Shawn Nordheim -Candidate for Magistrate District 2

 

                                              Bryan and Shawn with their dog Lexi.

Virtual Cardiac Rehab

 

My goal as magistrate is to improve the quality of life for the citizens of district 2 and ultimately all Pendleton County citizens.  I will be sharing some of the concerns of the citizens in our county, and I will attempt to generate realistic solutions to these concerns. 

A citizen of Pendleton County had three vessel open heart surgery and was offered cardiac rehabilitation.  However, this intervention is only offered in person at one of three locations in northern Kentucky (Edgewood, Ft. Thomas, and Grant County).

Background:

Cardiac rehab is a medically supervised program designed to improve your cardiovascular health.  To qualify for cardiac rehab, patients often have had a heart attack, heart failure, angioplasty, or open-heart surgery.  Having a heart transplant or a LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device) implanted could also potentially qualify a person for cardiac rehab as well.  As a patient in this program, you often partner with doctors, nurses, pharmacists as well as your family and friends to take charge of the choices, lifestyle, and habits that affect your heart.  Cardiac rehab is generally offered three days a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). You are supervised on a cardiac monitor during these exercise sessions, and once weekly you receive education on heart healthy living (diet/nutritional counseling, weight management, medications, stress management, hands-only CPR, etc.).  Family members are encouraged to attend sessions with the patient. The citizens of Pendleton County have been drastically underserved because of the challenge of traveling to get to cardiac rehab plus timing of work prevents participation in this critical program.  Now, the cost of gas is going to exacerbate this situation even more.  Why is it important to participate in cardiac rehab?  Cardiac rehab lowers the risk of death and health complications for patients who have had a cardiac event or procedure and boosts their chances of returning to an active lifestyle.  More importantly, it reduces hospital readmissions for cardiac patients.

Possible Solution:

In the summer, I work as a cardiac rehab nurse.  We saw a drastic drop in patients participating in cardiac rehab the last few years due to the covid-19 pandemic.  In some parts of the country, home and telehealth-based interventions are being used as alternatives to the traditional center-based rehab programs.  I would love to see a hybrid program being offered to the citizens of our county.   The initial visits could be done in person, then once the patient feels comfortable the sessions could be done virtually using an app on the phone.   The patients could occasionally make an in person visit to hold them accountable.  I have been speaking to representatives from St. Elizabeth Healthcare regarding this possibility.  It would be a costly initiative for them to take on.  However, at a minimum the PC citizens affected by heart disease should have educational sessions offered over zoom and a support group of other individuals going through similar circumstances.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at smnordheim@aol.com or call my home at 859-472-2799.  This proposal is just one possibility to improve the lives and health of PC citizens. 

With PC Pride,

Shawn Mills Nordheim

Candidate for Magistrate District 2

After Hours Medical Care

 

My goal as magistrate is to improve the quality of life for the citizens of district 2 and ultimately all Pendleton County citizens.  As I mentioned in the last article, I will be sharing some of the concerns of the citizens in my district, and I will attempt to come up with realistic solutions to these concerns. 

My neighbor mentioned that he and his wife had to travel 25 minutes north to get Covid testing after they arrived home because after hours medical care was not being offered in Pendleton County.  Another neighbor had to take her son to Harrison Memorial Hospital for testing as well, which was a 45-minute drive from their home in Pendleton County.

Background:

As you can recall, urgent care services were being offered at the Family Care Associates in Falmouth several years ago.  Health care professionals from Harrison Memorial Hospital provided the after-hours medical services in the Family Care Associates office after they closed for the day.  Because these services were under-utilized, the urgent care facility closed several years ago.  According to the office manager at Family Care Associates, this closing happened prior to the pandemic.  When I have mentioned after hours medical care, everyone immediately says it has been “tried and failed already.”  The pandemic has changed how people view urgent care services.  I think most of us viewed urgent care services as just a step down from the emergency room.  If I was going to go to an urgent care facility, I wanted an emergency room nearby in case that urgent problem progresses to something more serious.  I suspect other people had the same outlook as I did, which may have led to the underutilization of urgent care services in Pendleton County.  The problem in Pendleton County is the primary care offices are being stretched so much you can’t expect them to stay open until 8pm in the evening to accommodate people that have arrived home to find out their children or loved ones need to see a health care provider for strep testing, covid testing, or for a respiratory or sinus infection. 

