Oak Ridge Today

Osteoporosis the topic of Health Night at MMC this evening

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Daniel Benson

Daniel Benson

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes thinning of bones. Over time, this weakens the bones and can make them more fragile and more likely to break—even under minor stress or spontaneously. It can affect any bone, but the hip, spine, and wrist are most often involved.

People with osteoporosis may not get any symptoms. Some may have pain in their bones and muscles. Sometimes, a collapsed vertebra may cause severe pain, decrease in height, or spinal deformity such as a hunched back. Because many people do not experience symptoms, or may not associate their symptoms with osteoporosis, the condition can be left unchecked until advance symptoms, such a broken bone, occur. Osteoporosis is, in fact, the leading reason of broken bones among the elderly. That’s why understanding the risk factors and prevention tactics is so crucial. [Read more…]

Colorectal screenings to be the topic of April Health Night

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Charles Orton

Charles Orton

 

Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in the United States after lung cancer so keeping up with proactive screenings is important, a press release said. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that adults age 50 to 75 be screened for colorectal cancer, and that adults age 76 to 85 ask their doctor if they should be screened.

To learn more about colorectal screenings, join board-certified gastroenterologist, Charles Orton, M.D., for April’s Health Night on the Town program. Health Night will take place on Tuesday, April 25, at 7 p.m. in the Ridge Conference Room of Methodist Medical Center located at 990 Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy the topic of Health Night on the Town on Tuesday

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While advancements in radiation therapy help to target cancerous tumors and affected areas with a greater sense of accuracy, normal tissue can still be impacted by the treatment.

Fortunately, the use of hyperbaric oxygen, or HBO, therapy can provide significant healing treatments for those dealing with a radiation injury.

Learn more about the use of HBO therapy with Kristie Teffetteller, director of the Methodist Wound Treatment Center, and clinical manager, Michelle Bailey, a registered nurse, or RN.

Health Night will take place on Tuesday, March 28, at 7 p.m. in the Ridge Conference Room of Methodist Medical Center, which is located at 990 Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]

Health Night program to focus on bladder issues for women over 40 on Jan. 31

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Scott Peters

Scott Peters

 

Urinary incontinence and overactive bladder are health problems that can add undue stress to your everyday activities. The conditions can cause you to feel depressed, guilty, and tired from not sleeping well and can affect your quality of life.

Learn more as obstetrician and gynecologist Scott Peters presents “Help, My Bladder is Controlling My Life” in a discussion of bladder issues that affect women over 40 during Methodist Medical Center’s Health Night on the Town physician lecture on Tuesday, January 31, at 7 p.m. in the Ridge Conference Room of Methodist Medical Center, which is located at 990 Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]

3D mammography offered at Oak Ridge Breast Center, to be discussed at Health Night lecture Oct. 25

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Thomas Lemond

Thomas Lemond

The Oak Ridge Breast Center now offers 3D mammography or digital breast tomosynthesis, the newest advancement in breast screening technology. It allows radiologists to see around and between breast tissues with greater clarity than ever before, a press release said. These more defined images may help detect cancer earlier and the x-ray exposure and screening procedure is performed like a traditional 2D mammogram.

Learn more about 3D mammography with Dr. Thomas Lemond, a board-certified radiologist and medical director of the Oak Ridge Breast Center, during Health Night on the Town on Tuesday, October 25, at 7 p.m. in the Ridge Conference Room of Methodist Medical Center, 990 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The program is free and open to the public. [Read more…]

Suicide prevention is topic of September’s Health Night on the Town

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John Kupfner

John Kupfner

Renu Bhateja

Renu Bhateja

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and in support of this important initiative, Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge is bringing together medical professionals from Peninsula, a division of Parkwest Medical Center, and Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services for a special Health Night on the Town presentation. The program will take place Tuesday, September 27, at 7 p.m. in the Ridge Conference Room at Methodist Medical Center, 990 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Join Methodist as John Kupfner, MD, board-certified psychiatrist on staff at Peninsula Behavioral Health, and Renu Bhateja, MD, psychiatrist at Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services, discuss suicide prevention, warning signs to look for in loved ones, and how to receive help.

Kupfner has been fellowship trained in child and adolescent psychiatry, a press release said. He received his medical degree from the University of Buffalo in Buffalo, New York, and he completed fellowship training at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. Kupfner currently serves as the department chair of Peninsula, medical director for Peninsula Outpatient Clinics, and works as a staff psychiatrist specializing in the treatment of children and adolescents. He also serves as an attending psychiatrist at Peninsula Hospital. Kupfner is the current chair of the Physician Wellness Committee at Parkwest Medical Center. [Read more…]

Lung cancer screening to be discussed at Health Night lecture

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James Tramontana

James Tramontana

Low-dose computerized tomography, or CT, is a screening that has been shown to save lives by finding lung cancer early, when it is easier to treat. This new procedure is available at Methodist Medical Center and will be the topic of Health Night on the Town, Tuesday, May 31, at 7 p.m. in the Ridge Conference Room of Methodist Medical Center, 990 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Board-certified radiologist James Tramontana, MD, will discuss low-dose CT, how the screening works, its benefits, who is eligible, and the importance of this and other screenings in the early detection of cancer.

