Walingford and Meriden Health News November 2008
To read THE PEOPLES PRESS in image form or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com.
MidState’s “Family Night” teaches the whole family how to talk about cancer
MidState Medical Center invites you to attend its annual “Family Night.” Through fun games and creative activities, the whole family will have a chance to talk about cancer in a safe, supportive setting. Each specially designed workshop gently encourages children to disclose how cancer has affected their lives, while learning coping strategies. Parents can have their questions answered and learn skills for talking with their children.
This free workshop is open to parents or caregivers with cancer, their partners, and their children, ages 5-12.
Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2008 Time: 6-8 p.m. (Pizza dinner provided)
Locati
on: MidState Medical Center, Horwitz Conference Center 435 Lewis Avenue Meriden, CT
Pre-registration is required by calling 203-694-8669.
This program is made possible with cooperation from the Harold Leever Regional Cancer Center and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
The Cancer Center at MidState Launches Survivorship Clinics
Beginning Tuesday, November 18, the Cancer Center at MidState will be launching Survivorship Clinics for cancer survivors who have completed treatment but are still looking for ongoing support.
Many patients’ battle with cancer does not end when their cancer goes into remission. While patients are happy and relieved to be finished with treatment, they may also feel lost and out of touch with reality. The constant physical and emotional support given by family and friends may begin to fade, and cancer survivors may feel extreme anxiety and worry that their cancer will return. Some survivors many also experience long-term side effect associated with their medical treatments, including an increased risk for secondary cancers, lung and heart disease, fatigue, neuropathy and depression. Survivorship clinics can help survivors understand their body post-treatment and assist in their return to wellness.
“Many people need to learn new coping skills. They also need reassurance that what they are feeling is normal,” explained Kathy Clements, RN-ONC, Breast Care Coordinator.
Kathy and oncology social worker, Diane Lafferty, LCSW, are leading the November survivorship clinic in a support group setting to address these issues and help survivors adjust to life after cancer.
Please join us on November 18 in the Horwitz Conference Center. A light dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m., followed by the program from 6 – 8 p.m.
Survivorship clinics will be offered at MidState Medical Center four times per year. Please check our calendar of events at http://www.midstatemedical.org/ for future dates.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Total Cholesterol Screening
Do you know what your cholesterol numbers is? If not, the Meriden Health Department will be holding total cholesterol screenings on November 6, 2008, from 9:00-11:30am, and November 17, from 1:00-3:00pm. Screenings are held at 165 Miller Street. The cost is $10.00 (cash only), and includes the screening and cholesterol tracking card. Call 630-4234 to make your appointment.
Meriden earns HEARTSafe Community designation
The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH), in collaboration with the American Heart Association, announces that the City of Meriden has been designated a HEARTSafe Community.
Meriden Mayor Michael Rohde states "We are pleased to be designated as a heart safe community by the Department of Public Health. We take pride in our efforts to proactively address the risks of heart attack amongst our residents."
“Meriden has demonstrated its commitment toward ensuring that its residents and visitors receive the early lifesaving response proven to increase the chances of survival for heart attack victims,” said DPH Commissioner J. Robert Galvin, M.D., M.P.H.
DPH began the HEARTSafe Communities program to foster community environments that improve the survival odds for people suffering sudden cardiac events, such as cardiac arrests or heart attacks. The key to the program has been dubbed by the American Heart Association as the Chain of Survival. The Chain of Survival has four vital links: early access to emergency care; early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); early defibrillation and early advanced care.
A HEARTSafe Community promotes and supports: CPR training in the community; public access to defibrillation through strategic placement of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for use by public safety professionals and other trained community members; and early advanced care.
Meriden met the program requirements for public placement of AEDs, trained community residents, and equipped, staffed and trained emergency responders. In addition, Meriden is planning on continuing to provide community CPR training programs and expand the availability of AEDs in public locations.
The Meriden Health Department has many programs and resources available to keep your heart healthy. For more information on the HEARTSafe program and heart health in general, please contact the Meriden Health Department at 630-4238.
Waist Management – A Community Challenge
Calling all Meriden residents and businesses! The Meriden Health Department has a mission for you, if you choose to accept it. It’s called “Waist Management” – we challenge you to not gain more than 5 pounds over the upcoming holiday season. Think you can do it? Know others that you can team up with?
A kick-off meeting for this program will be held on Wednesday, November 5, from 6-7:30pm, at the Meriden Public Library, 105 Miller Street. Gather your team or “waist management buddy” and join us to learn tips on how to keep the pounds off over the holidays. You’ll be able to pick up your team packet, which includes a tape measure and nutrition and exercise tips, the night of the meeting. Packets will also be available up until Thanksgiving. For more information on this program please call the Health Department’s Community Health Education office at 630-4238.
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month/Great American Smoke-Out
Did you know:
· November 20th is designated as "Smoke Free" day. Set your calendar and prepare to smell the r
oses!
· Smoking accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths.
· Over 80% of adult smokers started smoking before they were 18.
· 25% of high school students reported that they had their first cigarette by age 13.
