Southcoast Health System & Southcoast Hospitals Group eNews

Brain & spine care, close to you

Southcoast Brain & Spine Center is home to world class physicians, such as neurosurgeons Matthew Philips, MD, Alvin Marcovici, MD, and Michael Harrison, MD. The center's team also includes neurologists, physiatrists, rehabilitation and chiropractor specialists.

The new Southcoast Brain & Spine Center is a regional center that provides the comprehensive delivery of care for patients with neurological brain and spine disorders through surgical and non-surgical treatment options.

Physician specialists in neurology, neurosurgery, and physical medicine and rehabilitation collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of physical therapists, psychologists, chiropractors and nurses to offer the most advanced treatments and care available for neurological, brain and spine disorders.

The Southcoast Brain & Spine Center uses the most sophisticated techniques, treatments and technology to treat disorders of the brain, nerve and spine.

The center treats patients who have a wide array of neurological and brain disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, headaches, stroke and movement disorders, including Parkinson's disease. The center also treats issues specifically causing chronic back and neck pain, including disc disease and herniation and compression neuropathies, as well as injuries and disease of the brain, including treatment of cancerous and non-cancerous tumors and epilepsy. The center also has specialists who treat sleeping disorders.

www.southcoast.org/brainandspine/
www.southcoast.org/news/releases/2011/112911.html

Give a pint, get a pound!

Southcoast Blood Bank's annual promotion, "Give a Pint, Get a Pound" featuring Dunkin' Donuts coffee, returns to the region during National Blood Donor Month this January.

In January 2012, anyone who donates blood at the Southcoast Blood Bank at St. Luke's Hospital or at any Southcoast Blood Bank site or blood drive, will receive a certificate for a free pound of Dunkin' Donuts coffee.

Coupons are redeemable at participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants while supplies last.

Learn more about how you can keep the local community blood supply strong — and be rewarded with some delicious Dunkin' Donuts coffee!

www.southcoast.org/news/releases/2011/122011.html

Southcoast to go 100% smoke & tobacco free

On January 1, 2012, all Southcoast facilities will be 100 percent smoke and tobacco free.

The goal of the program is to create a healing environment for patients and to take a leadership role in the community as the region's largest health care provider and employer.

The new policy will prohibit smoking and the use of all tobacco products on all Southcoast properties and adjacent grounds, including all three Southcoast Hospitals sites — Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in Wareham. The new policy will apply to all patients, visitors, employees and anyone providing or receiving services at a Southcoast facility.

"As the region's health care leader, its largest employer and a strong community member, Southcoast is committed to providing a safe, healthy environment for patients, employees and visitors and to serve as a model of health promotion in our communities," said Keith A. Hovan, President & CEO of Southcoast Health System and Southcoast Hospitals Group. "We have a significant responsibility to provide a safe, healthy and positive patient experience at Southcoast. By becoming smoke and tobacco free, we are furthering this goal while maintaining our community leadership role as the source for health, healing and education."

Read more about Southcoast's new 100 percent smoke and tobacco free initiative.

www.southcoast.org/breathebetter/
www.southcoast.org/news/releases/2011/111511.html

'E-mail a patient' reaches milestone

Southcoast Hospitals Group reached a new milestone when patient Homer Gelineau, of Carver, received the 1,000th e-mail to a patient sent in 2011.

This is the first time since the inception of the "E-mail a Patient" service in 2007 that more than 1,000 e-mails have been received by Southcoast Hospitals patients in one calendar year.

"I was recently a patient at Charlton Memorial Hospital and, during my stay, I unexpectedly received several e-mails from my children — and even my granddaughter down at Virginia Tech," said Gelineau, recipient of the1,000th patient e-mail of 2011 at Southcoast Hospitals Group. "Receiving those e-mails was like icing on a cake. It was a great thing to receive them and I'm very happy to be here to say that."

The "E-mail a Patient" service allows friends and family to send a personalized e-mail greetings to any patient at any of Southcoast's three hospitals — Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in Wareham. The e-mail service offered through Southcoast Hospitals' website is free and can be delivered to any inpatient at the three Southcoast Hospitals.

www.southcoast.org/news/releases/2011/121911.html

FREE vascular screenings in January

Southcoast Hospitals Group is offering free vascular screenings in January.

January 4: New Bedford

January 6: Fall River

January 11: Dartmouth

January 12: Fairhaven

January 16: Wareham

January 17: Rochester

January 25: Dartmouth

January 26: Fairhaven

For more information on Southcoast's endovascular services call 800-276-0103.