Health

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital today announced that George Pierce Terwilliger, MD, has been appointed Site Director for its Emergency Department.

Dr. Terwilliger has been practicing emergency medicine at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, New Hampshire since 2002. He comes to BMH through a unique professional services contract with Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinic, by which Harneet Sethi, MD, serves as Program Medical Director for Emergency Medicine at Cheshire Medical Center and BMH.

“Our arrangement with Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinic and Cheshire Medical Center allows BMH to share in the expertise of physicians like Dr. Terwilliger to meet the existing need in Brattleboro,” says Kathleen McGraw, MD, Chief Medical Officer at BMH.

Prior to his current post, Terwilliger had been a member of the ED staff at BMH for two years and spent 10 years practicing emergency medicine at the Gifford Center in Randolph, Vermont. He also has seven years’ experience as Medical Director of a family medicine practice in Chelsea, Vermont.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and AARP are co-sponsoring a Driver Safety program on Saturday, April 20 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM in the Brew Barry Conference Room.

This driver’s refresher course is for people ages 55 and over and is designed to provide awareness of aging as it affects driving. The class covers normal physical changes associated with aging, provides practical techniques to compensate and review “rules of the road” with an emphasis on defensive driving practices.

Space is limited to 20 participants. The cost is $12.00 for AARP members with a membership card & $14.00 for non-AARP members. Call 802-251-8425 to register in advance. Fee covers materials only. Participants are encouraged to bring a lunch.

Spring is a great time to gently support the body as it emerges from winter and gears up for the warmer months of sunlight and activity. Getting digestion moving properly and supporting the organs of detoxification and elimination can help you experience freer movement of energy through the body and mind. Attempting to detox on your own can be daunting. Success is more likely with the positive support of a group and the opportunity for individualized support. The detox with take place April 22-27th.;

New York Times Personal Health columnist Jane Brody will give a free lecture on issues of aging on Tuesday, April 16, at 5:30PM at Higbie Auditorium on the campus of Kurn Hattin Homes for Children in Westminster, VT. Brody’s appearance is the first of a four-speaker series sponsored by Westminster Cares in celebration of its 25^th-year anniversary. The series, titled “Speaking of Aging,” explores key issues in aging such as physical and mental health, financial well-being, maintaining social connections, and end-of-life issues.

The Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Respiratory Care Department announced it has established regular hours for electroencephalogram (EEG) testing and made an upgrade to its Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) system.

BMH Respiratory Services Manager Laurie Kuralt, RN, BSN, CCRN, says a staff member recently received extensive training in performing EEG tests, enabling the hospital to offer regularly scheduled hours for EEG testing three days a week on an outpatient basis, as well as on weekends should the need arise. An EEG test measures electrical activity in the brain. It is used to diagnose epilepsy, study sleep disorders like narcolepsy, and check for mental health problems or problems with dementia, among other applications.

Senior Solutions will offer a free, eight-week program that helps senior citizens with balance issues, starting Saturday, April 13 at 10:00 AM in the Brew Barry Conference Center at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.

“A Matter of Balance” helps seniors deal with their fears of falling and creates better solutions to prevent falls. To register for this free program, call 802-257-8877.

A Wellness Recovery Action Plan [WRAP] workshop will once again be available in Brattleboro and facilitated by Jane Winterling,one of the original designers of this evidenced based plan that is used world-wide by people who are dealing with mental health and other kinds of health challenges.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Rehabilitation Services will offer another edition of its five-week “Standing Tall Spine Health: Level 2” program beginning Monday, March 25.

The program is designed for individuals diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis who have previously completed the Level 1 course. The classes consist of advanced strengthening exercises for the core and postural muscles as well as a continuation of progressive balance challenges. Level 1 education principles will be reinforced through class discussion while exercising.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital will offer a free presentation on computer ergonomics Monday, March 25 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in the Brew Barry Conference Center.

“How to Properly Set Up Your Workstation” is for anyone who experiences stiffness or discomfort when sitting at a computer for work or personal use. Chris Vitello, occupational therapist and certified hand therapist, will demonstrate how to set up a computer station in the best possible way to fend off pain and injuries.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital will offer a free, introductory session for its six-week course, “Letting Go of Stress” on Wednesday, April 3 at 5:15 PM in Brew Barry Conference Room 2.

