St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center is now on the popular social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. The sites are specific to the hospital’s maternal child services and feature regular labor and delivery tips for moms-to-be, as well as the latest news and health information in the area of maternal and child health. Upcoming childbirth classes and events will also be included.
On the Facebook page, the hospital soon will have a virtual tour of the birthing center, as well as plenty of photos of the labor and delivery unit, Birth Place and post-partum unit.
Administered by childbirth educator Christine Vona, RN-C, the sites are only just getting started but it is hoped that they will help educate and foster meaningful connections between moms and moms-to-be. To follow St. Joseph’s maternal child services on Twitter, or to become a fan of its Facebook page, follow the links at www.sjhsyr.org/sjhhc/stj_patient_ob.asp.
St. Joseph’s and Kinney Drugs partner to offer free health screenings
St. Joseph’s Hospital Wellness Program and Kinney Drugs are partnering to offer Wellness Wednesdays, a series of free health education and screening events with a registered nurse or healthcare professional. The purpose of the events is to improve the health of the Central New York community by educating people and providing information that could help prevent chronic health problems. Wellness Wednesday events are free to the public.
The sessions will take place from noon to 4 p.m. each Wednesday. The location of Wellness Wednesday events will rotate on a monthly basis. In January, events will take place at the Kinney Drugs at 5221 W. Taft Rd. in North Syracuse.
Diabetes awareness will be the topic of the meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 20. According to the American Diabetes Association, 23.6 million people in the United States, or eight percent of the population, have diabetes and nearly one quarter of the people with diabetes do not know they have the condition. Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, which is a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy. A simple glucose screening may help to identify if you are at risk.
Seasonal wellness will be the topic of the meeting on Jan. 27. Health concerns vary during the year. Flu used to be an issue only in the fall, but now it seems to be a year-round concern. Exercise regimens in the winter cold are not the same as those in the summer heat, and the body’s response can vary. A registered nurse or other health professional will be available to discuss seasonal issues such as the flu and flu vaccination, protection from colds and flu, hygiene, skin cancer prevention, healthy eating and more.
Any conversations had with the Wellness Wednesday health care staff will be confidential.
Lourdes Hospital ‘Mission in Motion’ program
BINGHAMTON — With two distinctive mobile health vans, Lourdes Hospital will bring primary care and breast health to remote areas as well as central locations throughout the region. The “Mission in Motion” vans put comprehensive health care on wheels and takes it to health fairs, worksites, community events, senior centers, schools and churches.
With the “Mobile Mammography” van, a variety of health care services for women are provided. Services include exams, screenings and education. The van can provide screenings for most women. The Mobile Mammography van is also a member of the cancer services program, a New York State-funded program that provides no cost and low cost mammograms, pelvic exams and pap tests. To find out if you are eligible for low-cost/no-cost screenings, call the Cancer Services Program at (877) 276-1019.
Those with an order for a mammogram from a health care provider can call (607) 798-5723 for an appointment. Those without a health care provider can make an appointment with a nurse practitioner for an examination.
The “Primary Care” van offers a wide range of health care services for the public including cancer screenings, health promotion and disease prevention, physical examinations, occupational health testing and cholesterol testing. To make an appointment for a van service or test, call Lourdes Central Scheduling at (607) 798-5723.
For more information on the Lourdes “Mission in Motion” program, call (607) 321-2652.
