Helen Hayes Hospital will host its third annual “Adapted Sports & Recreation Expo” on Saturday, April 10, 2010 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the physical rehabilitation hospital in West Haverstraw. The event is free of charge and is open to the public. Individuals with physical disabilities, as well as their family, friends and caregivers, and professionals and volunteers working with individuals with disabilities, will find the event to be an excellent resource. 

The Expo will feature an extensive exhibit fair with representatives from various organizations that offer a range of adapted sports and recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities, including: downhill skiing; adapted golf; kayaking; rowing; sailing; handcycling; horseback riding; basketball, tennis; gardening; quad rugby and others. Participants will be able to speak with the representatives to learn about the activities available in the greater New York Metropolitan region, how they can play or participate, and the specialized equipment that is available. Adapted sports equipment will also be on display.

Matthew Castelluccio, Adapted Sports Coordinator at Helen Hayes Hospital states, Participating in sports and recreational activities, whether competitively or just for enjoyment, helps to maintain optimum health. The Expo is an ideal opportunity for individuals of all abilities to learn about the range of adapted equipment and programs that are available in our region.”

The event is free of charge. For additional information or directions, please call the Helen Hayes Hospital Public Relations Office at 845-786-4225, or visit the hospital’s web site at www.helenhayeshospital.org.

This winter, Belleayre Mountain in Highmount, New York and Helen Hayes Hospital will be hosting a series of Adaptive Skiing Workshops. The events, which are open to individuals with disabilities, are being held in conjunction with Helen Hayes Hospital’s Adapted Sports and Recreation Program and are free of charge.

Adaptive Skiing Workshops are scheduled for the following dates:

March 7 and 21

Two sessions will be offered on each day:

8:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Instructors specializing in adaptive skiing will offer beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons. First time students will receive an overview of the equipment and fittings prior to getting out on the snow. Adaptive equipment will be available for skiers with disabilities.  Participants should come attired in appropriate in winter/snow clothing. 

Helen Hayes Hospital, the region’s leader in specialty physical rehabilitation services, is committed to enabling individuals of all abilities to pursue competitive and recreational sports and activities. These activities speed the recovery process, improve and maintain health and conditioning and foster socialization and camaraderie. The Adapted Sports & Recreation Program makes activities such as kayaking, yoga, sailing, softball, basketball and gardening available to individuals of all abilities. 

The workshops are free of charge but pre-registration is required. For additional information on the Adapted Sports & Recreation Program or the downhill skiing programs at Belleayre Mountain, or to register for one or more of the workshops, contact: Matthew Castelluccio, Adapted Sports Coordinator, 845-786-4950 OR castellucciom@helenhayeshosp.or

Health Fairs 

Michelle Lopez Hosts Event for National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

When: Friday March 12, 1:00pm-3:00pm

What: Forum to commemorate National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Speakers include Raven Lopez and Marvelyn Brown, author of Naked Truth. Hot lunch and giveaways. Free HIV counseling & testing for the public.

Where: New Lots Public Library, 265 New Lots Ave Brooklyn, NY 11207

More Info: Email info@chnnyc.org
 

Caribbean House Nutritionist Month Events

When: Wednesday March 17, 11am-3pm

What: Nutritionist Month Event: free health screenings and information. Free screenings include HIV counseling & testing, pregnancy, blood pressure and glucose checks.

Where: Caribbean House Health Center, 1167 Nostrand Ave Brooklyn, NY 11225

More Info: Call (718) 778-0198 or email info@chnnyc.org

When: Friday March 19, 10am-4pm

What: Spring Into Good Health Event: free health screenings and information. Free screenings include HIV counseling & testing, pregnancy, blood pressure and glucose checks.

Where: Caribbean House Health Center, 1167 Nostrand Ave Brooklyn, NY 11225

More Info: Call (718) 778-0198 or email info@chnnyc.org

Seminars at Community League

When: Wednesday, March 22 @ 11:30am

What: Nutritionist Seminar: learn tips for a healthy diet!

 Where: Community League Health Center 1996 Amsterdam Ave New York, NY 10032

 More Info: Call (212) 781-7979 or email info@chnnyc.org

When Thursday, March 25:

What: Social Work Seminar: join us for a discussion that includes an overview of social work services, community resources and building self esteem!