· Each year about 3,000 nonsmoking adults die of lung cancer as a result of secondhand smoke.
· If you smoke 1 pack of cigarettes a day for 1 year, it cost over $2,500!
· Within 20 minutes of quitting your blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal; within 24 hours your risk of a heart attack starts to drop; within 2 days your sense of smell and taste improve; and immediately upon quitting you'll start to save money.
Millions of baby boomers are approaching retirement age. Make a choice today to enjoy your retirement, pledge to live a healthier life, quit smoking.
For information:
Wallingford Health Dept. at 294-2065 or the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345
or CT Quit Line at 1-866-363-4224; American Lung Association 1-800-LUNG-USA
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Holiday Meal Food Safety Tips
Holidays are here! And with the holidays comes food, lots of food. High protein, high moisture foods such as turkey present the potential for a foodborne illness. Follow the "turkey basics" for a safe holiday.
1. Keep all refrigerated foods cold; thaw frozen food in the refrigerator not on the kitchen counter. Generally, it takes 24 hours per 5 pounds of turkey to thaw in the refrigerator. If you don't have enough time, thaw under running water for about 30 minutes per pound.
2. Cook a fresh turkey within 2 days of purchase.
3. If you are cooking a stuffed turkey, mix the ingredients just before it goes in the turkey and stuff loosely, about 3/4 cup per pound of turkey.
4. Always use a thermometer when cooking, do not rely on time alone to know when your meal is ready. The bird is done when it reaches 180 degrees F in the innermost thigh and a stuffed bird should reach 165 degrees in the center of the stuffing. Remember that a stuffed bird takes longer to cook.
5. Set the oven temperature no lower than 325 degrees F.
What about all those leftovers? Always reheat to 165 degrees F. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers promptly in small shallow containers and wrap tightly. How long should you keep your leftovers?
Refrigerator: Frozen:
Cooked turkey 3-4 days Turkey slices/pieces 4 mos
Stuffing and gravy 1-2 days Turkey with gray 6 mos.
other dishes 3-4 days Stuffing 1 mo.
You should also have plenty of fresh cut vegetables on hand for those in-between meal munchies. Try to incorporate some holiday spirit that doesn’t focus on food. Why not take a walk after the meal before the pie. You can have a safe and healthy holiday! Put a gift certificate to a local gym on your Christmas wish list or a new pair of sneakers.
For more information contact the Wallingford Health Dept at 294-2065 or the toll free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555. We also have FREE magnets with Safe Food Temperatures so you won’t forget. Stop by Wallingford Town hall, rm. 215 today.
To read THE PEOPLES PRESS in image form or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com.
MidState’s “Family Night” teaches the whole family how to talk about cancer
MidState Medical Center invites you to attend its annual “Family Night.” Through fun games and creative activities, the whole family will have a chance to talk about cancer in a safe, supportive setting. Each specially designed workshop gently encourages children to disclose how cancer has affected their lives, while learning coping strategies. Parents can have their questions answered and learn skills for talking with their children.
This free workshop is open to parents or caregivers with cancer, their partners, and their children, ages 5-12.
Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2008 Time: 6-8 p.m. (Pizza dinner provided)
Locati
on: MidState Medical Center, Horwitz Conference Center 435 Lewis Avenue Meriden, CTPre-registration is required by calling 203-694-8669.
This program is made possible with cooperation from the Harold Leever Regional Cancer Center and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
The Cancer Center at MidState Launches Survivorship Clinics
Beginning Tuesday, November 18, the Cancer Center at MidState will be launching Survivorship Clinics for cancer survivors who have completed treatment but are still looking for ongoing support.
Many patients’ battle with cancer does not end when their cancer goes into remission. While patients are happy and relieved to be finished with treatment, they may also feel lost and out of touch with reality. The constant physical and emotional support given by family and friends may begin to fade, and cancer survivors may feel extreme anxiety and worry that their cancer will return. Some survivors many also experience long-term side effect associated with their medical treatments, including an increased risk for secondary cancers, lung and heart disease, fatigue, neuropathy and depression. Survivorship clinics can help survivors understand their body post-treatment and assist in their return to wellness.
“Many people need to learn new coping skills. They also need reassurance that what they are feeling is normal,” explained Kathy Clements, RN-ONC, Breast Care Coordinator.
Kathy and oncology social worker, Diane Lafferty, LCSW, are leading the November survivorship clinic in a support group setting to address these issues and help survivors adjust to life after cancer.
Please join us on November 18 in the Horwitz Conference Center. A light dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m., followed by the program from 6 – 8 p.m.
Survivorship clinics will be offered at MidState Medical Center four times per year. Please check our calendar of events at http://www.midstatemedical.org/ for future dates.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Total Cholesterol Screening
Do you know what your cholesterol numbers is? If not, the Meriden Health Department will be holding total cholesterol screenings on November 6, 2008, from 9:00-11:30am, and November 17, from 1:00-3:00pm. Screenings are held at 165 Miller Street. The cost is $10.00 (cash only), and includes the screening and cholesterol tracking card. Call 630-4234 to make your appointment.
