FHN Focus

December 14, 2023

Next Week's Calendar
of Events:

December 14

Breastfeeding Support Group
2 p.m.
Freeport Public Library, 100 E. Douglas Street, Freeport
Bring your baby and join other moms to share knowledge and talk about the most up-to-date breastfeeding information. Discussions will be led by lactation experts from the FHN/SCHD Breastfeeding Task Force. This group is open to all moms and free to attend; visit fhn.org/breastfeedingtaskforce.asp for more information.

December 16

Blood Pressure Screening
8:30 – 11 a.m.
Caring Neighbors Food Pantry, 119 W. Main Street, Warren
Open to the public; no cost or registration required.

Safe Sitter Essentials® with CPR
9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
FHN Memorial Hospital, 1045 W. Stephenson Street, Freeport
CLASS IS FULL. Class designed to prepare students in grades 6 – 8 to be safe when they’re home alone or babysitting. Class size is limited to 8 to accommodate COVID-19 safety precautions. Full-day course is $50, which includes the Safe Sitter Essentials Student Handbook and completion card and basic CPR skill practice. (Class does not qualify for CPR certification.) Financial assistance is available for eligible students; call 815-599-6707 for more information about eligibility. Register online at fhn.org/safesittercpr.

FHN Festival of Trees Holiday Family Movie - Wonka
10 a.m.
Classic Cinemas Lindo Theatre, 115 S. Chicago Avenue, Freeport
Enjoy the highly anticipated Wonka (PG) hosted by FHN and Classic Cinemas Lindo Theatre. $3 admission; limited seating available; no advance ticket sales. All children attending will receive a special holiday gift.

Holiday Storytelling
2 p.m.
Freeport Public Library, 100 E. Douglas Street
Listen to a holiday story or two by Santa and Mrs. Claus in Santa’s visiting area. Hosted by FHN and the Freeport Public Library.

December 17

Freeport Community Luminaria Night
Dusk
Along Stephenson Street and Lincoln Boulevard
Enjoy the beauty of the soft light of luminaries as FHN joins the residents around FHN Memorial Hospital in the annual lighting of the luminarias. Join the FHN Nursing Care Council for free hot cocoa and toppings while you enjoy the beauty of the Freeport Community Luminaria Night this Sunday! We'll be serving in front of the FHN Community Holiday Tree outside the Stephenson Street entrance of Freeport Memorial Hospital beginning at 4:45 p.m. (While supplies last.)

December 19

The First Steps Grief Support Group
10 - 11:30 a.m.
FHN Memorial Hospital cafeteria meeting rooms - Lower Level
No charge; registration not required. For more information, call FHN Pastoral Care at 815-599-6160.

Congestive Heart Failure Support Group
1 – 2 p.m.
FHN Memorial Hospital - Lower Level Private Dining Room, Freeport
This support group is for anyone in the general public who has CHF. Our group meets the third Tuesday of every month. Participation is free, and no referral is needed. No advance registration is required. Meetings are facilitated by FHN Cardiopulmonary Educators, Carly and Krista. For more information, call 815-599-6388.

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View past issues of the Focus

Welcome

Coming up in this week's issue of The Focus you'll find:

FHN Nursing Care Council Serving Hot Cocoa
Give the Gift of Life this Holiday – Give Blood!
Rx Renewal Available on MyFHN
Help Spread the News: We’re Here, For You!
Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion and Worldwide Health
Our Sympathy
Classified Ads

FHN Nursing Care Council Serving Hot Cocoa

Join the FHN Nursing Care Council for free hot cocoa and toppings while you enjoy the beauty of the Freeport Community Luminaria Night this Sunday!

We'll be serving in front of the FHN Community Holiday Tree outside the Stephenson Street entrance of Freeport Memorial Hospital beginning at 4:45 p.m. (While supplies last.)

Give the Gift of Life this Holiday – Give Blood!

