Valleywide Health News, Dec. 18-24, 2014

WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY SEMINAR SET FOR DEC. 18

A free weight loss surgery informational seminar is set for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 18 at the Surgical Weight Control Center, 3802 Meadows Lane. Anyone considering weight loss surgery, including gastric sleeve, lapband or gastric bypass, or who would simply like to learn more about the various surgeries, is invited. The seminar will be presented by Dr. Jim Atkinson or Dr. Darren Soong.

To register, call 702-313-8446.

O2 ON THE GO SUPPORT GROUP TO MEET

O2 On the Go, a support group for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is slated to meet from 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 19 at the H2U MountainView Office, 3150 N. Tenaya Way, Suite 114.

It schedules its meetings for the third Friday of every month. For more information, call 702-233-5474.

JINGLE BELL BALL TO BENEFIT MS RESEARCH

The Jingle Bell Ball is set for 7 p.m. Dec. 20 at the Fremont Country Club, 601 E. Fremont St., to raise funds for multiple sclerosis research through Keep Memory Alive and the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.

A VIP reception is set for 7 p.m., featuring a silent auction, free wine tasting and appetizers. VIP passes are $40. General admission is free for all guests beginning at 8 p.m. and will feature a silent auction and entertainment beginning at 10 p.m. Free photos with Santa and other special guests will be available from 7 to 10 p.m.

For tickets, visit ticketfly.com.

LIFETIME FITNESS PLANS 5K FOR COMMITMENT DAY JAN. 1

Commitment Day, a million workout weekend, is set for Jan. 1-4 at Lifetime Fitness, 10721 W. Charleston Blvd. The Commitment Day 5K, a run/walk event, is set for 9 a.m. Jan. 1. The course will start and finish at Lifetime Fitness.

The weekend event, set to take place at 113 locations across the country, includes fitness information and workshops, a heart rate training introduction, a yoga jam and an indoor triathlon workout (10-minute pool swim, 30-minute spin session and 20-minute treadmill run).

For more more information, visit commitmentday.com.

SMOKING CESSATION CLASSES SET AT DESERT SPRINGS HOSPITAL

Smoking cessation classes are planned from 6 to 8 p.m. Mondays, Jan. 5-Feb. 16, at Desert Springs Hospital, 2075 E. Flamingo Road, in the South Magna Conference Center to the right of the main entrance.

The group clinic includes eight sessions and features a step-by-step plan for quitting smoking. Each session is designed to help smokers gain control over their behavior. The clinic format encourages participants to work on the process and problems of quitting both individually and as part of a group.

To register, call Richard Davis of the American Lung Association at 702-431-6348. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/qhxx63z.

CENTENNIAL HILLS HOSPITAL OPENS ADDS BEDS TO NICU

Centennial Hills Hospital, 6900 N. Durango Drive, has opened a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, adding nine Level III beds to its NICU, for a total of 15 beds to care for newborns requiring advanced medical care.

Since a Level III NICU cares for the smallest, most fragile babies, the medical team includes around-the-clock neonatologists, neonatal nurses, respiratory therapists, occupational and physical therapists, lactation specialists and a number of pediatric specialists who are available for consultations and to perform procedures. Other special features include oversized bays to accommodate twins and triplets and the use of Giraffe omnibeds, which can take the baby’s weight with an in-bed scale and provide humidity. Each NICU bed also has recliners that lay almost completely flat, allowing parents to do skin-to-skin care with their baby.

For more information visit, centennialshillshospital.com.

MOBILE APP GIVES ACCESS TO REAL-TIME CLINICIAN CONSULTATIONS

People enrolled in Health Plan of Nevada and Sierra Health and Life employer-sponsored and individual health benefits plans can download a new mobile app to have 24/7 access to Southwest Medical Associates clinicians.

The new NowClinicSM mobile app enables people to connect to clinicians for real-time consultations. Plan participants can download the free app to their smartphone or tablet from the iPhone and Android apps stores and connect face-to-face with a care provider to discuss health concerns, review symptoms, obtain medications and be referred for further treatment if necessary. Users are charged a nominal co-pay for each consultation.

NEW PRIMARY CARE MEDICAL CLINICS OPEN

Humana Inc. and HealthCare Partners Nevada have announced a new Accountable Care arrangement and population-health arrangement. As part of the multi-year partnership, HealthCare Partners Nevada opened three new primary care practices under HealthCare Partners Medical Group. The new clinics provide comprehensive primary care services for Humana Medicare Advantage members, original Medicare beneficiaries and patients with most commercial insurance plans.

The new primary care practices are located at: Boulder Crossing, 5230 Boulder Highway, Suite 110; 4730 S. Fort Apache Road, Suite 150; and 9454 Del Webb Blvd. in Sun City Summerlin.

For more information, hcpnv.com.

SOUTHERN HILLS HOSPITAL RECEIVES AWARD FOR STROKE CARE

Southern Hills Hospital & Medical Center, 9300 W. Sunset Road, has received the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Silver-Plus Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for the treatment of stroke patients.

Get With The Guidelines Stroke helps hospital teams provide the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Southern Hills Hospital earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include aggressive use of medications and risk-reduction therapies aimed at reducing death and disability and improving the lives of stroke patients.

ADELSON HOSPICE ADDS REIKI TRAINING

Nathan Adelson Hospice has added on-site Level I Reiki training and certification. The addition of a Reiki Master to the hospice’s staff has made it possible to offer the certified course in-house, making it easier for more people to become qualified. Additionally, the staff will be teaching the new Reiki practitioners how to use essential oils effectively.

