Boquete Health and Hospice

Sign up for the Boquete Health and Hospice Being Prepared for Life and Death by emailing to the address below: prepared@boquetehealth.org

View this email in your browser Table of Contents World Blood Donor Day Being Prepared for Life & Death Workshop Letter from the President Thanks to Dr Rod Covid Be Safe Plea Behind the Scenes Volunteers Respiratory Team Music for Relaxation & Stress-Relief Call for Art Chris's Corner - Exercises to Reduce Falls Tree of Life BHH Policies Mission Statment World Blood Donor Day - June 12, 2021 We are so grateful that we collected 55 pints of blood - each pint can help save 3 lives, so 165 people in our community will benefit. The Municipio de Boquete brought a van of 12 donors to the blood drive….all young, first time donors. Our goal will be to increase the number of young, Panamanian donors as we educate them on the need for blood and the value of helping others. THANKS Go To: Our valuable Blood Donors. We collected 55 pints of blood! The Blood Bank staff from Hospital Regional who efficiently registered, tested, interviewed and then withdrew the blood – all following the MINSA guidelines. Our BHH Volunteers and nurses who worked the event – Char L., Linda R., Mary Y., Cat V., Noemi M., Laurie C., Carmen R., and Luis B. Our Corporate Donors and Supporters – Piero with Milky Way Creamery, and Melissa Chong, our landlord for our storage units at the Alto Dorado stores. Our Matching Fund Donors – who pledged $ for each pint collected. With their generosity, BHH received $1,300 to continue our work for the Boquete Community. See the Tree of Life below. Watch for news on the upcoming BLOOD DONOR DAY in BOQUETE on October 9. Please consider supporting it by donating blood or being a Matching Fund donor. Many thanks to all the volunteers who helped with the blood drive. Many thanks to regional hospital blood bank staff. Being Prepared Workshop Take the FEAR out of an unexpected health crisis! Join this valuable discussion Wed., July 21st 11:00 - 12:30pm Animales Event Center - Ruby McKenzie Clinic NOW is the time to: Provide peace of mind for yourself and your loved ones. Navigate the paperwork that will put you in legal compliance with Panama. Think about the difficult questions on your end-of-life care. Get your affairs in order Bring your hard copy of the Being Prepared Guide, and your questions. (Guides are available at our BHH Tap Out Tuesday market table, at Mailboxes, Etc., or at the event for a $10 donation.) For reservations email: prepared@boquetehealth.org Following Minsa’s guidelines: masks, social distancing, hand and foot sanitizing, and temperature check.
 Sign Up for Being Prepared Presidents Letter Thank you to Dr. Rod Gottula The Boquete Health and Hospice General Meeting for June 9 was held via zoom, and Dr. Rod Gottula gave a great presentation about Medical Cannabis. While not as many attended as I had hoped, those that did learned a lot. Thank you, Dr. Rod. Covid - Be Safe Plea To those who have gotten both of their Pfizer shots – double congratulations. To those who have gotten their first AstraZenica vaccine, congratulations, and to those who have not, I am sure you have your reasons. Please remember that even having received your vaccination(s) you are still not 100% protected from getting the virus. 65 people working at Hospital Regional (44 of which had been fully vaccinated) became sick with Covid-19. The vaccine worked in that none of the employees became sick enough to be admitted to the hospital Please, stop and think about yourself, your family, friends, neighbors, and the stranger you meet on the street. In the last month, the trend of the number of new cases in Panama has risen and Chiriqui has been responsible for approximately 30% of them. If you haven’t been vaccinated, please consider doing so. If you have, please remember you can still get the virus and/or pass it on to others. “Behind the Scenes Volunteers” Thank you! Those who volunteer with BHH are truly amazing. If you remember last December’s newsletter, the list went on and on. Or look at the roots and trunk of ourTree of Life. I want to put the spotlight on our creative director – Chris McCall. Chris works behind the scenes to make our websites, newsletters, and flyers really special. All it takes is for someone to say, “Hey Chris, how about __________” and it happens. He will create new pages, work on forms to collect information, create artwork for flyers and website, he has created fund raising events, he makes sure the technological issues are handled so the hybrid meetings can take place, communicates with our members, and so much more. BHH is exceptionally lucky to have him as one of our star volunteers. Thank you, Chris. Many people here in Chiriqui have this respirator. On June 14th, 2021, Philips Respironics announced that they voluntarily recalled a number of their non-invasive ventilation devices and mechanical ventilators. Full details about the recall are here. To keep you better informed, we have set up a resource page providing you with updated information and next steps regarding any affected devices. Visit our resource page here. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we continue to work diligently to ensure your safety and provide you with vital information concerning this recall. Learn More Respiratory Team Update One of our volunteers (Luis Botero) has solved one of the respiratory teams’ biggest headaches – how to fix oxygen concentrators when they break. Luis found a company in Panama City that will fix them as well as a smaller company in David. This will enable us to have more working concentrators available for the community. Another Luis (Luis Acre) is providing transportation to get the broken concentrators to Panama City and the repaired ones returned to Boquete. Within the next couple of months, hopefully all will be working and available. Thank you, Luis B. and Luis A., July’s Meetings The BHH Council meeting will be held on July 7 at 10:00 a.m. via zoom. The BHH General Meeting will be held on July 14 at 1:00 p.m. It will be announced closer to the date whether the meeting will be in-person or a hybrid. Music for Relaxation and Stress-Relief Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental illnesses worldwide. Anxiety affects up to 28.8% of the population in Western countries, and its incidence appears to be increasing. When it comes to lowering anxiety, the stakes couldn't be higher. Stress either exacerbates or increases the risk of health issues like heart disease, obesity, depression, gastrointestinal problems, asthma, chronic pain, depression, burnout, addictions, and others. More troubling still, a recent paper out of Harvard and Stanford found health issues from job stress alone cause more deaths than diabetes, Alzheimer's, or influenza. High levels of stress are costly in monetary terms, too. Researchers found that stress-related health problems could be responsible for between 5 to 8 percent of annual healthcare costs in the U.S. which amounts to about $180 billion each year in healthcare expenses. Research shows that most of the time on a single occasion, music has a direct effect in reduction of stress and anxiety. Music has also been shown to beneficially affect stress-related physiological, as well as cognitive, and emotional processes. Thus, the use of listening to music as an economic, non-invasive, and highly accepted intervention tool has received special interest recently in the management of stress and stress-related health issues. Check out the new article “Music for Relaxation and Stress Relief” by the Magic of Music Team for more details, recommendations, suggestions, and playlists that you can utilize to relax your way into better health! Music List and Article ....Click Here to Donate This section will contain an interesting article that we found on the web with a teaser so you can see if you want to click through. Many places want you to sign up for their mailing list; however, we only choose links that let you bypass the sign up. Later, if you like the site, you can choose to sign up, but not necessary to read the article. Simple exercises to reduce fall risk in seniors More than 1 in 4 older adults falls each year, often resulting in serious injuries that cause loss of independence and mobility. Regularly doing fall prevention exercises reduces fall