Enclothed Cognition

October is National Dental Hygiene Month, organized by the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA). In addition to promoting healthy habits for a healthy smile, National Dental Hygiene Month also celebrates the day-to-day efforts of dental hygienists nationwide. The dental hygienist career, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, is one of the fastest growing occupations, slated to grow 36 percent by the year 2018. Dental hygienists are licensed oral health professionals who focus on preventing and treating oral diseases - both to protect teeth and gums, and also to protect patients' overall health. If you know a dental hygienist, honor their dedication and hard work this month with a pair of Medelita performance scrubs. Medelita scrubs are made from certified high-performance drirelease® with FreshGuard® fabric. Drirelease® yarns pull moisture away from the skin and help to regulate skin temperature, minimizing sweat and discomfort. FreshGuard® is bacteriostatic; it neutralizes and inhibits the growth of bacterial odors, and therefore keeps the wearer fresh even through stressful, long shifts. In addition to our performance scrubs, we offer a line of lab coats ideal for dental professionals. Our dental coats, Elsie G. and Lucy H.T. for women and Fauchard for men, were ergonomically designed specifically to accommodate all procedural movements required of dentists and dental hygienists. During our design phases, we extensively tested the coat range of motion in all positions, both sitting, standing, and with arms in extension and abduction, to ensure a perfect fit and thus a truly comfortable, professional garment.

On average, we lose about 4 cups of sweat every day to keep our bodies at their optimum temperature of 98.6 degrees. This rate is increased for men, and during strenuous or stressful activities, as well as in higher temperatures. For most medical professionals, the daily grind comes with a large dose of stress – long hours and constant moving, agitated patients or family members, complex procedures under hot lights, and demanding workloads. The good news is that Medelita scrubs work equally as hard as you do – no matter how long or stressful your shift. We often boast that Medelita scrubs are made from certified high-performance moisture wicking drirelease® with FreshGuard® fabric, but what exactly does this mean, and how does it benefit you? It means that the fabric itself pulls moisture away from your skin and then quickly distributes the moisture through the fabric, to allow for rapid evaporation. The drirelease® yarns are a patented blend of 85-90% hydrophobic/synthetic ("water-hating") fabrics and 10-15% natural/hydrophilic ("water-loving") fibers, and this perfect combination of fibers makes this advanced technology possible. This 'push-pull' combination works together to efficiently pull sweat away from your body and then push it to the outside of the fabric where it can evaporate quickly. In fact, our drirelease® fabric dries 4x faster than cotton. The patented Optimer certified formula is applied at the yarn level, so it's permanent and lasts the lifetime of the garment. It's also completely environmentally friendly and won’t wash out. Unlike some performance fabrics with topical treatments, our scrub fabric is luxuriously soft, breathable, and comfortable. Medelita scrubs are easy to care for, launder beautifully, and maintain their high-quality appearance better than any other scrubs available. Our only unique care recommendation is to NOT use fabric softener, as it clogs the moisture wicking functionality by coating the surface. Fabric softener creates an additional layer between your skin and the moisture-wicking fabric, and decreases the effectiveness of the performance fabric. If you accidentally use fabric softener, it will wash out the next time you launder your scrubs. Every feature of every Medelita garment we make was chosen specifically with the wearer in mind. We are acutely aware that fast-paced and high-stressed medical professionals need a garment that works FOR them. Medelita drirelease® with FreshGuard® scrubs do just that, and allow a professional appearance both at the beginning and end of your shift.

There's nothing quite like watching TV and being able to say, "Oh, that's our coat!" It's an immense feeling of pride that floods over us as we get to see Rachelle Lefevre looking absolutely amazing in our Callia lab coat on the new CBS drama, A Gifted Man. The new show, which airs on Fridays at 8pm ET/PT, follows a gifted surgeon (Patrick Wilson) who suddenly has his life changed when his ex-wife dies and goes on to teach him about life from beyond the grave. It's a great show, a unique combination of House meets the Patrick Swayze classic, Ghost. On the show, Dr. Kate Sykora, played by Rachelle Lefevre, is often featured wearing the Medelita Callia women's lab coat. The Callia lab coat is our original, signature lab coat. Distinctly feminine, yet appropriately professional and distinguished, the Callia lab coat features rounded lapels, rounded corners on the chest and front pockets, and beautiful back waist detail with buttons. Pleating above and below the back waist belt make it especially flattering to the female figure. The brushed finish of the fabric makes these lab coats exceptionally photogenic - the perfect choice for professional photography or on-screen filming.