The free services program also offers pet therapy, reflexology, massage, aromatherapy, art therapy and music therapy.

For more information, visit nah.org.

FLU SHOTS AVAILABLE

The Southern Nevada Health District is offering flu vaccine clinics. The cost of the shot is $40; the high-dose vaccine for people 65 or older is $56.

For more information or locations, visit snhd.info, or contact the immunization clinic at 702-759-0850.

HEALTH DISTRICT OFFERS DIABETES MANAGEMENT CLASSES

As part of National Diabetes Month, the Southern Nevada Health District and its community partners are offering education and self-management classes and support for people with diabetes and their families, as well as programs that can help people lower their risk of developing diabetes.

For information, contact the health district’s Office of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at 702-759-1270 or visit gethealthyclarkcounty.org or the Spanish-language site vivasaludable.org..

FREE DIABETIC FOOT SCREENINGS PLANNED

Smith’s, the Las Vegas Summerlin Lions Club and the nonprofit Lower Extremity Amputation Prevention (LEAP) Alliance have teamed up to offer free foot screenings, which are simple and painless, to help prevent diabetes-related foot amputation.

The preventative screening program is being offered at two Smith’s locations: 2211 N. Rampart Blvd. and 8555 W. Sahara Ave. To make an appointment, call 702-765-5793.

Free foot screening also is being offered by appointment at the Summerlin Hospital Medical Building, 673 N. Town Center Drive, Suite 400, provided by the Summerlin Lions Club medical team.

To schedule a screening, call 702-765-5793 and specify the appointment is for a free foot screening.

LOU RUVO CENTER OFFERS SUPPORT GROUPS, SERVICES

Free multiple sclerosis counseling services are offered at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, 888 W. Bonneville Ave. Individual, couple and family therapy are available to address a range of issues related to mood, adjustment to diagnosis, relationships and care giving. Also, a multiple sclerosis support group is scheduled to meet from noon to 1 p.m. the first Thursday of every month for adult family members of individuals with MS. For more information, call 702-483-6006 or email fairchj@ccf.org.

A Huntington’s disease support group is scheduled to meet from noon to 1 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of every month. The group is for gene-positive individuals (asymptomatic and early stage) and adult family members. For more information, call 702-483-6035 or email municd@ccf.org.

A memory loss caregiver support group is scheduled to meet from 1:15 to 2:45 p.m. Wednesdays. The group is for adult family members who provide care and/or support for loved ones with memory loss and is facilitated by Dr. Donna Munic-Miller. For more information, call 702-483-6035 or email municd@ccf.org.

A Parkinson’s disease support group is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of every month. The group is for early-stage individuals and adult family members who provide care and/or support for loved ones with Parkinson’s disease. Separate groups meet at the same time. Phone screening for new early-stage participants is required. For more information, call 702-483-6054 or email cliffoj@ccf.org.

For more information on programs and services, visit keepmemoryalive.org/socialservices.

FIBROMYALGIA FRIENDS SUPPORT GROUP ANNOUNCES TEEN PROGRAM

The Fibromyalgia Friends Support Group of Southern Nevada, a nonprofit based in Henderson, has announced the initiation of a teen program to educate and provide support for middle, high school and college-age teenagers with fibromyalgia.

The program will take place monthly via Google Hangouts from 7 to 8 p.m. the second Thursday of each month. Ten people will be able to join each meeting each month. For instructions about how to participate, visit fmfriends.org. and click on “Teen Meetings.”

WALK WITH A DOC PLANNED FOR THIRD THURSDAYS AT LORENZI PARK

University Medical Center plans to host free Walk With A Doc events at 7 a.m. the third Thursday of each month at Lorenzi Park, 3333 W. Washington Ave. Participants are asked to meet at the tennis courts.

The program emphasizes 150 minutes of exercise as a way to become healthier and for people to be better informed about their health. Each walk will open with a three- to five-minute health talk followed by a 30- to 45-minute walk. During the walk, a physician who is the featured speaker will answer general health questions.

For more information, umcsn.com.

GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP HOSTS WEEKLY MEETINGS

GriefShare, a national program for those dealing with loss, meets at 7 p.m. Thursdays at Canyon Ridge Christian Church, 6200 W. Lone Mountain Road. Weekly meetings include showings and discussion. For more information, call the group at 702-481-5833.

SENIOR GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP MEETS BIMONTHLY

A grief support group for seniors is set to meet the second and fourth Fridays of the month at 9 a.m. at the Centennial Hills Active Adult Center, 6601 N. Buffalo Drive.

For more information, call 702-229-1702.

HOSPITAL OFFERS CLASSES

Summerlin Hospital Medical Center, 657 N. Town Center Drive, plans classes for new parents that include Baby Basics 1 & 2, Birth Basics, The Birth Plan Workshop, Breastfeeding Basics, Infant CPR, Infant Massage, Meditations for Healthy Pregnancy and Birth, Natural Birth Methods, Planned Cesarean Birth, Prepared Childbirth Education, Twins/Multiples Preparation Class and Fit4MOM Stroller Strides Family Fun Workout.

Summerlin Hospital also offers free support groups: Cesarean Birth Support Group; Multiples Support Group; Infant Loss Bereavement Support Group; and Parent & Caregiver Support Group for Special Needs Children.

To register for classes at least three weeks in advance, call 702-233-7103.