Health briefs 10-29-18
Events
n Monongahela Valley Hospital is hosting the “Better Breathers Club Dinner” at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 13. The last fall session will be a celebration dinner for the Better Breathers Club. Fall and spring participants, Better Breathers Club members and community members with chronic respiratory diseases will all be invited. Required registration: 724-258-1226.
n Join Monongahela Valley Hospital at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 19 as they kick-off the holiday season with their 34th Annual Light-Up Night in the Hospital’s Central Plaza. Enjoy entertainment, hot chocolate, Christmas carols, and an opportunity to tell Santa and Mrs. Claus what’s on your Christmas list. Homemade baked goods and raffle tickets for decorative Christmas items will be sold by the Auxiliary of Mon-Vale Health.
Support groups
n Breaking Addiction, HEAL Group for Men. This small group meeting for men is designed to help those who have a desire to overcome addictions and find a new direction in life. All sessions give instruction for practical life skills through Biblical Principles found in God’s Word. Discussion and interaction are encouraged at each group meeting. They are scheduled at 7 p.m. the first, second and fourth Thursdays of the month at Eagle Ranch Ministries Inc., 1579 Pleasant Valley Road, Mount Pleasant. Registration: 724-542-7243.
n Breaking Addiction, HEAL Group for Women. This small group meeting for women is designed to help those who have a desire to overcome addictions and find a new direction in life. All sessions give instruction for practical life skills through Biblical Principles found in God’s Word. Discussion and interaction are encouraged at each group meeting. The meetings are scheduled for 7 p.m. every Tuesday at Eagle Ranch Ministries Inc., 1579 Pleasant Valley Road, Mount Pleasant. Registration: 724-244-5261 or 412-969-8520.
n Monongahela Valley Hospital will be holding an Alzheimer’s Support Group 6-8 p.m. Nov. 13 in the education conference center. This free support group meets once a month and is designed to help the families, friends and caregivers of those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Discussion topics include the challenges of coping with this disorder as well as techniques for managing stress and methods of encouraging social engagement. Reservations: 724-258-1333.
n Monongahela Valley Hospital is hosting a Suicide Bereavement Support Group 1-2:30 p.m. Nov. 12 and Nov. 26 in the educational conference center. This support group is a four-month program that meets the second and fourth Mondays of each month. This program is led by a licensed psychologist and is free and open to all those touched by suicide. Required registration: 724-678-3601.
n Caregiver Support Group, 6:30-8:30 p.m., the fourth Wednesday of the month at Lafayette Manor. Classes meet in the new Physical Therapy Department. Light refreshments are provided.
n A Cancer Grief Group offered by Excela Health meets 2:30-4 p.m., every Thursday at Our Clubhouse, 4893 Route 30 East, Greensburg, for family and friends who have lost a loved one to cancer. A monthly group for men only meets Nov. 6, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at King’s Restaurant, Route 30, Greensburg. A second monthly group meets 1 to 2 p.m., Nov. 7, Bud Murphy’s, Route 119, Connellsville. Registration: www.excelahealth.org or 877-771-1234.
n Excela Health offers several support groups to help individuals cope with grief during the holidays. A four-week support group will meet 3 to 4:30 p.m., Mondays beginning Nov. 12 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 126 E. Fairview Ave., Connellsville. Information: 877-771-1234.
n Grief support group, 6-8 p.m., first Tuesday of every month, at the St. John the Evangelist Church on West Crawford Avenue in Connellsville. The group is a collaborative effort for those facing grief due to the loss of a loved one from addiction. Information: 724-628-6840.
n Al-Anon Family Groups, 8 p.m., Wednesdays, Trinity Church parlor, Fayette and Morgantown streets, Uniontown. Please enter at the handicapped ramp entrance. A second is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Fridays, Christian Church, Pittsburgh Street, Connellsville. These meetings are for anyone who has been affected by or is having problems from someone else’s drinking. Information: al-anon.alateen.org or pa-al-anon.org.
n Survivors of Incest Anonymous group, 6:30-8 p.m., the first and third Mondays of the month, excluding holidays. This 12-step recovery program is meant for men and women aged 18 or older who were sexually abused by a trusted person as a child. The group meets at the Mount Macrina Retreat Center. A similar group, Healing Friends, is from 6:30-7:30 p.m., East Liberty Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. Information: peopleofcourage@gmail.com siawso.org, or healingfriends8@gmail.com.
n Missing Piece of My Heart Support Group, the last Thursday of each month, 6-8 p.m. at the Crime Victim’s Center conference room in the Oliver Square Plaza. The group is for families who have lost a child to a violent crime. Information: 724-438-1470.
n Silver Generation Support Program, 10 a.m. to noon, Wednesdays, East End United Community Center, Uniontown. The program is for ages 55 and older. Information: 724-437-1660.
n The fall program for Stepping Stones Bereavement Support will be held 7-9 p.m. Mondays at the Fayette County Health Center, 100 New Salem Road, Uniontown. Anyone who is newly bereaved or still having problems dealing with grief is invited to attend. There is no cost to participate. Registration: 724-439-1683.
