Labor Day Contest: Diane Stoler

We're extending our Labor Day contest another month - we want to hear your story about having a child at Sinai Hospital. Remember, the first 25 participants receive a $10 Target gift card and are eligible for the grand prize, a GPS or a gift certificate to About Faces. Here's one story from a mother who herself was born at Sinai.

"My son is now 17 and was born on Feb 25, 1993 at Sinai Hospital. When I was 9 months pregnant with him , my daughter (then 4 years old) was diagnosed with a stage 3 Wilm's tumor. She had her kidney removed on Feb. 6 and started her chemotherapy and radiation shortly after her surgery.
I slept on a chair, while being 9 months pregnant, until I had a C-section with my son Travis on Feb 25. After he was born the Stolers were on three floors of the hospital - Maternity, Pediatrics and the baby ward. It was challenging, but everyone was terrific to us. We were treated like celebrities.
We all came home together on March 1. I am happy to say my daughter Lindsay is 22 now, and cancer free, my son Travis is 17, and I have another son , Garrett, who is 14. Because of this experience I chair the Race for our Kids Family Fun Walk, benefiting Sinai Pediatric Oncology, which just completed its sixth year."
-Diane Stoler

Fall Into Biking

Getting in shape is like riding a bicycle. No, really, it's like riding a bicycle.

Biking is a low-impact exercise, and it's often good for those whose knees may prevent them from running. Plus, it's a chance to burn calories while seeing the great outdoors - a 150-pound person biking at 13.9 mph can burn 264 calories in 30 minutes.

Whether you are a novice or an experienced bike rider, two events in the fall have a bike ride for you. The first is on Sunday, as One Less Car presents their 17th Annual Tour du Port, where participants travel through Baltimore's historic neighborhoods, waterfront areas and scenic parks. One Less Car is a non-profit organization dedicated to walking, bicycling and mass transit alternatives. Register here.

The next bike event is the Save-A-Limb Bike Ride on Sunday, October 17 at Oregon Ridge Park. Options for riders are either a 60-mile, 30-mile, 15-mile and 6-mile family ride. Proceeds benefit the Save-A-Limb Fund, which assists those with limb or joint deformities. If you don't want to bike but still want to help, volunteers are needed.

You can see more bike events in 2010 in Maryland at the Oxon Hill Bike and Trail Club site here.

Thanks to Race for Our Kids Participants!

Thank you to those who participated in the Race for Our Kids! More than 900 runners and walkers, including the adorable Cubs fans on the right, didn't let a little bit of rain stop them as they joined the 1-mile Family Fun Walk, the 5K and the 10K.

Race for Our Kids raised over $120,000. Funds benefits the Division of Pediatric Oncology at the Herman & Walter Samuelson Children's Hospital at Sinai. Click on the video below to hear Joseph Wiley, M.D., chief of the Children's Hospital, discuss how the money raised benefits families and services. At left you can see Dr. Wiley, Sinai President Neil Meltzer and Race Chair Andrew Levine presenting the check.

There are many runners and walkers who participate every year, LifeBridge Health special events manager Jen Doyle says.

"We've seen a lot of families honor their children who were treated at Sinai by participating in the race," she says. "We are always thrilled when we get such a great turnout, and we are grateful for the ton of volunteers who helped out."

In the video below you can hear Laura Reames talk about the treatment her son Ethan received at Sinai. Ethan is now 4.

The top three finishers in this year's 5k were Tyler Gray, age 14, Jeffrey Wyatt II, age 15, and Blake Valente, age 26. The top three finishers in the 10K were Andy Biladeau, age 23, David Berdan, age 29, and Michael Wardian, age 36. You can see complete race results here.

The top team in fundraising was the Roland Park Elementary and Middle School running in honor of Cara Collins. RPEMS Buddies for Cara raised $5,005!

A Primer on Gaucher's Disease

Are you or someone you love affected by Gaucher's disease?

A genetic disease, Gaucher's is caused by the deficiency of an enzyme that is the result of a genetic mutation. Without the enzyme, lipid (a fat) accumulates in the body and can cause symptoms that may appear any time.

Third year resident physician Malika Gupta, MBBS, presented at the Dr. Jennifer Ann Kierson Memorial Pediatric Grand Rounds at Sinai Hospital on Thursday, offering a primer on Gaucher’s disease.