risk by specifically strengthening key muscles and joints to improve balance. We found a helpful free video from two physical therapists that teaches how to do 10 simple fall prevention exercises. No equipment is needed, so they can easily be done at home. Check out these 10 simple exercises for your older adults or even for you! Go to full article About the Tree of Life The tree was created to honor our donors and volunteers. The roots are volunteers, the trunk is the council, the leaves are people who have donated $100 or more. The two color leaves are people who have donated for two years. The flowers are business sponsors who donate $100 or more every year. The Lilies are new. They are memorials to people who have passed. Family or friends have donated $200 or more to honor them. Add your leaf or flower or Lily. Click the button to make our tree grow. Thank you. Donate Click Here to Enlarge Tree Many Thanks to Our New and Repeat Donors Laurie & Kelly Collier Susan & Price Peterson Linda & Douglas Avery Sandra Ullstrup John Ferguson & Craig Gatrel Peter Sterling & Sally Zigmond Jacqui Davis Dave & Erin Ross Trish & Brian Christofferson Leigh Gray John & Babbie Earle Larry & Kat Clayton Carlotte Lintz Merl & Barbara Will-Wallace La Casa del Medico Over the past year there have been questions about WHY Boquete Health and Hospice was doing things in a certain way. The policies of the organization have now been posted on our website. There is a link at the bottom of the home page or you can go to the “More” page to read them or download a PDF version. The policies will be updated as needed. View BHH Policies Our Mission Our mission is to provide palliative care for the terminally ill in order that they may experience death with dignity and limited pain; to inform and promote community health; and, to support people with health and wellness needs by providing information, equipment and volunteer services. To Make a Donation BHHF functions with donations provided by the community. If you are interested in supporting the work we do, please make a donation. To make a financial contribution by check or cash contact Merl Will-Wallace,our treasurer,at dharma49@icloud.com to arrange a time and place to pick up your donation. You can also click here to make an online Paypal donation. For more information visit our website: http://www.boquetehealth.org We also have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/boqueteheartshandsandhelp/?ref=bookmarks Please Like our page and share the contents with your family and friends. Confidentiality All patient information shared with any Boquete Health and Hospice volunteer is kept in the strictest confidence. To Contact Us Hospice/Health: (507) 6781-9250 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm Saturday and Sunday Please! Blood Donor Program: WhatApp (507)-6590-2000 or call (507)-6781-9250 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm Saturday and Sunday, Please. Email: info@boquetehealth.org Freely send this to anyone, use any part. Our mailing address is: info@boquetehealth.org

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Join the World Blood Donor Day Matching Fund Click Here to Join the Matching Fund

View this email in your browser General Meeting Boquete Health and Hospice ZOOM ONLY - NO IN PERSON Date Wednesday, June 9th Time: 1:00 to 2:00 pm Click Below to Join https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83479158890 Meeting ID: 834 7915 8890 Due to the recommendations from MINSA, the General Meeting for Boquete Health and Hospice will be a ZOOM only meeting. Join the Meeting If you don't know how to use zoom watch this short video MEETING AGENDA Our mailing address is: Boquete Health and Hospice Bajo Boquete Boquete Panama Add us to your address book

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View this email in your browser Table of Contents Dr Gottula on Medical Cannabis Boquete Health & Hospice Blood Program World Blood Donor Day Music's Impact on Sleep Disorders Handicap Parking Permits ¡Un enorme agradecimiento! Boquete Home Care Next General Meeting Tree of Life Update BHH Policies Dr. Rod Gottula at the General Meeting June 9th 1 pm via Zoom Only General Meeting Zoom Boquete Health & Hospice Blood Program It is amazing. You can be aware of things, but until they touch your life it is an academic exercise. I have been aware of the Boquete Health and Hospice Blood Program and have even donated, but until early May had never had a need to use it. Our neighbor called me early on Sunday saying her husband was having chest pains. We got him down to the MINSA clinic. Just 20 minutes later he was on his way to a hospital in David. I am so impressed with the care that the MINSA doctor gave him – she even went in the ambulance with him to David. We got to the hospital, and after lots of tests, and many hours, it was determined that he needed surgery and that blood was required. The wife called me asking what to do. I WhatsApp-ed our Blood Team (6590-2000) and explained the situation. The BHH Blood Coordinator called the wife, for the details, then she called the Blood Coordinator at Hospital Regional. (all this at 8:00 p.m. on a Sunday evening). Within 30 minutes the Hospital Regional Coordinator was speaking with the surgeon, and all was arranged. Without the blood program, our wonderful Blood Team, and the generous people who donate blood or money via our matching blood program, this would have been a much different story. Friends and family would have been begged to drive to David, fill out paperwork, get tested, donate, fill out more paperwork and drive home (sometimes this takes eight hours to accomplish). The surgery would have been delayed, and the outcome for the patient may not have been as positive. No one ever expects emergencies to happen to them, but they do. Our next blood drive is in June. Please consider donating (you must be under 65 years of age) or helping with a matching gift. You, your family, neighbors or friends may be the next person to call for blood. We want to be there for you. Sign Up to Donate Blood EnglishnForm Sign Up to Join Matching Fund Sign Up to Donate Blood -Spanish Form Music's Impact on Sleep Disorders" from the "Magic of Music" Team Sleep, that deep peaceful, rejuvenating sleep we all want and need, often eludes many of us. Sleep disturbances are highly common in our society, with increased prevalence in aging. In the United States approximately 50–70 million American adults report sleep difficulties. Sleep loss has been linked to a range of physical and mental health issues, with short-term effects evident after a single night of poor sleep. Short-term memory may be impaired and those affected report lower levels of happiness and more feelings of depression. If short term sleep loss is not remedied there is the risk that it may become chronic, a situation associated with serious health and well-being challenges. Science tells us, of course, that music can be beneficial in achieving better health and well-being. In the “Magic of Music” Team’s latest article, they review what the research tells us about why music can improve the quality of sleep. Based on this research, we offer some suggestions and recommendations on how you can begin to improve the quality of your sleep using music, including new playlists from the Magic of Music team. So, take a look and try it out for yourself! zzzzz.... Read the Full Article Handicap Parking Permits The Permit is prepared in PC, takes about 30 days. An original “prescription” signed by Dr Diaz or another specialist in Internal Medicine is needed. It will include what device e.g. wheelchair the person needs. Copy of Cedula, Drivers License. Copy of the Cedula of the “responsible person”. 