The seniors on the Hays High boys’ track and field team have known nothing but winning in the Western Athletic Conference. The Indians won the conference meet this season for the fourth straight year with 121 points and runner-up Garden City scoring 86.
Editors Note: Linn Ann Huntington serves on the CFLE board of directors.
HaysMed is excited to welcome Caitlin Gabel, APRN, to Western Kansas Urological Associates. Gabel is well-equipped to handle a range of urological conditions, enhancing the clinic’s commitment to comprehensive care.
Two weeks ago, my newspaper article was on performance of N-fixing products in crop production. N-Fixing organisms, usually species of bacteria, have the ability to ‘fix’ nitrogen (N) from the atmosphere where it is abundant as N2 gas, and convert it to plant available N. Legumes such as soybeans, and alfalfa are able to do this.
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 68-year-old male in excellent health. I had an exam that incidentally noticed a relatively small, internal iliac artery aneurysm. Since then, I have had annual CT scans to monitor the size. As of January, it had grown to 3.2 cm.As we get closer to surgical intervention, my vascular surgeon only sees an "open" procedure as an option, as opposed to the stent option. The "open" procedure is much more involved and concerning, especially since it appears to be a 10% chance of mortality, which is a high risk compared to most surgeries. If I go the "open" route, I want a best-in-class surgeon to perform the procedure.I find it very difficult to not only learn of the specific, best-in-class surgeons, but also the best-in-class vascular surgical doctor groups or hospitals. I really would like to find other highly regarded vascular surgeons, if nothing more than to get a second opinion. Ideally, I would want one in my area, but I will travel, if necessary. -- G.C.ANSWER: I agree with your vascular surgeon that at 3.2 cm, your aneurysm has grown to the point where operating on it is safer than waiting, but I only defer my patients to surgical expertise as to which procedure is best. It depends on the exact characteristics of the aneurysm.I am often asked about finding the best surgeon or hospital, and it's a question that I find difficult to answer. There are different types of rating systems for doctors and hospitals. One commonly used rating is by the U.S. News and World Report. I looked at their ratings for the best hospitals for vascular surgery, and from my knowledge, the top hospitals really deserve to be there. I feel comfortable referring a family member to any of the top hospitals. However, they don't look at individual surgeons. Still, if you were willing to travel, any of these top hospitals would likely have an extremely skilled and experienced surgeon.There are proprietary systems for getting individual-level details on surgeons and hospitals for specific procedures. Unfortunately, they often disagree with each other. Surgeons who only take the "easiest" cases tend to do very well on objective measurements, like mortality and readmission, and they may not actually have as much expertise as the surgeon who is willing to attempt more difficult surgeries. This is one reason for disagreement.I often look to see who is publishing the results on this surgery, which usually indicates high familiarity and expertise on this subject, but this strategy may unfairly neglect surgeons who don't publish their results. I also call a colleague at one of the top-rated institutions and ask who is considered the local expert for this particular surgery. Sometimes the hospital website will identify the surgeon's area of expertise and interest, even within the field of vascular surgery.For your issue in particular, I found four vascular surgeons listed at the best-in-class hospital closest to your area who identify themselves as having expertise at aneurysm repair. This is where I would start.* * *Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu or send mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803. (c) 2024 North America Syndicate Inc.All Rights Reserved
As families transition from the school year to summer schedules, this is also the time of year that spring-calving cows head to pastures with their calves and bulls for the start of the breeding season. Speaking on a recent Cattle Chat podcast, the experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute offer advice to ensure that the breeding season is successful. “Even though the cattle are out on pastures, it is important to check the herd daily to make sure there are no injuries, especially for the bulls,” K-State veterinarian Bob Larson said. He explained that cattle walking in uneven pastures are more suspectable to foot injuries. In the case of bulls, there can also be some breeding injuries to their penises. Along with physical movement, K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers said it is important to monitor cattle for disease. A combination of cows grazing with their heads buried in tall grasses and an increase in the fly population may cause the cattle’s eyes to become irritated, leading them to develop pinkeye. “Watch the herd for general health issues, and with the bulls, injury and disease can have a greater herd-level impact if they are not able to breed the cows,” Lubbers said. Because of the high level of activity in the breeding pasture, it is also common for the cattle to lose some of their body condition. “Producers may need to limit the number of days young bulls are in the pastures when they start so they don’t lose too much body condition. If they are losing body condition, they are also likely losing some of their fertility,” Larson said. If the cattle are losing body condition, K-State beef cattle nutritionist Philip Lancaster recommends producers offer some supplement to the cattle. “Following a rotational grazing system and adjusting the stocking density on the pastures can also help the cattle maintain their body condition,” Lancaster said. Lancaster said it is also important to offer mineral supplementation to the herd. “Monitor the mineral intake to make sure the cattle are getting the right amount for optimum health during the breeding season,” Lancaster said. To hear the full discussion, listen to Cattle Chat on your preferred streaming platform.
CherryRoad Media unveiled their latest multimedia project in May 2024, Discover Kansas, a travel magazine that highlighted various regions throughout Kansas, alongside their events, people and places that make each area pit-stop worthy. Northwest Kansas was featured, detailing two annual events that have become staples in the Hays community, Wild West Festival and Oktoberfest.
Award-winning artist, sculptor and historian Jerry Thomas designed and supervised the construction of the first interpretive “Kiosk” on the Western Vistas Historic Byway, the southern portion of which winds through Scott County where Jerry grew up. His roots to the region remain winter wheat hardy and Scott City is home to The Jerry Thomas Gallery & Collection.
Kansas used to be an ocean. Stick a shovel deep enough in any part of the state and you are likely to unearth some plankton-sucking behemoth as big as a Greyhound bus. On the weekends you can find geology and paleontology students lined up along the jagged cuts in the blue highways digging out the fossilized flora and fauna from eighty-five million years ago.