Gaucher's disease symptoms can include, but are not limited to:
• easy bleeding and bruising
• excessive fatigue
• anemia
• weak bones
• enlarged liver and/or spleen causing a swollen stomach

There are three different types of Gaucher’s disease: Type 1, 2 and 3.

While Type 1 occurs throughout the world, it is most prevalent in descendants of Eastern European Jewish people. Within this population, Type 1 Gaucher Disease occurs at a rate of 1 in 450 live births, and is the most common genetically-based disease affecting Jewish people. The brain and spinal cord are not impacted in those with Type 1.

However, Types 2 and 3 are characterized by brain stem abnormalities. Type 2 is usually fatal during the first three years of life and occurs rarely; 1 in 100,000 live births. Type 3 Gaucher's disease is estimated to occur in 1 in 50,000 live births. The neurological symptoms of Type 3 Gaucher's disease are slowly progressive and appear later in childhood than the symptoms of Type 2 Gaucher's disease. Neurological symptoms of Type 3 Gaucher's disease include a lack of coordination, mental deterioration, and seizures.

Even if you do not have Gaucher's disease, you may be a carrier, as the National Gaucher Foundation estimates that, among Eastern European Jews, the carrier rate is around 1 in 15 people. Carrier status can be determined through a blood test. Talk to your physician about whether you might be a carrier.

If you suspect you or your child has Gaucher's disease, there are treatment options. To learn more about Sinai Hospital or to schedule an appointment, call 410-601-WELL (9355).

-Sandra Crockett

Keeping Your Head: The Most Dangerous Games

by Mark Huslage, LCSW-C, CBIST
Coordinator of Brain Injury Programs, LifeBridge Health

As stories like this show us, emergency room visits are rising for concussions among student athletes. While we often focus on the risks of football, that's only one of many sports that place players at risk for significant neurological injury such as mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or “concussion.”

Fall sports such as soccer, lacrosse and cheerleading have high rates of concussive injury, especially as the age and athletic abilities of participants increase. Thankfully, with the increasing awareness of parents, players and coaches, along with coordinated medical approaches at places like the Comprehensive Sports Concussion Program at The Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute, improved management of mTBI continues to emerge.

“It’s all about concussion awareness and paying attention on everyone’s part," says Kevin Crutchfield, M.D., director of the Comprehensive Sports Concussion Program at the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute. “There are great pressures on athletes and coaches to play through injury to demonstrate dedication and the desire to win. Someone has to be willing to protect the player from further harm.”

A period of rest is needed in all cases of diagnosed concussion, with some requiring weeks or months of layoff from competitive play.

“For those student athletes who experience memory and thinking problems, temporary classroom accommodations may be needed, as well,” adds Brain and Spine Institute neuropsychologist Julie O’Reilly, Psy.D. “Families should feel empowered to make such requests, as needed.”

Despite recent advances in concussion management, there continue to be injuries that cause long-term physical, cognitive and behavioral effects. Mild traumatic brain injury has been increasingly diagnosed in workplace accidents, motor vehicle accidents and on the battlefield. Slips and falls in at-risk populations add to this burgeoning epidemic. With concussions representing 80 percent of all brain injuries in the U.S., the need for specialized care is readily apparent.

“Many of the people we see in the Mild Brain Injury Program here at Sinai received inadequate medical attention at the time of injury,” says MBI Case Manager Linda Hutchinson-Troyer. “Some went undiagnosed, while others were given only minimal care, with little aftercare instruction.” Experts in the field agree that much of the long-term effects of concussion would be diminished if early management was consistently practiced.

Health care professionals are encouraged to learn more at Sinai Rehabilitation Center's one-day conference on the diagnosis and treatment of mTBI, "Not 'Just a Concussion'—Understanding Mild Brain Injury and Its Management. " This presentation will focus on the medical, neuropsychological and clinical interventions that promote a full and speedy recovery. To register or for more information, click here.

Race for Our Kids is Sunday

For many participants in the Race for Our Kids, the event is personal.

Take Diane Stoler's family. Various members participate each year in honor of Stoler's 22-year-old daughter, Lindsay. When Lindsay was four, she was diagnosed with a Wilms' tumor, a rare type of kidney cancer.

