Friday, June 27, 2008

Martin Memorial Kicking Butts

I smoked for the first time when I was 16 years old. Some friends and I got together at a park, passed around some Swisher Sweets cigars and lit up. It was pretty easy really, especially since you didn’t have to inhale.

I loved it – the smell of it, holding it, the feeling of being an adult. The cigars became a staple of our weekend hijinks, driving around town in my buddy’s car, smoking Swisher Sweets and being quite cool – literally. We rolled the windows down so we wouldn’t smell like smoke, which became a challenge in the chilly Alaska winters.

The cigars eventually gave way to Marlboros and that quickly became a daily habit rather than one reserved for weekends. By the time I was 24 I’d been trying to quit off and on for eight years and finally, after convincing myself I had some sort of throat cancer, I decided to quit for good. Cold turkey.

That’s essentially what Martin Memorial will be doing on Oct. 1. On that day, tobacco use will be prohibited on any Martin Memorial campus, including not just the hospitals but any other location as well. The policy includes Martin Memorial Associates, patients, physicians, visitors, volunteers, vendors and anyone else who comes to a Martin Memorial facility.

But we’re not the only healthcare provider doing this: St. Lucie Medical Center will go smoke free beginning Nov. 20 and approximately 30 other hospitals across the state already have similar policies in place.

The message it promotes is simple: tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, with an estimated one in every five deaths linked to smoking each year. As healthcare providers, it’s counterintuitive to our mission to have people smoking at our facilities.

Martin Memorial does have smoking cessation programs available that can help people quit. And while it’s not an easy habit to break, quitting can help you live a longer, healthier life.

--Scott Samples
Public Information Coordinator

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Beat the Heat with Indoor Exercise

The calendar says it is officially summer, but Floridians do not need a calendar to remind us that summer has arrived. We are accustomed to dealing with the extreme temperatures, but I thought this would be a great opportunity to go over some of the basic ways to deal with the heat during exercise. It is also a great time to point out some of the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Each year brings new residents to our climate and that first Florida summer can be quite intense. I remember that in my first summer back in 1993, I took both of my girls to play “putt-putt” one day. I told my daughters, “This is a great time to play. Look, we have the whole place to ourselves and it is the middle of the day.” We soon discovered why we had the course to ourselves: playing putt-putt golf at high noon in June is not a good move.

High-noon outdoor activities in Florida’s heat are not a good choice, though that is a great time to take your workout inside. Running on the treadmill or cycling on the bike are great substitutes for running and biking in the heat. The elliptical machine offers an excellent cardio workout and you are safe from the searing sun.

For those who choose to remain outdoors here are a few tips:
· Drink plenty of water – if you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. You need to drink before you feel the need to.
· Water is still the best beverage.
· Wear loose clothes of light colors.
· Wear “breathable” fabrics such as cotton.
· Look for special clothing that is designed to “wick the sweat” away. You can find these at sporting goods stores.
· Wear sunscreen on all exposed skin.

Signs of heat exhaustion include: general fatigue, weakness, nausea, dizziness, muscle cramps or an increase in body temperature.

Signs of Heat Stroke include: your body stops producing sweat, loss of consciousness or acute respiratory distress.

The best advice is to use common sense and avoid the hottest times of the day. The sun is at its hottest between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Still want to exercise then? Beat the heat by stopping at one of our health and fitness centers.

--Jane Reynolds
Certified personal trainer, health and fitness instructor
Martin Memorial Hospital South Health and Fitness Center

Friday, June 20, 2008

Russert's Death Prompts Health Questions

The sudden death of Tim Russert, political analyst for NBC and host of “Meet the Press,” came as a shock to many Americans. Russert, 58, died of a massive heart attack that was caused by the rupture of a cholesterol plaque in an artery, causing sudden coronary thrombosis. The autopsy revealed he also had an enlarged heart.

A stress test had been performed not long before his heart attack and he had performed well. In the wake of his death, people began to wonder what could have been done to prevent his death at such a young age.

Like everybody else, I was pretty shocked by his death and I wanted to know more about what happened. So I spoke with Dr. Richard Blankenbaker, an interventional cardiologist at the Frances Langford Heart Center, and asked him a couple of questions:

Q: What is coronary thrombosis?
A: It is a condition where the blood flow to the heart is blocked by a clot in a coronary artery. In Tim Russert’s case, a cholesterol plaque built up on the inside wall of the artery and then ruptured, exposing cholesterol into the blood stream which leads to formation of blood clots and causes a heart attack.

Q: What is an enlarged heart?
A: As the name suggests, enlarged heart is an increase in the size of the heart. An enlarged heart may be caused by a thickening of the heart muscle because of increased workload. (This increased workload can be due to heart valve disease or high blood pressure, for example). Long-term damage from blocked arteries can also cause an enlarged heart.


Q: How do you prevent heart disease?
A: Atherosclerosis is the process in which deposits of fatty substances – cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and other substances – build up in the inner lining of an artery. This condition develops within us over decades. What happened to Tim Russert is very hard to predict – there is not a single test that shows an imminent plaque rupture – however you can help prevent or reduce the complications related to plaque rupture.

If you have a family history of cardiac diseases, or if you are overweight , have a sedentary life, diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure, you are a candidate for cornary disease or other cardiac disease which can lead to a heart attack. Have routine screenings and get a full check up at least once a year.

While Dr. Blankenbaker points out that there isn’t a test that shows an imminent plaque rupture, there are several tests available that can diagnose potential heart problems. That includes things like a stress test, EKGs, duplex carotid ultrasound, electrocardiogram and echocardiogram.

