Health briefs
Frick offers programs Frick Hospital will offer the following programs:
– An “Evening at the Movies” will be presented from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, in conference room 2 in cooperation with the Laurel Mountains Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. The featured movie will be “Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter.”
An informal discussion and question/answer period with Karen Ryall will follow the movie. The movie will explore the stages of Alzheimer’s disease and one daughter’s evaluation of responses. The program is free of charge, but registration is required by calling 724-547-1668.
– Daniel A. Teet, M.D., will present a free community education program on “Repetitive Stress Injuries” from 1 to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20, in conference room 2 on the fourth floor of Frick Hospital. Plan to attend this presentation to learn more about repetitive motion disorders of the hands. The program is free of charge. To register, call 724-547-1668.
– A free community education program entitled “What is Alzheimer’s Disease?” will be presented from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, in conference room 2 on the hospital’s fourth floor. The program will be presented in cooperation with the Alzheimer’s Association, Laurel Mountains Chapter. Participants will learn more about normal memory loss, warning signs and stages of Alzheimer’s. Guest speaker will be Karen Ryall. Registration is required by calling 724-547-1668.
Doctors join staff
Frick Hospital announces that David S. Girdany, M.D., Rodger Searfoss, M.D., A. Roger Wigle, M.D., and Syam Vemulapalli, M.D., have recently joined the hospital’s medical staff.
Girdany, Searfoss and Wigle have been appointed to associate medical staff with privileges in orthopedic surgery. Vemulapalli has been appointed to the associate medical staff with privileges in gastroenterology.
Programs set
Beth Center Senior Center, which is located at 316 Station St., Vestaburg, will host the following community events:
– Monday, Aug. 19, at 12:30 p.m., Sara Poling, chief executive officer from Brownsville General Hospital, will talk about the special programs and services provided by the hospital.
– Wednesday, Aug. 21, Carol Thomas of Presbyterian Senior Care will discuss services for seniors as well as the possibility of senior apartments in the Beth Center service area. Call a day ahead at 724-377-0000 for lunch reservations.
Office opens
James D. Lawrence, D.O., has announced the opening of his Brownsville office in the Medical Arts Building at 127 Simpson Road on the campus of Brownsville General Hospital.
Dr. Lawrence, a general surgeon, is a graduate of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his internship at Ohio Valley Medical Center in West Virginia and his residency at Doctors Hospital in Massillon, Ohio, where he served as chief surgical resident.
He is a member of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), American Medical Association (AMA) and American College of Osteopathic Surgeons (ACOS), as well as the West Virginia Society of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio State Medical Society, Starks County Medical Society and Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association.
“We are pleased to welcome Dr. James Lawrence to our medical staff,” said Sara L. Poling, chief executive officer at Brownsville General Hospital. “His clinical experience and surgical expertise compliment our hospital’s current medical staff of 100 doctors representing 30 different medical specialties.”
For inquiries or information regarding appointments and/or referrals for Lawrence, call 724-785-8053.
Caregivers meetings set
Albert Gallatin Home Care & Hospice is sponsoring caregivers support group meetings that are designed to refresh, encourage, educate and offer emotional support to any individual who is providing care to another.
The meetings are free and open to the public and are held the second Tuesday of each month. Meeting times are from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. and are located in Albert Gallatin Home Care & Hospice’s second-floor conference room, 20 Highland Park Drive, Uniontown, near the Cherry Tree Alliance Church and the Cherry Tree Nursing Center. Anyone interested in attending is encouraged to call in advance to enroll.
The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 13. The topic will be on “Caregiver Burnout” and will be presented by Rosemary Hardy, volunteer coordinator of Albert Gallatin Home Care & Hospice. Light refreshments will be served.
For more information or to enroll, contact Rosemary Hardy, Albert Gallatin Home Care & Hospice, at 724-438-6660, ext. 1214.
Uniontown offers programs
The Uniontown Hospital and its home health care agency, Fayette Home Care, will offer the following community education programs in August:
– The Safe Sitter Course offers youth over the age of 11 the opportunity to learn safe babysitting techniques from registered nurses. There are two sessions. Each session is 6.5 hours. The dates will be announced. A $10 fee is charged to cover the cost of educational materials. To register, call 724-430-3333.
– Childbirth and Labor Preparation Courses are offered each month at the hospital. Two courses will be offered in a series of four sessions. Choose from the series scheduled for today, Aug. 13, 20 and 27 or this Wednesday, Aug. 14, 21 and 28. Each session is held from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Family Beginning Conference Room. Registration is required. Call 724-430-4646.
– Breast Feeding is Best Feeding Support Group will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12, in the Family Beginnings Conference Room. Bring your baby. The support group is led by lactation consultants who are certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners. For more information, call 724-430-5573. Registration is not necessary. Parking is free.
– The Parent Support Group for Pregnancy and Infant Loss will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday in the hospital’s Library Conference Room. This is for parents experiencing a loss through miscarriage, stillbirth, newborn death, ectopic pregnancy or SIDS. Registration is not necessary.
– APPRISE is a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for older Pennsylvanians. The Pennsylvania Department of Aging created APPRISE to help older Pennsylvanians understand their health insurance options and make sound decisions about what is best for them. For more information, call 724-430-3333.
Smoking program slated
“For Your Health – Smoking/Tobacco Cessation Program” is a free of charge program sponsored by the Uniontown Hospital. The program will be held in the Heritage Conference Room on the hospital’s first floor on the following dates and times:
– Session I, Tuesday, Aug. 20, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
– Session II, Tuesday, Aug. 27, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
– Session III, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
– Session IV, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
– Session V, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
– Session VI, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
For more information and to register, call the Fayette HealthLine at 724-430-3333. Limited space is available. The registration deadline is Monday, Aug. 12.
Blood drives set
The American Red Cross will hold the following blood drives:
– Today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Uniontown Mall’s Community Room.
– Today from 1 to 7 p.m. in the American Legion, Fredericktown.
– Tuesday, Aug. 13, from 1 to 7 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 126 E. Fairview Ave., Connellsville.
Health screening slated
A community health screening will be held on Thursday, Aug. 22, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 180 Old Walnut Hill Road, Uniontown.
Preventive health screenings include abdominal aneurysm ultrasound to prevent an aortic aneurysm; stroke prevention screening through Doppler ultrasound or carotid artery; peripheral arterial disease, which is an early heart disease indicator; and a bone density screening for osteoporosis.
All tests are painless and take only 10 minutes. Results can be referred to physicians. Appointments are limited and required. Call 1-800-643-6075 to schedule an appointment or for more information.
Arthritis program set
HealthSouth Outpatient Rehabilitation Centers of Hempfield and Connellsville will host a presentation about arthritis featuring David Girdany, M.D., at 3 p.m. Thursday.
The program, which is free of charge, focuses on arthritis treatment options, both surgical and non-surgical, and nutritional supplements to aid in the relief of arthritis symptoms. Individuals and their families who want to know more about the disease, new technology and treatment options, nutritional supplements and the benefits of rehabilitation for arthritis are invited to attend.
For more information, call 724-522-1255.