Published: May 07, 2008 05:36 pm            

Health Briefly: May 8, 2008

Terre Haute: Planned Parenthood offers free Paps

Planned Parenthood of Indiana health centers will celebrate National Women’s Health Week, Sunday through May 17, with free Pap tests at various sites around Indiana.

Pap tests can detect abnormalities that become cervical cancer.

Free Pap Day in Terre Haute is on Tuesday.

This year, the American Cancer Society predicts that about 11,000 cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States, and nearly 4,000 women will die from the disease.

For more information, call Tina Noel at (317) 709-3103.

Clark County, Ill.: Take ‘Heart Healthy Cooking’ classes

University of Illinois Extension, Clark County Unit offers “Heart Healthy Cooking” classes in which those attending will learn how to cook foods that are lower in fat and sodium.

The program is the first of two sessions in the “Heart Healthy Eating” series.

The cost is $10 per person for the two sessions, today and May 22 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. A minimum of 15 participants is needed.

“Everyone will get recipes to help them plan healthy meals at home as well as a chance to taste a couple of these recipes each session,” said Susan Guinnip, county director for Clark Extension unit.

For more details about this program or for reasonable accommodations to participate, call Guinnip at (217) 826-5422.

Indianapolis: Register for Mental Health Symposium

Mental Health America of Indiana and the Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry have opened registration for the 11th Annual Mental Health Symposium that will be staged May 16 in downtown Indianapolis.

The symposium provides individuals in recovery and their families, as well as caregivers, advocates and service providers, with updated information on how research is positively affecting treatment for individuals with mental illness and addictive disorders.

Topics to be covered include autism, ADHD, schizophrenia, pseudoseizures, personality and mood disorders, depression, and PTSD.

The symposium is 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. May 16 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Union Station (Grand Hall & Conference Center) at 123 W. Louisiana St.

The cost is $125 for full registration (includes breakfast and lunch, MHAI annual meeting and symposium), $100 for symposium registration only (does not include lunch and MHAI meeting), or $50 for MHAI Annual Meeting registration only (includes lunch, but does not include symposium).

Deadline for registration and refunds is Friday. For more registration and education credit information, call Mental Health America of Indiana Inc. at (317) 638-3501 or 1-800-555-6424.

Marshall, Ill.: Health screening clinic set Wednesday

Lincolnland Home Care and Hospice of Sarah Bush Lincoln will conduct a cholesterol, blood glucose and blood pressure clinic Wednesday in the Medicine Shoppe, 201 Archer Ave., Marshall, Ill.

The clinic runs 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The cholesterol test consists of a total lipid profile, providing readings on total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglyceride levels, as well as the cholesterol ratio. Blood glucose and blood pressure readings are available.

The cholesterol test is $20; the blood glucose is $3; and the blood pressure check is free. Qualified and trained personnel conduct all tests. For more information, call Lincolnland Home Care at 1-800-879-3212.

Paris, Ill.: National Hospital Week begins Sunday

Paris (Ill.) Community Hospital/Family Medical Center will celebrate National Hospital and Healthcare Week from Sunday through May 17.

The celebration of National Hospital Week, the nation’s largest health-care celebration, has taken place since 1921, when a magazine editor in Chicago suggested an annual “open house” for health care. This open house gave the public the opportunity to see firsthand the important work performed within hospitals. The idea spread across the nation and helped change the perception about hospitals from places of illness to places of healing.

The theme for this year’s special week, “National Hospital Week: Where Healing Happens Every Day,” is inspired from that change of perception.

PCH/FMC will celebrate their staff all week long with several special activities. These include health screenings for employees, a barbecue, and many giveaways, including a flat-screen television.

Tours of the hospital are being offered to the public in celebration of the week. Any group interested in scheduling a tour, this week or throughout the year, can call Barbara Bergdolt at (217) 465-2606 ext. 296.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.