2 photos the size of the Carnet. Copy of the Registration form of the vehicle. The Government office responsible for issuing parking permits is SENADIS (Sec. National for Discapacitados ) LOCATION OF OFFICE: Go to the Cervantes Park in the centre of David. Take the street on the west side of the park heading south. Romero is on the corner. Go one block (to the back of Romero) and turn right. The Senadis office is 1 ½ blocks ahead on the right. I was told that it is on Calle Quinta. I didn’t see a sign, but there is a store on the left before you get to the Senadis office that says Quinta. That was how I found the office. There were 2 forms to be completed. I filled out one form; he filled out the other. He said they would call when the card was ready in about a month. The Permit is a plasticized Card with the bearer's FOTO. It can be transferred from car to car. This gives you 2 hours of parking in the Blue spaces. Try to get one for as long as possible. Hang it on the rear view mirror. There is no charge for this service. SENADIS David 777-5608. I called several times and got no answer. I was about to give up, thinking it was a wrong number, when got someone who told me the permit was ready for us to pick it up. ¡Un enorme agradecimiento! A huge thank you to our Translator Team this month! Behind the scenes, we have a tremendous team of volunteers who quietly assist with translation to ensure everything in our organization runs smoothly. Their work is quite vital to our organization. Many times they are contacted at the last minute to assist with calls from clients and families who do not speak English. Prior to the COVID lockdown, if needed they assisted the Administrator Team with client home visits, follow-ups and equipment demonstrations for Spanish speaking clients and families. Since home visits are not possible at this time, Translator Team members are actively assisting with a number of essential document translations that include updating policies, forms, resources lists, website content, marketing and training materials. They assist our Blood Team with blood drives and donations. Translator Team members also continue to serve as outreach members for new medical facilities. Recently, members of the team visited a new clinic to explain our services to the Spanish speaking staff. We want to thank Luis, Carmen, Claudia, Char, Marjorie, Susan, Tamera, Sally, Zaida and Noemi. ¡Gracias por todo lo que hacen! Letter From Boquete Home Care Services: We offer lodging, food (breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus 3 daily snacks) personalized attention and care 24 hours a day. We have daily occupational therapies and the support of a general practitioner. Medicine administration. Ordered by the doctor and supplied by the family member. Costs: We offer shared or individual rooms. Depending on the room to choose and the patient's condition, the cost of the monthly payment may vary. Requirements: Medical reference Medicines instructions or schedule ID copy of the patient and the responsible or family member. We have 4 different locations: 1. Home & Care Altos del Golf, Panama City 2. Home & Care Coco Del Mar, Panama City 3. Home & Care San Miguel Arcangel, David 4. Boquete Home & Care, Alto Boquete I’m at your services Liz Cianca Manager After our interesting conversation last general meeting with Liz on having Covid, and Kelly having long-haul covid, we thought you may like to see the list of symptoms. The link to the full AARP article is below. Common Long COVID Symptoms Tiredness or fatigue Difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as “brain fog") Headache Loss of smell or taste Dizziness on standing Fast-beating or pounding heart Chest pain Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath Cough Joint or muscle pain Depression or anxiety Fever Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental activities Source: CDC Full AARP Articule on Long-haul Covid The Next General Meeting Wednesday, June 9th – 1pm ZOOM ONLY Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83479158890 Meeting ID: 834 7915 8890 About the Tree of Life The tree was created to honor our donors and volunteers. The roots are volunteers, the trunk is the council, the leaves are people who have donated $100 or more. The two color leaves are people who have donated for two years. The flowers are business sponsors who donate $100 or more every year. The Lilies are new. They are memorials to people who have passed. Family or friends have donated $200 or more to honor them. Add your leaf or flower or Lily. Click the button to make our tree grow. Thank you. Donate Click Here to Enlarge Tree Many Thanks to Our New Donors Jamison Savage Linda Rutherford Laurie & Kelly Collie Over the past year there have been questions about WHY Boquete Health and Hospice was doing things in a certain way. The policies of the organization have now been posted on our website. There is a link at the bottom of the home page or you can go to the “More” page to read them or download a PDF version. The policies will be updated as needed. View BHH Policies Our Mission Our mission is to provide palliative care for the terminally ill in order that they may experience death with dignity and limited pain; to inform and promote community health; and, to support people with health and wellness needs by providing information, equipment and volunteer services. To Make a Donation BHHF functions with donations provided by the community. If you are interested in supporting the work we do, please make a donation. To make a financial contribution by check or cash contact Merl Will-Wallace,our treasurer,at dharma49@icloud.com to arrange a time and place to pick up your donation. You can also click here to make an online Paypal donation. For more information visit our website: http://www.boquetehealth.org We also have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/boqueteheartshandsandhelp/?ref=bookmarks Please Like our page and share the contents with your family and friends. Confidentiality All patient information shared with any Boquete Health and Hospice volunteer is kept in the strictest confidence. To Contact Us Hospice/Health: (507) 6781-9250 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm Saturday and Sunday Please! Blood Donor Program: WhatApp (507)-6590-2000 or call (507)-6781-9250 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm Saturday and Sunday, Please. Email: info@boquetehealth.org Freely send this to anyone, use any part. Our mailing address is: info@boquetehealth.org

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View this email in your browser General Meeting Boquete Health and Hospice ZOOM ONLY - NO IN PERSON Date Wednesday, May 12th Time: 1:00 to 2:00 pm Due to the recommendations from MINSA, the General Meeting for Boquete Health and Hospice will be a ZOOM only meeting. Date Wednesday, May 12th Time: 1:00 to 2:00 pm Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83887079356 Meeting ID: 838 8707 9356 Go to Meeting MEETING AGENDA Surviving Covid-19 - Liz Bolt Long Haul Covid Discussion - Kelly Collier Highlights from the Council Meeting- Administrator Report - Financials - Respiratory - Need a Team Leader The CPR training will be rescheduled. Our mailing address is: Boquete Health and Hospice Bajo Boquete Boquete Panama Add us to your address book

View this email in your browser Table of Contents Don't Let Your Guard Down Incredible Volunteers Music Wellness Guide CPR Training Announcement CPR Testimonial Being Prepared Workshop Review Giving Blood in Boquete Next General Meeting The Tale of the Behemoth World Blood Donor Day is Coming Tree of Life Update BHH Policies Letter from the President Don’t Let Your Guard Down It is easy to believe that Covid-19 is on the way to being beaten. Daily new cases have dropped from over 5000 in early January to an average of 300 in April. And while most of the vaccine is being administered in Panama City, we expect/hope it will be available in Boquete soon. However, the virus is still active. In early April one of our members was exposed and then, unknowingly, exposed another member. Both have since tested negative. Then news was received that another one of our members and her husband had active Covid-19. Please – wash your hands, use hand sanitizer/alcohol gel, social distance and wear masks. Showing respect for others (and yourself) is what makes Boquete such a great community. A question was asked why Boquete Health and Hospice had started having meeting and presentations again. The short answer is that last year having a meeting was against the law and this year it is not. BHH adheres to the MINSA guidelines and keeps up to date on the CDC/WHO recommendations regarding gatherings. All of our meetings at the Animales Event Center require attendees to use the step-through tray, use alcohol gel, have their temperatures taken, remain socially distanced, wear masks and provide names, emails and phone numbers in case it becomes necessary to contact