The program is free and open to the public. [Read more…]

April Health Night: Building a relationship with your healthcare provider

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Ann Carter

Ann Carter

Primary care providers diagnose and treat medical problems, provide preventive medical screenings based on medical risk factors, refer you to specialists for appropriate treatment when needed, and provide those specialists with your medical history as necessary. In short, they are an integral part of your healthcare team. But there is another member of that team you may forget—you!

Learn about the importance of building a relationship with your physicians and other health professionals as family medicine practitioner Ann Carter, MD, and her nursing staff, Sandra Mincey, FNP-BC, and Cheryl Goforth, NP, present “It Takes a Team- Partnering with Your Healthcare Provider” at Methodist Medical Center’s Health Night on the Town lecture on Tuesday, April 26 at 7 p.m. in the Ridge Conference Room of Methodist Medical Center, 990 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The program is free and open to the public. [Read more…]

Lung cancer to be discussed at Health Night on the Town

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Carlo Martinez

Carlo Martinez

Submitted

There is no sure way to know if you’re going to get lung cancer, but certain risk factors can make you more likely to get lung cancer than another person. Smoking causes 80 percent of lung cancer deaths; however, other factors can increase your risk and even non-smokers can get the disease.

Learn more about lung cancer during Methodist Medical Center’s Health Night on the Town lecture on Tuesday, August 25, at 7 p.m. in the Ridge Conference Room of the hospital, which is at 990 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Carlo Martinez, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon on the medical staff of Methodist, will present “Lung Cancer: Risk Factors and Prevention.” [Read more…]

Stroke symptoms, rehab to be discussed during Tuesday night lecture

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Arthur Moore

Arthur Moore

Strokes are the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. and affect more than 795,000 Americans each year. It’s important to recognize the signs of a stroke, know what actions to take, and get on the road to recovery.

Join Methodist Medical Center for Health Night on the Town as Arthur Moore, MD, medical director of Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center’s Comprehensive Stroke Center, and Mary Dillon, MD, medical director of Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center, discuss the many aspects of a stroke, from signs and symptoms to rehabilitation. The program will take place on Tuesday, May 26, at 7 p.m. in the Ridge Conference Room of Methodist Medical Center at 990 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Covenant Health, parent company of Methodist Medical Center, is the only stroke hospital network in East Tennessee, which means no matter where you live, stroke care is always nearby. When patients need a higher level of stroke care, they are transported to Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, the leader of Covenant’s stroke network and the region’s first comprehensive stroke center, a press release said.

Mary Dillon

Mary Dillon

Health Night on the Town is a medical lecture series presented by physicians and other health professionals. Programs are held in the hospital’s Ridge Conference Room at 7 p.m. on the last Tuesday of every month except June, July, November, and December. Health Night is free and open to the public. For more information about Health Night on the Town, please call (865) 835-4662.

Benefits of bariatric surgery to be discussed Tuesday

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Mark Colquitt

Mark Colquitt

For many patients, making the decision to undergo a bariatric procedure is a process. Some are driven by health concerns, while others are seeking changes that will enhance their life experiences—playing with their children, traveling comfortably, or enjoying the great outdoors. Patients must weigh the benefits of the surgery with the lifetime changes they will need to make in order to be successful.

Learn about “The Benefits of Bariatric Surgery” as Methodist Medical Center, Fort Sanders Center for Bariatric Surgery, and bariatric surgeon Mark Colquitt, MD, partner to present this month’s Health Night on the Town. The presentation will take place Tuesday, April 28, at 7 p.m. in the Ridge Conference Room of Methodist Medical Center at 990 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Bariatric surgery is an operation on the stomach and/or intestines that helps patients with extreme obesity to lose weight, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in Bethesda, Maryland.

Health Night on the Town is a medical lecture series presented by physicians and other health professionals. Programs are held in the hospital’s Ridge Conference Room at 7 p.m. on the last Tuesday of every month except June, July, November, and December. Health Night is free and open to the public. For more information, call (865) 835-4662.

Substance abuse the topic of Tuesday health lecture

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Melody Morris

Melody Morris

Substance abuse comes in many forms. It can be the abuse of legal substances, such as alcohol or prescription drugs, or it can be illegal, such as the abuse of marijuana, cocaine, or methamphetamine. And it affects more than just the person using the drugs. Substance abuse can break apart families, ruin personal relationships, and make it difficult to keep a job.

Learn more about substance abuse when Methodist Medical Center partners with Ridgeview Behavioral Health to discuss this important topic during Health Night on the Town on Tuesday, March 31, at 7 p.m. in the Ridge Conference Room of Methodist Medical Center, located at 990 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Staff from Ridgeview will discuss substance abuse and its co-occurring mental health issues as well as an innovative treatment for expectant mother’s who have used or are at risk of using drugs. [Read more…]