Possible Solution:

Many of you have probably used a clinic inside a pharmacy or grocery store in the last two years.  If you go to Walgreens, it is called Healthcare Clinic.  If you go to Kroger, it is called The Little Clinic.  CVS Pharmacy has a clinic as well known as the Minute Clinic, and this Minute Clinic could be a possible solution to Pendleton County residents having to travel to get after hours medical care outside our county.  The closest Minute Clinic to Falmouth is on Beechmont Avenue in Ohio.  There is also a Minute Clinic in Georgetown, KY.  Carly Ramsey, CVS manager in Falmouth, mentioned that their pharmacy stays very busy giving vaccines considering it is in a small town.  Even though Ms. Ramsey feels a Minute Clinic would be successful in Falmouth, it ultimately is not her decision.  I have been in correspondence with the CVS corporate headquarters in Rhode Island.  Unfortunately, Minutes Clinics are not being expanded at this time.  However, the director of operations in Kentucky encouraged me to reach out in 6 months when these kinds of decisions are being determined.  In the meantime, if you are a nurse practitioner who would be potentially interested in this line of work, please contact me.  I am attempting to collect names of potential NPs in case there is concern about staffing in a rural area.  Considering I work at a university that trains Nurse Practitioners, I think this issue can be easily addressed.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at smnordheim@aol.com or call my home at 859-472-2799.  This proposal is just one possibility to improve the lives and health of PC citizens.  What a Minute Clinic offers that a primary care office does not is convenience.  You simply walk in when it is convenient for you. 

With PC Pride,

Shawn Mills Nordheim

Candidate for Magistrate District 2

 

 

Farm to Fork Food Truck

 

My goal as magistrate is to improve the quality of life for the citizens of district 2 and ultimately all Pendleton County citizens.  Over the course of the next several months, I will be sharing some of the concerns of the citizens in my district.  I will attempt to think outside the box and come up with realistic solutions to their concerns. 

A resident mentioned that “we need something to bring people into the county other than the Wool Festival.”

Possible Solution:

My husband and I started a very small cattle operation in April 2021.  I have learned a great deal about beef cattle that I would have never in a million years thought I would enjoy knowing.  Owning these cattle has certainly given me a greater appreciation for what the farming industry does for our community and is the motivation for what I am about to suggest as a solution for bringing people into our county.

I think many of us in this county support the farmer’s market.  There has been an initiative that the Pendleton County Extension Office advertises every year called the “Farmer’s Feast.”  It is an annual meal at the end of August where local farmers provide locally grown food in an outdoor atmosphere.  Over the years, this event has rotated to various farms throughout the county to give different farmers opportunity to showcase their farm.   How can we continue this support for local farmers more than just once a year?  A potential solution to this problem is a Farm to Fork Food Truck.  This restaurant on wheels could be a brand-new business or an extension to a current restaurant in Pendleton County.  The Farm to Fork Food Truck has been a successful business in other communities.  See link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T14n-JQr2Pk for details.  I could easily see this truck coming to church events, festivals, wedding venues, fairs, and outside recreational events.  Some people may say it is more cost effective for people that own restaurants to buy in bulk at Sam’s Warehouse, Kroger, etc.  For me personally, I would gladly pay a few extra bucks for a meal if I knew it supported our local farmers.  Plus, it I would potentially give parents healthier food options other than fast food when attending outside events at the Pendleton County Athletic Park.  (Interesting fact, Kentucky ranked #1 for childhood obesity in 2019-2020 in youth ages 10-17).

How could owning a food truck bring people into the county?  Many of you have heard about home tours.  The Pendleton County Tourism Council (PCTC) could organize a tour of three farms in our community.  Farms that are chosen by the PCTC should provide a variety of educational experiences to the public.  This farm tour could be offered once a month in the summer months.  Tickets could be sold online.   A bus could be rented from the Pendleton County School District to transport interested guests from one farm to the next farm.  Of course, a driver would need to be paid as well.  Between farms, the tour guide could share some of the history and interesting facts about Pendleton County.  At the end of the tour, the Farm to Fork food truck would be there to provide a delicious meal to our out of county guests.  If implemented correctly, this initiative would not only support our local farming community but could also showcase some of the local farms and bring people into our county who may want to raise their families.  Other businesses can benefit from these guests by seeing an increased usage of their services. 

Magistrates regulate and control the fiscal affairs of the county (KRS 67.080).  While this article does not fall under the functions of a magistrate, I wanted to address the concerns of a citizen in district 2.  As a magistrate, you cannot dictate to community members/organizations to take up your cause, but you can hope they would see the value of your proposal and act on it.  At the end of the day, bringing people into our county who want to build a home and raise their family adds to the county revenue and gives us more money to repair roads and public buildings and improve the delivery of public services.  The fiscal court must use appropriate funds for certain public functions (KRS 67.083).

In summary, this article provided a business opportunity, a way to increase tourism, and ways to generate more county revenue while at the same time support our local farmers.  This proposal is just one tiny step toward improving the lives and health of PC citizens.  My blog for this election is https://electshawn.blogspot.com.  This blog is different than the blog I kept for my school board races.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at smnordheim@aol.com or call my home at 859-472-2799. 

With PC Pride,

Shawn Mills Nordheim

Candidate for Magistrate District 2

Shawn Nordheim for Magistrate District 2

 

I am pleased to announce my candidacy for the Pendleton County Magistrate District 2.  I have been married to my husband Bryan for 30 years and together we have three sons – Jacob, Luke, and Max.  My husband and I both graduated from Pendleton County High School in 1985.  I went on to pursue a nursing degree at Northern Kentucky University and then traveled and worked in many different states while my husband was in the Air Force.  In 1998, my husband transitioned out of active duty, and we moved back to Kentucky to raise our family.  I currently work for Northern Kentucky University in their College of Health & Human Services where I teach nursing to second year nursing students.  I also work as a nurse in the summer for St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood’s Cardiac Rehab Unit.

Nurse Advocate

In 2010, I started my doctoral degree in Educational Leadership at NKU.  I knew right away that I wanted to do my research on something that would improve my community.  Several years prior a classmate of mine (Dale Kirsch) had passed away due to cardiac arrest at Grassy Creek Christian Church, and there was some delay before the emergency medical services arrived at the scene.  This event became the impetus for my research study at Sharp Middle School.  Thankfully Mr. Greg Valentine allowed me to come into his classroom and teach CPR to the students.  In turn, these students were given CPR manikins to take home and teach their parents Hands-Only CPR.  My goal with the study was to empower students and their parents with the knowledge of what to do while they are waiting for EMS to arrive. 

In January 2016, the President of the Kentucky Nurses Association asked that I come on board as their Governmental Affairs Chairperson.  As Governmental Affairs Chairperson, you find initiatives that the KNA should endorse.  I soon found a CPR bill that had twice failed to be passed into legislation.  This CPR bill would mandate CPR training of all students in public schools before they graduate.  It failed because legislators felt it was another unfunded mandate.   I immediately started working on a position statement that was accepted by the KNA and eventually sent to all legislators.  The position statement was concise and focused on why Hands- Only CPR training is easily implemented without being another unfunded mandate.  In fall 2016, the CPR bill (SB 33) was signed into law by Governor Matt Bevin, and I was able to see the impact of something that started at a local level making an impact at a state level.

Student Advocate

I served on the Pendleton County School Board from January 2013 until July 2018.  Besides serving as Chairperson, I also served on the Health & Wellness Committee, Finance Committee and Curriculum Committee.  As Chairperson, I led the Superintendent Search, which is extremely labor intensive because of all the regulations that must be followed.  In the end, we hired a superintendent that has the work ethic and integrity to get our district through challenging times. Unfortunately, my involvement with this board ended in July 2018 due to my son moving to another school district in northern Kentucky.  I knew it was best to resign because of the perception that it gave.  Plus, staying on the board would take energy away from the momentum we had achieved with the hiring of our new superintendent.  Between serving on the Board and the Site Based Decision Making Council, I worked in this district for 9.5 years.  During my time on the board, I advocated for student representation on the board and fair and equitable treatment for employees when it came to their pay. 

Community Advocate

My time away from political life has been used wisely, and I have developed tools that will help me as magistrate.  During the pandemic, I served on a five-member team (Ad Hoc Contingency Budget Development Group) to find ways to improve efficiencies and invest in revenue producing programs to help make NKU a leader in higher education.  Our recommendations went to NKU’s President Vaidya and on to the Board of Regents.  I also currently serve on the Faculty Senate Budget Committee at NKU.  Most recently, I successfully wrote and had a grant approved to increase cultural awareness in our NKU nursing students.

If elected as Magistrate, I pledge to keep the community interests my number one priority when making decisions.  I see the potential for growth in District 2 in the coming years.  However, we need to ensure the growth comes from the needs and desires of the people of Pendleton County and not from outside entities.  I am currently conducting a needs assessment.  I have been trying to attend community meetings throughout Pendleton County and reaching out to residents in my district.  I will be writing a series of articles about what the residents of District 2 feel are important to them and how I as magistrate could impact that change.  I am always open to suggestions.  Do not hesitate to call or text me at 859-472-2799 or email me at smnordheim@aol.com.

PC Strong,

Dr. Shawn Nordheim