By: Robert Remler
The opening of the new center marks Winthrop's ongoing commitment to patient care and its reputation as a primary health care resource in Nassau County. The acquisition of a $3 million linear accelerator that provides quick and focused radiation treatment, coupled with one of the most advanced CT simulators used for radiation treatment planning, offers a "one-two punch" in the fight against a wide range of cancers.Utilizing the highly advanced ACQSIM CT simulator, physicians can reconstruct 3-D images of the tumor and surrounding sites to determine its exact size and location in relation to healthy tissue.The new center also boasts the most advanced linear accelerator on the market today for radiation therapy-the Clinac 21 EX Platinum accelerator. This highly advanced equipment can be pre-programmed to conform to the exact shape and size of the tumor site for specific areas of the body, eliminating the risk of irradiating normal tissue.The high powered linear accelerator provides the prescribed dose of radiation therapy in approximately 30 seconds, allowing patients to come in and out of the new center in a matter of 15 minutes. This, in addition to the fact that the facility, located at 264 Old Country Road in Mineola, is in close proximity to major highways as well as the Long Island Rail Road, makes treatment convenient for many patients who come before or after work. For more information on Withrop's new Radiation Oncology Center, call 742-5576 or 1-866-WINTHROP.
Individual and group support
South Nassau Communities Hospital's Mental Health Counseling Center in Baldwin provides free support groups and mental health screenings for adults and children.The center's professional staff offers mental health therapies, including individual, group, marital, family, trauma and behavioral health counseling, as well as art and expressive therapy. Award-winning mental health services are provided to the community by an interdisciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses and art therapists.South Nassau's Mental Health Counseling Center also offers special programs to cope with life issues and chronic illness. Each group features guest speaker on selected topics, informal discussions and emotional support.The following meetings are offered in December: Irritable Bowel Syndrome Support Group; fourth Thursday of each month; 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and a Bereavement Support Group; eight-week series; 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; registration required.The Mental Health Counseling Center also offers free anxiety and depression screening every Monday throughout the month, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.All meetings are held at the Mental Health Counseling Center, 2277 Grand Ave. in Baldwin. New members are always welcome. For more information, or screenings, call 516-546-1370.
'Common ear problems: vertigo, hearing loss and tinitus'
Ear, nose and throat specialist Barak Greenfield, MD, of North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, will host a lecture, "Common Ear Problems: Vertigo, Hearing Loss and Tinitus," on Thursday, Jan. 14 at 2 p.m. in the hospital's Rust Auditorium, located at 300 Community Drive, Manhasset.Refreshments and free blood pressure screening will be offered at 1:30 p.m. The lecture will begin at 2 p.m.For more information or to register, contact the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System's Department of Professional and Public Health Education at 516-465-2500.
New Equipment for Nassau University Radiology Dept.
Nassau University Medical Center has just added the Somatom Multi-Slice CT Scanner from Siemens Medical System, Inc. to their Radiology Department. The new CT Scanner improves diagnosis and treatment of patients in the Long Island Region.The new Somatom CT provides the finest image quality and advanced clinical applications due to the Multi-Slice CT design.