them. The building is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before and after each event. BHH wants people to feel safe coming to the events but understands if they do not. Database Update The database project is moving along. Christine has returned to the states but will help us long distance. The hope is that testing will be done during April and that the database can go “live” by the end of the month. Christine has been working hard with both the Administrator Team and the Equipment Team, making sure that all their needs are taken into account. Music Wellness Playlist Guide & Explanation from the "Magic of Music" Team Research has shown that listening to music can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory. ‘Music Wellness’ is focused on tailoring your music experience to take advantage of these benefits. However, rather than just reading about the benefits of music wellness, why not try it out for yourself? The Magic of Music team at Boquete Health & Hospice has assembled a Music Wellness Guide with links to over a hundred music playlists that you can use to explore the landscape of music wellness! Backed by research from Harvard Medical School, Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins Medical School, AARP, and the Global Council on Brain Health, our Music Wellness Guide is accompanied by an Explanation Document which briefly describes the benefits of wellness music and how to select the playlists that best suit your wellness needs. Music Wellness Guide Explanation Document We would like to hear from you regarding your experience with these music wellness playlists! Email the BHH Magic of Music Team and let us know! Email: music@boquetehospice.org 
 Incredible Volunteers Two of our wonderful volunteers are going to be stepping down from their positions. 1. Merl Will-Wallace will be leaving his position as Team Leader for the Respiratory Team. But (thankfully) he will be continuing as our Treasurer. Merl joined Boquete Health and Hospice in 2015 and has been on the Respiratory Team since he joined. In addition to keeping track of BHH’s funds, he has kept track of the respiratory equipment (concentrators, cpap and bipap machines and the various other parts that are needed by patients), makes sure that the equipment is working and is sanitized before and after each use, follows up with patients making sure that all is working satisfactorily, and works with the team members making sure they are comfortable with the equipment so they can explain its use to the patients. The Council is currently exploring ways to make the job easier. The new database will be expanded to be able to handle the respiratory equipment, keeping track of who has what piece, inventory and ordering of more of the consumables. The team will be retrained on a regular basis so that when home visits re-commence, everyone will be up-to-speed. Merl – the entire organization thanks you for everything you have done for the respiratory team and are so happy you will continue as Treasurer. 2. Joanie Feuerstein (and her husband Will) have returned to the United States. Joanie has been one of the driving forces behind the Being Prepared Team (along with Char Lintz, Genie Vidal and Christine Kunert, Carmen Restrepo and Luis Botero). Joanie joined BHH in 2019 and jumped in by agreeing to work on the revising of the Being Prepared guide and presentations. A great deal of time and effort went into the preparation of the new guide, and then the presentations (most of which were cancelled in 2020 but have since recommenced. Joanie coordinated a team who spent quite a bit of time verifying the information contained in the guide. A new, updated version of the guide is now available. Joanie’s love for the organization and the community is readily apparent and we are so thankful that she has given her time and talent to help everyone. Joanie, the entire organization is honored you have been one of our volunteers. 3. Noemi Montenegro was honored at our last General Meeting for her outstanding volunteer work during the blood drive. Thank you for assisting so many of our donors. CPR 2021 Announcement Couples CPR Training in May When: May 12th, 2021, 2:30-3:30 pm (after the BHHF General Meeting)
 Where: Animales Event Center – The Ruby McKenzie Clinic Following Minsa’s guidelines: masks, social distancing, hand and foot sanitizing, and temperature check.
 Details: Since there are only 4 mannequins and 4 training AEDs, we can only have 3 couple participants (students). Each couple will have their own mannequin and AED. The 4th set is for the instructor. This is an abbreviated training session, even more abbreviated by Covid precautions. It will include one-man CPR, hands-on only CPR (chest compressions), use of the AED and Demonstration only of Heimlich Maneuver. At this time, the CPR Review Course is open only to BHHF members. Register quickly as again there are only 3 couples spots available. A waiting/cancellation list will be started. If all goes well, we plan on having this class after each BHHF General Meeting each month. Looking forward to seeing you,
 Linda Archer/CPR Coordinator
 rlaarcher@sbcglobal.net
 Couples Sign Up for the CPR Class CPR TESTIMONIAL “I am so grateful to BHH for offering this CPR class. It is was a great learning experience for me. I highly recommend taking this class. Some life could be saved by what it is learned taking this class. Linda Archer thank you; you made the class interesting and fun.” Yolanda Vega. Being Prepared Workshop Dying Ain’t Easy in Panama…...However, the April Being Prepared workshop just made it easier to navigate for 40 attendees. Char Lintz (retired ICU and geriatric nurse) guided us through the step-by-step process that she recently experienced with the death of her father. Our job now is to complete the detailed forms, to make known our final wishes and to Be Prepared for the unexpected. The next workshop will be held in July. But no need to wait to get your affairs in order. Being Prepared booklets are available for a $10 donation at Mailboxes, Etc. and at our BHH table at the Tuesday Tap Out Market (by the theater door). A PDF version is also available online for a $5 donation at www.boquetehealth.org Get a booklet now and follow the simple guidelines. You and your family deserve the peace of mind. Giving Blood in Boquete A testimonial from our President, Lesley Hughes “On Saturday, March 6, I was fortunate enough to be able to donate blood at the Boquete Health and Hospice Blood Drive because I hadn’t traveled out of the country for three months. Pre-registration was easy by email, and I was given an appointment time of 7:30 to donate. I arrived about five minutes early and was checked in. My information was on the pre-registration sheet. I was given a number and asked to sit in a chair outside. About 3 minutes later I was called inside. I had my temperature taken, answered a few questions and was given a paper to take to the first blood draw station (to check for anemia). After that I sat for about four minutes before I was asked to speak with a doctor. Since my Spanish language skills are still developing, one of the volunteers acted as a translator. Shortly after answering the questions, I was directed to a chair for the actual blood donation. A wonderful technician inserted the needle, and the process began. (I have to say he did a wonderful job – in the US when I have donated, I have ended up with a large bruise. Here no bruise at all!). Ten minutes later I was all done, and I was escorted to a table and chair outside where I was given a bottle of water, a new water bottle gift, crackers and a small container of yogurt. All done and back in the car by 8:15. It was a fast, efficient, painless and pleasant experience.” Sign Up to Donate Blood The Tale of the Behemoth Once upon a time, BEFORE our equipment loan team started buying more portable hospital beds, Boquete Health & Hospice had this beautiful hospital bed taking up a lot of space in our storage locker. Sela Burkholder fondly named it the “behemoth” due to its size, weight and the difficulty transporting it to a patient’s home. Then one day, Sela decided it was best to donate the bed to a more fixed location. The perfect solution arose when our medical director, Dra. Diaz and Boquete Medical Associates, moved to a new location in Alto Boquete and had a special resting place for