"I feel like, 'this is where I need to be,'" Stoler says. "Lindsay's here, and I attribute that to the hospital."

Stoler is on the board of the Sinai Hospital Auxiliary, the sponsor of the Race for Our Kids, and she is the chairwoman of the Family Fun Walk. Stoler's parents, Bobbie and Lenny Weiss, join her and Lindsay on the walk, while her sons Travis and Garrett do the 5K run.

"Everyone can participate," she says. ""The Family Fun Walk is so special to me because it brings families together for a fun activity. It benefits a wonderful, worthwhile cause that may affect any one of our families anytime - cancer."

Most importantly, the Race raises money for the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the Herman & Walter Samuelson Children's Hospital at Sinai, a place that remains dear to Stoler's heart.

"I love to know how much money we raised at the end of the race. It feels so good to know it is going to a wonderful cause," Stoler says.

Join the Stolers and others on Sunday by walking or running in the Race for Our Kids. The 10K begins at 8 a.m. and the 5K and 1-mile walk begin at 8:30 a.m. Runners should park in the Pimlico lot at Northern Parkway and Preakness Way. Organizers estimate that there will be close to 1,200 runners.

Don't forget to tune in to WBFF Fox 45 morning news tomorrow at 8:20 a.m. to see Joseph Wiley, M.D., discuss Race for Our Kids.

Weinberg Foundation Leads the Way in Levindale Renovation and Expansion

Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital celebrated the first phase of a $31 million construction project with a ceremony yesterday evening.

Thanks to generous donors, the expansion campaign has already taken off in a major way. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Inc. pledged $10 million, the largest gift to a long-term care center in the foundation’s history. In appreciation of this gift, the campus is now The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg campus at Levindale.

In addition to the Weinberg Foundation gift, Willard Hackerman, president and CEO of Whiting-Turner, pledged $5 million to the project. These two leadership gifts reflect an unprecedented campaign to raise money through philanthropy.

“The leadership and support from the Weinberg Foundation will be felt for generations to come, not only in our city but around the country,” says Aric Spitulnik, president and COO of Levindale. “That gift, along with the gift provided by Willard Hackerman, will guarantee that we can continue to treat the elderly with the dignity and respect they deserve while encouraging their independence.”

“This is a perfect grant for us. It involves older adults, it involves our hometown of Baltimore, it involves the Jewish community, and it's a capital project,” says Barry Schloss, the Foundation treasurer and one of its trustees, who became involved with this project six years ago. “I'm so excited to see it get to this stage.”

The new Levindale, which will be completed in 2012, will be a cheerful, inviting, modern home for residents, while providing a comfortable, elegant and friendly atmosphere. Spacious yet intimate, the building will have small households with private bedrooms that have full, private showers and bathrooms; a country kitchen with family-style Kosher cooking and dining; a den for reading, music and watching television; and a cozy hearth area.


Click on the video below to hear more about the benefits of the new Levindale from Spitulnik.

Scholarship Recipients Begin Sophomore Year

While there are many benefits of working at LifeBridge Health, tuition assistance is among the most popular.

That includes help for those employees who have children in college. Take Northwest Hospital Cardiac Rehabilitation fitness specialist Mary Maslow - with four children between the ages of 19 and 25, she's intimately familiar with the cost of college tuition.

Her two oldest – 20-year-old Iris, a senior at North Carolina State University, and 19-year-old Luke, a sophomore at Coastal Carolina University – both have benefited from the LifeBridge Health Scholarship Program, which provides funds for dependent children who are college
sophomores. Two years ago, Iris received $1,500 for her studies, and Luke received the
same amount this year.

“We feel blessed that we have kids who are so motivated and to have a work place that helps with that,” Mary says. “LifeBridge Health is promoting my family’s welfare and supporting me, and this certainly eases the financial burden of college. It’s a wonderful thing that they’re doing.”

The scholarship fund began in 2006 and has $25,000 each year to distribute among qualified
applicants. Students with non–health care related majors, such as Luke, receive $1,500, and health care majors pursuing areas like biology receive $2,500. This year, 12 students received help with their sophomore year of tuition.

“We recognize it’s very expensive to put your child through college,” says LifeBridge Health Director of Compensation and Benefits Guy Van Tiggelen. “We’re excited to help our employees.”