The multi-session class will provide participants with the theory, practice and motivation to establish and maintain an effective lifelong stress reduction program. Following the introductory course, the program will meet every Wednesday through May 15.

A new prenatal yoga class is starting in Putney at Medicine for the People (125 Main St Putney VT) on Mondays 5:30-6:45PM. 

Prenatal yoga is extremely beneficial for all women at any stage of pregnancy regardless of whether you’re an experienced yogi or have never done a downward dog in your life. 

Some of the benefits of prenatal yoga:

Is March getting to you? Are your nerves feel a little frizzy? We have a great remedy for you:

Join Deirdre Kelley, (Lic.Ac., RYT) this Saturday for Yoga, Acupuncture, and Meditation. YAM workshops are offered to integrate the wisdom of thousands of years into a two-hour class. This class highlights the many benefits of physical movement through yoga asana, community-style acupuncture, and the relaxation and integration of the mind and body through gentle meditation techniques.

I bet you’re body is saying “YES PLEASE” right about now. Call us at 387-3028 to register, since registration is limited to 8 people.

Details:
Saturday March 16th
12-2pm
Medicine for the People
125 Main St
Putney VT
$40.00

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital announced it has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the Vermont Program for Quality in Health Care, Inc. (VPQ) in recognition of efforts to develop a program that would reduce unnecessary hospital readmission. In addition, VPQ has cited BMH’s comprehensive program and will highlight the hospital’s work in the VPQ annual report this summer.

The Northeast Psychoneuroimmunology Institute for Healing presents “Train the Brain to Retain,” a 5-week pilot program bringing people together to improve their mental acuity. Beginning March 27^th, for five consecutive Wednesday evenings from 7-9 pm in Brattleboro, participants will learn how to strengthen memory by using tools proven through neuro-science. Advances in neuroplasticity show us that the brain can actually increase its capacity to learn and remember.

Do you want to take your practice to the next level?

Join us for this seven-day yoga intensive. Each day, you will explore a different Chakra through a guided meditation, mantra, yoga asana (postures), and journaling.

Learn how the Chakras affect psycho-spiritual, emotional, and physical health and develop tools to incorporate them into your mind-body awareness to deepen your meditation and/or yoga practice. This class will be appropriate for and welcoming to all levels of experience.

In conjunction with the international observation of World Doula Week March 22-28, the Doula Program at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital will celebrate 10 years of providing services to the community.

A doula is a trained woman who comforts and supports mothers and their families as they bring their babies into the world. Scientific trials have shown remarkable improved birth outcomes because of the presence of a doula. They also show a decreased amount of intervention and a higher number of mothers viewing their birth as a positive experience.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital announced that Gerald Doherty, PA has joined Brattleboro Family Medicine and is accepting new patients.

Doherty graduated from the Physician Assistant Studies program at the School of Science and Health, Philadelphia University in Pennsylvania in 1999.  Most recently, he has been a Physician Assistant in Emergency Medicine at Cheshire Medical Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock in Keene, New Hampshire.

He has also worked for Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center in Windsor, Vermont and Central Vermont Medical Center in Barre.

Deirdre Kelley presents Y.A.M.: Yoga, Acupuncture, and Meditation; Saturday, March 16th, 12 pm-2 pm at Medicine for the People, 125 Main Street, Putney, VT.

Y.A.M. (Yoga, Acupuncture, and Meditation) workshops are offered to integrate the wisdom of thousands of years into a two-hour class.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital presents a free talk about urinary function by Director of Men’s Health Craig Rinder, MD, on Monday, March 11 at 7:00 pm in Brew Barry Conference Room 2.

A board-certified urologist, Dr. Rinder will discuss how urinary function changes as people age and the causes and solutions to many common complaints, particularly among men over the age of 50. To register or get more information, call 802-257-8877.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital announced
Sean Amos, MD has joined its Department of Hospitalist Medicine.

Amos is a 2003 graduate of Harvard
Medical School and has worked as a hospitalist on a contract basis in several
settings, including Yuma Regional Medical Center in Yuma, Arizona; Northwestern
Hospital in St. Albans, Vermont; and Cary Medical Center in Caribou, Maine.

Most recently, he worked for St. Vincent’s Hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Amos was certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in 2006.