the bed. Shedding tears, Sela and her husband Al moved the bed to its final destination and bid the “behemoth” a fond farewell. (The tears may have been due to back strain, we aren’t sure.) And so, the story has a happy ending. The End! The Next General Meeting Wednesday, May 12th – 1pm IN PERSON AND ZOOM Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83887079356 Meeting ID: 838 8707 9356 About the Tree of Life The tree was created to honor our donors and volunteers. The roots are volunteers, the trunk is the council, the leaves are people who have donated $100 or more. The two color leaves are people who have donated for two years. The flowers are business sponsors who donate $100 or more every year. The Lilies are new. They are memorials to people who have passed. Family or friends have donated $200 or more to honor them. Add your leaf or flower or Lily. Click the button to make our tree grow. Thank you. Donate Click Here to Enlarge Tree Many Thanks to Our New Donors Ginny Woolley Over the past year there have been questions about WHY Boquete Health and Hospice was doing things in a certain way. The policies of the organization have now been posted on our website. There is a link at the bottom of the home page or you can go to the “More” page to read them or download a PDF version. The policies will be updated as needed. View BHH Policies Our Mission Our mission is to provide palliative care for the terminally ill in order that they may experience death with dignity and limited pain; to inform and promote community health; and, to support people with health and wellness needs by providing information, equipment and volunteer services. To Make a Donation BHHF functions with donations provided by the community. If you are interested in supporting the work we do, please make a donation. To make a financial contribution by check or cash contact Merl Will-Wallace,our treasurer,at dharma49@icloud.com to arrange a time and place to pick up your donation. You can also click here to make an online Paypal donation. For more information visit our website: http://www.boquetehealth.org We also have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/boqueteheartshandsandhelp/?ref=bookmarks Please Like our page and share the contents with your family and friends. Confidentiality All patient information shared with any Boquete Health and Hospice volunteer is kept in the strictest confidence. To Contact Us Hospice/Health: (507) 6781-9250 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm Saturday and Sunday Please! Blood Donor Program: WhatApp (507)-6590-2000 or call (507)-6781-9250 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm Saturday and Sunday, Please. Email: info@boquetehealth.org Freely send this to anyone, use any part.

Being Prepared in Boquete for Life and Death Take the FEAR out of an unexpected health crisis! LAST CHANCE to Join this valuable discussion 5 Seats Available Wed., April 21st 11:00 - 12:30pm Animales Event Center - Ruby McKenzie Clinic NOW is the time to: Provide peace of mind for yourself and your loved ones. Navigate the paperwork that will put you in legal compliance with Panama. Think about the difficult questions on your end-of-life care. Get your affairs in order Bring your hard copy of the Being Prepared Guide, and your questions. (Guides are available at our BHH Tap Out Tuesday market table, at Mailboxes, Etc., or at the event for a $10 donation.) For reservations email: prepared@boquetehealth.org

Take the FEAR out of an unexpected health crisis! Join this valuable discussion Wed., April 21st 11:00 - 12:30pm Animales Event Center - Ruby McKenzie Clinic NOW is the time to: Provide peace of mind for yourself and your loved ones. Navigate the paperwork that will put you in legal compliance with Panama. Think about the difficult questions on your end-of-life care. Get your affairs in order Bring your hard copy of the Being Prepared Guide, and your questions. (Guides are available at our BHH Tap Out Tuesday market table, at Mailboxes, Etc., or at the event for a $10 donation.) For reservations email: prepared@boquetehealth.org

View this email in your browser Table of Contents Blood Drive - March 6 March General Meeting Caregiver Skills CPR 2021 Announcement Help Needed Education Team has a Request Being Prepared in Boquete for Life and Death New Volunteers The next General Meeting Policies PSA - How to Register for the Vaccine Tree of Life Update Blood Drive March 6, 2021 The first blood drive held in over a year was a success! THANKS go to: Our valuable Blood Donors. We collected 52 pints of blood! The Blood Bank staff from Hospital Regional who efficiently registered, tested, interviewed and then withdrew the blood – all following the MINSA guidelines. Our BHH Volunteers and Panamanian nurses who worked the event – Joann S., Cat V., Noemi M, Laurie C., Carmen R., Marjorie S., Edith M., Maria Isabel B. and Elisneth L. Our Corporate Donors and Supporters – Piero with Milky Way Creamery, and Melissa Chong, our landlord for our storage units at the Alto Dorado stores. Our Matching Fund Donors – who pledged $ for each pint collected. With their generosity, BHH received $1,400 to continue our work for the Boquete Community. Start to finish, the entire procedure for a blood donor took about 40 minutes. It was smooth and well-executed. The next blood drive is scheduled for June 12. Please consider supporting it by donating blood or being a Matching Fund donor. Note: Anyone who donated on March 6 will be eligible to donate again. March General Meeting On March 10 a General Meeting was held that combined an in-person meeting with a ZOOM meeting. For the in-person meeting, all of the MINSA guidelines were followed: We had a step-in tray to clean feet, took temperatures, had alcohol gel available and maintained social distancing. Chris M. was kind enough to handle the ZOOM portion. This allowed those who were comfortable being in small groups as well as those who preferred to avoid groups to participate in the meeting. Interested in Improving Your Caregiver Skills? Join the Contemplative Care Summit, a free on-line event. Wonderful teachers will be presenting topics that concern us all (unless you do not believe we are all going to die). This amazing one-time event focuses on the profound personal work we can all do to enhance our caregiver skills and lessen our fear and anxieties about our own and our loved one's transitions. Pre-recorded talks and guided meditations range from 20-40 minutes each. Each day includes approximately three hours of content. You are welcome to view as many or as few of the presentations as you'd like! 32 highly qualified presenters address and define a contemplative approach to life and death through talks, practices, and conversation. Understanding this material can be a great aid to hospice workers and caregivers. Continued discussions about this important material with family and friends will be of benefit to many. Check It Out! A Free Contemplative Care Summit March 25th-March 29th Free Only on These Days Click Here to visit the site. CPR 2021 Announcement Starting up again soon CPR 2021 When: April 14th, 2021, 2:30-3:30 pm (after the BHHF General Meeting) Where: Animales Event Center – The Ruby McKenzie Clinic Following Minsa’s guidelines: masks, social distancing, hand and foot sanitizing, and temperature check. Details: Since there are only 4 mannequins and 4 training AEDs, we can only have 4 participants (students). Each person will have their own mannequin and AED. This is an abbreviated training session, even more abbreviated by Covid precautions. It will include one-man CPR, hands-on only CPR (chest compressions), use of the AED and Demonstration only of Heimlich Maneuver. At this time, the CPR Review Course is open only to BHHF members. Register quickly as again there are only 4 spots available. A waiting/cancellation list will be started. If all goes well, we plan on having this class after each BHHF General Meeting each month. Looking forward to seeing you, Linda Archer/CPR Coordinator rlaarcher@sbcglobal.net WhatsApp: 6482-6442 Help Needed: Merl Will-Wallace has asked to be relieved as Team Leader for the Respiratory Team. The Team is loaded with really great people who are willing to do the locker check out and in, delivery and pick up. What is desperately needed is someone who: Will maintain the records of which patient has which piece of respiratory equipment and when it was loaned out and returned. Keep watch on the WhatsApp group to make sure that any requests are not missed. Report monthly on Respiratory Team activities. Help with inventory. Coordinate purchasing of needed equipment and supplies. Preferably the new Team Leader will have some experience dealing with respiratory issues and be organized. If you can help us out, please contact Merl Will-Wallace to discuss further merl@counselingfortransition.com Education Team has a Request Dr. Rod Gottula has agreed to give a 10-minute presentation at every General Meeting, but he needs your help. He would like suggestions for topics. The reason for this is that: 1. Hospice in Boquete is quite different than hospice in the US and the needs are likely to be quite different. 