Latest news with #MonumentHealth
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Fighting against the spread of Measles
Rapid City, S.D. (KELO) — An increased number of measles cases is spreading across the country, with one case being reported in Meade County earlier this week. Public safety alert issued for 'dangerous subject' at large The current cases of Measles started from people who have come back to the country from international travels where measles is endemic. 'The virus is taking hold in communities where vaccination rates are low and that's the really tough thing, measles is incredibly contagious. Experts estimate that we need to have a 95% vaccination rate or better in order to prevent outbreaks from taking hold,' Monument Health Pediatrician Dr. Paula Marsland said. These percentages have dropped to around 90% across the country. Medical professionals are recommending the MMR vaccine (Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccination), something that has remained the same for the past 50 years. 'It's not hanging out in animals, it's hanging out in humans. And so as we try to eradicate it, the only way to do that is to stop the transmission of human to human. That's why I mentioned previously, it's highly contagious. Measles is three times more contagious than the Flu, than Covid, than Ebola,' Dr. Marsland said. The last time this many cases happened in the country was back in 2019, when over 1,200 cases were reported for the entire year. 'And then once symptoms show up, folks are infectious from roughly four or five days before the rash starts to four days after the rash starts. So that's a good eight to nine-day period where they are infectious. So certainly if you had somebody with a positive measles case, we'd want them to quarantine until at least four days after the rash started,' Dr. Marsland said. Currently, there have been over 1,100 cases this year, with over two-thirds being in people ages 19 and younger. The measles vaccine is typically given between 12-15 months of age with the second dose of MMR given in the range of 4-6 years of age. If you want to learn more about next steps in preventing measles, talk to your medical professional or find more informaiton here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Surviving and thriving in the battle against multiple myeloma
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KELO) — Multiple Myeloma is a blood cancer where plasma cells crowd out normal blood cells in the bone marrow. This can lead to bone pain, frequent infections and fatigue. Rapid City local Tony Corbine has been fighting back against this cancer for years longer than expected. COURT DOCS: 8 arrested in Madison ICE raid Tony and Mary Corbine have been hands-on members of the community for years, working with the Club for Boys, the Hope Center and Feeding South Dakota whenever they can. After his diagnosis, Tony Corbine was only given a few months to live without any treatments. 'The first couple of years were hit and miss, you know it's kind of a shock when you hear you have six months to live and it's June or May and you think well maybe I'll make Christmas. But then as far as that I've been really really fortunate that my body and that there are remedies out there to keep me and prolong my life,' Survivor Tony Corbine said. Tony was diagnosed in Rapid City at Monument Health. After a referral, he and his wife Mary headed to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota for treatments. Despite timelines moving, the idea of a final Christmas was on the mind. 'The numbers were changing, but you're still not sure on how long this is going to work, and there's not another option after this. So that's one thing that's so different now than it was then. But yeah, come Christmas you want to do things normally, but you want it to sparkle a little bit,' Mary Corbine said. Monument Health and the Mayo Clinic were able to work together to provide the best support they could to help Tony in his battle with cancer. 'Both emotionally and physically it's taxing, it's a life-changing diagnosis and changes their life around this diagnosis unfortunately. And we're here to support them as best as we can and we work together as a team, doctors, nurses and all the support staff as well to help them achieve their goals,' Monument Health CCI Medical Director Abdel Azzouqa said. Over the past few years, they've been able to enjoy life both at home and while traveling with family, something they didn't think they'd be able to do back in 2018. 'So it doesn't weigh on my mind as much other than the anxiety that I feed it. Obviously, if I feed it with like oh gosh this is happening, this is going to happen, I've defeated myself before I've even put my foot on the floor,' Tony Corbine said. 'Every person is a little bit different, we see all types of personalities. But definitely some people stand out by their perseverance and their ability to overcome adversity and these patients typically do better than most people.' Azzouqa Said Tony was able to receive a stem-cell transplant in 2020, and later a successful CAR-T therapy with Carvykti. 'That has been what has prolonged things for Tony. That's the part where he mentioned Carvykti, that's with the CAR-T cell transplant. It's so crazy, it's like, I don't know all the science behind it but what I know is they take his cells, they re-engineered them to fight his cancer and then they use that drug Carvykti to do that,' Mary Corbine said. 'You kind of see what life is really like when you strip it down. Minus the titles or power or friction, you get to that spot where it's just you. You and between you and god or the creator and realizing that the time that you have, make use of it,' Tony Corbine said. Tony has been in remission for over 2 years and his mental health continues to improve as the need for treatment decreases. Tony continues to have a positive attitude regarding his situation and continues to fight every day, living his life the best he can. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Over 2,000 books given out for Black Hills Reads in RCAS
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KELO) — Black Hills Reads has been reading to kids and giving out books for the past decade. This year Sean Covel and the Porter the Hoarder books return with Monument Health to read to first and second graders. Mallard mom welcomes new ducklings on Mother's Day This week staff from Monument Health and the author of Porter the Hoarder are out reading to students across the Black Hills. 'Rebecca Swift and I created the Porter the Hoarder hospital book to demystify what a hospital is. A child psychologist told us it can be really scary, so we set up games in every part of the hospital to make it fun. And then Monument Health came in to sponsor it. So now providers are going around reading.' author Sean Covel said. Not only are the health professionals reading, they are also engaging with the students. 'Porter the Hoarder gets to like find stuff in there, like finding ambulance stuff, doctor stuff and that's it. I like to read because I like to learn new things.' RCAS second grader Onyx Louder said. These books help kids by showing that hospitals are not always scary as they seem. 'It doesn't need to be as scary as it is, so it's exciting to have Porter, who's a little wild, be able to take the edge off the scariness of going to the hospital. So we're really excited to be able to do that and to be able to engage with our communities.' Monument Health Community Relations Anna Whetham said. Monument Health has read to over 56 classrooms over the past two years, with over 4,000 books given out for the students to take home–with fun homework for the parents. 'Porter the Hoarder began as a family engagement project because its a book but it's really a game. It's a game that happens to be a book. So while we're creating excitement about reading we're also creating connections in the home so when they get their own book, their own copy of parent homework, it's had great success in causing that to to mix around and have fun at home.' Covel said Black Hills Reads has several programs set to help kids and parents engage in reading to provide a fun relationship with books. Mom on Mother's Day: Kids are 'everything to me' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
