Monthly Archives: May 2010

Free Community Health Fair set for Saturday, June 5

0
Posted by Lew Tysman on May 27, 2010 – 1:59 pm
Filed under Borgess Health, Borgess Health Screenings for Life, Events, ProMed

The fifth annual free Community Health Fair sponsored by Borgess Family Medicine will be held from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, Saturday, June 5 at Borgess-Pipp Medical Commons, 345 Naomi St., Plainwell.

one hour cash advance

Along with health screenings, participants will have the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of fun, family-friendly activities.  Among them:

  • Adult health screenings, including cholesterol and blood sugar, blood pressure, heart and lung health and fitness
  • Children’s health screenings, including blindness prevention, asthma, lead and spine
  • Adolescent sports physicals (10:00 am – 12:30 pm)
  • Face-painting, fingerprinting, games and other activities for kids
  • Fire trucks and fire / general safety information

Borgess Trauma Services will fit and sell bike helmets for $8.00 at the event.

People are encouraged to bring their gently used eyeglasses for distribution to needy individuals.

For more information, please call 269.552.0100.

Two free women’s health presentations to focus on headaches

0
Posted by Lew Tysman on May 27, 2010 – 1:58 pm
Filed under Borgess Health, Events, Women's Health

Headaches in women will be the topic two presentations sponsored by Borgess Women’s Health this summer.

The first session, When Headaches are a Pain in the Neck, will be presented 7:00-8:30 pm, Tuesday, June 22 in the Lawrence Education Center at Borgess Medical Center.

In the session, those in attendance will learn about the common causes of headache with a focus on cervicogenic headaches.  These are headaches caused by the bony structure or soft tissue of the neck. 

Discussion will cover the difference between a cervicogenic headache, a tension headache and a migraine or vascular headache.  Participants will also learn what to do when they have more than one kind of headache as well as ways to manage headaches.

The featured speaker for this presentation will be Leighia Wells, DC, a chiropractor with the Borgess Brain & Spine Institute.  Dr. Wells is a graduate of  Palmer College of Chiropractic and is one of the few chiropractors in the US to be certified in the McKenzie Method. 

Migraine Headaches and Women will be the subject of the second of the two-part.  It will be offered 7:00-8:30 pm, Tuesday, July 20, also in the Lawrence Education Center. 

In this presentation, the nature of migraine headaches, how to distinguish them from other headaches, and current therapies for these headaches will be covered.  Discussion will focus on why women are more prone to migraines and the role of hormonal influences, from menstruation to menopause.

Gerald Robbins, DO, board-certified neurologist with the Borgess Brain & Spine Institute, will be the presenter for session on migraines.  Dr. Robbins is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine who served his neurology residency at Botsford General Hospital in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

To register for one or both of these free presentations, please call 269.226.8135or 1.800.828.8135. 

Borgess Women’s Health provides personal care using the latest advanced technology.  Services include gynecologic care, prenatal and birthing care, birthing education, pre-pregnancy and family planning counseling, fertility assessment, minimally invasive and conventional gynecologic surgery, diagnostic procedures (including osteoporosis screening and mammography), ultrasound procedures including 3D capabilities, and treatment for bladder incontinence, PMS, endometriosis, fibroids, menopause, abnormal bleeding and pelvic pain.

For more information about women’s health care at Borgess, visit Women.borgess.com.

Camp Hug – Art Therapy used to help cope with grief & loss

0
Posted by Lew Tysman on May 27, 2010 – 10:15 am
Filed under Borgess Health, Borgess VNA Home Health & Hospice

This June, Borgess Hospice will hold Camp Hug, an Expressive Arts Bereavement Camp to help family members learn to cope with the death of a loved one through creative outlets.

The camp will be facilitated by a registered art therapist, a music therapist and grief counselors, with support from Borgess Hospice RNs, other staff and volunteers.

“When a person is undergoing a traumatic event such as the loss of a loved one, she or he may have difficulty expressing the experience directly or effectively in words,” said Kathleen Buday, a registered board-certified art therapist who serves as Expressive Arts Coordinator.   “A creative process can be a non-threatening means to express oneself.”

Borgess VNA Home Health & Hospice has been expanding its grief support services for Kalamazoo and the surrounding communities by offering art therapy programs.  Since 2009, Borgess Hospice has offered Creative Crossings: An Art Therapy Bereavement Group for Children and Teens. Through art and other artistic means, such as movement, and music, youth creatively express the feelings that occur when dealing with grief and loss.

Buday also provides art therapy to hospice patients and/or family members who desire to use artistic media to explore feelings, reconcile emotional conflict, and assist in communication.