Where: Community League Health Center 1996 Amsterdam Ave New York, NY 10032

More Info: Call (212) 781-7979 or email info@chnnyc.org

Nyack Hospital is pleased to offer another series of its popular Diabetes Self-Management Education Program.  Recognized by the American Diabetes Association, the program focuses on each participant’s ability to make informed decisions about his or her diabetes.  If you are one of the 20 million Americans who have diabetes, join us and learn how to manage your diabetes. You will learn about your medications, what foods are best, how to test your blood sugar, and much more.  See how simple changes today can help you avoid complications tomorrow!  All registrants will be individually assessed in a caring, professional, and confidential environment and will then be guided into individual or group self-management training sessions. The service is covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most other insurance providers. 

Daytime classes begin Tuesday, March 2, at 9:00 am.  Evening classes are also available upon request.  All classes meet at Nyack Hospital.

For further information, or to register, please call Nyack Hospital’s Patient and Community Education Department at 845.348.2004.

Nyack Hospital

Nyack Hospital is a 375-bed community acute care medical and surgical hospital located in Rockland County, NY.  Founded in 1895, it is a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System. For additional information, please visit our web site at www.nyackhospital.org.

Are you looking to lose weight?  Nyack Hospital announces that it will host another upcoming series of its popular Lose to Win weight management program for adults starting Tuesday, March 2, at 5:30 pm.  The cost for this eight-week series is $25, and classes will be held at Nyack Hospital.

The Lose to Win Weight Loss Program is an 8-week series that incorporates the latest guidelines on losing weight safely and successfully.  The program curriculum includes information on nutrition, exercise and behavior change.  Each session allows for discussion of participant's motives, obstacles and successes at weight loss.   All classes facilitated by a person specially trained to lead the Lose to Win program. 

Advance registration required.  To register for this program, please call Nyack Hospital’s Community Education Department at 845.348.2004. 

Nyack Hospital is a 375-bed community acute care medical and surgical hospital located in Rockland County, NY.  Founded in 1895, it is a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System. For additional information, please visit our web site at www.nyackhospital.org.

Contact: 

Maureen Curran Kleinman

Marketing and Communications

(201) 291-6310

mcurran@valleyhealth.com

Ridgewood, NJ – February 18, 2010 – For the sixth year in a row, Valley Health System, which includes The Valley Hospital, Valley Home Care and Valley Health Medical Group, has been named to the list of the Best Places to Work in New Jersey by NJBIZ, New Jersey’s only weekly business publication.

Valley is one of 25 companies and organizations to have earned a spot in the large company category. 

This survey and award program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in New Jersey, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and businesses.  The Best Places to Work in New Jersey program is made up of 55 companies split into two groups: 30 medium-sized companies (25-249 employees) and 25 large-sized companies (more than 250 employees).  Valley Health System has been named one of the Best Places to Work in New Jersey in the large category.

Valley Health System will be recognized and honored at the Best Places to Work in New Jersey evening awards ceremony on Thursday, April 22, 2010 at the Hilton East Brunswick.

Contact:

Jodi-Ann Bailey

Public Affairs Associate

(718) 780-5367

jsb9010@nyp.org

Brooklyn, NY – February 10, 2010 – New York Methodist Hospital’s (NYM) Institute for Cancer Care currently offers both inpatient and outpatient support groups that focus on living with cancer.  In addition, the Hospital’s Department of Educational and Volunteer Resources runs a volunteer-based patient navigator program. Thanks to a partnership with the American Cancer Society (ACS) and funding from AstraZeneca, NYM was recently able to enhance these services with a new support program for cancer patients.

The ACS Patient Navigator Program links cancer patients and their families to a professional cancer education and support specialist – known as a “patient navigator” – who is available at various treatment areas throughout the Hospital, several days a week, to serve as a guide for patients and caregivers as they face the psychosocial, emotional and financial challenges that cancer can bring.

Photo Caption:

The American Cancer Society (ACS) and New York Methodist Hospital (NYM) jointly announced the addition of a patient navigator to NYM's cancer services. Left, Carol Becker, director of patient and family services, ACS, Nicole den Ouden, AstraZeneca LP, Alena Kolychkina, patient navigator, NYM, David Dosik, M.D., chief of hematology/oncology, NYM, Lyn Hill, vice president for communication and external affairs, NYM and Sally Cooper, Brooklyn regional vice president, ACS.

