Health News and Events January

Health News and Events sponsored by MidState Medical Center

MidState Hospital News, Programs and Events
CANCER CARE
For more information on Cancer Care programs, please call 203-694-8353, unless otherwise noted.

Leukemia/Lymphoma Support Group
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
5:30-7:00pm
Join other patients who have been diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s Disease, and Multiple Myeloma. Caregivers are welcome.
Radiation Oncology Waiting Area
Diane Lafferty, LCSW

Prostate Support Group
Monday, January 15, 2007
6:00-7:30pm
"Prostate Support Group general meeting
A forum for cancer patients and their families."
Horwitz Conference Center - Southington/Cheshire Room
Registration preferred.
Sharon Jackson, RN

Focus on Healing
Tuesdays , January 16, 23, 30
5:30 to 6:45pm
An effective therapeutic program of exercise and movement to music for anyone who has experienced breast cancer.
Designed to help women experience total body movement and ease adjustment to a new body image. The Village at Kensington Place, 511 Kensington Ave., Meriden.
Registration required.
There is no cost for the program.
Dance Therapy
Facilitated by Susan L. Sandel, Ph.D., ADTR, CLM
203-457-1656

Hispanic Breast Cancer Support Group
Thursday, January 18, 2007
6:30-8:00pm
"Spanish-speaking women with a diagnosis of breast cancer are invited to join group leader Virginia Aviles
Cancer Care Conference Room
Diane Lafferty, LCSW
203-694-8669

Lymphodema Symposium
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
5:30 – 7:30pm
Village at Kensington Place, Meriden
Registration Preferred – No Cost
For more information, call Kathy Clements (203) 694-8353

FAMILY BIRTHING CENTER
For more information on Family Birthing Center Programs, please call 203-694-8450 (unless otherwise noted). Registration Required for ALL classes.

Weekly Breast Feeding Support Group
January 9, 16, 2007
10:00 - 11:30am
Come join new or experienced mothers and their babies in a relaxed atmosphere to discuss the adjustments and successes of breastfeeding for the 0-6 month age group. Group discussion is open format and facilitated by a Lactation Consultant or Nurse.
Family Lounge in Pavilion D at MidState Medical Center
No Registration Required
Cost: Free
Dawn Flohr, RN, BSN, IBCLC

Infant Massage
Tuesdays, January 9, 16, 2007
11:30 – 12:30pm
For Infants up to 6 months. Designed to help you and your baby grow closer to each other, build muscle tone, coordination and brain function. Massage helps to establish a pattern of relaxation at an early age that your child can follow into adulthood.
Bring a Mat or Blanket
Family Lounge in Pavilion D at MidState Medical Center
Registration Required

Child Birth Education Classes -SAT
Saturday, January 13, 2007
8:00 - 4:30pm
For those who cannot attend the six-week series, Family Birthing Center offers a one-day, 8-hour class. It is an abridged version of the six-week in-depth classes.
Horwitz Conference Center at MidState Medical Center
$80.00

LaPLANCHE CLINIC
All Programs will be held at LaPlanche Clinic – Meriden Senior Center lower level, 22-26 West Main St, Meriden
Please contact Jackie Hackbarth at 237-0300 (Mon-Tues-Wed)

Young at Heart
Tuesdays
10:30-11:30am
The “Young at Heart” group meets every Tuesday from 10:30–11:30am. Activities include lectures, discussions, field trips, luncheons, sing-a-longs and more. Open to area seniors aged 60 and over.

“Diet Watch” 8 week Series:
Wednesday, January 17, 2007 through February 23, 2007
10:00 – 10:45am
A weekly series addressing issues regarding weight loss and good nutrition. Topics will include “mood & food”, reading labels, meal planning, dining out, and “supermarket survival”

THE HEART CENTER
For more information on Heart Center Programs below, please call 203-694-8541. There is no cost for these programs All Programs will be held in the Horwitz Conference Center , 2nd FL, Wallingford Room 1 at MidState Medical Center unless otherwise stated.

Nutrition – Part 1
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
9:00-10:00am

Nutrition – Part 2
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
9:00-10:00am

Medication Education
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
9:00-10:00am

Stress Management
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
9:00-10:00am


In honor of EMT-B David Matthews’ daughter Rebecca
Hunter’s Ambulance Service is proud to sponsor our first American Red Cross blood drive.

Monday, January 15, 2007. 10am to 3pm. Base 1, Building 3.
At the present time in the state of Connecticut, the blood banks only have 1 days worth of Type O blood--the most common and “universal” type of blood!