2. He is used to presenting to health care providers, and he knows what their interests are, but is not sure what topics are important to the volunteers at Boquete Hospice. 3. Covid certainly has changed the nature of what Boquete Hospice can do. However, it looks like there is light at the end of the tunnel to getting back to normal operations. It would be nice to do educational programs that address things getting back to normal. 4. It is typical for those of us that work in hospice to run into difficult or uncomfortable situations. These may not happen very often but can be made more comfortable with a little knowledge. Please think about this and send your ideas to Liz Bolt at lizbethann5492@gmail.com. If Dr. Rod is willing to do all this work, the least we can do is let him know what interests us. BHH will present a seminar on Being Prepared in Boquete for Life and Death on April 21st at the Animales Bldg. from 11:00-12:30. The Guide is required for your attendance and is available now at the Tapout Market and at Mailboxes Etc. for a $10 donation. Guides will be available for sale at the door. Unless something changes with MINSA protocols, attendance will be limited and registrations in advance will be taken. Further details to follow. Sign Up for the Class New Volunteers A two-hour training session focusing on confidentiality, communication skills and the history of Boquete Health and Hospice will be held on April 5th, from 1 – 2:30. New volunteers who participate will be provisional members of the organization. They will receive the benefits of full membership upon completion of the full three-day training that (hopefully) will be held in September. To sign up or for further questions, please contact Beverly Stearns at bevspirit@yahoo.com The Next General Meeting Wednesday, April 14th – IN PERSON ONLY An email was sent out to our members to learn how the organization can re-energize them. One of the responses was to have in-person meetings again. The Next General meeting will be only in-person. To maintain the proper social distancing, there is a limit of 40 attendees. Please contact Lesley to make your reservation. lesleyahughes@gmail.com. The CPR class will follow the meeting, starting at 2:30. See above for further details on that training session Over the past year there have been questions about WHY Boquete Health and Hospice was doing things in a certain way. The policies of the organization have now been posted on our website. There is a link at the bottom of the home page or you can go to the “More” page to read them or download a PDF version. The policies will be updated as needed. View BHH Policies Covid 19 Vaccines in Panama Use the first link below only if you have never registered. Use the second link only after you are notified by MINSA of your appointment. That link is to verify you will be there. Use your E-cedula to register. If you don't have an E-cedula, use your passport number.If you are having trouble registering, there are a few glitches to get around. 1 If you have registered previously, it will not let you try to register again. 2 When it asks you to click on your district, you might not find Boquete. Instead you will find GAP. That is Boquete. 3 When trying to register your birth date, you do not have to click 1,000 times to get to it. Look in the upper left corner for the year 2021 (it is dim). Click on that, and a list of years you can scroll through will come up. Phase 2 of vaccination, which includes adults over 60 years of age, will begin March 4. (In Panama City) To sign up for the vaccine go to this link (only if you have not registered): vacunas.panamasolidario.gob.pa/vacunas_menu/ This link has been updated to allow those people who do not have cedulas to sign up. You will see these three options, choose the one best suits your current stay in Panama. Make sure you fill out the documents as accurately as possible. You must have your legal identification document with you when you go get your vaccine. If you do not have a cedula this would most likely be your passport and your pensionado card. Once you are registered and the National Government announces that they are in the circuit in which you reside, you must go to this other link: vacunas.panamasolidario.gob.pa/verificate and verify you to know the date, time and the vaccination center that corresponds to you. Boquete, Dolega, and Gualaca are in circuit 4-5. About the Tree of Life The tree was created to honor our donors and volunteers. The roots are volunteers, the trunk is the council, the leaves are people who have donated $100 or more. The two color leaves are people who have donated for two years. The flowers are business sponsors who donate $100 or more every year. The Lilies are new. They are memorials to people who have passed. Family or friends have donated $200 or more to honor them. Add your leaf or flower or Lily. Click the button to make our tree grow. Thank you. Donate Click Here to Enlarge Tree Many Thanks to Our Donors Laurie & Kelly Collier Susan & Price Peterson Lucie Conner & James McCallum Dave & Erin Ross John & Babbie Earle Welthy & Paul Myers John Ferguson & Craig Gatrel Carmen & Luis Botero Peter Sterling & Sally Zigmond Ruby McKenzie Willeke & Hubert Pena Milky Way Creamery Melissa Chong Kathy McKay Karen Bergstrom Chris and Lorraine McCall Sheila and Carl Strunk Trish and Brian Christofferson Linda and Doug Avery The Canton Family in Memory of Betty Collier Our Mission Our mission is to provide palliative care for the terminally ill in order that they may experience death with dignity and limited pain; to inform and promote community health; and, to support people with health and wellness needs by providing information, equipment and volunteer services. To Make a Donation BHHF functions with donations provided by the community. If you are interested in supporting the work we do, please make a donation. To make a financial contribution by check or cash contact Merl Will-Wallace,our treasurer,at dharma49@icloud.com to arrange a time and place to pick up your donation. You can also click here to make an online Paypal donation. For more information visit our website: http://www.boquetehealth.org We also have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/boqueteheartshandsandhelp/?ref=bookmarks Please Like our page and share the contents with your family and friends. Confidentiality All patient information shared with any Boquete Health and Hospice volunteer is kept in the strictest confidence. To Contact Us Hospice/Health: (507) 6781-9250 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm Saturday and Sunday Please! Blood Donor Program: WhatApp (507)-6590-2000 or call (507)-6781-9250 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm Saturday and Sunday, Please. Email: info@boquetehealth.org Freely send this to anyone, use any part. Our mailing address is: info@boquetehealth.org Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Thank you This email was sent to chrismccall@me.com why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences Boquete Health and Hospice · Bajo Boquete · Boquete · Panama

