Dr. Murphy has proven himself time and again in this difficult environment and we are pleased to be able to make this announcement.""I am honored to accept this position," said Dr. Murphy. "I look forward to working and serving in the community in which I live. There is a wonderful and caring group of healthcare providers are Mercy. I am confident we will be the best emergency department in the region." Prior to his appointment, Dr. Murphy was the vice chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine and Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Over the last four years he has served as co-chair of the Emergency Management/Disaster Preparedness at Maimonides and he will continue in that role at Mercy."The unfortunate reality is that every hospital's emergency room has the potential to be on the front line of the unimaginable," said Bieber. "We need to be prepared for everything from traffic accidents to acts of terrorism. Mercy is prepared and integrated into the region's emergency response plan." Dr. Murphy is a board member of the New York Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians and Zarb School of Business Strategic Partnership at Hofstra University. Dr. Murphy's academic titles have included clinical professor of emergency medicine at State University of New York, Health Science Center at Brooklyn, Associate Professor of Therapeutics at the Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Science, Long Island University and assistant professor of health policy and administration at the University of Illinois School of public health in Chicago.
Depression program at North Shore
Dr. Barbara Katz of the Department of Psychiatry at North Shore University Hospital will host a lecture, "Recognizing Depression and Current Standards of Treatment" Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. in the hospital's Rust Auditorium 300 Community Drive, Manhasset. For more information or to register, call 465-2500.
Scoliosis meetings
The Scoliosis Association of Long Island support group will be held Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the LIJ North Shore Health Systems on Lakeville Road in New Hyde Park, in the Teaching Center on the second floor in room 202 of the main building. Dr. Baron Lonner will be speaking. Meetings are free and open to the public, and held under the auspices of the Scoliosis Association of Long Island. For more information, call 917-655-4707.
Long Beach's bariatric surgery program
Long Beach Medical Center and Dr. Matthew Brackman announced a new comprehensive bariatric surgery program for the surgical treatment of the obese.Obesity is a rising health risk in the adult and adolescent population of the United States. The last national survey ranked New York fifth among all states in the obese population. Ready availability of low-nutritional-value, high-fat-content food extensive advertising of this food, and sedentary life style contribute to this rising epidemic.Obesity is not simply an overweight state, it is a disease now recognized by Medicare, and is causally related to many other medical problems including diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, respiratory difficulties, sleep apnea, arthritis, gallstones and cancer. In fact, surgical correction of obesity is the only cure for diabetes and limits the risk of many of the associated health conditions.For those who are so extremely overweight that their health is jeopardized, surgery is an excellent option. Diet and exercise, while effective in the short term, are unlikely to lead to sustained weight loss. In addition, drugs and herbal remedies can be dangerous. Clear data is available in published scientific journals which support this.Patients who are considering surgery should know that an excellent program, such as the Long Beach Medical Center, should be comprehensive. The program is composed of a team of health care professionals, physicians, nurses, nutritionists, and psychologists that work with patients before, during and after the surgery. A comprehensive program strives to provide the patient with the means to incorporate diet and exercise with surgery for a highly successful regimen.At Long Beach Medical Center, the procedure of choice, the laparoscopic Roux-en Y gatstic bypass, is the gold standard for surgical procedures that target obesity. Performing the procedure laparoscopically reduces many of the potential complications, limits pain and hospital stay and leads to an improved cosmetic result.Most patients who participate fully can expect to lose 70 percent of their excess body weight. This improves a patient's longevity, and makes every year of additional life more enjoyable. There are potential risks with any surgical procedure, and the gastric bypass is no different. There are even occasional deaths but the risks of this is less than one percent. For more information, contact Bariatric Coordinator at 897-4393.
