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“You’re sitting there listening and until they called my name, it hadn’t even registered that it could be me,” Hillcrest Hospital Claremore CEO David Chaussard says of the moment sitting in a quality meeting with fellow CEOs and CNOs from across Ardent Health Services where he was recognized as Ardent’s 2015 CEO of the Year. “I was very surprised – shocked!” A nursing career with roots in his childhood experiences visiting his family practitioner took David around the world, found a home in Claremore and the admiration of his peers in health care.

Oklahoma is home to some of the most beautiful and largest lakes in the country. Many of us enjoy boating and swimming in these lakes. Before heading out we prepare food, pack our clothes and sunscreen and hit the road for a fun-filled vacation. However, an important step that is often missed is checking lake conditions. In the excitement of gathering and organizing things for our trip, checking the status of the lake water can often get over looked. Being unaware of the lake conditions could affect your entire trip.

Freddie Burson, 86, remembers the day in 2012 when she was getting ready to exercise with her friend. “When I got on the machine, I began to feel kind of strange,” she recalls. Freddie had maintained a regular exercise regime, even in her 80s. When she noticed something out of the norm, she paid close attention. “I laid down for thirty to forty-five minutes.” Thinking she would recover and resume her exercise, Freddie kept waiting until, “I began hurting in one of my arms.” Her friend became concerned and called Freddie’s daughter, Beth, a teacher in nearby Inola.

This is the time of year we think of bundling up and adding an extra blanket at night to stay warm. However, colder winter months signal an increased risk for babies of going to sleep at night and never waking up.

Heart disease and stroke are the first and fifth leading cause of death in the United States, respectively. To reduce your risk, it is important to identify risk factors, such as family history, hypertension and high cholesterol and learn what you can do to manage those risk factors. A sedentary lifestyle is also a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. In fact, some researchers argue sitting is worse than smoking.

The holidays can be a fun and festive time of year. They can also bring about unwanted stress and anxiety. Psychologists have determined the holiday blues come about because of situations and our reactions to them. With the forever-long list of things to do, things to buy, parties to attend and ways we need to keep up with the rest of the world, the holidays can wear us down — and rather quickly, too. 
This year, we are celebrating Hillcrest Hospital Claremore’s 60th birthday! While our hospital has changed names and grown over the years, one thing that hasn’t changed since opening our doors in 1955 is our commitment to serving the Claremore community by providing quality care to our patients and their families. 
 
Jamil (Hendrix) Haynes, a lifelong resident of Claremore, could be considered one of our most veteran patients. She was born in the hospital when it was only five years old.
 
For most students, school is officially back in session. Our children arrive at school in new classrooms ready to learn new material. It may seem like a long time ago for most of us, but learning science, math, English, history and a host of other subjects is a lot for kids to take in. One very important thing that is commonly overlooked that can make a world of difference in your child’s performance at school is getting a good night’s sleep.