Contact: 

Cynthia Bacon

Public Affairs and Marketing

(718) 670-2515

crm9002@nyp.org

Flushing, N.Y. – February 2, 2010 – A permanent art installation, murals called the “Children of Queens,” was unveiled last week at the children’s patient unit at New York Hospital Queens. The murals extend throughout the entire children’s unit—more than 1,000 feet of wall space and showcase the magnificence of Queens through the eyes of a child.

“The name of this exhibit, the “Children of Queens” is really why we are all here today,” said Joseph J. Abularrage, M.D, chairman of the Department of Pediatrics. “We make it our life’s work to bring healing care to the sick children of Queens in an atmosphere full of warmth and smiles that set our child patients and their family at ease.”

Created by mural artists, Splashes of Hope, the “Children of Queens” is the largest art installation by the group to date. The artists brought to life scenes from Queens— game day at Citifield, home of the NY Mets, to popular children’s destinations in Queens, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, the Queens Zoo and the Hall of Science.

The not-for-profit organization, Starlight Children’s Foundation, sponsored the Splashes of Hope art installation. The foundation supports New York Hospital Queens throughout the year with programs, such as clown visits, the purchase of video game consoles and much more. The paint used for the installation was donated by Benjamin Moore & Co.

Caption:  Alisha Rappaport, Director of Child Life, narrates a mural tour of the children's unit at New York Hospital Queens. Pictured, at left is Joseph J. Abularrage, M.D., Chairman of the Pediatrics Department.

Contact:

Cynthia Bacon

Public Affairs and Marketing

(718) 670-2515

crm9002@nyp.org

Flushing, N.Y. – February 10, 2010 – New York Hospital Queens (NYHQ) is leading the way with an innovation that uses a small hole near the wrist to make a common, but often urgent, cardiac catheterization procedure easier for many patients. 

The hospital’s Heart & Vascular Center offers this cardiac catheterization technique that uses the patient’s wrist (radius) to access blood vessels leading to the heart, rather than in the groin area.  Radial access catheterization is widely used in Europe and China, but is only offered at select hospitals in the United States.

There are approximately 1.2 million cardiac catheterizations done in the U.S. each year.   Cardiac catheterization is used as a tool to diagnose and treat certain heart conditions utilizing a thin plastic tube (known as a catheter) that is inserted into an artery or vein and then can be advanced into the chambers of the heart or into the coronary arteries.  Traditionally the catheter is inserted through the patient’s groin area, but interventional cardiology specialists at the Heart and Vascular Center of NYHQ say that cardiac catheterization through the wrist can be better for some patients.

Contact:

Cynthia Bacon

Public Affairs and Marketing

(718) 670-2515

crm9002@nyp.org

Flushing, New York – February 4, 2010 – The Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at New York Hospital Queens announces a sports medicine association with the Metropolitan Oval Foundation, administrator of the Met Oval soccer field in Maspeth, Queens. The field is home to the Brooklyn Knights, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy and numerous soccer programs for all ages.

The new relationship will enable the hospital’s medical specialists to provide participants in Met Oval programs with information about sports injury prevention and treatment options. For those Met Oval program participants who choose to use the hospital’s services, the orthopaedic and rehabilitation medicine specialists will provide care and treatment in the main hospital facility in Flushing, or in an outpatient Center located in Fresh Meadows.

Contact:

Cynthia Bacon

Public Affairs and Marketing

(718) 670-2515

crm9002@nyp.org

Flushing, N.Y. – February 3, 2010 – A 83 -year-old Forest Hills man whose life was in imminent jeopardy due to a ruptured thoracic (chest) aortic aneurysm (TAA) had his life saved at New York Hospital Queens (NYHQ) using minimally invasive endoscopic surgery. The operation was performed by Gregg Landis, M.D., the hospital's director of vascular & endovascular surgery. It was the first time this procedure was performed at the hospital.

“The patient came to the emergency room with a ruptured aortic aneurysm, basically a hole in the artery. A ruptured aneurysm causes severe internal bleeding, which leads to shock and death. Patients with this condition usually die within 30 minutes,” according to Dr. Landis.

Contact: 

Amy Massimo

Director, Public Affairs

(845) 348-2773

massimoa@nyackhospital.org

Nyack, NY – February 3, 2010 – Nyack Hospital has received the American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines^SM Stroke (GWTG–Stroke) Silver Performance Achievement Award, which recognizes the Hospital’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.