As a small company still in its infancy, the heartbeat of our growth and success is the support of our customers. Over the past three years, we have been both honored and humbled by the feedback, encouragement, and fostering of the medical community. It is because of our loyal customers that we continue to succeed, and we are genuinely grateful for those who have become advocates for Medelita and the paradigm shift we're attempting to bring to the standards of medical apparel. I'm excited to tell you that we have recently launched a brand new referral program here at Medelita. The $20 for $20 Medelita Colleague Referral Program provides our existing customers with an opportunity to earn $20 in store credit each time their colleagues make a regular purchase at medelita.com. Better yet, every referred colleague will also get $20 towards their initial purchase. Hence, $20 for $20. Simply log in or create a new account on the medelita.com home page, and you can send your colleagues $20 worth of medelita.com store credit. You will automatically receive $20 in credit when they place any order with a subtotal over $100 (prior to any discounts and/or their own $20 store credit). There is no limit to the amount of store credit that can be earned, but it must be used within 90 days of being awarded. Our store credit can be used for any of our medelita.com products, including Web Specials, and can be combined with any discount or coupon code. Store credit is not valid, however, for purchases made on products with exclusive dental pricing or AAPA purchases. This is our special way of saying thank you for being a Medelita advocate, and a way for you to be rewarded for spreading the word about our tailored lab coats and performance scrubs. To learn more about The Medelita Colleague Referral Program and to get started with a step-by-step guide, click here.

Did you know that human sweat is odorless? Our sweat itself doesn't actually smell, and the odor we associate with perspiration is caused primarily by bacteria on our skin. These bacteria rapidly multiply in the presence of sweat, breaking our perspiration down into certain acids and causing unwanted and embarrassing odors - the last thing you want when you're dealing with patients. Medelita medical scrubs are made from certified high-performance drirelease® with FreshGuard® fabric. So what's special about the bacteriostatic FreshGuard® performance feature? FreshGuard® is an odor neutralizer that is embedded in the drirelease® fabric. It doesn't kill bacteria - instead, it eliminates odors in your scrubs by blocking bacterial growth and preventing sebaceous body oils and skin cells from actually attaching to the fabric. Unlike other chemical treatments, FreshGuard® is completely friendly to the environment - and to you. FreshGuard® is built directly into the fabric at the yarn level, so it doesn't wash out. In fact, all FreshGuard® engineered fabrics are put through standard ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) wash tests, which include 50 washings. In each of these tests, FreshGuard® products by Medelita emerged like-new and incredibly soft. The reason we advise against using fabric softener with your scrubs is that fabric softener coats clothing and can clog the weave of our performance fabric. The additional coating created by fabric softener actually acts like a shield, preventing FreshGuard® from working and providing a safe place for bacteria to multiply. Luckily, because the fabric does dry so quickly, you only need to put your scrubs in the dryer for 10 to 15 minutes. Every feature of every garment we make was chosen for a reason with you in mind. Working in healthcare, your comfort and the comfort of your patients are important. Medelita scrubs work as you do, to ensure that you never have to be embarrassed by unwanted body odors.

Hectic Friday morning at our animal hospital. The waiting room is already full with wagging tails and nervous meows, but first I have to make sure that "Bandit" a brave 14 year-old Border Collie mix, fresh from a night at the animal emergency clinic, is in stable condition after he got bit by a Copperhead last night. The owner, worried about his dear companion, follows me in the treatment room where I do my physical exam, while my techs get everything ready for Bandit. Half an hour later, I am catching up with my appointments. I enter the first room and immediately apologize to my client and her pet for the long wait. "I am so sorry I made you wait. I have a snake bite patient who needed immediate care. Thank you so much for your patience!" She looks at me with a scared look, "How really? A snake bite? What are you supposed to do in a case like that? I thought you had to go to the emergency room." I tell her that yes, getting emergency care was the right thing to do, and that my patient has been transferred from the local emergency clinic. While I examine her dog and administer the vaccine, she looks at me, curious, " Is the man going to be ok?" I look at her, a little confused, "I do not know. What man?" "Well, your patient with the snake bite." I refrain a smile, surprised and honored that a client would think so highly of her veterinarian. "Oh, his dog got bit, not him. I do not know how to treat humans!" I did remind her before she left that in case of a snake bite, one is to rush to the closest emergency room, the one with M.Ds. P.S: I saw "Bandit" a few days ago. He has fully recovered from the snake bite! He gave me a look that I can best describe as "Bring it! I eat snakes for breakfast!" Medelita Guest Blogger: Julie Pearson, DVM. Julie is currently working on the East Coast as a small animal veterinarian. She was born and raised in France, where she got her degree before getting licensed in the USA. She enjoys being a general practitioner, and feels privileged to be there for her patients, whether it is for a wellness visit or a serious medical issue. Julie has been wearing Medelita since August 2010, and is seen here wearing her scrubs.