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View this email in your browser Table of Contents: Blood Drive - March 6 Being Prepared in Boquete for Life & Death The Magic of Music - a new focus First Aid for the Home Invitation to join Ambassadors Have a Truck? The next General Meeting We are Here for You Tree of Life Our Mission The Gift of Life Blood Drive March 6 We are thrilled that 60 people have signed up to donate blood on March 6. Thanks to all these folks who are Giving the Gift of Life with their precious blood. Anyone living in the Boquete Health and Hospice service area is eligible to receive blood. Also, the family members of those who donate blood are also eligible even if they don’t live in our service area but, if they are in one of the David hospitals. Blood can be made available in a very short time after the request is made on our Blood Help Line (6590-2000). No longer is there a need to beg family and friends to drive to David to donate blood. People are also still signing up for the Matching Fund drive. This program allows a person who cannot donate blood to still help by agreeing to donate a specific amount (their choice) for each pint of blood donated. This helps cover the expenses of holding the blood drive, which in turn allows those from our community that need blood to get it quickly. Please consider this option for Giving the Gift of Life! Donate to The Gift of Life Fund The Purple Cloud.......... ,,,,,,,rolled into the wonderful Biblioteca de Boquete for the BCP Community Chat on Feb. 18. This was the first time the new and simplified format for Being Prepared in Boquete for Life and Death, was presented. It’s been over a year since BHH has been able to have any presentation regarding Being Prepared. The ‘masked’ audience was so receptive, and words like “excellent” were mixed with applause and many thanks of appreciation to presenters Char Lintz and Joanie Feuerstein. Personal stories and real-life experiences from Boquete were surely motivational in emphasizing the necessity of making an action plan using the reader-friendly guide and in accordance with Panamanian law. Explaining some distinct differences between Panama and ex-pats’ passport countries, enlightened most participants. We are proud to share that BHH recently established a working relationship with the blood bank at Regional Hospital in David. The Guide is available for a $10 donation at MBE and at the Tuesday Market. A PDF version is available for a $5 donation on our website, boquetehealth.org. We thank BCP, Phil Bennett and our beautiful library for making this venue available to us. Get Your PDF Guide - Donate Music’s Ability to Support Health & Wellness By Art Blevins Scientific research has shown that music has medicinal value, ranging from the reduction of anxiety to improving brain function in patients with degenerative brain diseases. Growing from this scientific recognition of the beneficial aspects of music is the wellness trend that is blossoming worldwide. It is changing the music industry. And technology is jumping in utilizing biometrics and artificial intelligence to enable music to become a deeply personalized precision medicine. The Magic of Music program at Boquete Health & Hospice is ramping up to focus not only on using music to help patients with degenerative brain diseases but also on music wellness efforts. What exactly do we mean by "wellness"? And what is the connection between wellness and music? How will the Magic of Music program at Boquete Health & Hospice be involved? To answer those questions and to find out more: Click the Button Below to read the full article. Read the Full Article First Aid for the Home The final presentation of BHH First Aid for the Home was presented at the library on February 4, under the auspices of BCP Community Chat. Bud Huber was generous enough to tape the presentation and it is posted on the BoqueteHealth.org website as well as our YouTube channel and the Boquete Health and Hospice page on Chiriqui Life. Thank you, Bud, for your time and effort in making the video available to the community I wonder if …? • I wonder if … I or a loved one needed help dealing with a health problem here in Boquete. Who would assist me? Boquete Health and Hospice. I would like to be a part of this essential organization. I wonder if … I could do that? • I wonder if… since I do not have the skills to work directly with patients or the dying …. What could I possibly do to be a part of the Volunteers for Boquete Health and Hospice? With a ride to the Doctors, an assist to the grocery store, a telephone call because someone is lonely, a friendly visit, a meal dropped off at their door, a “Thinking of You” little gift basket appearing? Put up flyers announcing events, shouting out to your friends when there is a Blood Drive, or donations needed for a special purpose. • I wonder if… I could greet folks who arrive at the BHH Community Chats… to inform our town of the support they receive from BHH? The BHH Ambassadors do all the “around the edges little things that also matter”. • I wonder if someone will answer my email or call to Volunteer for The BHH Ambassadors?” Yes, I will. Gracias and Stay Safe! Erin Ross, Chair BHH Ambassadors 6692-1679/WhatsApp Erinross1@outlook.com Have a truck? We need you! BHH has a number of hospital beds that we loan to people who need them. In normal times (not COVID) we usually deliver and assemble the bed at the person’s house. The bed fits in the back of a pick-up. If you are willing to help with this important job, contact Sally Zigmond at 507-6714-0737 or click the button below to send an email, Contact Sally Next General Meeting The March 10 General Meeting of Boquete Health and Hospice will be another first for the organization. With technical help from our webmaster, we will hold both an in-person meeting and simultaneously hold a Zoom meeting. At our February 10 general meeting, we had 25 people attend and there (thankfully) were no problems. However, several people have mentioned that they would like to be able to actually visit with people outside of the meeting times. Chris McCall has offered to help make the dual format a reality so both those who are comfortable meeting in person as well as those who would rather stay at home can attend. Watch a Short Video of Our Services Click Here to Enlarge Tree Many Thanks to Our Donors Valerie and Art Green (Repeat Donor) Our Mission Our mission is to provide palliative care for the terminally ill in order that they may experience death with dignity and limited pain; to inform and promote community health; and, to support people with health and wellness needs by providing information, equipment and volunteer services. To Make a Donation BHHF functions with donations provided by the community. If you are interested in supporting the work we do, please make a donation. To make a financial contribution by check or cash contact Merl Will-Wallace,our treasurer,at dharma49@icloud.com to arrange a time and place to pick up your donation. You can also click here to make an online Paypal donation. For more information visit our website: http://www.boquetehealth.org We also have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/boqueteheartshandsandhelp/?ref=bookmarks Please Like our page and share the contents with your family and friends. Confidentiality All patient information shared with any Boquete Health and Hospice volunteer is kept in the strictest confidence. To Contact Us Hospice/Health: (507) 6781-9250 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm Saturday and Sunday Please! Blood Donor Program: WhatApp (507)-6590-2000 or call (507)-6781-9250 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm Saturday and Sunday, Please. Email: info@boquetehealth.org Freely send this to anyone, use any part. Our mailing address is: info@boquetehealth.org Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Thank you This email was sent to boquetehealthandhospice@gmail.com why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences Boquete Health and Hospice · Bajo Boquete · Boquete · Panama

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View this email in your browser General Meeting Boquete Health and Hospice Date / Time: Wednesday, Febuary 10th / 1:00 to 2:00 pm Location: ZOOM ID# 818 3986 8921 or Click on Link at Bottom of Page You can attend via Zoom app or a Web Browser Like Chrome Add event to calendar MEETING AGENDA Review of accomplishments in January and upcoming EVENTS. Dr. Rod Gottula will give a 10-minute presentation (topic to be a surprise) Dr. Rod has done presentations for Boquete Health & Hospice in the past and he is now a resident of Boquete. His last presentation was on Medical Marijuana. Caregivers Support Initiative – discussion led by Chris McCall and Lorraine Handler on whether this is a project BHH should pursue. At this time BHH receives very few calls for support by caregivers, but this may be a result of the Covid-19 virus. Magic of Music – re-vamp Blood Drive – March 6 Go to ZOOM Meeting Copyright © 2021 Boquete Health and Hospice, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