No special ability or experience is required.  Suitable techniques and art experiences can be designed for virtually every level of physical capability.

For more information, please call Kathleen Buday at 269.343.1396.

Borgess-Pipp Hospital Sponsors Free Men’s Health Event at Prairiewood Golf Course

0
Posted by Lew Tysman on May 18, 2010 – 4:12 pm
Filed under Borgess Health, Borgess Health Screenings for Life, Borgess-Pipp Hospital, Events, Light Hearted Living

To help men lower their score and raise their peace of mind, Borgess-Pipp Hospital will host a free Men’s Health Event at Prairiewood Golf Course on Saturday, June 12, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

“Men aren’t always the first in line to schedule an appointment to see their doctors or sign up for important health screenings,” said John Ryder, administrator, Borgess-Pipp Hospital. “That’s why we’re sponsoring this event. It’s a free and fun way to learn how to elevate your golf game, as well as receive some potentially lifesaving screenings.”

At the Men’s Health Event, participants will learn how to improve their golf swing from a physical therapist, and have the chance to receive a:

  • Healthy heart screening (including blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose)
  • Lung assessment (to check for signs of chronic obstructive lung disease or COPD)
  • Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening
  • Body mass index (BMI) analysis

Prairiewood Golf Course is located at 315 Prairiewood Drive in Otsego. There is no appointment necessary to take advantage of this one-day-only event. Those who would like more information are encouraged to call 269.226.8135 or 800.828.8135.

Borgess-Pipp Hospital delivers comprehensive health services to Plainwell, Otsego and surrounding communities, from laboratory and diagnostic imaging to long-term acute and “no wait” emergency care. A member of Borgess Health, the largest health care provider in southwest Michigan, Borgess-Pipp Hospital also has the resources to offer specialized, nationally recognized medicine.

Borgess Foundation receives March of Dimes Grant to support Borgess Women’s Health CenteringPregnancy® Program

0
Posted by Lew Tysman on May 18, 2010 – 9:31 am
Filed under Achievements, Borgess Foundation, Borgess Health, Innovation, Women's Health

The March of Dimes Michigan Chapter has awarded the Borgess Foundation a $25,000 Chapter Community Grant for use in supporting the Borgess Women’s Health CenteringPregnancy® program.

“We are honored to receive the support of the March of Dimes, the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health,” said Megan Deibel, CNM, Borgess Women’s Health. “The focus of the CenteringPregnancy program is threefold: assessment, education and support. Each woman learns to effectively monitor her well-being and the well-being of her baby. Participants take ownership of their experience during their prenatal care, which helps build confidence in parenting.”

Only 10 projects, including the CenteringPregnancy program at Borgess Women’s Health, received funding via the March of Dimes Michigan Chapter Community Grant. With the award, Borgess Women’s Health hopes to achieve the following objectives/outcomes by the end of 2010:

  • Receive official site approval for the CenteringPregnancy program by the Centering Healthcare Institute
  • Realize a prematurity rate of less than or equal to 10 percent (for program participants)
  • Help 86 percent of program participants initiate breastfeeding and 50 percent of program participants continue breastfeeding through their six-week postpartum follow-up visit

 In a group setting, the CenteringPregnancy program gives those expecting added time, attention and guidance. Along with receiving prenatal checkups and care in groups, women also spend additional time with their health care provider and other expecting mothers, giving them greater opportunity to learn more about pregnancy, childbirth and parenting.

“A key benefit of this program is that women form relationships with other expectant moms,” Deibel said. “Research has shown that CenteringPregnancy decreases preterm birth and low-birth weight babies, because participants empower themselves to make better health decisions.”

For more on the CenteringPregnancy program or the complete gynecologic and obstetric care available at Borgess Women’s Health, visit women.borgess.com.

Save the Dates! Farmer’s Market Coming to Borgess

0
Posted by Lew Tysman on May 13, 2010 – 1:00 pm
Filed under Borgess Health, Dietary Services, Events

A Fresh Approach to Eating Local

There’s never been a better time to eat local and Borgess has never made it easier for our patients, visitors and employees to shop local. Throughout the spring and summer, we sponsor a Farmer’s Market in our courtyard, just outside the Borgess Medical Center cafeteria. Registered dietitians are also often on hand to provide counseling and meal suggestions.

While you shop, enjoy music performed by the students of Kalamazoo School of Music & Dance and Crescendo Academy of Music.

The third edition of the Borgess Light Hearted Living Cookbook will also be for sale. Pick up your copy today for only $19.95.

