Weekly anxiety and depression screenings are offered for free by Long Beach Medical Center's Counseling Center. The screenings are held on Wednesdays from 2 to 3 p.m. Pre-registration is not required. For more information call the Counseling Center at (516) 897-1270.
Woodmere volunteer honored
South Nassau Communities Hospital has recognized David Jang of Woodmere for his dedication and commitment to service.Hospital administrators presented Jang, a tenth grader at George W. Hewlett High School in Hewlett, with a 100-hour Junior Volunteer award and thanked him for donating his time to helping patients.During the summer recess, the 15-year-old honor student, who lives with his parents, Hye-Sook and Bong-Ok, and 13-year-old brother, Jeffrey, volunteered five days a week for several hours a day as a clerk and a messenger, transporting patients within the hospital or running errands for hospital staff.A gifted flutist, Jang will play in the highly regarded All-County Orchestra in January at the Tilles Center in Old Brookville. At George W. Hewlett High School, he is a member of the community outreach, which entertained residents this past summer in nursing homes throughout Nassau, and active in the Science Olympiad. In his spare time, he enjoys tennis, fencing and basketball.Jang hopes that his volunteer experience will better prepare him to fulfill his lifelong ambition of becoming a neurologist. the achievement would make the youngster the first in his family to become a doctor. If you would like to volunteer and you are between the ages of 14 and 18, call South Nassau's Volunteer Office at (516) 632-3928.
'User friendly' patient info
In the not-so-distant future, tasks like charting on a patient or checking X-ray results will neither involve pen, paper nor telephone.By next summer, South Nassau Communities Hospital will join fewer than 5 percent of hospitals nationwide when it launches a computerized provider order entry program, a sophisticated software system that can transmit the full range of patient information electronically to doctors and other authorized medical staff via the Internet.The software would be used primarily by doctors, nurses and other health professionals to document their patients' progress and to receive results of laboratory tests. In addition to test results, the actual images of an MRI, EKG or ultrasound, for example, would be transmitted from the laboratory or satellite facility to the health care professional - in the office or at home. "As long as our health care professionals have a computer and Internet access, they can do this," said Stephen Zieniewicz, vice president of Support Services.The "user-friendly" system, which will operate over a secure connection, will be used throughout the hospital at fixed terminals in nurses' stations, the physicians' lounge, on wireless, mobile carts at the bedside - and in outpatient areas. For, example, if a patient is at an off-site South Nassau-affiliated doctor's office and the doctor has prescribed physical therapy, he/she can send the request electronically to the SMART Center. Both the doctor and patient never have to handle paper prescription. "Eliminating the time and geographic barriers associated with the current manual or paper process will fundamentally change how patient care is managed at South Nassau Hospital," Zieniewicz said. But CPOE will do much more than streamline communications. It will improve patient safety by reducing medication mistakes, including transcription errors due to illegible handwriting, duplicate orders and drug allergies, and it will cut down on waste due the duplication of medical tests. What's more, hospital officials say, the system will lower overall labor costs and make efficient use of the resources and time of health care professionals, especially nurses, who will be freed up to spend more time delivering patient care.
Snow shoveling safety tips
Mercy Medical Center offers residents safety tips about shoveling snow. Mercy's cardiologist and Director of Medicine, Dr. Qamar Zaman provides some precautionary tips:
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Do not eat a large meal before shoveling.
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Dress warmly in layers and wear a hat.
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Do not expose yourself to extreme temperatures.
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Do not exert yourself when shoveling snow; avoid overloading the shovel and straining your back.
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Take frequent breaks - stand up and stretch often.
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Drink plenty of water and keep your body hydrated.Dr. Zaman added, "You should not shovel snow if you have had a history of heart disease, are a smoker, have high blood pressure or are over 60. Find someone else to do the job for you, or use a snow blower." If you must shovel, proper snow shoveling techniques can reduce back injury or lower your risk of a heart attack. Always keep your back straight, your knees bent and lift gently. Twisting while throwing snow behind you can cause back strain. In fact, experts say to avoid lifting whenever possible. Stop immediately if you feel pain or become short of breath.
