children vaccinated because of a spread of misinformation online and on social media about the risks and effectiveness of vaccines. The CDC considers the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, to be safe and effective.

Dr. Dana Hawkinson is an infectious disease specialist at The University of Kansas Health System. He recently discussed the dangers of the measles, which in some cases can include pneumonia, spinal cord infection and even death.

He described the symptoms of the disease, and how the number of cases has risen tenfold in the past decade. He said the vaccine has been proven safe and effective after decades of use.
For more information on measles, visit http://www.medicalnewsnetwork.org/NewsNetwork/DocTalk/M/Measles%20Cases%20on%20the%20Rise

  • Information from University of Kansas Hospital

2019 Mid-America Education Hall of Fame honorees announced

by Kelly Rogge, KCKCC

The Kansas City Kansas Community College Foundation has announced the award winners who will be recognized at this year’s Mid-America Education Hall of Fame Awards and Scholarship Event.

The event is from 6 to 10 p.m. April 27 at the Dr. Thomas R. Burke Technical Education Center. Individual tickets are $100 and can be purchased from the foundation’s website at http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07eftlafizc98cbdb2&llr=jfwtcnmab.

In addition, there are still a variety of sponsorship opportunities available ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. Visit www.kckcc.edu/foundation/events/hall-of-fame/sponsorship.html for more information on becoming a sponsor of the hall of fame event.

“The KCKCC Foundation is privileged to honor the 2019 hall of fame inductees. Their dedication to strengthening our community through innovation, creativity and quality education is commendable and deserving of recognition,” Mary Ricketts, chair of the KCKCC Foundation, said. “Scholarship proceeds from this year’s event are critical to our mission. The funds help remove financial barriers so that qualified students can pursue their academic dreams.”

The Mid-America Education Hall of Fame started in 1996 as a way to recognize individuals, organizations and corporate supporters in the community who have made notable contributions to education. Hall of Fame inductees are selected based on a demonstrated commitment to education, their effort to improve the quality of life in the community through a commitment to education, increasing educational opportunities for others and supporting significant changes that have improved the quality of education.

The 2019 honorees:

• Leon Brady. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Brady enlisted in the U.S. Air Force at just 17 years old, attending the Air Force Schools of Music. After performing around the country, he attended Tennessee State University where he earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree. Drawn to Kansas City because of the jazz music scene, Brady moved to the metro in the late 1950s and became a band and orchestra director at two schools in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1966, he became the instrumental music instructor at Sumner High School in Kansas City, Kansas. During his time there, his students had the opportunity to perform with musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach and Grover Washington, among others and perform all over the world in places such as the Sugar Bowl and Paris, France where they participated in the International Jazz Festival. He currently owns and operates Brady & Sons Music Co. and still provides instruction to percussion students through the Brady Percussion Academy.

• Rebecca Dukstein. Dukstein earned a Master of Science degree in Education in Counseling Psychology from the University of Kansas. She has served as the associate director and now director of the KU TRIO Talent Search Program since 1994. The program is a free college access program administered by the University of Kansas and funded through the U.S. Department of Education. In addition, she is a former instructor of academic strategies at KCKCC and the coordinator of KCKCC’s “YES Scholars” Scholarship Program. She has spent countless hours to provide academic, career, college and personal guidance to middle and high school students in Wyandotte County and strives to help every student reach their academic and college dreams.

• Dr. Jacqueline Vietti. Vietti graduated cum laude from Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences in 1971. She later graduated with honors from Pittsburg State University with a Master of Science in community college teaching and received her doctorate in adult and occupational education from Kansas State. Additionally, she earned her secondary teaching certificate from Emporia State University. She also participated in the National Institute for Leadership Development with the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges. Vietti served as president of Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas, for 17 years before retiring in 2012. She then served as interim president of Emporia State University for six months in 2015 and was the acting president at KCKCC from July 2017 to June 2018. Currently, she facilitates the Kansas Community College Leadership Institute, now in its fourth year, and serves as a guest lecturer for Iowa State University’s Leadership for New Century Program. She is on the board of trustees for the National Teacher’s Hall of Fame and for Newman University. Vietti’s personal mission is to share her acquired knowledge, skills and experiences to help individuals and organizations become their best selves and, in the process, she becomes better.

• Michael and Guadalupe Dean. Citizens of both the United States and Mexico, Michael and Guadalupe Dean are leaders in the Hispanic and metro business community with Mi Rancho Tequila and their foundation, La Familia Dean Lozoya Foundation. Their commitment to Hispanic youth education for status and non-status Hispanic immigrant youth for more than a decade is unparalleled in the Hispanic community. The couple have set a new standard for commitment to the education of Hispanic youth. The Deans continue to sponsor youth development initiatives such as KC Bizfest, STEM scholarships for Latinas, Latino Art programs that raise awareness about immigration and support the Young Latino Professionals as well as invest in the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Michael Dean is a frequent speaker and participant in many Hispanic youth events that involve being an entrepreneur and small business owner in both the United States and Mexico and currently serves on the board of directors for Donnelly College. A scholarship has also been established at KCKCC in the name of their foundation.

For more information on the Mid-America Education Hall of Fame, contact Sharon Clay, director of development at KCKCC, at 913-288-7353 or by email at [email protected].