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Colon Cancer Awareness Month
Nearly 30,000 lives could be saved each year if all Americans over the age 50 were screened for colon cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. One of the most preventable cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women; however, only 38 percent of colon cancers are detected in the earliest and most treatable stages.

The American Cancer Society estimated more than 1,000 people in Maryland died from colon cancer in 2005.

To speak with a cancer expert at the Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute at LifeBridge Health call 410-601-WELL(9355).

Sinai Hospital's Stroke Center Earns Certificate of Distinction
The Stroke Center at Sinai Hospital has been awarded with Primary Stroke Center Certification by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Sinai Hospital of Baltimore is the only community hospital in the area to earn such a designation, which recognizes centers for exceptional efforts in fostering better outcomes in stroke care.

The Stroke Center's streamlined system allows patients to receive proper and prompt care. The Stroke Center at Sinai includes a multidisciplinary team with specialists from emergency medicine, neurology, neurosurgery and interventional radiology, as well as nursing and rehabilitation services, pharmacy and social work.

For more information about the Stroke Center at Sinai, log on to www.lifebridgehealth.org.

Northwest Hospital First in the State to Perform Innovative Thumb Arthritis Procedure 
Imagine not being able to do everyday things like buttoning a shirt, grabbing a can off a shelf or even opening a door.  That's the reality for the millions of people who suffer from arthritis of the thumb.  But now there's a new, minimally invasive procedure called capsulorrphahy, which can relieve the pain and help folks resume a "normal” life.  Stacey Berner, M.D., director of the Hand Center at Northwest Hospital Center, is the only orthopedic surgeon in the state to do this innovative procedure.  Dr. Berner says capsulorrhaphy differs from other thumb arthritis surgeries in that it's designed as an outpatient procedure performed with only two small incisions.  The procedure, which takes under two hours, also cuts recovery time by as much as five weeks.

For more information about this procedure and others being done at Northwest Hospital Center call 410-601-WELL(9355).

Northwest Hospital Now Provides Softer Mammograms
Northwest Hospital Center in Randallstown is now a certified Softer Mammogram Provider, a distinction awarded only to an elite group of health care facilities.

The American Cancer Society reports women can greatly reduce their risk of death from breast cancer if they receive regular mammographic screens. For this reason, women 40 years and older are encouraged to receive mammograms yearly. Yet despite the urgency of this message, nearly 40 percent of American women don't get regular recommended mammograms.  Studies have shown mammography pain is a major reason some women do not return for annual screening.

The MammoPad breast cushion answers this complaint by providing a soft, warm cushion for the breast during mammography, allowing women to relax during the exam and making it easier for technologists to get the best possible image. The single-use, adhesive-backed foam cushion attaches to the compression plates of the mammography device and does not interfere with the image quality of the mammogram.

For more information or to schedule a mammogram, call the Herman and Walter Samuelson Breast Care Center at Northwest Hospital at 410-521-5913.