Carson Valley Medical Center | Healthy Carson Valley | Winter 2020

2 3 4 5 1 Healthy living included a degree in criminal justice, a military tour in Afghanistan, and a stint as an advanced emergency medical technician before he went back to school to become a physician assistant. He served in both the Air and Army components of the National Guard and volunteered in 2011 to lead a combat support platoon in Afghanistan. “In Afghanistan, we would go on patrol four or five days a week. I was part of the Military Police Company, to which there were many facets,” he says. “We’d work with and train local law enforcement just trying to build up community policing. It was quite an experience, really something different every day.” Following his tour, he connected with an old friend and high school swimming teammate, Rachael Wilson, née Tappan, who was also a physician assistant. The two married, and they had their first child two years ago. They’re expecting their second child in 2020. “We knew we wanted to end up in a smaller community, somewhere family- focused,” Wilson says. “Our parents were still in this area, we still had a lot of friends in Northern Nevada. It just seemed like a natural fit.” Wilson joined Carson Valley Medical Center in 2019 and spent his first few months working with and learning from some of CVMC’s more tenured providers. He started at Topaz Ranch in November. “Everyone I’ve come into contact with here has been phenomenal,” he says. “There really is just a family atmosphere to CVMC. From the physicians to the leadership to the support staff—everyone has been great.” Despite the community’s growth, Wilson says it still feels very much like the place he grew up. “I feel like this is my home,” he said. “It still has that small-town feel. I really enjoy that and I am looking forward to raising my family and continuing to build a practice here. I think CVMC has a great future and I’m excited to be a part of it.” ➜ CARSON VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER has 16 primary care providers conveniently located at five practices around the community. To get established with a primary care provider, ca ll 775-782-1550 . Cold weather play 5 tips to keep kids safe For kids, a snow day is usually greeted with pure joy. That’s because winter weather offers plenty of outdoor fun. But the cold also comes with certain dangers. So here are five tips to help keep your little snow bunnies safe. Set limits. If the wind chill factor or temperature is below minus 15, don’t let your kids go outside. Otherwise, set a time limit for how long they can play outside, and have them come in to warm up every so often. Bundle them up correctly. The rule of thumb for dressing young kids for cold weather is to have them wear one more layer than you would. Thin fabrics are best for layering underneath warm coats, boots, gloves and hats. Don’t neglect sunscreen. Protecting exposed skin from harmful rays is just as important in winter as in summer. The reflection of the sun’s rays off snow can actually make rays more powerful. Do winter sports right. Skiing, snowboarding, skating and sledding are activities children should never do alone. They should also wear a helmet to prevent head injuries. Don’t let kids sled around cars or into the road, and instruct them to slide feetfirst. Check for signs of frostbite. Fingers, toes, ears and noses are particularly vulnerable to frostbite, a condition in which the skin, and sometimes the tissue below it, freezes. Frostbitten skin may turn white or pale gray and form blisters. If your child shows signs of frostbite, have him or her come inside to gently warm up. Don’t rub the affected skin, and don’t pop any blisters. Place a warm—not hot—cloth on the skin for 20 to 30 minutes. Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics; National Institutes of Health; Safe Kids Worldwide —Continued from page 1 Back home ➜ FOR ALL OF THE FUNWINTER BRINGS, it also brings with it the heart of flu season and its share of bumps, bruises and tumbles in the ice and snow. Minden Family Medicine, 1649 Lucerne Street in Minden, accepts patients on a walk-in and same-day basis, and the CVMC Urgent Care—897 Ironwood Drive in Minden—is open Monday through Saturday. cvmchospital.org 3