Residents at the Goodwill Inn in Traverse City now have a weekly opportunity onsite that allows a nurse to review their medications and general health status.

Members from Munson Home Health, the Traverse Health Clinic, and Goodwill Inn have established time on Thursdays for clients to have their medications reviewed, a basic health screening, and education to help guests care for any chronic health conditions.

“This is a really great program for us. We have people who come here without adequate health care, inadequate medications, or the wrong medications,” said Elizabeth Post, manager of the Goodwill Inn. “This is a great program for them to start back on their health care. We also wanted to reduce reliance on Munson’s emergency room. We can triage their medical concerns and make more appropriate medical referrals.”

The nursing triage time began in June after a series of conversations between the hospital, the Traverse Health Clinic, and the homeless shelter, Post said. Guests at the shelter are living in poverty and often arrive with chronic health conditions that require appropriate care.

Munson Home Health nurse Kristin Harrison, R.N., has written some protocols for staff to follow when shelter guests have health needs. She said the triage provides a time for education as well as addressing basic needs.

“It’s a time the new residents can come in and we can go over their medications,” she said. “We also look at their health history to see if there are any recommendations we can make to the Goodwill Inn and to the Traverse Health Clinic.”

Harrison said the joint effort between volunteer nurses from the community and the Traverse Health Clinic currently offers eight guests a two-hour time block on Thursdays for health reviews. The time could expand based on need, she said.

Traverse Health Clinic staff nurse Karen Comella, R.N., said the triage will allow the clinic to connect with Inn residents who are new to the area. It also benefits the overall health system.

“We want to try and catch those people who have not been established with the Traverse Health Clinic,” she said. “I consider it a consultation time that offers pointers on what they can do with their health regime. It also is a chance to do some very basic follow-up if they are coming to the Traverse Health Clinic.”

Post said Goodwill Inn staff also has an after-hours phone number to contact a nurse about health concerns prior to seeking a physician’s care. Guests at the Inn also appreciate the nurses’ time.

“We’ve had great feedback from the guests who have received services,” Post said. “We are grateful to the nurses for all of their time and efforts.”

The Goodwill Inn averages 84 people a night and had more than 700 people use the shelter during the 2010 fiscal year, Post said.

Nurses interested in volunteering for the program may contact Harrison at (231) 935-9126.

Local Edition Weather Update will be in a hiatus for the next few weeks.

We are moving into a new studio and getting some new presentation equipment that increase the quality of the weather update.

We would like to thank you all for staying with Local Edition and hope that you all will enjoy these new changes.

The Grand Traverse Conservation District is wrapping up a new boardwalk replacement project… one that they said is extremely eco-friendly.

The new bridge, located in the Brown Bridge Quiet Area, is constructed out of re-used materials and from black locust lumber. According to the conservation district, it’s the first of its kind in the region.

“It seems only natural that a structure made to help maximize the public’s enjoyment of nature is being made so as to minimize its impact on it,” said Steve Largent, Director of Land Management Services for the Grand Traverse Conservation District.

A Youth Conservation Corps team from SEEDS, a local environmental non-profit organization, was hired to rebuild the boardwalk. Much of the original material was re-used and re-purposed for the project. The rest was replaced with black locust wood.

“Black locust is a dense, durable wood that is naturally resistant to rot, making it an ideal material for the boardwalk project,” says Sarna Salzman, SEEDS Executive Director, “This improves the environmental impact of the project by not shipping in lumber from Oregon, nor using chemically treated wood.”

Working with SEEDS Youth Corps also allows the Grand Traverse Conservation District to make a positive impact on area youth. SEEDS Youth Corps teams learn about and contribute to environmental stewardship and sustainability while undertaking on-the-job training.

“Because all this work is done locally, our students get a chance to experience the entire process, from harvesting trees to milling lumber to designing the boardwalk to installation,” says Bill Watson, Director of Youth Development for SEEDS, “This teaches marketable job skills and an ecological perspective.”

The improvements to the boardwalk are not only environmental – the 920’ replacement is also much wider, allowing users to keep their eyes on the natural surroundings rather than where their next step is going to be.

“We are very pleased with how this project is turning out. We are confident not only that the boardwalk will last, but that we are also turning youth into the next generation of effective land stewards,” finished Steve Largent.

When Kerri Collier saw a need for pet loss services in the Traverse City area, she opened a very unique business — one that she’s calling the premier place for Northern Michigan’s grieving pet owners to turn to. Now, that business is expanding, and the owner hopes that this expansion will help to better serve the community.

Great Lakes Pet Memorial, which opened in 2008, offers several types of services for pet owners in Northern Michigan. While one of the primary services of the business is cremation, Collier said they offer much more than ‘just ashes.’ Pet owners are welcome at their facility, and they keep regular business hours for a memorial products store in the front of the facility. The business also recently completed a renovation to their building, and now offer a small private farewell room for pet owners to spend some quiet alone time with their beloved companions.

“Pet owners of today want to be more involved, meet the people who will be handling their cherished pets, and see for themselves where they’re being sent. Our clients want and need to have peace of mind or closure when it comes to losing a dearly loved friend; we’re able to give them that,” said Kerri Collier, who owns the business.

Collier said that Great Lakes Pet Memorial offers several choices when it comes to pet cremation. Clients can witness their pet’s cremation if they choose to. For pet owners who do not want their ashes returned to them, Great Lakes Pet Memorial will spread the ashes in their ‘Memorial Flower & Rose Garden’ located on their facility’s property. In addition to offering cremation services, Collier’s business sells items to help memorialize a lost pet. Her shop sells memorials like custom urns and caskets, engraved stones and markers, and sympathy cards.

Collier said that her unique business has gained attention from many local veteranarians, who are sending business her way. Great Lakes Pet Memorial is also catching the eyes of pet owners from all over Michigan. People are choosing to make the trek to Great Lakes Pet Memorial because, according to Collier, the business gives those pet owners some special ways to remember their companions. The Traverse City business has drawn clients from around the state — Collier says she’s had visitors from Manistique, Sault Ste. Marie, Bay City, Clare, Mackinaw Island, and even from as far away as Alaska.

For more information on the business, you can log on to www.GLPetMemorial.com.

An annual fundraising event is being held in McBain this weekend. Local Edition’s Dylan Rodenbaugh visited the event, and has the details.

As the Cadillac Area YMCA continues to introduce new programs, the group will be launching a new day camp this August.

The organization’s “Dillon Day Camp” will run from August 9 through September 3; the camp is open to children ages 6 through 12. Participants spend the day at the YMCA’s Community Center and take part in numerous activities including games, arts and sports; campers will also have a chance to swim in the YMCA’s pool during each day of camp.

The Dillon Day Camp program will be staffed by Camp Torenta Counselors. Camp activities run from 9am to 4pm, Monday through Friday, but Children can be dropped off or picked up from 7am until 6pm. The cost to participate in the camp is $100 per week for YMCA members or $125 per week for non-members.

For more information on Dillon Day Camp or other YMCA programs, you can log on to CadillacAreaYMCA.org.