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Health Briefs

LUZERNE COUNTY – The Wyoming Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross conducts community blood drives throughout the month.

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Donors who are 16 years of age or older, weigh at least 110 pounds and are in relatively good health may give blood every 56 days.

In addition to those listed below, blood drives are conducted at the Red Cross regional blood center, 29 New Commerce Boulevard, Hanover Industrial Park, Mondays and Thursdays, 3 to 7 p.m.; Wednesdays, noon to 5 p.m.; and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon. Collections also take place every Friday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Hazleton Chapter House, 165 Susquehanna Blvd., Hazleton.

For information, call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE, ext. 2150. A list of area blood donation sites follows:

Thursday, 12:30-6 p.m., Saint Ignatius Church, 339 N. Maple Ave., Kingston.

Friday, in honor of Rachel Moses Hebda, noon-6 p.m., Thomas P. Saxton Medical Pavilion, 468 Northampton St., Edwardsville.

Sunday, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., St. Leo’s Church, 33 Manhattan St., Ashley; 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Sunshine Market, 1492 Highway 315, Plains Township.

Monday, noon-5:30 p.m., Golden Living Center Summit, 50 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Wilkes-Barre.

WILKES-BARRE — The Sleep Disorders Center at Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre will host its third annual sleep forum on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in the Terrazzo Room, located in the lower level of the Medical Arts Building at 8 Church St. The event will feature a number of physicians and clinical staff addressing sleep disorders such as snoring, insomnia, sleep apnea and surgical options for sleep disorders.

To register, call 1-800-275-6401 and say “CareLink” or visit www.geisinger.org/commcal.

WILKES-BARRE — The Wilkes University nursing department will sponsor an “Experience in Nursing Day” on Wednesday beginning at 9 a.m. in the Henry Student Center, 84 W. South St. The full day of events will feature an overview of the nursing curriculum at Wilkes, student speaker presentations and observation of current nursing classes. The event is an opportunity for high school students interested in careers in nursing to learn about the Wilkes University nursing program from current students and faculty. For information, call Kim Hearst at 408-4089.

WILKES-BARRE — “Raising a Vegetarian Family and Healthy Holiday Dishes” will be presented on Thursday at the Osterhout Free Library, 71 S. Franklin St. Alaine Chang, founder and president of The Vegetarian Way, will speak about how to balance the vegetarian family’s diet and provide tips on how to make mealtime easier and more nutritious for a family with vegetarian and non-vegetarian members. The course is free, but registration is required. Call 821-1959 to register.

WILKES-BARRE — The Wilkes-Barre General Hospital Auxiliary will hold its annual Starlight Ball on Saturday at the Westmoreland Club. Cocktails begin at 7 p.m. with dinner served at 8 p.m. Music will be provided by DejaGroove. Cost is $125 per person. Proceeds of the event are donated to provide direct patient care at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital. To purchase a ticket, contact Lina Schifano at 696-2960.

In conjunction with the Starlight Ball, a raffle drawing will be held with cash prizes of $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000. Raffle participants do not need to be present to win. Raffle tickets are available for $50 each by calling Anita Muhlbaurer at 472-3126 or by stopping by the Wilkes-Barre General Hospital Gift Shoppe.

EDWARDSVILLE — Wyoming Valley Health Care System’s Diabetes Management & Nutrition Center and Wilkes-Barre General Hospital’s Heart and Vascular Institute and Stroke Program will host a Community Health and Wellness Fair on Saturday from 7 a.m.-noon at the Thomas P. Saxton Medical Pavilion.

The event will combine a host of informative materials and healthful services, including: glucose lab screenings and lipid profiles (12-hour fast recommended); vision and foot screenings; stroke risk assessments; a STAR Fitness Open House; healthy recipes and food sampling; flu vaccinations (priority given to individuals with diabetes); massage and relaxation offerings; information on sick day management; label reading; and prizes and giveaways.

At 8 a.m., Dr. Michael Adler, Wilkes-Barre General Hospital’s Chief of Endocrinology and Metabolism, will present, “Now That I Have Diabetes, What Can I Expect from My Healthcare Provider?” For information, call 552-7150.

WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Wyoming Valley Vegetarians will sponsor an all-you-can-eat Vegetarian Potluck Dinner on Sunday from 3-6 p.m. in the Rose Brader Room of the John Heinz Center, Mundy Street. The event will feature a presentation on how to relieve stress and pain through ayurvedic breathing and chanting exercises led by holistic practitioner, Amar Bhola. Cost is $3 if you bring a vegetarian dish or $13 if you do not bring a dish.

For reservations, call 829-4139 or email to Arlene.sindaco@verizon.net.

LEHMAN — fitforlifecoach. com is sponsoring a six-week fitness challenge to begin on Monday from 6-8 p.m. at the Lehman-Idetown United Methodist Church, 1011 Mt. View Drive. The challenge, which is free and open to the public, aims to help participants commit to get fit. Participants choose a fitness plan and fitforlifecoach.com provides free coaching support to help keep the participant motivated. Weigh-ins will be held Monday and Nov. 24 and Dec. 8 and 22. Daily prizes will be awarded just for working out. Registration is required and free gift bags will be given to the first 25 people to pre-register.

Call 690-4301 or email register@fitforlifecoach.com.

DALLAS — Misericordia University will hold a Health Sciences Career Day for high school students on Nov. 11 from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. The program is designed to introduce high school students to professions in the health sciences and give them a first-hand look at how the various disciplines interact throughout the health-care field. Representatives of Misericordia’s Insalaco Center for Career Development will also present the session “Employment Trends in Health Professions,” which will give students a look at future career opportunities in each profession.

The program also includes an hour-long lunch session where high school students will be able to talk informally with Misericordia faculty and students in the health sciences majors.

The College of Health Sciences at Misericordia University provides academic programs in the areas of medical imaging, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech-language pathology, and offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as certificate programs in specialized areas.

Space is limited and reservations are required. For information, contact Katie Postupak at 674-6463 or e-mail kpostupa@ misericordia.edu.

WILKES-BARRE — Lisa Lewis, Ph.D., author of the best-selling “Special Diets for Special Kids,” will be speaking about how a gluten-free, casein-free diet (wheat free, dairy free) can help those with neurosensory disorders such as autism, ADHD, ADD and others on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. in the Stark Learning Center, Room 101, at Wilkes University. In addition, Lewis will be available for a “Meet and Greet” from 4-5 p.m. at the NeuroSensory Center of Eastern Pennsylvania, 250 Pierce St., Suite 317, Kingston.

These events are free and open to the public, but reservations are requested. Call 763-0054.

HEALTH PEOPLE

Dr. Nancy Gilhooley has been appointed associate chief of staff for primary care service at The Wilkes-Barre Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Plains Township. She will be overseeing all primary-care veteran services delivered in the Wilkes-Barre area. Gilhooley was the medical director of Geisinger Health System’s Luzerne County community practice sites. She completed her medical training at the Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Tom Wilson, Life Flight pilot for Geisinger Health System, has been promoted to full-time instructor to provide additional training for the program’s 20 pilots. Wilson conducts in-flight and classroom training sessions at Geisinger Life Flight base sites in Wilkes-Barre/Avoca, Danville, Williamsport, Minersville and State College. He served as a Life Flight pilot for three years before taking the newly created instructor position. Wilson was a pilot in the military for 20 years.