JACKSON, Miss. – The University of Mississippi Medical Center is calling on the community to help protect its employees after the Mississippi Department of Health directed all health care professionals in the state to wear a mask while at work. The policy is aligned with the Center for Disease Control’s current recommendations regarding the use of cloth face coverings to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Home-sewn masks will also make it possible to save precious personal protective equipment, or PPE, for employees working in direct-patient care areas. PPE is in limited supply at the Medical Center and around the country as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which by Saturday had killed 6,593 Americans and sickened over 277,000. Dr. Laura Vick, associate professor of general surgery at UMMC and longtime seamstress, has been ahead of the curve. She has been living by the motto of “preparing, not panicking” during these uncertain times. So, several weeks ago, when colleague and nurse practitioner Katie Smith told Vick how her mother, a seamstress, desperately wanted to make something to help protect health care professionals and patients, she had an idea. Vick returned home that night to her dining-room-turned-sewing-room, which is packed with fabrics and several sewing machines, and got to work. The next morning, she brought three different prototypes of surgical masks, which Dr. Matthew Kutcher, assistant professor of surgery, tried out. Vick’s goal: produce additional masks and equipment for use by health care professionals in low-risk settings, and free up precious PPE for employees taking care patients. “What we’re trying to do is prepare, not panic,” Vick said in the Facebook video she posted demonstrating how to make the masks. The video had been viewed over 90,000 times with 1,100 shares by Sunday morning, and the Medical Center has received generous donations of masks and other equipment in the past weeks. Individuals and businesses also donated other PPE, meals for health care workers, monetary donations and tablets and smart phones for telehealth appointments. “We are so grateful to our community for stepping up and supporting us during this time,” said Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the school of medicine. “What we are doing in response to this outbreak in Mississippi would not be possible without the help of the people of this state.” In the video, Vick details how to make the mask she and Kutcher decided was the most universal and useful. The masks are cotton on the front and flannel on the back, and each person who wants to participate is asked to make five as a starting point. And back at UMMC, she delivered the first eight masks she made to several on-call surgical trauma residents for use in caring for trauma patients. Vick has kept up her momentum on Facebook, posting videos about how to make surgical caps, which are also in demand. Word reached groups like the Susannah Stitchers, a group of around 20 women that meets weekly at Chris United Methodist Church in Jackson. They have been sewing items for the Medical Center for 20 years, making everything from 200 prayer quilts for transplant patients to burial gowns, blankets and bonnets for babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit who passed away. McDonald said she and her group members were “hungry to do something.” “We want to help but feel like we can’t. We’re stranded, we can’t get out, so it just means so much to us to be able to do something,” she said. Others who want to make and donate masks can drop them off in the secure bin at the overhang outside of the Nelson C. Norman Student Union on the Jackson campus. They may also be mailed to the UMMC Office of Development, 2500 N. State St., Jackson, MS. Click here for more information about ways to help UMMC in the fight against COVID-19. For more information about COVID-19 in Mississippi, click here.

A Wesson student at the University Iowa (UI) won a cash prize in the college's IdeaStorm competition. Katherine Westbrook was one of 24 students who received cash prizes after successfully sharing their ideas in two minute or less in four uniquely-focused competitions last at various locations on the UI campus. Westbrook, who studies English and Creative Writing at UI, received the third place $300 award for her presentation in the Consumer Solutions IdeaStorms competition on a virtual reality basic weld training simulator that teaches the trade without the safety hazards and cost. Other students received awards in Health Initiatives, Creative Concepts and Common Good Idea Storm categories IdeaStorms are entry level pitch competitions coordinated by the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center across the University of Iowa's campus that encourage students to share their innovative ideas with others, all while familiarizing themselves with the pitching process. They encourage UI students to share their new, never heard before ideas without the requirements of a business plan or proposal, and provide a collaborative environment where students can get feedback and resources on how to make their ideas into a reality. Ninety-one students representing a varied of subject majors and areas of study shared their business ideas in two minutes or less with a panel of judges and an audience. In addition to cash award winner selected by judges, students who attended IdeaStorms sessions chose People's Choice award winners. The University of Iowa is one of the nation's premier public research universities, and is known worldwide for leadership in the arts, sciences, and humanities. It is the home of the first and best creative writing program in the world, a world-class academic medical center -- one of America's top teaching hospitals and a can-do culture that fosters a campus-wide dedication to student success.

