Health

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) is inviting the public to a community forum about the on November 12, 2013.

Join the conversation to learn more about the state’s new health insurance marketplace, which is designed to help you, your family or your small business find, compare and enroll in health insurance coverage.

According to the State’s Health Care Reform website at , “The Exchange is an online marketplace for health insurance products that requires all vendors (insurance carriers and state health programs) to play by the same rules. In 2011, the Vermont legislature passed Act 48 — a law that created the Vermont Health Benefit Exchange. Vermonters will be able to start shopping for health plans on October 1, 2013 and the Exchange plans will kick in on January 1, 2014. The Exchange will be the only place where individuals and businesses with 50 or fewer employees can get health insurance.”

As a follow up to the showing of the Hungry Heart Film in Windham County, there will be a community conversation  on Wednesday, November 13, from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. This event will take place at the Brattleboro Retreat Conference Center and light snacks will be served.

The Hungry Heart film explored the world of prescription drug addiction through the intimate world of Vermont Pediatrician Fred Holmes who works with patients struggling with this disease. The film provided an intimate look at the often hidden world of addiction and recovery and revealed the many challenges Dr. Holmes and his patients face in confronting a relentless and difficult disease.

Alexander Potter will give a presentation on our human brain’s ability to change and grow throughout its
life span on Tuesday, November 12, from 7–8:30 pm. This event, taking place at the Marlboro College Graduate School in Brattleboro, is part of the ongoing series of talks, classes, workshops, and support groups offered by the Northeast Psycho-Neuro-Immunology Institute for Healing (NEPNI).

The brain’s ability to reorganize is now often referred to as neuroplasticity.  Our brains change on a daily basis, and we play a role in directing those changes, with or without our knowledge.  You can keep tabs on how your brain is changing –and direct those changes for your benefit.

Hospital officials announced today has once again stepped up in support of the greater Brattleboro community with a $75,000 pledge to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital’s “The Doorway to Exceptional Care” capital campaign.

“We are proud to support Brattleboro Memorial Hospital’s capital campaign for the renovation and expansion of the Emergency Department. The improved facility is vital to our community and to People’s United Bank’s 160 employees working in Brattleboro,” says Arne Hammarlund, Community Services Manager.

is the latest business to join Brattleboro Memorial Hospital’s “The Doorway to Exceptional Care” capital campaign. Hospital officials announced the Brattleboro-based company has made a $100,000 pledge to help renovate and expand the Emergency Department.

“G.S. Precision’s slogan is, ‘Quality, Efficiency and Reliability,’ and that is exactly what they are supporting with their gift to BMH,” says Steven R. Gordon, the hospital’s president and CEO. “The number of patients coming to the Emergency Department each year has more than doubled since it was built in 1982. The additional 2,500 square feet of space will enable us maintain a high standard of care while also improving speed, comfort and privacy for patients and families.”

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) has received a grant from the to support access to early detection and treatment programs for disabled patients.

With the Komen grant, BMH has purchased a specialized “Mammochair” to enhance the patient experience and enable BMH technologists to maximize patient positioning and ensure better images for diagnosis. The mammography chair is maneuverable, allowing the technologist to manipulate positions without constant readjustment of the patient.

announced it is sponsoring a “Drive 4 UR Community” event to benefit the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Emergency Department renovation and expansion project on Sunday, October 27.

From 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM this Sunday, anyone with a valid driver’s license can test drive any Ford vehicle on a track set up in the BMH parking lot, located at 17 Belmont Avenue in Brattleboro, and Ford Motor Company will donate $20 to “The Doorway to Exceptional Care” capital campaign. Free coffee and donuts will be provided in the morning and complimentary hot dogs and hamburgers will be served from 12:00noon to 2:00 PM. An inflatable bouncy house and face-painters will also be on the premises to entertain children during the entire event.

Dispose of expired and excess medications at Prescription Drug Take Back Day
Saturday, October 26, 2013  10am – 2pm

Safely dispose of unwanted and expired prescription medications during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 26th from 10am-2pm at one of five locations in Windham County, Vermont. All types of medications will be collected including sharps, liquids, pills and patches. Safe disposal of medications during Take Back Day prevents contamination of waterways and reduces the opportunity for medications to be misused by others. 

Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Locations:  

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is offering a free seminar entitled, “Type II Diabetes: Can it be Prevented or Managed?” on Monday, October 21 from 7:00-9:00 PM in the BMH Brew Barry Conference Center.

Diabetes is a continuum of diseases and slowing the progression of insulin resistance is essential to long-term health and well-being. Dr. Ferry, an endocrinologist, will discuss lifestyle and treatment options that can help prevent the disease or allow it to be successfully managed. Additionally, the talk will include a review of the early symptoms of diabetes and what diabetes can mean for your health.

Advance registration is available by calling 802-257-8877.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital will present a free talk about Lyme disease by Vermont Department of Health Epidemiologist Erica Berl on Monday, October 21 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM in the BMH Brew Barry Conference Center.