“With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the GWTG–Stroke Silver Performance Achievement Award addresses the important element of time,” stated Neurologist John Ferro, MD, Director of the Stroke Committee at Nyack Hospital.  “As a New York State Department of Health certified Stroke Center, Nyack Hospital has a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department in place. This includes always being equipped to provide brain imaging scans, having neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations and using clot-busting medications when appropriate.”

Contact:

Scott Orstad

Manager, Corporate Communications

(203) 276-5933

sorstad@stamhealth.org

Stamford, CT  – February 2, 2010 – The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has once again re-verified Stamford Hospital as a Level II Trauma Center for three more years. As a result of the ACS re-verification, Stamford Hospital has also been re-designated a Level II Trauma Center by the State of Connecticut.  Stamford is only one of nine hospitals in Connecticut with this special designation.

 “Maintaining our Level II Trauma status recognizes Stamford Hospital’s commitment to prompt and effective treatment for all trauma patients,” said Kevin Dwyer, M.D., Stamford Hospital’s director of trauma services and surgical critical care. Stamford Hospital has been designated a Level II Trauma Center since 1993.

Dear Colleagues:

February is American Heart Month. This is a good time for a progress update on our cardiovascular services. Since we established our hospital as a cardiac surgery facility 15 years ago, the entire cardiovascular program has grown to where we are now: The Heart Hospital of Queens.

Over the past year we have announced several firsts that we have brought to the borough through the Heart & Vascular Center and our Kyrenia Heart Center. This progress is due to the high caliber of our faculty and voluntary medical staff.

Our success rate for our patients is well documented, and a few of the highlights from the past year include:

·         The cardiac program is in the top 10 percent of the nation for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) care. We scored 100 percent on AMI measures established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.

·         The cardiology and emergency medicine teams developed a new chest pain protocol for the emergency room that has resulted
in a significant reduction in the number of chest pain admissions and decreased the length of stay for admitted patients.

·         Increasingly, we perform more cardiac catheterizations through the wrist, rather than using the traditional approach through an artery in the groin. For patients in which this procedure is appropriate, the wrist approach results in less bruising, bleeding, and fewer complications. We are one of a select number of heart centers in the U.S. that offer this approach—one that requires a high level of physician proficiency.

·         Since the arrival of Samuel Lang, M.D., as the chairman of our Cardiothoracic Surgery Department in early 2009, cardiac surgery volume has increased by 72 percent.

Committed to protecting the heart health of our community, we have developed a full slate of free programs to educate the public about heart disease and our hospital’s comprehensive cardiac program. (For details, see page "Program News").

In addition to establishing ourselves as the Heart Hospital of Queens, we have been recognized as one of the safest hospitals in the country according to national benchmarks. We have accomplished this by maintaining patient safety as a core element of our operations each and every day. 

Patient safety is a nationwide concern. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the national accrediting body for health care facilities, reviews patient safety failures that appear to be reccuring in hospitals nationwide. This year, seven national patient safety goals were issued by the Joint Commission as the standard for all accredited hospitals and for those seeking accreditation. 

One of the goals is to reduce the risk of health care-associated infections. We reduced hospital-acquired infections by making changes in the processes we had in place, and by including our physicians, nurses and all caregivers in developing the new process. A process that may have been “historically” the right way to approach patient care was dismantled and rebuilt based on evidenced-based practices that work best for patients. (For more on the results, see “Even Safer Patient Care,”).

The technical skills of a clinical team mean nothing if care is not provided in a safe manner. We recruit our physicians and hospital support staff with a keen eye toward their safety practices.

Sincerely,

Stephen S. Mills, F.A.C.H.E.

Contact: 

Nicole Russell

Public Relations Coordinator

(201) 833-3284

n-russell@mail.holyname.org

Teaneck, NJ – February 1, 2010 – Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney, left, with Dr. Lalita Wagle, Medical Director of Physician Services at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck and Dr. Sharad Wagle, Medical Director of Behavioral Health and Chief of the Psychiatric Department at Holy Name. Dr. Sharad Wagle and six other prominent Bergen County residents of Indian descent were honored with commendations from the County Executive and the Board of Chosen Freeholders at the Bergen County Indian Flag Raising Ceremony and Celebration commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Republic of India on January 26.