If you are concerned about cholesterol plaque, you can get a CRP blood test, which analyzes your blood for the presence of substances called C Reactive Proteins. Elevated CRP are indicators of inflammation in the blood. Coronary angiography – a non-invasive test to assess for plaque buildup – is another modality for detection of coronary artery disease in high risk patients.

Talk to your physician or your cardiologist if you have concerns and would like to be tested. If you need a physician, you can call our referral line at (866) 995-HOPE (4673).

--Sophie Sawicki
Marketing Representative

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Home Visits Put Parents, Babies at Ease

The work is far from over for new moms and dads when the baby is delivered.

While much of the attention is focused simply on having the baby in the first place, for many new parents there are still plenty of questions when the baby is ready to come home.

For 20 years, Martin Memorial has helped answer them through the Mother Baby Home Visitation Program, available to all new families who reside in Martin or St Lucie counties. There is no cost to the family for the service and the only requirement is that you have a newborn baby.

The program is funded by grants from Children’s Services Councils of Martin and St Lucie counties, Martin Memorial Foundation and Martin Memorial Medical Center.
Described as a ‘best practice’ primary prevention program by the Office of Juvenile Justice, this service provides a home visit by a registered nurse to families following the birth of their new baby.

The experienced maternal child nurses are trained to assist and educate new parents. The main focus of the visit is family bonding and the well being of Mom, Dad and baby. The home visit includes physical assessment of mother and baby; infant care and feeding, with an emphasis on breast feeding support and education.

Also included in the visit are home safety, fire safety, infant and pool safety assessment and education. Other components of this visit include education regarding safe sleep practice, immunizations, ‘back to sleep’ and tummy time, holding and burping techniques.

During the visit, the nurses also educate the family on community services and programs available to assist new parents and make referrals to those agencies as requested. We enjoy a close working relationship with our OB providers and pediatricians and report our findings to them as needed. Examples of this might be a significant infant weight loss or newborn jaundice.

The home visit is scheduled anywhere from one to four days following discharge from the hospital, depending on the needs and schedule of the family, and takes approximately one hour. This can vary depending on the needs of the family.

Although this program is voluntary, 98 percent of clients readily accept the service. We also average 3.97 out of 4.0 satisfaction rating by clients for the service.

--Lorna Sinclair, RNC, BA
Nurse Manager, Maternal-Child Outpatient Services

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Happiness Recipe: Eat, Drink, Be Merry

I have spoken about the importance of what we eat and drink many times on this site, but it has occurred to me lately that being merry has a huge impact on how we feel. Finding joy in life, along with healthy food and exercise, equals a very powerful wellness triangle.

I recently had the pleasure of spending five days in Las Vegas with my best girlfriend, Louise, and our husbands to celebrate her 50th birthday. I have known Louise since we were 14-year-old high school freshmen. How did time pass so quickly?

Along the way, we have had a lot of laughs. While we have both had our share of tears – the loss of parents, job changes, family tragedies – it is the laughter that we remember most. We exercise and watch what we eat, both regular topics during our years of weekly telephone conversations. Having a buddy system for exercise and healthy eating is a plus and helps to ensure success.

But those laughs, that sense of joy that our friendship brings – how do you measure that? Now, as the four of us sat in a fabulous Las Vegas restaurant, borrowing each others’ reading glasses to study the menu, the years just melted away.

As my 50th birthday approaches I feel blessed, happy and content. I will continue to exercise and eat healthfully. I will be thankful for my health and the fact that I have made it to 50. And I will enjoy a laugh at every opportunity. If wrinkles come with the territory, I’ll take smile lines over frown lines any day.

--Rosemarie Lembo James, RD, CNSD, LD/N
Clinical Director of Nutrition Services

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Clinical trial offers hope for lung cancer

The research department at the Robert and Carol Weissman is proud to announce its new lung cancer vaccine trial. Don’t worry if you’ve seen “I Am Legend” – this vaccine will not turn the human race into bloodsucking zombies.

The vaccine trial, named MAGRIT, is for patients who have had a curative resection of their lung cancer. A piece of tumor tissue will be sent for analysis for a tumor specific antigen called MAGE-A3.

The presence of this antigen, expressed on tumor cells in lung cancer, melanoma, bladder and other cancers, is the main qualifying factor for possible participants. The vaccine will teach our immune system to identify and attack cancer cells; this is called immunotherapy and may prevent recurrence of lung cancer.

Patients who are eligible will have non-small cell lung cancer, stages IB-IIIA, that has been completely resected with a lobectomy or pneumonectomy; will have tumor tissue that tests positive for MAGE-A3 expression; and will have either had surgery alone or chemotherapy after surgery. Other eligibility criteria will be determined by the research team.

The MAGRIT study is sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline and taking place around the world, with 33 countries involved – roughly 400 centers. Only 33 percent of patients will express MAGE-A3 in their tumors, so approximately 15,000 patients will need to be screened to have 2,270 patients who are eligible to participate in the study.

Lung cancer is the leading cancer death in men and women, and clinical trials are critical to help advance cancer treatment. We would not be able to provide new, approved and effective therapies without participation.

If you think you or someone you know might qualify for this study, please call Lindsay Mattino at (772) 223-5945, ext. 1669 or Judy Johansen, at ext. 3739. You can also learn more about these trials by visiting www.immunotherapyforcancer.info or www.clinicaltrials.gov.

For a complete list of recruiting clinical trials available at Martin Memorial, visit www.mmhs.com, or call the cancer center, (772) 288-5858.

There are few resources for people diagnosed with lung cancer. At the Robert and Carol Weissman Cancer Center, we want to make a difference for patients in our community who receive this life-changing diagnosis.

--Lindsay Mattino, RN
Clinical Research Coordinator, Genetics Nurse Educator