National PA Week ends today. For the last seven days, we highlighted exceptional Physician Assistants - all with inspiring achievements both in the clinical realm and in leadership. These seven PA s are truly a strong representation of ALL PA s practicing in the U.S. - currently 81,000 and growing. We would like to extend a special THANK YOU to these colleagues for representing the PA profession so well, for making us all proud, and for sharing your career highlights as a PA. Read about all of them below.

[caption id="attachment_992" align="alignright" width="216" caption="Margaret Allen, PA-C"][/caption]Margaret Allen, PA-C. A PA since 1992, Margaret works in Family Medicine at Ravenswood Family Health Center in East Palo Alto, California, and is currently Chair of the Committee on Diversity for the California Academy of Physician Assistants. In 2009, Margaret won the AAPA award for Service to the Underserved. She has been wearing Medelita since 2009, and is seen here wearing her Baltic Clinician Scrubs.

[caption id="attachment_974" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Lawrence Herman, MPA, RPA-C, DFAAPA"][/caption]Lawrence Herman, MPA, RPA-C, DFAAPA, who is shown here with his colleague Natalie Cher, DO. He is an Associate Professor and Director of Primary Care Initiatives at the New York Institute of Technology and is shown here at Bay Shore Family Medicine, where he practices and serves as the Medical Director for Island Medical Physicians, a large multispecialty group with over a dozen offices throughout Long Island. A PA for almost two decades, he serves on the AAPA Board as a Director-at-Large. Larry has been wearing Medelita since 2008, and is seen here wearing his Laennec lab coat.

[caption id="attachment_983" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Leslie Sormillon- Potenciano, MBA, RPA-C, LCCE, IBCLC "][/caption]Leslie Sormillon- Potenciano, MBA, RPA-C, LCCE, IBCLC has been practicing since 1999. Currently full-time at Richmond University Medical Center in New York, she also co-founded Staten Island's ten toes, a modern company that educates families and new parents on pregnancy and parenting information with a retail arm in related items. She additionally provides private lactation consultation, CPR certification, infant massage instruction and lamaze education. Leslie has been wearing Medelita since 2008, and is seen wearing her Baltic Clinician Scrubs.

[caption id="attachment_975" align="alignleft" width="247" caption="Maureen Regan, MBA, RPA-C"][/caption]Maureen Regan, MBA, RPA-C, who has been practicing since 1985. Maureen is currently working as the Administrative Director of Surgical Subspecialties at Winthrop University Hospital and clinically in an Occupational Medicine practice at Kennedy International Airport. She also serves on the Board of the New York State Society of Physician Assistants and as Chair of their Leadership Committee. Maureen has been wearing Medelita since June 2011, and is seen here at The Today Show on October 6th 2011 wearing her Estie lab coat.

[caption id="attachment_976" align="alignright" width="168" caption="Catherine Gaines, PA-C "][/caption]Catherine Gaines, PA-C since 1993. Catherine is currently working as a cardiothoracic PA after retiring from the Air National Guard. Catherine is the Southeastern Director for the American Association of Surgical Physician Assistants. Her therapy dogs volunteer at a local Hospice house. (She chauffeurs them as the Border Collie has not quite mastered driving yet. But probably will shortly.) Catherine has been wearing Medelita since 2008, and is seen here wearing her Callia Lab Coat.