View this email in your browser Table of Contents: • Letter from our President • 2020 Recap 2021 Plans • Additional Administrator & New Equipment Team Leaders • First Aid at Home & Being Prepared Meetings • Thank You • Database Help Needed • General Meeting • Have a Truck? • We are Here for You • Being Prepared • Link to Covid Information • Gift of Life Blood Drive • Gift of Life Matching Fund • Magic of Music • Tree of Life • Our Mission Letter from Our President Welcome to 2021! We hope you and your loved ones had a safe, healthy and peaceful holiday. Please continue to practice safe habits as there has been a significant increase in Covid-19 cases since the middle of November. The number of new cases is slowly dropping, but can surge again if everyone is not careful. 2020 Recap and 2021 Plans Even though there were major challenges to providing services to the community last year, Boquete Health and Hospice accomplished a great deal, for which I wish to thank all our volunteers. Some of the highlights were: Abbreviated training program created and started Training of new members (16) held Panel Discussion video completed Being Prepared materials updated and printed (400 printed so far) Administrator interview video completed and on web site. Donation of Surgical Masks, N95 Masks, Face Shields and Disposable Gowns to CSS (Policlinicia) and Alfa Clinic, Clinicia Especializada and Dra. Boya Blood Donor Caravan (March 7, 2020) Donation of $300 to the New Blood Donor Center in David Initiation of the Tree of Life program to thank donors and volunteers. Donation of $1314 worth of food and clothes to those affected by Hurricane Eta Silent Art Auction On January 6, the Council met to discuss initiatives for the new year. In summary form, our hopes for the community are: Update the Being Prepared guides, and have regular presentations to the community. Being Prepared guide – Spanish version. Compile a list of resources for handling grief and stress. The Tree of Life will show donations by year by using color. Art Auction (currently planned for September). Caregivers Support Program. Update how BHH trains new volunteers. Two blood drives (Mar 6 and June 12) with a goal of 45 pints and Matching Funds. Administrator Team Leader for Potrerillos Create a comprehensive database for BHH data. Additional Administrator and New Equipment Team Leaders It is with great joy that BHH welcomes Char L. as our third Administrator, joining Bev T. and Craig G. The Administrator Team will now be able to function without overloading any one person. We also want to welcome as Equipment Team Leaders, Sally Z. and John F. Both have been involved with equipment for quite a while. Sela B. will be taking a break. After nine years of heading the team, it is well-deserved and we thank you for everything you have done. Thank You's that were missed in the last newsletter! There is a group of people that I neglected to thank in the last newsletter. In January these wonderful volunteers assisted in training our new members. Their contributions to training our new volunteers are vital to the organization. Beverly Stearns Lesley Hughes Craig Gatrel Deborah Hanna Doug Remsen Bev Tyler Char Lintz Liz Bolt Chuck High Linda Hart Linda Archer Rona True Thank you all. HELP NEEDED Boquete Health and Hospice currently is maintaining several databases (some in Excel and some in Word). We would like to have one central place for all the data, have an easy way to enter the data and be able to run reports off of it. If you, or anyone you know, is capable of this task, please contact Lesley Hughes to discuss. THANK YOU. Contact Lesley General Meeting – January 13 The first meeting of the year and the second Zoom meeting was held to announce the election of the following members of the Council and the approval of the Administrators. For 2021, the following are voting members of the Boquete Hospice and Health Foundation: President – Lesley Hughes Vice President – Liz Bolt Treasurer – Merl Will-Wallace Secretary – John Ferguson Administrator – Bev Tyler Past President – Laurie Collier The following are Administrators: Bev Tyler Craig Gatrel Char Lintz Change to the By-Laws It was felt that during a prolonged medical emergency, a formal process of admitting new members to Boquete Health and Hospice would be helpful, so an amendment to the By-Laws was proposed to the Council on January 6, 2021. It passed unanimously. It was then presented to the membership during the January 13 general meeting. The amendment reads: During a prolonged medical situation when in-person training is inadvisable, any person vetted by the Training/Membership Team Leader, who has interest in joining the organization, may be given provisional membership status. When training is possible, the person must complete the three-day training to attain full membership status. While a provisional member, they may participate on Teams and contribute to the operation of Boquete Hospice and Health Foundation, but they may not vote on matters that come before the membership or visit patients except in the company of a trained volunteer. Have a truck? We need you! BHH has a number of hospital beds that we loan to people who need them. In normal times (not COVID) we usually deliver and assemble the bed at the person’s house. The bed fits in the back of a pick-up. If you are willing to help with this important job, contact Sally Zigmond at 507-6714-0737 or click the button below to send an email, Contact Sally Watch a Short Video of Our Services Get Your PDF Guide - Donate Link to information from the New England Journal of Medicine about Covid-19 and Vaccines The link below goes to the New England Journal of Medicine. The article contains information about the latest research and frequently asked questions about the disease and the various vaccines that are being manufactured. No recommendations about any treatment/vaccine are given. Goto New England Journal Article Join the Matching Fund Donate Blood The Magic of Music Our music team includes Val Strahl, Beverly Stearns. This team will provide music to any of our BHH patients who request it. We will ask you to tell us about your favorite music, and then create a personalized playlist for you. This is a lending program and we will lend you a small digital music player so that you can listen to this personalized music using earbuds. We could lend you cd’s if you prefer. Music can bring back memories, take our mind off our worries and pains and sometimes change our moods too. This program serves all patients recovering from illness, surgery or a fall, but it may especially help those with Dementia and Alzheimer’s. Click Here to Enlarge Tree Many Thanks to Our Donors Our Mission Our mission is to provide palliative care for the terminally ill in order that they may experience death with dignity and limited pain; to inform and promote community health; and, to support people with health and wellness needs by providing information, equipment and volunteer services. To Make a Donation BHHF functions with donations provided by the community. If you are interested in supporting the work we do, please make a donation. To make a financial contribution by check or cash contact Merl Will-Wallace,our treasurer,at dharma49@icloud.com to arrange a time and place to pick up your donation. You can also click here to make an online Paypal donation. For more information visit our website: http://www.boquetehealth.org We also have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/boqueteheartshandsandhelp/?ref=bookmarks Please Like our page and share the contents with your family and friends. Confidentiality All patient information shared with any Boquete Health and Hospice volunteer is kept in the strictest confidence. To Contact Us Hospice/Health: (507) 6781-9250 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm Saturday and Sunday Please! Blood Donor Program: WhatApp (507)-6590-2000 or call (507)-6781-9250 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm Saturday and Sunday, Please. Email: info@boquetehealth.org