Annual flu clinics

BANGOR – The arrival of fall’s glorious colors signals the end of summer, and serves as a reminder that flu season is right around the corner. Each year the influenza virus, which causes infection of the nose, throat and lungs, is responsible for thousands of deaths and thousands more hospitalizations nationwide. Seniors are especially at risk and should plan now to be immunized.

The single best way to protect against the flu is to get immunized each year.

The timing and duration of influenza seasons vary, so vaccinations should begin in October, or as soon as vaccine is available, and continue throughout flu season, which can be into January and even beyond.

In general, anyone who wants to reduce the chance of getting the flu should get vaccinated. However, it is recommended that certain people be sure to get vaccinated each year, including:

. Those age 50 years or older.

. Those with chronic medical conditions.

. Those who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.

. Those who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including health care workers.

. Children six months old to age 19.

. Women who are pregnant.

Below is a list of flu shot clinics in the Bangor area. Bangor Area Visiting Nurses will administer the shots. The cost of a flu shot is $35, but many insurance plans will cover that cost, including Medicare. Check with your insurance carrier before receiving the vaccination. The flu clinic schedule is:

. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, Airline Pharmacy, Brewer.

. 3-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, Miller Drug, Bangor.

. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, Airline Pharmacy, Brewer.

. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, Miller Drug, Bangor.

. 3-6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, Airline Pharmacy, Brewer.

. 3-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, Miller Drug, Bangor.

. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27, Miller Drug, Bangor.

. 3-6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, Airline Pharmacy, Brewer.

. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, Airline Pharmacy, Brewer.

. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, Miller Drug, Bangor.

For more information, call Rosscare at 973-7094 or Bangor Area Visiting Nurses at 973-6550.

Educational forum on opiate abuse

BANGOR – Parents and their teenage children, and other interested adults are invited to attend an educational forum on opiate abuse at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, at the Old Town High School cafetorium.

Opiates such as prescription drugs Oxycontin, Percocet and Vicodin, and the illicit drug heroin have a very high potential for addiction. Unfortunately, area treatment providers and law enforcement officials are seeing an increase in young people using these drugs.

As part of Red Ribbon Week, The Acadia Hospital has teamed up with the Old Town-Orono Rotary Club and the River Coalition to offer this special evening of education featuring The Acadia Hospital director of Substance Abuse Services, Brent Scobie.

Learn more about these drugs and what makes them so addictive. Learn the warning signs of abuse, and things that people can do if someone they know needs help.

The program is offered as part of Acadia’s Close to Home campaign.

The free program will include a PowerPoint presentation, viewing of the short film “Falling,” and a question-and-answer session. The presentation is expected to last no more than 11/2 hours.

A door prize and other giveaways will be awarded, including tickets to UMaine hockey games. Refreshments will be served.

There is no need to RSVP. For information, call 973-6166.

Heart Walk on Oct. 25

BANGOR – More than 500 people in northern and eastern Maine are expected to take steps to improve heart health on Saturday, Oct. 25, when they participate in the American Heart Association’s Start! Heart Walk at Husson University in Bangor.

The annual event, which raises funds to fight heart disease and stroke, America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers, begins at 8:30 a.m. with breakfast and pre-walk ceremonies. Participants will choose a 1-, 2-, 3- or 4-mile walk route before returning for lunch and closing ceremonies.

The noncompetitive walk includes teams of employees from local companies, along with friends and family members of all ages.

“Brisk walking for as little as 30 minutes a day has proven health benefits, such as providing increased energy and circulation, as well as reduced risk of heart disease,” said nurse Bindy Palmer, 2008 Heart Walk co-chairwoman. “The Start! Heart Walk is designed to help participants understand this critical message, join with others and generate a renewed commitment to heart-healthy living through walking.”

Tom and Bindy Palmer are serving as this year’s Heart Walk co-chairmen and have set a goal to raise $93,500 to fund life-saving research and education.

Bangor heart attack survivor Daniel Williams will share his experience of suffering a severe heart attack last December and how he has changed his lifestyle since that time to prevent future heart issues.

Kids are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes to add to the late October fun and may pick up “trick or treat” goodie bags along the walk route.