2010 Dates: May 21, June 25, July 23, August 27 and September 24 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Remember, Kalamazoo and Michigan are home to a variety of delicious and nutritious food options so don’t miss out on our seasonal Farmer’s Market.

Participating Farmer’s Market vendors include:

To Have or Not Have a Hysterectomy?: Noninvasive Treatment Option for Fibroids May Answer The Question

0
Posted by Lew Tysman on May 13, 2010 – 10:14 am
Filed under Borgess Fibroid Center, Borgess Health, Innovation, Women's Health

“I haven’t had any problems at all,” said Kate Keller, who underwent a noninvasive procedure designed to shrink uterine fibroids (benign tumors that grow on or in the muscle tissue of the uterus). “All around, it was the best option for me. For some reason, I was thinking, ‘I was born with these organs. I want to keep them.’ The problems didn’t justify a hysterectomy.”

Keller’s fibroids did create some pressure in her pelvic area and a frequent urge to urinate, but did not cause a great deal of pain. Instead of opting for a hysterectomy like her gynecologist had recommended, she became the first person in Kalamazoo to have a noninvasive outpatient procedure called magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS). The procedure uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to pinpoint the location of the fibroids and high-intensity ultrasound waves to ablate (destroy) the fibroid tissue.

Keller had the procedure in 2006 as part of a clinical study conducted by Borgess Medical Center in partnership with Premier Radiology and KNI/Southwest Michigan Imaging. Since that time, about 20 to 30 of the procedures have been done locally as part of two clinical studies.

Currently, the Borgess, Premier Radiology and KNI/Southwest Michigan Imaging partnership is the only group in Michigan able to perform MRgFUS. “This isn’t something that works for everyone,” said Dr. Scott Piereson, who specializes in obstetrics and gynecology at Premier Radiology and Borgess Women’s Health. “However, in some cases, it does offer an alternative to the more traditional types of treatment.”

About 200,000 women undergo hysterectomies annually. A hysterectomy can result in an eight-week recovery period. With the MRgFUS procedure, a woman can return to work the next day.

A Closer Look at Fibroids

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 25 percent of American women are estimated to have fibroids, and black women are two to three times more likely to get them than other women. Uterine fibroids can range in size from a small coin to a large melon. They can cause problems like heavy bleeding or painful periods, frequent urination, bleeding between periods, pain during sex, lower back pain and feeling “full” in the lower abdomen.

The way fibroids are treated depends on their size, the severity of symptoms, fertility considerations, and the patient’s age and willingness to undergo invasive procedures.

For more on uterine fibroids and treatment options available in southwest Michigan, visit fibroids.borgess.com.

“Run Kalamazoo Run!”—Race Weekend That Has Challenged Area Runners For Over Three Decades is About to Get Bigger

0
Posted by Lew Tysman on May 13, 2010 – 10:05 am
Filed under Borgess Health, Borgess Health & Fitness Center, Events, Innovation, Light Hearted Living

Next year, those who are equally obsessed with running will also have the opportunity to tackle 26.2 miles—right in their own community.

Borgess Run for the Health of It officials have announced that next year, they will be adding a 26.2-mile marathon to the 31-year-old event. The 2011 Kalamazoo Marathon at Borgess Run for the Health of It will take place on May 8, wrapping up three days of running and walking events.

“It’s just added a whole new level of excitement, exponentially bigger and more exciting,” Janeen Dosca told the Kalamazoo Gazette. Dosca, this year’s race director, is working with Blaine Lam and Gazelle Sports co-owner, Chris Lampen-Crowell, to develop the event.

Major sponsors for next year are already in place. Meijer and Priority Health will remain sponsors, and support will also come from AVB Construction, Discover Kalamazoo, Gazelle Sports, K-Valley Orthopedics, Kalamazoo Orthopaedic Clinic, Pfizer, Premier Radiology and RiverRun Press.

Combined with the addition of the marathon, the kids’ run, 5K Judged Race Walk, 5K Walk, 5K Run and Half Marathon will still take place. In the coming months, a full schedule of events, along with the specifics of the marathon course, will be announced.

“We want to make a big weekend out of it,” said Lam, who will once again be handling race director responsibilities with help from a full-time event planner and Borgess.

Gaining Popularity

As more and more people are looking to lose weight and live an active life, running continues to gain popularity as a sport. In fact, according to MarathonGuide.com, participation numbers recorded from 397 marathons in the United States during the 2009 season showed record growth (9.9 percent) from the year before.

