"We have to remember that for many people, business is not as usual since Sept. 11, 2001," said Joseph Quagliata, president and CEO of South Nassau. "We are very grateful that the support from the American Red Cross Liberty Disaster Relief Fund will continue to help see those affected through the long healing process."South Nassau's World Trade Center Family Center is the largest family counseling program in New York. Since its inception, it has served more than 1,300 bereaved family members. The one-year recovery grant provides $930,000 for the "Bereaved Kids" initiative, a resource for children who lost family members on 9/11 and their parents. The grant also supports counseling for 9/11 rescue and recovery workers and their families who are still struggling in the aftermath of the tragedy.This new program will enhance existing services offered at the World Trade Center Family Center through an innovative partnership between South Nassau's team led by Thomas Demaria, Ph.D., assistant vice president of behavioral health services, and the Mount Sinai School of medicine in New York City.
LBMC offers stroke screening
Long Beach Medical Center will sponsor a free community stroke screening May 18 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Long Beach Public Library, 111 W. Park Ave. in Long Beach. The medical center will join hundreds of health care providers nationwide participating in Stroke Alert 2005, a program developed by the American stroke association to educate communities on stroke risk factors and stroke symptoms.The screening, which takes about an hour, checks participants for high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, atrial fibrillation, and blockage in the carotid arteries, all risk factors for stroke. Registered dietitians and pharmacists from the medical enter will be available for questions and a consultation with a physician review individual risk factors completes the screening. Appointments will be made and pre-registration is required.For more information or to pre-register for a free screening, contact the Public Affairs Department at the medical center at 897-1097.
Cosmetics offer Rx for mental distress of cancer
"It saved my life...It's the next best thing to a full-time masseuse and a free facelift."Those are just a few of the rave reviews that women battling cancer have given to Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Medical Center's "Look Good...Feel Better" program. The indignity of losing hair and eyebrows can cause despair among many women going through chemotherapy and radiation treatment, but "Look Good...Feel Better" has succeeded in lifting the spirits of countless women.The sessions, conducted on the second Monday of every month, are held from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Licensed cosmetologists offer a wealth of beauty tips that include choosing the right wig and proper makeup application techniques. All attendees are treated to a handsomely appointed gift of well-known cosmetics donated by the CFTA.For more information, call (516) or (718) 470-7093.
Quit smoking at Mercy
Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre offers the American Cancer Society's Fresh Start Program. The program is designed for adult smokers using group interaction to support quitting goals. Participants are provided with essential information and strategies needed to direct their own efforts at quitting smoking. Individual situations are given more attention. It is designed to help you stop smoking in two weeks. Each meeting is one and a half hours and meets for four straight weeks. The program is facilitated by the Cardiac Rehabilitation Department. Meetings are conducted on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. in the St. Anne's Center. There is no fee for this program. For more information, call 705-2687.
North Shore-LIJ administers first meningitis vaccine
Fourteen-year-old Steven Kinnaly of Bayside recently made history when he was the first person in the United States to receive a conjugated meningococcal vaccine from Dr. Stephen Barone, a pediatric infectious disease specialist with the North Shore-Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Health System. Recently licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the vaccine, which goes by the brand name Menactra, protects against a form of meningitis caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitides. Designed to offer protection against four serogroups of Neisseria meningitides, Menactra was developed by Sanofi-pasteur to prevent the rare but serious bacterial infection that strikes between 1,500 and 3,400 Americans annually. Barone said meningitis affects between two and five of every 100,000 people but has a high mortality rate of 10-15 percent. The vaccine has the potential to reduce the number of adolescents infected by the disease by 80 percent, he said.Kinnaly was eager to be the first person to receive the vaccine, saying he wanted to make sure he was protected. With representatives from North Shore-LIJ Health System and Sanofi-Pasteur on hand to mark the occasion, Barone administered the shot and Steven, without flinching, made history.
