'Rainbows of Remembrance'
ceremony scheduled at Geisinger
On Oct. 12 at 6 p.m., the fourth annual Rainbows of Remembrance ceremony will be held at the Henry Hood Center for Health Research at the Geisinger Medical Center campus in Danville.
The Rainbows of Remembrance ceremony honors the lives of all babies who passed away in the past year. All community members and families who have experienced the untimely loss of a baby are invited to attend this free event, which begins with a light supper at 6 p.m. before the memorial service at 7 p.m.
Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP by calling 214-4621 before Oct. 3.
CMBA returns to Tioga, Potter counties
Laurel Health System again will offer a Community Multidiagnostic Blood Analysis on several dates in September. The physician-approved, community screening program features 38 blood tests - all from one blood draw and for one fee.
An optional take-home colorectal screening kit is available for an additional fee, as is a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test for men.
Anyone participating in the blood testing must fast for 12 hours prior to the test; 14 hours is recommended. During this time, they may drink as much water as they like and should continue to take all medications.
Participation is by appointment only. To sign up, call 723-8449 or 1-800-808-5287 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you call after hours, leave a recorded message; a CMBA representative will return your call as soon as possible.
The tests will be held from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on the following days in Tioga and Potter counties:
Today - Morris Social Hall
Thursday - Middlebury Fire Hall
Saturday - Mansfield Fire Hall
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital's clinical laboratory will screen each blood sample for diabetes, anemia, prostate cancer and diseases of the heart, liver, thyroid or kidney. Results are sent to the participant's health care provider for interpretation. Participants also will receive a copy of their results and an explanation of the tests performed.
Blue Ribbon Foundation announces grants
A drug prevention education and childhood obesity program received grants from the Blue Ribbon Foundation of Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
In Lycoming County, Valley Prevention Services received a $5,500 grant to offer Too Good For Drugs, an evidence-based prevention education program to 175 first- and fifth-grade students in Montgomery Area School District this fall.
The 10-lesson curriculum focuses on developing skills to resist peer pressure, goal setting, decision-making, emotion managing, effective communication and social interactions.
In Clinton County, the Infant Development Program received a $7,000 grant for Stretch n' Grow, a national research-based curriculum designed to address childhood obesity in pre-K children through physical movement, healthy nutrition choices and lessons on safety and hygiene.
The program will have a certified Stretch n' Grow instructor visit nine pre-school classrooms in the county every week for 35 weeks, reaching no less than 130 children ages 3 to 5 and their parents and caregivers.
To receive the grant, the project had to fit under one of the three grant categories: Health and Wellness Mini-Grants, Health and Wellness Impact Grants and Access to Care Grants for the Uninsured/Underinsured.
Seven grants were approved at the board of directors meeting, providing $51,727 in funding to regional nonprofit programs.
'Golden hour' requires
'FAST' response to strokes
For a person experiencing symptoms of a stroke, the time in which it takes a bystander to respond can mean the difference between recovery, brain damage or even death.
"The term 'golden hour' is used to describe the hour immediately following the onset of stroke symptoms," said Dr. Edgar J. Kenton, neurologist, at Geisinger Medical Center. "Patients who arrive at a hospital and receive treatment within the first hour have a much greater chance of surviving and avoiding long-term brain damage."
Symptoms of a stroke are sudden and include weakness of the face, arm or leg (especially in one side of the body), confusion, trouble speaking or understanding, trouble seeing in one or both eyes, dizziness, trouble walking, loss of balance or severe headache.
According to Kenton, responders should use the FAST method to remember and react to the warning signs of a stroke.
F Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
A Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred or strange?
T Time: If you observe any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately.
Patients who arrive at the hospital for treatment during the "golden hour" or within the first three hours following a stroke are eligible for the powerful clot-busting drug known as tPA (tissue plasminogen activator). Patients who receive tPA are 33 percent more likely to recover from a stroke with little or no disability after three months.
Patients with controllable risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, tobacco usage, obesity, atrial fibrillation and high cholesterol, combined with uncontrollable risk factors such as age, gender and family history are especially at risk for having a stroke.
"Strokes are the fourth leading cause of death and a leading cause of serious, long-term adult disability," said Kenton. "It is crucial that caregivers and loved ones of those at risk are able to quickly recognize and react to the symptoms."