By Guest Columnist Dr. Stephanie Duguid "Eat Right: Bite by Bite." The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' (AND) has adopted that as its theme during National Nutrition Month. "There is no one food, drink, pill, or machine that is the key to achieving optimal health,” AND says. In your overall daily routine, consume fewer calories, make informed food choices and exercise daily. Make life-long commitments, not a limited changes. Start by: Drinking water as much as possible. The optimal intake should be half your body weight in ounces. If you weigh 200 pounds, your daily water intake goal should be 100 ounces. That may sound like a lot, but the key is to start somewhere. If you do not consume any water, begin with one bottle this week, and work your way up to two next week. Getting a full range of nutrients. Eat fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors throughout the week. Fruits and vegetables contain essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other natural substances that boost your health. When you plan a meal, try to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, plenty of dark green, orange, and red vegetables. Microwave them in a small amount of water, steam them or stir-fry them to retain the most nutrients. Avoid boiling or frying. Making sensible snacks part of your healthy eating plan. Eating properly between meals can be your biggest challenge. Snacks can be fun and are essential to a healthy eating plan, but they can add unneeded calories, sugar, sodium, and fat if you are not careful. If you plan ahead, however, sensible shacks can prevent overeating at meal times and throughout the day. They are a way to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, and low-fat dairy. In fact, they can supplement meals. When children are active and are still growing, they need to eat more often to get the calories they need. For adults, healthy snacks can provide an energy boost and satisfy your mid-day hunger, and for some, help bring blood sugar levels to the appropriate level for optimal energy. Here are some “Eat Right: Bite by Bite” tips: Plan to make fresh fruit, air-popped popcorn, whole-wheat crackers, dried fruit and nut mixes, or fat-free yogurt as snacks Find nutrient-rich snacks that make snack calories count. Go easy on high calorie snacks. like chips, candy and soft drinks. Snack when you are hungry, not because you are bored, stressed, or frustrated. Snack on sensible portions-focus on single serve containers Quench your thirst first before reaching for a snack. You often feel hungry when your body is dehydrated and thirsty. For more information and suggestions about eating healthy, visit http://www.eatright.org. EDITOR'S NOTE: Stephanie Duguid is Dean of Academic Instruction at Co-Lin. She is also an athletic trainer and nutrition specialist and has been teaching courses related to those two areas as well as practicing what she preaches for more than twenty years.

Wesson wagon train wins top parade awards. Among wagon trains in the Dixie National Rodeo Parade in Jackson, which famously march at the end of the procession, Wesson Ride won the first place award. Wesson Ride also received the Parade Commissioner's Award presented to the best overall participating parade group. Judges chosen by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce determine the best participating groups for marching, motorized, floats and riding as well as wagon trains. “The Dixie National Rodeo Parade is a fun-filled family event that the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce looks forward to bringing to the public each year,” said Commissioner Gipson. “This would not be possible without the participation of groups from all over the state. I want to thank all those that made it a success and congratulate all of our winners.” Flu activity climbs. The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), although monitoring for possible COVID-19 cases in the state, remains relatively unconcerned about an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by the new strain of the coronavirus. On the other hand, it is seeing high flu activity in the state with widespread transmission, and recommends flu vaccination for anyone ages 6 months and older. Pediatric flu shots are available at all MSDH county clinics. Flu and COVID-19 symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle and body aches, and fatigue. While vaccination is the best flu protection , basic infection control measures are largely the same for both the flu and coronavirus: covering your mouth when coughing and sneezing, staying at home when you or your children are sick and washing your hands frequently. Visit the MSDH website at www.HealthyMS.com/flu for information. App keeps you safe. MS Ready, a Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH)’s emergency preparedness mobile app, provides public health and safety information throughout Mississippi during emergencies and a full library of disaster preparedness tips based on Hurricane Katrina experiences fifteen years ago. It features breaking news and alerts on emergencies, agency closures, severe weather warnings, precautions to take in a disaster, disease outbreak, or other emergency; step-by-step preparations for floods, severe weather, natural disasters (hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes), nuclear incidents and chemical and biological threats; MSDH phone numbers, including an emergency hotline, a checklist of items to have on hand in emergencies and an informational section on disease outbreaks. To find the app, search your app store for MS Ready or visit www.HealthyMS.com/apps. Business scam. The Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office (MSOS) and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office is warning the business community of deceptive letters requesting a $90.50 fee to order certain business documents from the Secretary of State’s Office. Misleading solicitations may require a fee, cite specific Mississippi statutes, contain a due date for a response, appear similar to a government form, contain a "Customer ID Number" that does not match the state or federal numbers that have been given to a company or the actual ID number and company's date of formation and a warning to make sure that the form's instructions on completing it are followed exactly. Businesses can order a certificate of good standing in the state of Mississippi online at www.sos.ms.gov for $25. Call the Secretary of State’s Business Services Division at 601-359-1633 or 800-256-3494 for information, or go to the Business Services tab -- sos.ms.gov -- on the MSOS web site. Parchman unit closed. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves says prisoners are being transferred out of Parchman Unit 29, fulfilling his State of the State promise to close the troubled unit. Some 375 inmates were moved out during an earlier surge of violence, and the remaining prisoners are being transferred and temporarily housed at the nearby Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility. They are being transferred through reclassification and exchanges for lower-security inmates. MSU/Co-Lin agreement. Mississippi State University (MSU) and Co-Lin have signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize partnership programs for students enrolled in technical education programs. The agreement details classroom and/or online courses that must be completed at each institution to fulfill degree requirements MSU’s Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) program, which was launched last summer. For more information on the Bachelor of Applied Science program, visit https://www.msstate.edu/students/bachelor-of-applied-science.