FHN is hosting a community blood drive Tuesday, Dec. 26. If you are at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and are in general good health, please donate! Staff from the Rock River Valley Blood Center will draw blood from noon – 6 p.m. in the Globe/Deaconess rooms on the lower level of FHN Memorial Hospital.

Last year, FHN Memorial Hospital used 881 units of blood for our patients. We are counting on hospital staff and community members to help us replenish some of that blood! Walk-ins are welcome, but please sign up to donate at www.rrvbc.org – appointments help to ensure you can make your donation in a timely manner.

The Rock River Valley Blood Center is the only supplier of blood and related services to FHN Memorial Hospital, as well as Javon Bea Hospital-Riverside, Javon Bea Hospital-Rockton, OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, UW Health Swedish American Hospital, and UW Carbone Cancer Center of Rockford, where many Freeport trauma/cancer patients are transferred to in severe cases.

If you are not sure if you are eligible to donate, please call RRVBC at 815-965-8751 to check. The FDA has changed many regulations concerning blood donations in the past year, so if you were ineligible to donate in the past, we encourage you to check your eligibility now.

Rx Renewal Available on MyFHN

The MyFHN Patient Portal has become even more convenient!

Patients can now – in addition to calling their pharmacy – request to have their prescription renewed using the MyFHN Patient Portal. It’s easy, just click on the Medications tab, then click on the medication you need refilled, and request renewal. This will notify your provider and they will message you back once the refill has been sent in.

If you don’t already have the MyFHN Patient Portal, enroll online using one of two processes (depending on whether or not you have an email address on file with us and know your medical record number). If you need assistance, please ask the staff, call the MyFHN Coordinator at 1-815-599-6907, or email [email protected].

Register today and let your fingertips keep you on top of everything related to your healthcare! Already signed up for MyFHN? Download the app! Instructions available online.

Help Spread the News: We’re Here, For You!

We have a lot to be proud of at FHN, from our talented, dedicated staff to the many advanced capabilities we offer our patients. We’re working hard every day to be sure we provide excellent care to our patients.

Each week, look to the Focus for good news to share about FHN in the form of downloadable flyers you can print and post or hand out to patients who may be interested. Also look for links to our most recent radio interviews and past interviews to listen to and recommend to others. Don’t forget to Like us on Facebook! Please encourage patients, friends, and family to also take advantage of these FHN information resources. Thanks for your help in promoting FHN!

Have you heard the latest radio interviews? Catch up on our Radio Broadcasts page!

Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion and Worldwide Health

December is …
National Safe Toys and Gifts Month

The United Nations observes Universal Human Rights Month in December. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the UN in 1948 as a response to the Nazi holocaust and to set a standard by which the human rights activities of all nations, rich and poor alike, are to be measured. Some of the Rights are: No one shall be subjected to cruel and inhuman punishment, being entitled to a fair and public hearing by an impartial tribunal, the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and the right to a standard of living to include food, clothing, housing, and medical care and necessary social services, the right to education, the right to participate in the cultural life of the community, not being arbitrarily deprived of their property, a speedy juried trial and right to legal counsel.

Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, runs through December 15. It is celebrated for eight days. In approximately 164 B.C., Maccabees, a small group of Jews fighting for religious freedom, won victory over the Syrians. The legend goes that to rededicate the Temple, they found just one jar of holy oil and miraculously, the candelabra remained lit for eight days; that is why an eight-candle menorah is lit.

The people of Mexico celebrate Posadas December 16 – 24. It is a nine-day traditional celebration in which processions of pilgrims go door to door asking for posada, which means shelter.

In Bangladesh, December 16 is Bijoy Dibash. The holiday signifies independence after a 9-month Liberation War against Pakistan in 1971. East Pakistan became Bangladesh.

Our Sympathy

We extend our sympathy to ...
Lois Stultz (OB) on the death of her sister.

Classified Ads

The deadline to submit ads for each Focus is 10 a.m. the Thursday before publication. Please submit your classified ad information to Tammy Edler, and send your donation to the Foundation.