Meriden earns HEARTSafe Community designation
The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH), in collaboration with the American Heart Association, announces that the City of Meriden has been designated a HEARTSafe Community.
Meriden Mayor Michael Rohde states "We are pleased to be designated as a heart safe community by the Department of Public Health. We take pride in our efforts to proactively address the risks of heart attack amongst our residents."
“Meriden has demonstrated its commitment toward ensuring that its residents and visitors receive the early lifesaving response proven to increase the chances of survival for heart attack victims,” said DPH Commissioner J. Robert Galvin, M.D., M.P.H.
DPH began the HEARTSafe Communities program to foster community environments that improve the survival odds for people suffering sudden cardiac events, such as cardiac arrests or heart attacks. The key to the program has been dubbed by the American Heart Association as the Chain of Survival. The Chain of Survival has four vital links: early access to emergency care; early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); early defibrillation and early advanced care.
A HEARTSafe Community promotes and supports: CPR training in the community; public access to defibrillation through strategic placement of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for use by public safety professionals and other trained community members; and early advanced care.
Meriden met the program requirements for public placement of AEDs, trained community residents, and equipped, staffed and trained emergency responders. In addition, Meriden is planning on continuing to provide community CPR training programs and expand the availability of AEDs in public locations.
The Meriden Health Department has many programs and resources available to keep your heart healthy. For more information on the HEARTSafe program and heart health in general, please contact the Meriden Health Department at 630-4238.
Waist Management – A Community Challenge
Calling all Meriden residents and businesses! The Meriden Health Department has a mission for you, if you choose to accept it. It’s called “Waist Management” – we challenge you to not gain more than 5 pounds over the upcoming holiday season. Think you can do it? Know others that you can team up with?
A kick-off meeting for this program will be held on Wednesday, November 5, from 6-7:30pm, at the Meriden Public Library, 105 Miller Street. Gather your team or “waist management buddy” and join us to learn tips on how to keep the pounds off over the holidays. You’ll be able to pick up your team packet, which includes a tape measure and nutrition and exercise tips, the night of the meeting. Packets will also be available up until Thanksgiving. For more information on this program please call the Health Department’s Community Health Education office at 630-4238.
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month/Great American Smoke-Out
Did you know:
· November 20th is designated as "Smoke Free" day. Set your calendar and prepare to smell the r
oses!· Smoking accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths.
· Over 80% of adult smokers started smoking before they were 18.
· 25% of high school students reported that they had their first cigarette by age 13.
· Each year about 3,000 nonsmoking adults die of lung cancer as a result of secondhand smoke.
· If you smoke 1 pack of cigarettes a day for 1 year, it cost over $2,500!
· Within 20 minutes of quitting your blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal; within 24 hours your risk of a heart attack starts to drop; within 2 days your sense of smell and taste improve; and immediately upon quitting you'll start to save money.
Millions of baby boomers are approaching retirement age. Make a choice today to enjoy your retirement, pledge to live a healthier life, quit smoking.
For information:
Wallingford Health Dept. at 294-2065 or the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345
or CT Quit Line at 1-866-363-4224; American Lung Association 1-800-LUNG-USA
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Holiday Meal Food Safety Tips
Holidays are here! And with the holidays comes food, lots of food. High protein, high moisture foods such as turkey present the potential for a foodborne illness. Follow the "turkey basics" for a safe holiday.
1. Keep all refrigerated foods cold; thaw frozen food in the refrigerator not on the kitchen counter. Generally, it takes 24 hours per 5 pounds of turkey to thaw in the refrigerator. If you don't have enough time, thaw under running water for about 30 minutes per pound.
2. Cook a fresh turkey within 2 days of purchase.
3. If you are cooking a stuffed turkey, mix the ingredients just before it goes in the turkey and stuff loosely, about 3/4 cup per pound of turkey.
4. Always use a thermometer when cooking, do not rely on time alone to know when your meal is ready. The bird is done when it reaches 180 degrees F in the innermost thigh and a stuffed bird should reach 165 degrees in the center of the stuffing. Remember that a stuffed bird takes longer to cook.
5. Set the oven temperature no lower than 325 degrees F.
What about all those leftovers? Always reheat to 165 degrees F. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers promptly in small shallow containers and wrap tightly. How long should you keep your leftovers?
Refrigerator: Frozen:
Cooked turkey 3-4 days Turkey slices/pieces 4 mos
Stuffing and gravy 1-2 days Turkey with gray 6 mos.
other dishes 3-4 days Stuffing 1 mo.
You should also have plenty of fresh cut vegetables on hand for those in-between meal munchies. Try to incorporate some holiday spirit that doesn’t focus on food. Why not take a walk after the meal before the pie. You can have a safe and healthy holiday! Put a gift certificate to a local gym on your Christmas wish list or a new pair of sneakers.
For more information contact the Wallingford Health Dept at 294-2065 or the toll free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555. We also have FREE magnets with Safe Food Temperatures so you won’t forget. Stop by Wallingford Town hall, rm. 215 today.
To read THE PEOPLES PRESS in image form or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com.
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