Children also will to enjoy a bounce house, pumpkin decorating, face painting and other kid-friendly activities. For those bringing dogs, PETCO has donated treats for them and water will be provided along the route.

Each day, some 2,400 Americans die from cardiovascular disease. That’s an average of one death every 37 seconds. A leading risk factor for heart attack and stroke is lack of physical activity. Research has found that people may gain two hours of life expectancy for every one hour of regular, vigorous exercise they do.

“We want people to know that it is never too late to ‘Start!’ down a healthier path,” said Tom Palmer. “Our hope is that the Start! Heart Walk will help jump-start a culture of physical activity among participants and increase passion for supporting the lifesaving work of the American Heart Association.”

The success of this year’s Start! Heart Walk is due in large part to its sponsors: Hannaford Supermarkets, St. Joseph Healthcare and Affiliated Healthcare Systems.

The Heart Walk is presented nationally by Subway restaurants, Healthy Choice and AstraZeneca.

Last year, more than 1 million walkers raised more than $106 million in 425 Start! Heart Walks across the country. For information on participating in the Start! Heart Walk, call the American Heart Association at 800-937-0944 or visit www.walk.americanheart.org.

Pregnancy and infant loss

BANGOR – Each year, hundreds of thousands of families in the United States are left to cope with the loss of a pregnancy or the death of an infant. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 900,000 early pregnancy losses and more than 27,000 deaths of children under 12 months occur annually.

Since 2007, local families have turned to Eastern Maine Medical Center for help through Empty Arms, a support group for families grieving infant and pregnancy loss. The group meets 7-8:30 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of each month at EMMC.

In recognition of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, several women who have experienced such loss and have participated in Empty Arms have offered to share their stories:

Both co-leaders of Empty Arms have experienced pregnancy and infant loss and have participated in grief training. They can speak toward the emotional loss, and the goals and outcomes of the group.

One of the women lost her son 10 years ago, and has been attending Empty Arms for almost a year. She is a graphic designer and plans to use her skills to assist with a planned memorial for “baby angels.”

Another woman has experienced two losses, and has been attending Empty Arms for almost a year. She is training to become a hospital volunteer and will be one of EMMC’s first Peer Companions, a group of people who are accessible to families whose babies are stillborn.

Another woman has volunteered to talk about her son who died shortly after birth in spring 2007. She has been helpful to new moms who have attended Empty Arms.

Oct. 15 marks Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

The next meeting of Empty Arms will be Oct. 22.

For more information, call Tricia Denham at 973-7741.

Hospice training

BANGOR – Beacon Hospice Inc. has announced the start of a new seven-week volunteer training and orientation program. Orientation will be held 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5. Volunteer training sessions take place 6-9 p.m. Wednesdays, Nov. 12 and 19; Tuesday, Nov. 25; and Wednesdays, Dec. 3, 10 and 17. All sessions will be held at the Beacon Hospice office, 304 Hancock St., Suite 3A.

Beacon Hospice provides end-of-life care to local terminally ill patients and relies on volunteers to ensure the delivery of care to these patients. Volunteers provide support to patients and their families in a number of ways including:

. Visiting with patients on an ongoing basis.

. Sitting vigils.

. Organizing craft projects.

. Working in the Beacon Hospice office.

For more information, volunteers may call Roanne Austin, volunteer coordinator, at 942-2920.

Army of Women for breast cancer research

BANGOR – Caring Connections, has announced its support of a new program that offers women the opportunity to help prevent breast cancer, the Love/Avon Army of Women.

The Love/Avon Army of Women seeks to recruit 1 million women nationwide to help researchers learn what causes breast cancer and to move beyond a cure to prevention.

Women in the Bangor area and across the United States are encouraged to be “one in a million” by learning more and signing up at www.armyofwomen.org.

The Love/Avon Army of Women is a partnership between the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation and the Avon Foundation. It was launched Oct. 1 to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Women have raised millions of dollars that has advanced treatment and early detection, but researchers still do not know what causes the disease.

The Love/Avon Army of Women seeks 1 million women of all ages and ethnicities to join the “Army” and consider serving as research volunteers to help scientists understand the causes of breast cancer – and how to end it.