Courses
n Monongahela Valley Hospital will be offering the program American Heart Association Family and Friends CPR/AED 8-10 a.m. Oct. 30 in the education conference center. This course is designed for the layperson that has little or no medical training, and is taught by a certified instructor. This course is for people who do not need a certification card for a job. Content includes an orientation to CPR for adult, child, infants, choking and use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Cost of this course is $35 to cover the cost of the book, which includes a class participation card.
n Monongahela Valley Hospital will be offering adult classes for the American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR/AED 4-8 p.m. Oct. 30. in the education conference center. The fee for the class is $50 to cover the class and required materials. Registration: 724-258-1333.
n Monongahela Valley Hospital is offering the class “Managing Your Diabetes” 6-9 p.m. Nov. 27, 28 and 29 in the educational conference center. This program is designed to help you with diabetes self management. You will learn, “What is diabetes?” Other topics include the importance of controlling your blood sugars, diabetes medications, lifestyle changes, meal planning and methods to reduce your risk of complications. The program is three consecutive days. Registration at least one week prior to class: 724-258-1483.
n Monongahela Valley Hospital is offering the class “Breathe Pennsylvania – Smoke Free for Life” 5:30-7:30 p.m., Tuesdays, Nov. 6, 13, 20 and 27, in the HealthPlex. This education program is a free four-week course and is designed to provide individuals with information on preparing to quit smoking, coping skills and strategies, smoking and developing an action plan to help quit smoking.
n Monongahela Valley Hospital is hosting the class “Innovations in Medicine: ‘Freeze Your Pain Away,'” at 6 p.m. Nov. 12 in the educational conference center. This program is designed to educate you about Celiac Disease. Anthony Cuneo, M.D., Ph. D., will discuss cryoneurolysis, the process of blocking nerve conduction through a procedure that freezes a targeted nerve. To register, call 724-258-1333.
n Monongahela Valley Hospital will be hosting an “Advanced Carbohydrate Counting” class 9-11 a.m. Nov. 14 in the education conference center. This program is a diabetes self-management class designed to educate you on how to count carbohydrate content in food to improve blood sugar control. Topics include how to track effects of carbohydrates and blood sugar, glycemic index and how to read food nutrition labels. Registration at least one week prior to class: 724-258-1483.
n Monongahela Valley Hospital is offering the class “Is Weight Loss Surgery Right For You?” at 6 p.m. Nov. 14, in the education conference center. Bariatric surgery is an option for people who want to lose 100 pounds or more. This free information session is designed to give those individuals struggling with weight loss the facts to choose their best option. To learn if you are a candidate for this surgery, join Hiram Gonzalez, 2 M.D., as he discusses this topic in detail. Registration: 724-258-1333.
n Monongahela Valley Hospital is offering the “Prostate Cancer Screening and Education Program at 6 p.m. Nov. 14 in the education conference center. The prostate cancer screening and education program is free. At the screening, men will be offered a digital rectal exam (DRE), the standard test for prostate cancer; a hemocult test and a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test. The screening and education program will be conducted by staff from the MVH Medical Staff and Regional Cancer Center. Registration: 724-258-1333.
n Monongahela Valley Hospital will host a weight control and wellness support group 6 p.m. Nov. 26 in the education conference center. The bariatric support group activities are designed to reinforce key principles of success and help participants learn concepts that are sometimes difficult to grasp after bariatric surgery. Professionals such as dietitians, psychologists and fitness instructors may be invited to speak. Other presenters may discuss topics such as grooming, dating and cooking. The sessions are designed to educate, inform and provide a well-rounded foundation of knowledge for long-term success. Registration is recommended, but not necessary. Registration: 724-258-1333.
n The Monongahela Valley Hospital is hosting an “American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR/AED” course from 8 a.m. to noon Nov. 27 in the education conference center. Adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR/AED) classes are offered by Monongahela Valley Hospital. The fee for the class is $50 to cover the class and required materials. Registration: 724-258-1333.
n Monongahela Valley Hospital will host the “American Heart Association Family and Friends CPR/AED” program 4-6 p.m. Nov. 27, in the education conference center. This course is designed for the layperson that has little or no medical training, and is taught by a certified instructor. This course is for people who do not need a certification card for a job. Content includes an orientation to CPR for adult, child, infants, choking and use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Cost of this course is $35 to cover the cost of the book, which includes a class participation card.
n Exercise classes, Tuesdays and Thursdays, Center in the Woods, 130 Woodland Court, Brownsville. Classes include chair dancing at 9:30 a.m. followed by healthy steps at 11 a.m. Information: 724-938-3554.