The Red Cross serves as the bridge for millions of patients in need each year. Please give the greatest gift of all this season to the Matthews family and so many more.
Every two seconds someone in America needs blood.
Just one pint of blood can save up to 3 lives.
Nationally, less than 5% of the population gives blood, supporting the other 95%.
Blood is perishable. Red blood cells must be used within 42 days. Other blood products must be used within 5 days.
Holiday weekends show a drastic increase in emergency patients treated at area hospitals. Trauma and burn victims often require large quantities of plasma, which can deplete the blood supply. Other winter holidays increase traffic on our roads and patients in the emergency rooms. At these times, while the need for blood increases, our ability to collect blood decreases disproportionately.

During the winter, people become busy with vacations, outdoor activities and family gatherings.
It only takes about one hour total for the entire blood donation process. Only 7-10 minutes of actual donation time!!!

Call or email Sloane Peterson at 514-5128 or sloanep@huntersamb.com to schedule a time for donation or to answer any questions you may have.Snacks & Beverages will be served.


Meriden Health Department News and Events

January – A Perfect Month to Test Your Home for Radon

You can’t see it, smell it, or taste it. Yet it could be in your home. It’s radon!

Radon is a naturally occurring colorless and odorless radioactive gas. Radon can enter your home through small cracks and other openings in the basement or foundation. Radon can also enter your home through your water supply. Radon in your home’s water is not usually a problem when the source is surface water. A radon in water problem is more likely when its source is ground water, such as a private well or a public water supply system that uses ground water.

At elevated levels, radon exposure can increase the risk of developing lung cancer. Your chances of getting lung cancer from radon depend mostly on how much radon is in your home and the amount of time you spend in your home. Smoking combined with radon exposure is an especially serious health risk.

Any home can have a radon problem. Radon levels tend to increase inside the home during the heating season when homes are closed. This makes January a perfect month to test for radon. Testing is easy to do and should only take a few minutes of your time. Kits can be found at your local hardware store, or by calling the American Lung Association. They offer radon test kits for $12.00. To purchase a kit call 1-800-LUNG USA or order online at www.alact.org.

For more information on radon, please call the Meriden Health Department, Environmental Health Division, at 630-4226.
Source of information: A Citizen’s Guide to Radon published by the EPA, available at the Meriden Health Department.


The Meriden Health Department invites you to “Women: The Heart of the Matter” Lunch and Learn Event

Ladies (and gentlemen)! Pack a bag lunch and enjoy a special “lunch and learn” event on women’s heart health. The event will be held on February 2, 2007, from 12:00-1:00pm in the Griffin Meeting Room at the Meriden Public Library, 105 Miller Street.

Speakers will present information on healthy eating and exercise, as well as tips on reducing risk factors including smoking cessation, weight maintenance, blood pressure control and blood cholesterol management. Many women fail to realize the seriousness of heart disease - it is the number one killer of women! It is never too early – or too late – to take action to prevent and control risk factors for heart disease.

February 2 is National Wear Red Day, a nationwide day to wear red to show their support for women's heart disease awareness. Wear red to the lunch and learn to show your support!

This event is free and open to the public; however seats are limited to the first 50 people. Light, healthy snacks will be available to munch on in addition to your bag lunch, and give-aways will be provided. To RSVP or for more information, please call Lea Crown at the Meriden Health Department at 630-4238.



MidState Medical Center's Medication Management Program

MidState Medical Center's Patient Safety Committee announced that it has developed a free, wallet-sized medication card to assist consumers in maintaining an accurate record of the medicines they take.

MidState Medical Center is actively working with the Connecticut Hospital Association, Department of Public Health, Institute for Healthcare Improvement's (IHI) 100,000 Lives Campaign and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations to promote awareness of patient safety strategies and empower patients to be more active partners in their care. As a key step in this national effort to engage patients in their safety, MidState is actively distributing medication cards to primary care physicians for their patients as well as to all patients at time of discharge.

The wallet card gives consumers a way to have a complete medication history and accurately reconcile medications during a hospital admission and across the continuum of care. The card is organized with space to note drug name, dosage, frequency, the purpose for taking it as well as information on recent immunizations for pneumonia, tetanus, hepatitis, and flu. It also has instructions that note types of medications to be recorded, included prescription, over-the-counter, and herbal remedies.

The wallet medication cards offer a simple way for patients to track their health information. "Medication reconciliation" is the process of comparing a patient's medication orders to all of the medications he/she has been taking at home. This reconciliation is done to avoid medication errors such as omissions, duplications, dosing errors, or drug interactions. It should be done at every transition of care in which new medications are ordered or existing orders are rewritten.

Additional cards are available at http://www.midstatemedical.org/ (under the "Healthy Community" heading) in two formats. The first format (PDF) is for consumers who will print the card and complete it by hand. The second format (Word) is for consumers who would like to download the card as a Microsoft Word document and save it to their own computer for filling out electronically before printing.

Lynn Faria - Director, Community Relations & Community Wellness
MidState Medical Center 203-694-8731