Sandra & Malcolm Berman Brain and Spine Institute electroneurodiagnostic technician Dawn Ryan has worked at Sinai for 25 years. Her oldest child, Elizabeth, who goes by her middle name
of Meg, is a sophomore at University of Maryland, College Park and studying biology.

“She’s grown up with Sinai,” Dawn says.

Marcy Wesalo, a Northwest medical coder, says the scholarship money is a help in paying for her son Joshua’s tuition at Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania.

“It’s a very nice benefit,” she says. “He’s studying biology and economics, and possibly interested
in medical research.”

LifeBridge Health also awarded scholarships to two students in the Cylburn community of $2,000 (for a health care related major) and $1,000 (non-health care related major).

To learn more about working for LifeBridge Health, click here. If you are a LifeBridge Health employee with a freshman in college this school year, check BridgeNet for details on how to apply for 2011.

Lymphedema Lecture on Wednesday at Sinai

If you've have lymph nodes removed, you are at risk for lymphedema, a disease that causes fluid to build up in soft body tissue

Sandra Praniewicz, physical therapist at Sinai Hospital's Lymphedema Clinic, will offer helpful tips on recognizing the signs and symptoms and preventing lymphedema at a Wednesday Lunch and Learn at the Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute. The program will begin at noon in the Cancer Institute conference room.

"Our focus is often around people who have had breast cancer, but if you're had a surgery where lymph nodes are removed, you are always at risk," Praniewicz says.

Normally, when the lymph nodes drain properly, the lymph is returned to the bloodstream. But when the lymph system gets blocked, swelling can occur.

"There are exercises that can encourage lymphatic drainage. Lymphedema is not curable," she says.

In addition to breast cancer, those who have had surgery for uterine, prostate, lymphoma or melanoma are at risk for lymphedema.

To sign up for this program or for more information on lymphedema, call 410-601-9355.

Sinai President to Attend President's Town Hall

As immediate past president of the American Heart Association, Sinai Hospital president Neil Meltzer has been a national leader on health care issues and an advocate for health equity.

You are invited to tune into President Barack Obama's Town Hall Meeting on CNBC Monday, as Meltzer will be a guest in the audience, and will hopefully get a chance to ask a question. This special live event, called "Investing in America: A CNBC Town Hall Event with President Obama," is a chance for audience members to ask questions directly to the President. The Town Hall, which begins at noon, is being held at the Newseum. CNBC's John Harwood will moderate the event.

You can read more about Meltzer by reading last month's Jewish Times cover story.

Living Well at LifeBridge Health

One of the many benefits of working at LifeBridge Health is the Live Well @ LifeBridge program, designed to help employees live healthier lifestyles. Jason Bosley-Smith , pictured right, and Amy Price, who are Live Well Life Coaches, will be blogging here regularly to talk about the program and provide wellness tips. Today's post is from Jason, a certified strength and conditioning specialist, who says his goal is to "help individuals reach their goals and create lasting change for a healthy lifestyle."

The LiveWell Lifestyle Coaching Program is a tremendous benefit available to all LifeBridge Health employees. Now is your chance to become actively involved!

We begin with an initial consultation, which is our chance to meet face-to-face and gain insight into your goals for healthy change, whether it be with weight loss, reducing stress, getting active or eating better! From there, we coach you via email and phone, based around your convenience, as we lead you on a journey to greater health & wellness.

Here are a few details of the program:

• IT'S FREE! LiveWell comes to you FREE as part of your employee benefits
• No risk or obligation. If you start and then decide it's not for you, you can simply ask to exit the program (but we bet you won't do that based on all the great resources you'll receive)
• Absolutely confidential. All information shared with your coach is 100 percent confidential and protected by HIPPA. It cannot be shared with anyone, including your employer.
• Tons of resources, including a medical helpline. You'll receive individualized coaching and support to help you establish healthy habits
• IT'S FREE! Did I mention that already?

LBH employees can begin with the LiveWell program at any time; simply contact me at Jason.bosleysmith (at) chooseiws.com or 1-877-293-2429, Ext. 700. You can also speak to Amy at amy.price (at) chooseiws.com or by calling 1-877-293-2429, Ext. 705.