Health News
Discussion to address living
with osteoporosis
A health chat about living with osteoporosis is planned for 4 p.m. today at the Centennial Hills Library, 6711 N. Buffalo Drive. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 507-6100.
epilepsy support group offered
at sunrise hospital
An epilepsy support group is scheduled for 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center, 3186 S. Maryland Parkway. It is free and open to the public. Registration is not required. For more information, call 731-8115.
Support group set for breast cancer patients and survivors
Those reeling or recovering from breast cancer can meet and mingle with fellow patients and survivors during upcoming support group meetings at the Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center's Breast Center, 3006 S. Maryland Parkway, Suite 250. The adult support group is slated to gather from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursday . A meeting for young survivors or sufferers is planned for 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday .
No RSVP is required. For more information, call 784-1947 or visit sunrisehospital.com.
Experts to share tips for staying healthy during aging process
Sign up now for a six-week wellness series about healthy aging at the Centennial Hills Active Adult Center, 6601 N. Buffalo Drive. From 9:30 a.m. to noon each Friday from Friday to Sept. 16, representatives from St. Rose Dominician Hospitals will discuss ways for seniors to stay healthy in mind, body and spirit. For more information, call 229-1702.
Bariatric seminars offered
at MountainView hospital
Two free surgery weight-loss seminars are scheduled at MountainView Hospital, 3100 N. Tenaya Way. The first is to be given by Dr. Francis Teng from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday , and the second is by Dr. Bernie Hanna from 9 to 11 a.m. Aug. 20. Register for either one by calling 233-5474.
Classes at sunrise hospital
to prepare parents for childbirth
Expectant parents can prepare for the next phase in life with Prepared Childbirth Class, set for 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Aug. 27 at the Breast Center at Sunrise Hospital Medical Center, 3006 S. Maryland Parkway, Suite 250. The childbirth preparation class is designed to acquaint expectant parents with everything they need to know about the third trimester of pregnancy, labor and delivery, Caesarean section, post-partum and newborn care. Tours of labor and delivery and the maternal infant unit will be available at the completion of the class. To register, call 233-5437.
Ballroom battle for cancer
Local celebrities and representatives from cancer-fighting organizations will pair up and take the dance floor to raise money from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Rain nightclub in the Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road.
The fundraiser, "Dancing with the Las Vegas Stars," will benefit the winning charities.
The stars are: Cheaza Figueroa, of Peepshow; Kristen Hertzenberg, of Phantom -- The Las Vegas Spectacular; Anthony Cools, a hypnotist at Paris Las Vegas; Lauren Michaels, 98.5 KLUC DJ; and Adam D. Tucker, who plays Tim McGraw in Country Superstars Tribute.
The nonprofit organizations are: American Cancer Society, Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada, The Caring Place, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Tickets are $50 and include a glass of wine and light appetizers.
Audience members and the public can vote for their favorite charity and dancer for a $2 donation.
To vote or purchase tickets, visit dancingwiththelasvegasstars.com.
Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Group planned at h2u mountainview
An Alzheimer's caregiver support group is scheduled from 10 to 11 a.m. Aug. 16 in the H2U MountainView Office, 3150 N. Tenaya Way, Suite 114. Elaine Eisler of the Alzheimer's Association will lead the support group, which provides an opportunity for family, friends, caregivers and others to meet regularly for mutual emotional support and to exchange coping skills with one another in matters relating to Alzheimer's disease. It is free to attend, but space is limited and reservations are required. Call 233-5474 for more information.
Free Medicare counseling offered
Free medicare counseling with a State Health Insurance Assistance Program counselor is scheduled from 9:15 to 11:15 a.m. Aug. 17 in the H2U MountainView Office, 3150 N. Tenaya Way, Suite 114. Call 233-5474 to make an appointment.
AARP offers online Medicare tips
AARP offers online tools to help Nevada's Medicare members better understand their quarterly Medicare summary notices, which list the medical services and supplies billed to Medicare for their care. A careful reading of the notice can help prevent fraud.
AARP's new Medicare Summary Notice decoders, available at aarp.org/healthtools, provide visitors with an interactive sample notice. Clicking on each section of the page displays details to help users understand their statement and out-of-pocket health expenses.
Medicare Summary Notices are mailed four times each year.
When you get your notice:
Compare your bills. Do the dates, billing codes and the service descriptions on your Medicare Summary Notice match the statements and invoices from your doctor and other health care providers? In some instances, your notice may include valid charges for services or supplies you weren't aware you received. But, as a general rule, the dates and codes should match. If you don't see codes or other needed details on your provider's paperwork, ask for copies that include that information.
Contact your provider if you see an entry for services or supplies you believe you did not receive, and contact the doctor or supplier listed. It may be a simple mistake that can be easily corrected. If it is, the corrected entry should appear on your next Medicare Summary Notice. If there's an entry for services or supplies that Medicare did not cover, but you believe is a covered service, call your medical provider's office to make sure the claim was submitted correctly. If it wasn't, ask the office to resubmit it.
If you still have questions about your Medicare Summary Notice, or there's something you and your health care provider cannot resolve, call Medicare at 800-633-4227.
If Medicare has not paid a claim you think it should have, you have the right to appeal. AARP's decoders link to more information about appealing a claim.
Find out your eligibility
for cataract surgery
Though cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss worldwide, myths persist about their cause and treatment.
