Talk on eye disorders

BANGOR – Luana Wilbur, clinical research director at Eye Center Northeast, will be the guest speaker at the Bone Health Information and Discussion Group at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 23, at the Bangor Y on Second Street

Wilbur will discuss eye disorders such as glaucoma and dry and wet macular degeneration. She will describe the new ophthalmology research being conducted and guidelines for becoming a study participant.

Visual problems can lead to falls, which can be particularly dangerous for those with osteoporosis.

The talk is free and those interested in the topic are welcome to attend. For information or registration, call Robin Long at 941-2808.

The Bone Health Information and Discussion Group is sponsored by Caring Connections, a cooperative program of the Bangor Y and Eastern Maine Medical Center.

Out of the Darkness 5K walk

BANGOR – The public is invited to support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention by participating in the Bangor 5K Out of the Darkness Community Walk on Sunday, Sept. 22, at Hayford Park off Union Street. Proceeds will benefit local and national suicide prevention and awareness programs. Registration begins at 1 p.m. The non-competitive walk begins at 2 p.m.

To preregister, form a team, donate or learn more, visit www.outofthedarkness.org or call the Maine chapter at 822-9989. To volunteer, call walk chairwoman Cathy Bennett at 862-3189.

Kindred Heart open house

BREWER – Brewer Rehab and Living Center will launch the Kindred Heart Rehab Cardiopulmonary Sub-Acute Program with an open house 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6, at the center.

The event will be catered by Montes International Catering, a string trio will provide entertainment and a silent auction will benefit the American Heart Association. Items up for bid include a weekend stay at Lucerne Inn and Penobscot Theatre tickets.

The rehab program will provide rehabilitation services to those who require further services before returning home after a stay in the hospital due to a cardiac or respiratory event.

The Kindred Heart team is lead by executive director Michael Skirven and nurse Bobbi McLain, program manager. The program includes education for the patient and family about cardiac and respiratory illness, monitoring, strengthening and planning for returning home.

A liaison will visit the patient in the hospital to make the transition to the center easier. A staff of nurses, case managers, respiratory therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, recreational therapists and speech-language pathologists will work with the patient.

Brewer Rehab and Living Center has developed an intensive training schedule for its staff, made improvements to the building and patient rooms, and ordered new equipment for the Kindred Heart program. A physician’s advisory board is being developed to oversee the program and a community advisory board is in place.

The center works in conjunction with the American Heart Association and local hospitals to provided educational materials for the patient.

The Kindred Heart team will take part in the annual Heart Walk to benefit the American Heart Association on Sept. 8.

For information, call Julie Grover, 989-7300.

Genetics advisory board

BREWER – The Maine Institute for Human Genetics and Health, a subsidiary of Eastern Maine Health Systems, announced the establishment of its scientific advisory board of nationally renowned scientists and professors with expertise in research in human cancer and the uses of leading edge genomics technologies. Members will serve staggered three-year terms.

Scientific advisory board members are:

. Chairman: Dr. Lee Helman, scientific director, Center for Clinical Research and head of the molecular oncology section at the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Washington, D.C. Helman’s interests are clinical trials for new biomarkers and treatments for cancer, hormones in cancer and mouse models of metastatic cancer.

. Dr. Stanley Bergen, EMHS board of directors, Stonington. He is the former founder and director of the NCI Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

. Dr. Mark Dudley, research fellow, tumor immunology section, surgery branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md. His interests are cancer immunology and T-cell immunotherapy, clinical trials and novel immunotherapy for melanoma.

. Dr. Eugenie Kleinerman, professor and head, division of pediatrics; professor, department of cancer biology, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Houston. Her interests are sarcoma, development of novel therapeutics for cancer and clinical trials.

. Dr. Jude Onyia, chief scientific leader, integrative technologies, Eli Lilly and Co., Indianapolis. Onyia’s interests are genomic technologies and their application, leading edge technologies and drug discovery and development.

. Dr. Arnold Rabson, associate director for basic science, NCI Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and professor, department of molecular genetics and microbiology, department of pathology, University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, N.J.

. Dr. Clifford Rosen, senior staff scientist, the Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, and Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Portland.

The Maine Institute for Human Genetics and Health, as a subsidiary of EMHS, supports research and education to decrease the risks of disease and improve the health of Maine’s rural and dispersed communities. The institute seeks opportunities to bring scientists and physicians across the state together to work in multidisciplinary teams.

The institute’s founding programs focus on cancer care and research, and research on neurological and psychiatric diseases.

EMHS members combine resources and leadership so that Maine communities benefit from the best medical practices and health care services.