Holy Name Hospital

Holy Name Hospital is a fully accredited, not-for-profit, acute care community hospital located in Teaneck, New Jersey. Founded and sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace in 1925, the hospital is now a comprehensive 361-bed medical center offering leading-edge medical practice and technology, administered in an environment rooted in a tradition of compassion and respect for every patient. Affiliation with the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System brings further advantages to our Bergen County community, including access to clinical trials, highly specialized physicians, and expanded opportunities for professional medical education.
 

Contact:

Roger Greene

Director, Public Relations/Marketing

(212) 410-8147

rgreene@nycpm.edu

New York, NY – February 1, 2010 – A group of NYCPM students, Class of 2011, demonstrated their holiday spirit recently by collecting and donating toys to children at a nearby shelter for homeless families.  The students, members of the Student National Podiatric Medical Association, ran a toy drive at the College during the first three weeks of December, collecting more than 80 toys.  Donations of new and gently-used toys were received from students, NYCPM and Foot Center of New York faculty, as well as administration and staff.  On Thursday, December 24th, the students and their boxes of toys were driven in a College van to the Old Broadway Family Residence, where a group of very happy children and their parents celebrated the holidays just a little bit early.

The students who were key to the Toy Drive were members of the NYCPM Class of 2011 Candace Buckley; Sarepta Felix; E. Giannin Perez; Jacqueline Quintero; Daphne Robert; and Silas Salano.  Faculty members Eunice V. Ramsey-Parker, DPM, MPH, Associate Professor of Podiatric Medicine, and Clinic Administrator, and Laurence J. Lowy, DPM, Professor of Pediatrics, and Dean for Student Services, as well as S. William Sigler, NYCPM Executive Vice President, and William H. Graham, VP, Information Technology & Operations, were also critical to the success of the Toy Drive.

Contact:

Roger Greene

Director, Public Relations/Marketing

(212) 410-8147

rgreene@nycpm.edu

New York,  NY – February 1, 2010 – The New York College of Podiatric Medicine recently presented a resoundingly successful Symposium on the Geriatric Foot and Ankle, capping a year of outstanding Continuing Medical Education programs. 

 The symposium, held at Weill Cornell Medical College, was attended by more than 160 doctors, and featured twenty outstanding speakers from around the country, representing both podiatric and allopathic medicine, as well as academic research.  Keynote speakers included Cynthia Magro, MD, PhD, from Weill Cornell Medical College, who spoke on Dermatopathology for the DPM, and Mark Young, MD, from Johns Hopkins, who spoke on Pain Syndrome.  Other lectures relating to the ever-expanding field of geriatric medicine focused on podiatric surgery, dermatology, vascular surgery, orthopedics/biomechanics, wound care and radiology. 

Caption:

At NYCPM’s 2009 Symposium on the Geriatric Foot and Ankle: (l. to r.) Michael J. Trepal, DPM, Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean, and Professor, Department of Surgical Sciences; David H. George, DPM, Past Dean, Graduate Medical Education; Robert A. Eckles, DPM, Associate Professor of Orthopedic Sciences, and Dean of Clinical Studies and Graduate Medical Education; and Anthony Iorio, DPM, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Community Health and Medicine, and Assistant Dean for Continuing Medical Education.

Contact:

Amy Massimo

Director, Public Affairs

(845) 348-2773

massimoa@nyackhospital.org

Nyack, NY – February 1, 2010 - Do you or someone you love need routine cancer screening services, but cannot afford them, such as: 

• Mammograms and Clinical Breast Exams
• Pap tests and Pelvic Exams
• Colorectal Cancer Screenings
• Medicaid Cancer Treatment Program for Eligible Men and Women? 

The New York State Department of Health Cancer Services Program has ample funding available in most counties in New York State to provide these screening services.

Services may be available for:

• Women 40-64 years old who are uninsured or underinsured;
• Men 50-64 years old who are uninsured or underinsured;
• Women younger than 40 who are considered at high risk or with clinically significant findings for breast cancer; and
• Men and women under 50 who are considered at high risk for colorectal cancer.

For further information, please call the Toll-Free Recruitment Line at 1.866.442.2262 (1-866-442-CANCER) for a direct connection to a Cancer Services Program partnership in your community. 

Remember:  Cancer screenings save LIVES!

Nyack Hospital

Nyack Hospital is a 375-bed community acute care medical and surgical hospital located in Rockland County, NY.  Founded in 1895, it is a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System. For additional information, please visit our web site at www.nyackhospital.org.