In honor of Cataract Awareness Month, EyeCare America, a public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, provides eye exams at no out-of-pocket cost to people 65 or older. The eye exams are provided by a corps of nearly 7,000 volunteer ophthalmologists across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Those interested in the program can visit eyecareamerica.org to see if they are eligible. The organization's online referral center also enables friends and family members to find out if their loved ones are eligible to be matched with an EyeCare America volunteer ophthalmologist. More than 20 million people in the U.S. older than 40 have cataracts, and more than half of them will develop cataracts by age 80, according to the National Eye Institute.
Summerlin Hospital
offers infant massage classes
Infant massage can relax babies and may lead to increased weight gain and improved sleep. The FamilyPlace at Summerlin Hospital offers infant massage classes for parents and their newborns up to 6 months.
Classes are scheduled for Aug. 30, Sept. 27, Oct. 27, Nov. 29 and Dec. 27. The participation fee is $40 per couple.
Space is limited. Call 233-7103 to reserve a place, or register online at summerlinhospital.com.
Free blood pressure screenings offered
Free blood pressure screenings are offered from 10 to 11 a.m. every Tuesday at the h2u MountainView o ffice, 3150 N. Tenaya Way, Suite 114. Reservations are required, and a free blood pressure log will be supplied to track readings. Call 233-5474 for reservations.
Elementary School health centers
open for summer
The health centers at Cunningham Elementary School, 4145 Jimmy Durante Blvd., and Martinez Elementary School, 350 E. Judson Ave., plan to offer immunizations and medical services for uninsured children under 18 through August.
Days and hours of operation vary, so call the Clark County School District School-Community Partnership Program office at 799-6560 for more information or visit ccsd.net/partnership/communities for a calendar.
INSTITUTE TO GIVE GRANTS
TO PROSPECTIVE MEDICAL ASSISTANTS
The Medical Skills for Life Institute is offering 10 $2,000 scholarships and 10 $500 tuition grants to the first 20 students who are enrolled and accepted into the institute through Sept. 1. These scholarships are for people looking to become medical assistants or phlebotomists.
For more information, call 645-7900 and ask for the admissions department from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday or visit medicalskillsforlife.com.
HEALTH CARE FESTIVAL SCHEDULED SEPT. 17
Community Partners for Better Health is scheduled to host the eighth annual Choose and Move Festival from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Doolittle Community Center, 1950 N. J St. The festival aims to focus on the importance of physical activity and nutrition in preventing chronic disease. Attendees can benefit from free or low-cost health screenings and information.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call Sheila Sheckles at 272-7936 or visit communitypartnersforbetterhealth.com.
Area hospitals ranked by U.S. News
Three Las Vegas metropolitan-area hospitals have received top placement in U.S. News Media & World Report's 2011-2012 Best Hospitals rankings. St. Rose Dominican Hospitals received the No. 1 ranking in the areas of neurology and neurosurgery; St. Rose Dominican Hospital - Siena received the No. 1 ranking for gynecology; and Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center received the No. 1 ranking for nephrology. To view the list, visit health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/las-vegas-nv. The rankings, annually published by U.S. News for the past 22 years, also will be featured in the "U.S. News Best Hospitals" guidebook, which will go on sale Aug. 30.
The latest rankings showcase 720 hospitals out of about 5,000 nationwide. Each is ranked among the country's top hospitals in at least one medical specialty and/or ranked among the best hospitals in its metro area. St. Rose Dominican Hospitals is the only Las Vegas metropolitan-area hospital that ranked No. 1 in two categories for the 2011-2012 survey.
BRAIN CLINIC EXPANDS
ITS CLINICAL SERVICES
The Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, 888 W. Bonneville Ave., has expanded its clinical services to include resources for movement disorders and multiple sclerosis in the brand new Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Program and the Multiple Sclerosis Program.
For more information on the new programs visit clevelandclinic.org/brainhealth or call 877-247-7800.
Free StoryCorps toolkit
helps collect memories
The national StoryCorps' Memory Loss Initiative encourages people with memory loss to share their stories with loved ones and future generations. To make that task easier, a free step-by-step toolkit is available to download at storycorps.org/mli.
The Commemorate toolkit offers an individual reminiscence program that family members can initiate or memory loss care facilities can add to activities.
The initiative has collected more than 1,800 interviews with 180 partner organizations.
For more information, visit storycorps.org or call 646-723-7027.
Get emergency room wait times
by phone via text message
The hospitals of Sunrise Health -- Sunrise Hospital, MountainView Hospital, Southern Hills Hospital and Sunrise Children's Hospital -- have implemented a new emergency room text wait time program to help Las Vegas residents determine the fastest ER wait times at local facilities.
In the event of a serious injury or medical condition, it's still recommended patients call 9-1-1.
The text messaging technology allows for patients with less severe injuries and emergencies to get average ER wait times before choosing a hospital.
Text "ER" to 23000 from your cellphone; reply with your ZIP code; and receive wait times at area emergency rooms along with a number to call to speak with a nurse.
ER wait times are also available on each hospital's website: Sunrise Hospital, sunrisehospital.com; MountainView Hospital, mountainview-hospital.com; Southern Hills Hospital southernhillshospital.com; Sunrise Children's Hospital, sunrisechildrens
hospital.com.
New DNA test can help detect
macular degeneration risk
Dr. Alissa Nagel, of Vision Source Summerlin/Lakes, offers a new DNA test that determines a person's risk for severe vision loss by analyzing DNA for the presence of genes that are known to cause advanced forms of age-related macular degeneration. The test is non-invasive and involves taking a cheek swab from the patient.
Although genetics plays a role in macula risk testing, Nagel said there are other factors involved. Those at high risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration include: people over 60, especially women; those of Caucasian descent; smokers; and those with a family history of the disease.
For more information, visit visionsourcevegas.com or call Nagel's office at 254-3558.