Races in the Midwest are growing in numbers as well. The Chicago Marathon, the second-largest marathon in the country, grew 6.8 percent from 2008 to 2009. Detroit was also up 7.5 percent. “A lot of people really want to do marathons,” Lampen-Crowell said. “Maybe they started with the 5K, then a 10K, maybe a half marathon. A lot of people are kind of, ‘OK, what’s the next challenge?’ A marathon, as I tell people, it’s beyond fitness, it’s accomplishment, but it’s a big, big accomplishment.”

For further details and the latest updates, be sure to check the Borgess Run for The Health of It.

EVENT: May 26 – Seniors invited to Celebrate Fitness

0
Posted by Lew Tysman on May 11, 2010 – 2:03 pm
Filed under Borgess Health, Borgess Health & Fitness Center, Events

Borgess will mark National Senior Health & Fitness Day with a special celebration at the Borgess Health & Fitness Center.

Celebrate Fitness:  Your Fountain of Youth will be held from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on Wednesday, May 26.

The celebration will include a one-mile community fitness walk sponsored by Kalamazoo Valley Walkers starting at 9:00 am, and a Senior Triathlon is set to begin at 12:30 pm.  The Triathlon is a short bike-run-swim competition for persons aged 50 and up.  

The first 100 attendees at the fitness walk will receive a free pedometer.   Those in attendance can also take advantage of health screenings, chair massages, product samples, class demonstrations, exercise workshops, dance lessons, free day passes to the Borgess Health & Fitness Center, prize drawings, refreshments and more.

To learn more or register for the triathlon, please call 269.552.2348.  Visit fitness.borgess.com to learn about fitness opportunities at the Borgess Health & Fitness Center, including many for seniors.

Schedule of Events

9 a.m.–1 p.m.  
Mile Community Fitness Walk Sponsored by the Kalamazoo Valley Walkers
All members of the community are welcome.  
First 100 people at the walk will receive a free pedometer!

9 a.m.-Noon
Health Benefits of Hypnotherapy
Our licensed hypnotist will show you how hypnosis can help treat a variety of conditions.

9 a.m.-Noon
Acupuncture Mini Treatments
Pre-register at the front desk for a demonstration of treatment by our licensed acupuncturist.

9:45 a.m.
Race Walking Clinic

10 a.m.
Fitness for Gardening
Gardening workshop that will feature exercises designed to strengthen muscles used during gardening.

10 a.m.
Spin to the Oldies
Indoor cycling class that features your favorite music from the past.

10:30 a.m. and Noon
Zumba Lessons
Hands on instruction for this fun and easy-to-do Latin dance for exercise.

12:30 p.m.
Senior Triathlon
Pre-register at the front desk.

Offered 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Free healthy heart screenings and chair massages
Elina Organic Skin Care evaluations and samples

Also offered
Prize drawings, refreshments, free guest passes and more!

Borgess Lee Medical Group Announces Provider Transitions

0
Posted by Lew Tysman on May 6, 2010 – 8:06 am
Filed under Borgess Health, Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital, New Physicians

Joe Mashni, family nurse practitioner (FNP), will transition to seeing patients at Borgess Lee Medical Group’s Adult and Pediatric Walk-In Clinics located within the Donald Lyons Health Center (520 Main Street, Suite A) in Dowagiac. Two experienced caregivers, Sangeeta Pal, MD, and Judy Mitchelson, PA-C, will take over Mashni’s current responsibilities at the Internal Medicine and Family Practice office in Cassopolis.

Dr. Pal graduated from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College in India and completed her residency training in internal medicine through Roger Williams Medical Center/Boston University. A member of the American College of Physicians and American Medical Association, Dr. Pal has been serving patients in the Donald Lyons Health Center for more than two years.

Judy Mitchelson received a Bachelor of Medicine from Western Michigan University’s Physician Assistant Program. Since 2008, she has served as one of the Adult Walk-In Clinic providers in the Donald Lyons Health Center. A fellow member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, Mitchelson formerly worked as a primary care provider at Buchanan Family Medical Center in Buchanan, Mich.

Joe Mashni graduated with a Master of Science in Nursing from Michigan State University and passed the certification exam for Family Nurse Practitioner in 1999.  Prior to that, Mashni worked in several areas of Borgess Medical Center, including the emergency room, intensive care unit (ICU), post-anesthesia recovery and as a house supervisor.

Mashni will begin delivering care in the Adult and Pediatric Walk-In Clinics on Monday, May 10. Both Dr. Pal and Judy Mitchelson welcome the opportunity to see new patients in Borgess Lee Medical Group’s Cassopolis practice at 117 South Broadway Street. To make an appointment or learn more, call 269.445.0771.