This presentation will give an overview of Lyme disease in Vermont, examining the organism that causes the disease, as well as the emergence and prevalence of the disease in the state of Vermont. The life cycle of the deer tick will be discussed and, most importantly, strategies to prevent tick bites will be presented.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital announced Tony Blofson, MD has been hired as Medical Director of , the hospital’s network of primary care providers and medical specialists.

In this role, Blofson will be responsible for leading BMH Physician Group practices and providers through quality initiatives including improved patient access and patient satisfaction, as well as transitions brought on by healthcare reform.

“Our practices have experienced many changes as a group as they have grown over the past few years. Dr. Blofson’s experience and enthusiasm will serve us well as we continue to evolve,” says Bonnie McKellar, Vice President of Physician Services and Business Development at BMH.

BMH Launches 2nd Annual “BEARDS for BMH” Campaign To Raise Awareness of Men’s Health Issues

Throughout the month of November Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) will once again be sponsoring “BEARDS for BMH” to raise awareness of men’s health issues. The campaign is designed to spark conversation about issues such as prostate cancer screening, erectile dysfunction, testicular cancer and other men’s health concerns.

YOUR DOOR HELPS OPEN OURS!

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) announced the start of the community engagement portion of its Emergency Department capital campaign today. The hospital is seeking to raise $3.5 million to renovate and expand the 31-year-old facility.

Co-chaired by Art Greenbaum and Martha O’Connor, a committee of community leaders has spent the past year working to solicit charitable support from the hospital board, the campaign committee and key supporters, as well as from BMH leadership, physicians and employees. Now that over $3 million has been committed they are asking the community to join them in supporting the facility that impacts every life in the greater Brattleboro area.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital announced Aaron Shams Helminski, MD, has joined its Department of Hospitalist Medicine.

Dr. Helminski attended University of Vermont in Burlington for both his pre-med and doctoral programs. He completed an internship in internal medicine at University of Hawaii in 2011 and returned to UVM/Fletcher Allen to complete his residency in 2013, where he was chief resident. He resides in Putney.

The Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Community Health Team announced the hiring of Joan Bowman as a Navigator for Vermont’s new insurance exchange program.

As a trained and certified Vermont Health Connect exchange navigator, Bowman’s role is to make sure individuals, families and small businesses in Windham County understand their options and have access to the tools and resources needed to apply for health insurance.

The Center for Cardiovascular Health at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital invites the community to an open house on Wednesday, September 18 from 5:30 to 7:0 PM. Located on the top floor of the Richards Building, the Center provides a single point of care for patients with heart and cardiovascular disease.

According to Medical Director, Dr. Mark Burke, the new Center enhances the cardiology team’s ability to focus first and foremost on caring for the individual and on providing efficient and timely services with improved access both for patients and providers.

“The Center for Cardiovascular Health is new model for care in our community,” says Marcy Rushford, Director of Radiology & Cardiology at BMH. “The team is working together not only in the Center, but across the organization and larger community to improve patient wellness and outcomes. We hope that inviting our community members in, they can learn more about the changing face of healthcare in Southeast Vermont.”

Here’s a summary of the 2014 Vermont Health Connect Plan Designs and Monthly Premiums, as updated on August 23, downloaded from healthconnect.vermont.gov. (see attachment)

I don’t know if this is the final version.

-Adrian Segar-

Two Brattleboro residents, one Dummerston resident and one Putney resident have put their minds together to help other people keep their minds sharp.

The
latest brain research has scientifically revealed that our mind-body connections can have a positive influence on our health. A new class offered by NEPNI, the Northeast Psycho-Neuro-Immunology Institute, explores evidence-based brain research while offering techniques and practices to “Train Your Brain” for the purpose of healing and memory enhancement. Individuals with concerns about memory and brain function as well as professionals looking to diversify and broaden their practices can all benefit from these classes.

If you feel older than you want to or think you should, your joints are getting as swollen as your brain feels some days, or you know someone with chronic pain, do whatever you can to get yourself and everyone you know in the same position to Brattleboro, VT, Tuesday, Sept 3, 6-8pm to hear the latest from international pain expert Devin Starlanyl at BMH in Brew Marry CR 3. Starlanyl, medical researcher and long term patient herself, co-authored new release “Healing through Trigger Point Therapy: A Guide to Fibromyalgia, Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction”. Starlanyl says “Our Primary purpose is to educate the patients and caregivers, and the medical community, of the complexity of chronic pain conditions that when properly diagnosed, may ultimately end a world of suffering.”

Will fund nurse navigation services for third straight year

Officials at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital announced today that the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) has awarded a grant in the amount of $22,560 to help continue providing nurse navigation services as part of the hospital’s Comprehensive Breast Care program.

The NBCF awarded similar one-year grants to BMH in 2011 and 2012. The amount reflects both the need for nurse navigation services and the benefits it provides for patients with breast cancer.