National hospital awards

BREWER – Eastern Maine Health Systems announced that three of its member hospitals, Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Inland Hospital in Waterville and Sebasticook Valley Hospital in Pittsfield have received Exemplary Service Overall Best Performer awards from Avatar International, a health care research and consulting firm.

The award is given to hospitals with the highest overall combined patient satisfaction scores for inpatient, outpatient, emergency department and ambulatory surgery in 2006.

The award is given to the top 12 hospitals in Avatar’s national database. It represents Four Star and Five Star service and documented consistency of experiences by patients throughout the organizations for care over 12 months.

The 2006 award marks EMMC’s fourth year in a row as a recipient. EMMC is one of only three hospitals in the Avatar database to achieve Overall Best Performer status for four consecutive years.

EMMC President and CEO Deborah Carey Johnson attributes the distinction to the hard work and commitment of the hospital’s more than 3,400 employees.

EMHS President and CEO, M. Michelle Hood called the award “a tremendous honor.”

EMMC also received the Five Star Service for inpatient care, scoring the highest for a hospital of its size for inpatient care in the entire Avatar database.

Yard sale for food banks

BANGOR – St. Joseph Healthcare mission and employee activity committee members will be the hosts for the second annual communitywide yarn and craft sale 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, June 9, in the parking lot at 360 Broadway. The event will benefit area food banks. Rain date is Saturday, June 23.

Organizers said that the recent economic downturn and downsizing by a number of companies in the area have left many families struggling to meet basic needs. Many of these families work two and three jobs and rely on area food banks for assistance. The increasing need for support has left many food banks with dwindling supplies.

Members of the public may participate in the event and sell yard sale or craft items by renting space for $25. The size of the space is about the size of a parking space. Tables and chairs will be provided free to those who rent a space, but they must be requested when the space is reserved. Participants are invited to donate a portion of their proceeds to the cause of assisting area food banks.

More than 50 spaces are available for rent. To reserve a space, call Sue Martin at 262-1449.

Protecting skin from sun

AUGUSTA – “Building lifetime safe sun habits is simple, and there’s no better time to begin than Skin Cancer Awareness Month, which began May 1,” announced Dr. Dora Anne Mills, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control in the Department of Health and Human Services.

“Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers in Maine and the U.S., accounting for nearly half of all cancers,” she said. “While many believe that skin cancer is not a problem in Maine, more than 400 Maine people will be diagnosed this year with melanoma, the most serious and deadly form of skin cancer.”

The Maine CDC states that most skin cancers are preventable, easy to recognize can be cured if detected early. Nearly 99 percent of basal cell and squamous cell cancers, when found early and treated promptly, are cured. For those with melanoma, the overall five-year survival rate is 88 percent. Early detection is crucial.

Studies show a link between sunburns before age 18, or tanning bed use, and an increased risk of melanoma. More than 80 percent of a person’s sun exposure happens before his or her 18th birthday, so starting good sun protection habits early is extremely important. However, it’s never too late to start protecting your skin.

The best way to avoid risks of sunburn and skin damage that can lead to skin cancer is to use a skin safe regimen year round that consists of:

. Using sunscreen with at least a SPF of 15.

. Limiting exposure to sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

. Wearing sunglasses with 99-100 percent ultraviolet light absorption.

. Wearing hats.

. Not using tanning beds.

Manpower MS Walk

BREWER – The city of Brewer shut down State Street on April 28 to kick off the Brewer-Bangor leg of the 2007 Manpower MS Walk with more than 700 participants.

Brewer Deputy Mayor and Manpower MS Walk committee member Gail Kelly said, “The growth in numbers for the 2007 Brewer-Bangor Walk has been tremendous, so much so that the city of Brewer closed State Street to accommodate hundreds of supporters who walked to find a cure for MS.”

The Brewer-Bangor Walk was led by a police escort.

Maine Chapter, National MS Society President Russ Anderson said, “We are extremely grateful to the city of Brewer for its generous support of the 2007 Manpower MS Walk. The fact that the city closed a major street to kick-off the walk and to accommodate hundreds of walkers demonstrates the true meaning of community spirit and support.”

Kelly said, “With the prevalence [of MS] in Maine approximately 70 percent higher than the national average, awareness of what it’s like to live with MS is especially high in our state. We’re thrilled that so many supporters came out to walk with us to raise funds to find a cure.”

The Maine Chapter, National Multiple Sclerosis Society serves more than 3,000 people with MS in Maine, in addition to their families and friends, the professionals who serve them and the general public. The Maine Chapter has been serving people with MS in Maine since June 1954, and this year, is celebrating 53 years of support and service.

Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information from the brain to the body and stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS.