St. Mary's Medical Center Highlights National Health Issues for May; Eyes, Osteoporosis, Fitness, Emergency Room Services and HIV Vaccine Awareness Included in This Month's Health Focus.St. Mary's Medical Center St. Mary's Medical Center may refer to:
National Sight-Saving Month Ultraviolet Awareness Month While it may not seem like it with the current weather conditions, Bay Area residents will soon have the opportunity to be exposed to sunlight. This is when it's especially important to take precautions to protect your eyes. The same rays that age and damage your skin can also hurt your eyes. Exposure to UV rays can burn delicate eye tissue and raise the risk of developing cataracts, macular degeneration macular degeneration, eye disorder causing loss of central vision. The affected area, the macula, lies at the back of the retina and is the part that produces the sharpest vision. , and cancers around the eye. Since everyone is at risk from sight-damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation, St. Mary's ophthalmologists stress the need to protect eyes by-wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses that block out 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A UV-A or UVA Noun ultraviolet radiation with a range of 320-380 nanometres and UV-B UV-B or UVB Noun ultraviolet radiation with a range of 280-320 nanometres light. In addition to advocating UV protective sunglasses for the general public, St. Mary's doctors use permanent lens implants that have UV protection filters built in for patients undergoing cataract surgery Cataract Surgery Definition Cataract surgery is a procedure performed to remove a cloudy lens from the eye; usually an intraocular lens is implanted at the same time. Purpose The purpose of cataract surgery is to restore clear vision. . St. Mary's Eye Experts: Dr. Lee Schwartz or Dr. Michael Hee National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month An estimated 44 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis, which is characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to bone fragility and an increased susceptibility to fractures, especially of the hip, spine and wrist. --In the U.S., 10 million individuals are estimated to already have the disease and almost 34 million more are estimated to have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis. --Of the 10 million Americans estimated to have osteoporosis, eight million are women and two million are men. --Significant risk has been reported in people of all ethnic backgrounds. --While osteoporosis is often thought of as an older person's disease, it can strike at any age. St. Mary's Osteoporosis Expert: Dr. Janet Kallo, Department of Nuclear Medicine National Physical Fitness and Sports Month St. Mary's joins the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports is an American government organization that aims to "promote, encourage and motivate Americans of all ages to become physically active and participate in sports". (PCPFS PCPFS President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports ), which is celebrating its 50-year anniversary, to challenge Bay Area residents to get moving for health and to get active and fit this month. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the PCPFS, Americans of all ages need to incorporate more movement in their daily lives. Adults need at least 30 minutes of activity five days each week. Children need at least 60 minutes of active play daily. "But it's important to understand that you don't need to sweat in a gym or run a marathon to reap the health benefits of daily physical activity," said Dr. Mark J. Savant sa·vant n. 1. A learned person; a scholar. 2. An idiot savant. [French, learned, savant, from Old French, present participle of savoir, to know . "Even 30 minutes a day, broken up into shorter increments of 10 or 15 minutes, can greatly improve your health." St. Mary's Fitness Expert: Dr. Mark J. Savant, who is also a team internist internist /in·tern·ist/ (in-ter´nist) a specialist in internal medicine. in·ter·nist n. A physician specializing in internal medicine. for the University of San Francisco • • [ athletic department. Dr. Savant can discuss basic exercise tips for the average person, as well as general tips for a healthy lifestyle, as good physical fitness starts with good nutrition. National Emergency Medical Services An Emergency medical service (abbreviated to initialism "EMS" in many countries) is a service providing out-of-hospital acute care and transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient believes constitutes a medical emergency. Week, May 14 - 20 St. Mary's honors the Emergency Medical personnel who serve the hospital by celebrating the 33rd Annual National EMS Week, "EMS: Serving on Health Care's Front Line." The annual recognition honors the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of the medical "front line," including the EMS personnel who serve the St. Mary's Emergency Room. It also raises public awareness about health and safety issues, including how to prevent injuries and what to do in a medical emergency. "At St. Mary's we honor the EMS personnel every day of the year. We're the only hospital in San Francisco that offers a continuously open break room for EMS workers," said Lynda Moyer, manager of Emergency Services emergency services Emergency care '…services …necessary to prevent death or serious impairment of health and, because of the danger to life or health, require the use of the most accessible hospital available and equipped to furnish those services' at St. Mary's. "We appreciate how demanding their jobs can be so we provide food and a dedicated location where they can rest. The EMS personnel do so much to help us and to help the patients; this is one way we can show our appreciation." St. Mary's Medical Center is also in its third year of promoting its unique QuickCare program, which guarantees patients are seen by a medical professional within 30 minutes of arrival at its Emergency Room. "Our continued goal with the QuickCare program is to reduce waiting times, improve quality care and increase patient satisfaction," said Ken Steele, president of St. Mary's. St. Mary's EMS Expert: Lynda Moyer, RN, MBA MBA abbr. Master of Business Administration Noun 1. MBA - a master's degree in business Master in Business, Master in Business Administration , Manager of Emergency Services HIV Vaccine HIV vaccine AIDS As of mid-2005, there is no viable anti-HIV vaccine. See AIDS. Awareness Day, May 18 The 18th of May marks the eighth annual HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, which recognizes and thanks the thousands of volunteers, community members, health professionals, and scientists who are working to find a safe and effective HIV vaccine. It is also a day to educate our community about the importance of preventive HIV vaccine. The theme for this year's commemoration is "Hope for the Future." Sister Mary Philippa Health Center, located at 2235 Hayes Street, is St. Mary's comprehensive, integrated HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. services program. Evaluated "commendable" by the San Francisco Department of Public Health, the program is a safety net for San Franciscans living with HIV. It assists patients in actively managing their disease in partnership with their primary care provider. The program gives all patients access to medical and surgical specialty surgical specialty A specialty of health care in which interventions constitute a significant component of Pt management Examples OB/GYN, ophthalmology, ENT, surgery–cardiothoracic, colorectal, general, neurologic, orthopedic, plastic, urology. care and assigns them a case manager and social worker to help them cope with the unique challenges HIV presents. St. Mary's HIV Expert: Dr. Ken Mills, medical director of the HIV Program at Sister Mary Philippa Health Center
About SMMC For nearly 150 years, St. Mary's Medical Center has
provided the Bay Area with compassionate, personalized
care combined with the latest advances in medical care
and cutting-edge technology. St. Mary's is a
full-service acute care facility with more than 575
physicians and 1,100 employees who provide high-quality
and affordable health care services to the Bay Area
community and patients from around the world. Home to
advanced medical practices, such as the nation's first
digital cardiac catheterization laboratory, pioneering
spine surgery and comprehensive rehabilitation, St.
Mary's Medical Center is one of San Francisco's leading
hospitals, offering patients a full range of outpatient
and inpatient services delivered with the human touch.
Contact: To arrange interviews, tours or for additional
information contact:
Erin Bartlett, Director of Marketing and Communications
Office: (415) 750-5787 Cellular: (415) 254-3379
erin.bartlett@chw.edu www.stmarysmedicalcenter.org
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