[caption id="attachment_1001" align="alignleft" width="211" caption="Jamie Huggler, RPA-C, "][/caption]Jamie Huggler, RPA-C, surgical PA since 1999. Jamie is currently working in the Cardiothoracic Unit of Long Island Jewish Hospital. She was the very first PA in the state of NY to perform robotically assisted lobectomy. Jamie has been wearing Medelita since 2008, and is seen here wearing her Pool Clinician Scrubs and Callia Lab Coat.

[caption id="attachment_978" align="alignright" width="237" caption="Justine Roberts, MPAS, PA-C, RVT"][/caption]Justine Roberts, MPAS, PA-C, RVT, who has been practicing in reconstructive, plastic and hand surgery, and varicose vein treatment since 2009. Justine is currently working as a Physician Assistant and Registered Vascular Technologist at Plastic Surgical Associates of Johnstown. In 2009, she founded and launched the company's Vein Center, for minimally invasive varicose vein solutions. She is also an adjunct instructor for Saint Francis University's Physician Assistant Program. She is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the Pennsylvania Society of Physician Assistants, and the American College of Phlebology. Justine has been wearing Medelita since 2009, and is seen here wearing her Pool Clinician Scrubs and Callia Lab Coat.

Eugene A. Stead, Jr., MD is recognized as the "Father" of the PA profession. Dr. Stead was born near Atlanta, Georgia on October 6, 1908. October 6th would, incidentally, also become the graduation day of the first class of PAs and the official date of National PA day. One of five children, Dr. Stead helped his father as a child, selling patent medicines door-to-door in Atlanta neighborhoods. Many of these neighborhoods were poor, and he was intrigued by the effects of poverty. As a boy, he noticed that poverty had two effects on people - either they were consumed by it or they rose to the challenge of overcoming it. He would later apply these same observations to different patterns of behavior among patients. Eugene A. Stead, Jr., MD received both his undergraduate and graduate education at Emory University, and in 1942, he became the youngest person to chair the Department of Medicine at his prestigious alma mater. In 1946, he was named Dean of the School of Medicine at Emory, but he left a year later to accept a position as Professor of Medicine and Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Duke University. It was the patient, not the illness that most fascinated Dr. Stead. When his residents and he came across a complicated medical case they could not solve, Dr. Stead was often heard to say “What the patient needs is a doctor.” He often reminded his young learners that “A doctor makes a mistake if he thinks he knows more about a patient than the patient does himself.” Eugene A. Stead, Jr., MD firmly believed that it was possible to meet many patient needs without the time and cost overhead of a traditional medical education, and in 1965, Dr. Stead established the first U.S. Physician Assistant Program at Duke University with ex-military corpsmen. "We started the first PA Program with four students, all veterans . . . we had to have people who could stand their ground," stated Dr. Stead in PA Profession in Review: A Founder's Perspective, "Nurses and physicians at Duke Hospital were not overly enthusiastic about our idea. It was not easy to become a PA in those days." Over the course of his lifetime, Dr. Eugene Stead watched the PA profession grow from a small few struggling against criticism to a thriving and respected role within the medical community. He attributed a great deal of this success to the determination and ambition of the PAs themselves and felt that opportunities for Physician Assistants would only continue to grow. "PAs sought and found the opportunity to see people in a way that nobody else but a doctor had ever envisioned. PAs have the ability to take that and parlay it into all kinds of ventures in business, industry, and law," concluded Dr. Stead, "All that remains is for each PA to seize the opportunity." Eugene A. Stead, Jr., MD remained an advocate for positive change within the medical industry until he passed away on June 12, 2005 at the age of 96.

In celebration of National Midwifery Week, Medelita presents daily entries from the journal of Becky Carlton, BSN, CNM, an American midwife recently in Libya during the ongoing revolution. Here is the final entry. June 9, 2011 18:42 “Chicago Time” Location: somewhere over the US at 35,000 feet. Having left Brussels in the morning…trying to get home! If someone wakes you on a Friday morning with the question, “Would you like to go to Libya on Tuesday?” think about your answer carefully! Keep in mind that there is a revolution happening there. The people have decided they want new leadership after 40 years under Muammar Gadaffi’s thumb. Keep in mind that NATO is plastering the country with bombs and rebel forces are making homemade rocket-launchers. Consider what a landmine can do to a human. Believe the pro-Gadaffi soldiers suffer, the anti-Gadaffi soliders suffer and civilians are definitely suffering. Consider what a chance it would be to witness a people fighting for their freedom. When the call comes, consider it carefully. Then—go ahead—say, “Yes.” Medelita Guest Blogger: Becky Carlton, BSN, CNM. Becky is currently working as the Midwifery Dean at Gimbie Adventist Hospital in Ethiopia. Becky has been doing missionary work for many years, with such organizations as the Peace Corps and Doctors without Borders (MSF).

In celebration of National Midwifery Week, Medelita presents daily entries from the journal of Becky Carlton, BSN, CNM, an American midwife recently in Libya during the ongoing revolution. June 6, 2011 11:33 From where I’m lying I can see out a tiny porthole to the Mediterranean. The sea outside undulates gently. We are puttering along at about 7mph/hr on a 250-mile trip. Fortunately it’s pretty calm and I feel good. In many ways, it’s nice to have this quiet time where there is absolutely nothing of importance to do. I’ve been lying on the deck for hours, listening to the wind, and thinking about this trip. It has been such a good adventure! Who’d of thought I’d go to Eygpt…or Libya…or Malta on a boat? Who’d of thought 5 weeks ago I’d have a whole new set of fabulous people in my life? Maybe, only for a moment. Most I will never see again, but it is still worth it. The time spent is like a snapshot. I can see them in my head. Dr MM with red, tired eyes after another night of not sleeping. Dr. A smiling in an absent way as he talks of his brother’s death. The women with the UTI telling me of her husband’s incarceration in Tripoli with his brothers while she is here pregnant with six children and she can’t get diapers for the twins. Daphne laughing with hospital staff. Dr. E telling me of the family farm that used to have chickens and goats and now is “nothing”. Sober docs tell us of the neighbors’ children who died in the same grad missile attack that nearly hit us. Dr F telling me of how in the beginning they all slept in their clothes because they never knew when they’d have to run. Then, Dr F apologizing to me for how some of the male consultant doctors treated me in a meeting. She is a rare bird here in a man’s world and very brave. I’m amazed that they tell me these stories (usually when we are alone in a quiet time). And, there are moments of fun. We laugh when Dr E describes the different sounds of blasts. We know what she is talking about. The Libyans apologize that we’ve come during war time so we do not see the beautiful Libya. They need to talk. We need to listen. We, as MSF, are pledged to stay neutral, but in our hearts, we ache to see them free from tyranny and fear. It’s weird how a person adapts. One night, there was a lot of shelling and we kept having to move into the hall. There were 21 people in the house and we didn’t fit well anymore. Sometime around 1am there was close heavy shelling. We bolted from our beds, confused, but primed. Lots of “Take Cover!!” shouts through the house. We sat in the darkness, hearts pounding crazily in our throats. Not everyone arrived wearing pants. We counted off—no one slept through that one. Even E, who sleeps like a rock, couldn’t ignore us hitting her legs as we dashed across her bed to the door. She says she didn’t actually become conscious that she was in the hall and not running to an emergency until she’d been sitting there for a couple minutes. Daphne admits that when she listens to music with earphones, she doesn’t actually put both in her ears. She always wants to know what’s going on around her. I always think about where I’ll go if a rocket comes in (not that I’d have time, but I still have a plan). I cried a lot yesterday and the day before. It’s so hard to say goodbye. When I was changing out of my scrubs, Dr. N saw that I was losing it and held me for a long time. Dr R kept warning me not to cry because it would make her cry. Yesterday morning, I couldn’t even look at my Belgian friend G to say goodbye. He stood behind me with his long skinny arms around my chest, chin on my head and just held me. He’s such a sweet, gentle man! Daphne was keeping busy prepping to go so she wouldn’t have to address my leaving. We really did enjoy working together even if I was driving her nuts and we knew we’d cry, but didn’t want to. In my head, I always hope that I will see these wonderful people again. Chances are that I won’t. That is hard. So, now, I lie in my bunk. I cry a little to think about my friends. I am happy to go home and I’m happy I came. I won’t be the same. Hopefully I’m better for it. Inshallah!! Medelita Guest Blogger: Becky Carlton, BSN, CNM. Becky is currently working as the Midwifery Dean at Gimbie Adventist Hospital in Ethiopia. Becky has been doing missionary work for many years, with such organizations as the Peace Corps and Doctors without Borders (MSF).