Beginning at 9 AM, Toni Kapen, LCSW, Director of Counseling Services at LBMC will present "How to Help Your Child Cope With the Pressures of Adolescence." At 9:45 a.m., Ted Hertzberg, director of the Sleep Disorder Center at LBMC will discuss "Sleep Disorders-How They Affect Your Health;" and at 10:30 a.m., Sandeep Gupta, M.D. will present "Arthritis - New Treatments and Therapies".Other free services include screenings for asthma, high cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes, as well as body fat analysis and nutritional counseling. Hospital staff will also teach the Heimlich maneuver. For more information, call 897-1097.
Breast cancer awareness month
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and on Thursday, Oct. 20, the Women's Center of St. Francis Hospital, the Heart Center, will host a free women's health seminar, "Take Time For Yourself...Learn, Laugh and Live!" The event will feature stand-up comedian Jane Condon. Director Dr. Nancy Dintenfass and plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Silberman will discuss breast MRI, menopause and cosmetic surgery. At the DeMatteis Center on Northern Blvd. in Old Brookville. Call 516-629-2038.The Guild of St. Francis Hospital will host its annual "A Day at the Races" Fall Luncheon fundraiser on Wednesday, October 26 at 11:30 a.m. at Belmont Park's Turf & Field Club. Individual tickets are $60 and include a luncheon overlooking the track and an afternoon of thoroughbred racing; tables of 6 and limited 8 available. All proceeds will benefit the Women's Center of St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center. For more information, call the Guild at 516-562-6454 or 516-629-2048.
Early detection is the key
Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths among men. This year, an estimated 232,900 new cases will be diagnosed in the United States and approximately 30,350 men will die from the disease.Because early detection and treatment can mean a better chance of being cured, Long Beach Medical Center will offer free prostate cancer screenings on Tuesday, Sept. 27, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at its Family Care Center. As recommended by the American Cancer Society and the American Urological Association, the screening will include a free PSA blood test and digital rectal examination by a physician in a private, comfortable setting. There is no charge for the screening, but appointments are necessary. Call Long Beach Medical Center's Prostate Cancer Screening Program at (516) 897-1097 to make an appointment.
Diabetes Support
The diabetes support group at St. John's Episcopal Hospital, South Shore, located in Far Rockaway, is meeting on Monday, Sept. 26. The meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. in the hospital's board room, and will features guest speaker Stephanie Cordero, a registered dietician and nutritionist. She will give a presentation on how to live healthy and eat right. Call (718) 869-7118 for more information.Lamaze classes for October at St. John's will begin on Thursday, Oct. 6. The classes run from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and meet once a week for three weeks. The course is taught by a certified Lamaze instructor, and meets in the hospital boardroom. Please call (718) 869-7182 for more information. November and December sessions are also available.A series of groups and workshops run by the Peninsula Counseling Center are beginning. The "Doing Better with Friends Groups" are aimed helping high school-age boys and girls socialize. A group for recently bereaved widows and widowers will meet from 5 to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays in Woodmere. Other groups offers services to people with eating disorder, including group support for anorexia, bulimia, compulsive eating and obesity; sufferers of Alzheimer's and dementia; men with anger-aggression management problems, "Project Cares," for men and women over 60 with mobility difficulties; drug and alcohol abuse programs; the Pride program, for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people and their families; South Shore Services for the Handicapped; and The Parent Place, which offers help to parents with teens who need therapy but are reluctant to seek it.Call 599-1181 for the boys' "Doing Better with Friends" group, the eating disorders or the anger-aggression management group. Call 374-9253 for the Alzheimer's group. Call 374-9278 for Project Cares. The number for the teen girls' socialization group, the bereavement group, The Parent Place and the handicapped services group is 569-6600. Call 872-8698 for the drug and alcohol abuse program. The Pride program can be reached at 239-1945.
Helping you thrive
On Saturday, Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Franklin Hospital is holding its annual Community Health Fair, "Helping You Thrive in 2005." The event will be held beneath a tent, and is rain or shine. Informational exhibits include Cardiovascular Prevention, Ask the Pharmacist, Nutrition, Stroke Prevention, Cancer Awareness and others. Free cholesterol and diabetes screening will be held as well. Call 256-6397. Individuals who want a free screening must register in advance.