Caring Connections has received support from the Avon Foundation for its work in the community.

“We are now pleased to ‘turn the table’ and support the Avon Foundation and the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation in this unique new effort to help prevent breast cancer,” said Caring Connections director Rosemarie LeGasse. “We encourage women in the community to visit the www.armyofwomen.org and be part of this important effort.”

All women not currently undergoing breast cancer treatment – both breast cancer survivors and those who never had the disease – are eligible to register. Universities and research labs throughout the country may submit their studies for consideration to the Army of Women, and all research will undergo a thorough medical and ethical review.

Some research may require women to complete a questionnaire, while others may require blood or saliva samples, or other simple steps. The research studies are not clinical trials and do not involve drugs or medical procedures.

The Army of Women will serve as a virtual “matchmaker,” sending an e-mail alert to women volunteers outlining the needs of each study, and women who meet the criteria have the option to take part.

“Women have repeatedly demonstrated through fundraising and advocacy their personal dedication to ending breast cancer,” said Dr. Susan Love, the visionary behind the Army of Women and a leader in the breast cancer movement for more than 30 years. “This new initiative gives women the opportunity to be part of the research itself and help shift the focus. The Army of Women will enable more scientists to move from studying cancer after it occurs, and testing new drugs and treatments, to seeking the cause and prevention. If we all join together, I know we can end breast cancer in our lifetime.”

Love, a breast cancer surgeon, is the author of the best-selling “Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book” and president of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation.

The Army of Women is important, said Marc Hurlbert, director of the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade.

“All too often, researchers cannot find the volunteers they need for their studies, or it takes up to 18 months to recruit enough,” he said. “The Army of Women will solve this problem and allow scientists to focus on their work, not recruitment, and provide timely access to healthy women volunteers, thereby moving the focus from the lab to real women, and accelerating research into breast cancer cause and prevention.”

Visit www.armyofwomen.org.

Technology for the blind

BANGOR – The public is invited to attend a Technology Demonstration Day 3-6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, at the Bangor Career Center, 45 Oak St. The event is free and of interest to those who have blind or visually impaired friends or relatives, employers, and health agency and social service personnel.

The event will offer an adaptive device display, a CCTV vendor display, catalog and brochure information, and a GPS demonstration.

Sponsors of the event are the Maine Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the Iris Network, and the Catholic Charities of Maine Education Services for Blind and Visually Impaired Children.

For more information, call 561-4020 or 888-543-8811, or e-mail kathryn.taylor@maine.gov.

Health care information honor

BANGOR – Eastern Maine Medical Center is celebrating more national recognition, joining only 25 other hospitals in the United States since 1994 that have received top honors for health care information technology.

EMMC is the only winner of the 2008 Nicholas E. Davies Organizational Award of Excellence, sponsored by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.

The prestigious award is given to select hospitals for effectively using information technology to improve the safety and quality of patient care. In receiving the award, EMMC joins an elite group of top hospitals and health systems nationwide that met the stringent criteria laid out by the society.

Dr. Eric Hartz, EMMC chief medical information officer, said the award was a crowning achievement, not only for EMMC’s employees, but also for the community.

“In the end, it is the patients of our region who benefit,” Hartz said. “We have worked hard for nearly a decade to implement the most advanced computer systems on the market to allow instantaneous sharing of health information among all health care providers involved in a patient’s care. When the software that is currently available wasn’t doing the job we wanted, we challenged our vendors to work with us to build something better. It has been a tremendous collaboration.”

“EMMC’s Computerized Provider Order Entry system is one of the most advanced in the country,” said Cathy Bruno, EMHS vice president and chief information officer of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems.

“We are so proud to be recognized with this outstanding award,” said Deborah Carey Johnson, president and CEO of EMMC. “Much of the credit goes to our employees. Over several years of planning, development and implementation, our nurses, physicians and other health care professionals have embraced advancements in information technology. They are helping to bring the latest innovations in patient care to the people of northern, central and eastern Maine. I congratulate them for this award and thank them for their dedication to these improvements for our patients.”

The Davies Award was initiated in 1994. The application process includes a two-day on-site survey by a team of adjudicators. The awards ceremony will take place in April 2009 in Chicago.