INPUT ARTICLE: Article: The first step in organizing your personal medical record is to collect hard (physical) copies of as much information about your treatments and diagnoses as you can from all your caregivers, including physicians, nurse practitioners, chiropractors, physiotherapists, psychologists, etc. Keep in mind that federal law requires all doctors and medical facilities to allow you access to your medical records.  Remember to be polite and patient when asking to access your medical files. Tell them it's to establish your own personal records. Some doctors and medical facilities might be hesitant to allow you access due to fear of malpractice litigation. Your caregiver may need some time to organize your medical information because it may not all be in a single file. Schedule an appointment to come back if that's the case. Keep in mind that a personal medical record combines all the medical information collected by each caregiver/medical facility that you've been to into a single file that's easily accessed.  While federal law gives you the right to access most of your Patient Health Information (medical records, imaging, test results, billing records, etc.), some types of information are exempted. For example, you do not have a right to access psychotherapy notes (i.e., notes taken by a mental health professional during a counseling session) or documents compiled for use in a civil or criminal proceeding. Once you've notified the caregiver of your intentions and they've organized your medical information, it's time to make copies of it all. Your personal medical record should include copies of all test/lab results, diagnoses, treatment reports, radiology reports, progress notes insurance statements and referrals from each caregiver/medical facility you've visited. Don't expect the actual caregiver to copy your file for you. Likely their support staff will be the ones to do the actual copying.  Although you own your medical information, you don't own the actual paper, files and x-rays that your info is on, so don't expect to walk out with the originals. You're only entitled to copies from the originals. Your caregiver/medical facility has the legal right to charge you a copying fee, so ask how much it might cost. They may charge per page or a flat fee for the copying service. You'll likely need to sign a release form at every facility that you request records from. Once you've copied your original medical files, separate them by making a pile for each medical provider. Then, order the records for each provider from your earliest visit to your most recent, in chronological order. This type of organization will make it quick and easy to find information. Punch holes in your medical records along the left margin with a 3-hole punch and place them in a sturdy three-ring binder or wire-bound notebook (maybe with dividers for each family member, or even a binder for each family member).  Use different colored index dividers to organize your medical records by medical provider and/or facility. In addition to color coding, organize multiple doctors alphabetically within the binder. Consider reinforcing the punch holes of your copied documents, especially if you or your caregivers are looking through the binder frequently. Keep in mind that any documents related to insurance claims/payments should be kept for up to five years, although if they're related to your tax returns, keep them for at least seven years. Use a word processing program on your computer to type up a table of contents for your personal medical records. The table of content page should outline the color-coded providers that you've seen and be listed chronologically and/or alphabetically — it'll be much easier for busy healthcare professionals to navigate. Print the table of contents out onto a thicker piece of paper so it'll be more resistant to tearing or wearing out.  Use large and legible font for the content page — nothing too fancy or artistic (remember it's not a scrapbook you're making). If necessary, visit the website of the company that manufactured your index dividers for assistance in creating a printed table of contents. Use the blank table of contents that may have been included with the index dividers that you purchased for your binder. Once you have all the hard copies of your medical records organized in a sturdy three-ring binder or wire-bound notebook, store it on a stable bookshelf or in a lockable filing cabinet at home, away from the grasp of children and pets. Having your medical records at home allows you to read and understand them at your leisure, which can help you feel more in control of your health and better choose your therapies.  For additional security and safety, consider keeping your binder of hard copies in a fireproof home safe or box. It may be more convenient to have your hard copies handy and near to where your desk and computer are, then focus on securing the digital copies instead (see below).

SUMMARY: Ask your caregivers for access to your medical files. Copy all the documents in your medical files. Organize and put your hard copies in a binder. Create a table of contents. Keep your binder/notebook secure.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: This set uses a trap placed along the traveling paths of the mink. The mink will unknowingly step into the trap while making its nightly rounds. Unlike pocket sets, a blind set does not use bait or a lure. Look for tracks, scats, and other signs that minks move through the area. For a wet blind spot, this area is probably near a bank, under a leaning log, around a rock, or at the water’s edge. For a dry blind set, look for where the mink made an overland trail. While the overland trail might be hard to see, you can find it by looking for bent grass, mink smell, and tracks. Place and set a foothold trap in a shallow hole and make sure it’s firmly embedded into the mud. Cover it lightly with leaves, grass, and soil.  If it is a wet blind set, push the trap into the waterbed, keeping the trap near the surface of the water.  A No. 110 Conibear trap works well for a dry blind set. A No. 1½ coil spring works well for a wet blind set. You can conceal the trap by lightly covering it with vegetation from the ground. It's important that the area looks like it has not been disturbed. Use rocks and sticks to narrow the mink’s travel path to your trap. This will help ensure it walks into your trap.  Look for natural bottlenecks along the mink's path. This will make it easier to ensure the mink crosses your trap. While mink are naturally curious, they are also cautious. Minks have a very strong sense of smell. You want to eliminate all human scent from the trap to make it effective. Pour mink urine around a set to eliminate human odor.

SUMMARY: Use this set to trap a mink along its runways. Select a visible mink traveling spot. Dig a shallow hole. Conceal the trap so that the mink falls into it. Narrow the mink’s path. Eliminate your scent.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Wardrobe boxes are special cardboard cartons designed to move clothes that are still on the hanger. They each have a metal hanging bar so you can hang your clothes up. One wardrobe box generally holds about 2 feet (0.61 m) of closet space.  To calculate how many wardrobe boxes you need, measure the clothes in your closet, and divide that number by 2 feet (0.61 m). Wardrobe boxes are available at almost any packing supply store. If you have additional hangers that you want to bring, hang them in the wardrobe box as well. This is an easy way to move your hangers. Hanging them from the rod in the wardrobe box will prevent them from becoming tangled during transport. To maximize moving space, try hanging items like belts and purses from your hangers. After you have placed your hangers and clothes in the wardrobe carton, press down the flaps on the top of the box. Use heavy-duty packing tape to seal the top of the box. Then use the tape to seal the front of the carton shut. To keep your clothes and hangers from falling off the wardrobe rod, make sure you move the box with the rod side facing up. If necessary, draw an arrow on the side of the box indicating which side the rod is on.

SUMMARY:
Determine how many boxes you will need. Hang your clothes in the wardrobe boxes. Close and seal the wardrobe box when it is packed. Transport the wardrobe box rightside up.