October 15, 2004

What's Happening

Quilt display
The MGH Comforters, a group of MGH employees and volunteers who make quilts, will display their comfort quilts Oct. 21, from 11 am to 3 pm in the Main Corridor. The quilts will then be given to Pediatric Oncology outpatients and their siblings. For more information, call the MGH Volunteer Department at (617) 726-8540.

Menopause and Your Health
The MGH Women's Health Coordinating Council will host "Menopause and Your Health" Oct. 28, from 6 to 8:30 pm at the MGH Charlestown HealthCare Center. The program is designed to help women better understand the facts about menopause and current treatment options. The registration fee is $25. For more information, call Mary Ellen Heike, RN, at (617) 724-8044 or send e-mail to mheike@partners.org.

CRP training seminar
The Clinical Research Program (CRP) is sponsoring "Conducting FDA-regulated Research" Oct. 28, from 8 am to 2:30 pm in the Wellman Conference Room.
The session will focus on the basic duties of research nurse/coordinators involved in investigational drug or device studies. There is a fee, and enrollment is limited. To register, visit http://crnet.mgh.harvard.edu or call (617) 726-1669.

LADDERS autism conference
The LADDERS program and MassGeneral Hospital for Children will host the 10th annual "Current Trends in Autism Conference Oct. 29 to 31 at the Sheraton Ferncroft Resort in Danvers, Mass. The conference will present the most up-to-date information in the field of autism to parents and professionals concerned about children, adolescents and adults whose diagnosis falls along the autism spectrum. For more information or to register, visit www.ladders.org/current.php or call (617) 414-7012.

EAP monthly series
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) will hold its second meeting of the elder care monthly series Oct. 26, from noon to 1 pm in the Trustees Conference Room, Bulfinch 225A. The remaining meetings will be held Nov. 9 and Dec. 28 at the same time. Barbara Moscowitz, LICSW, MGH Geriatric Social Worker, will discuss care coordination; family issues associated with caring for an elder adult; legal, estate and medical issues; grieving loss; and caring for oneself in the midst of it all. For more information, call (617) 726-6976.

Ramadan celebration
MGH Patient Care Services, the Diversity Steering Committee, and MGH Chaplaincy, along with MGH Muslim staff, invite the MGH community to Iftar
dinner — a breaking of the fast ceremony during the holy month of Ramadan — Oct. 27, from 5:15 to 7:30 pm in the Wellman Conference Room. To make a reservation, send e-mail to Lulu Sanchez at mghinterpreters@partners.org or Firdosh Pathan at fpathan@partners.org by Oct. 23. All Muslim patients, family members, staff and friends are welcome to attend.

Senior HealthWISE program
MGH Senior HealthWISE will sponsor "Fall Prevention for Older Adults: Is One Fall Too Many?" Oct. 19, from 11 am to noon in the Walcott Conference Rooms. Monera Wong, MD, an MGH fellow in Geriatric Medicine, will discuss what causes falls, how to prevent them and how doctors can help. This event, for seniors 60 years and older, is free of charge. For more information, call (617) 724-6756.

Patient education conference
The MGH Patient Education Committee will host a conference "Healthy Behaviors: Coaching Your Patient to Success" Nov. 5, from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm in the O'Keeffe Auditorium. The keynote speaker will be James Prochaska, MD, author of "Changing for Good." The conference is free of charge to MGH employees. To register, call the Center for Clinical and Professional Development at (617) 726-3111.

Bowditch prize nominations
Nominations still are being accepted for the annual Nathaniel Bowditch Prize. The $5,000 award will be presented to an MGH employee who has made a significant contribution to improving the quality of care at the hospital while reducing the cost of such care. All nominations should be submitted by Oct. 29 to Andrew Warshaw, MD, White 506. For more information, call Suzanne Williams at (617) 726-8254.

MGH Quit Smoking Service program
The MGH Quit Smoking Service will offer an evening smoking cessation program starting Nov. 2 at 5:30 pm. This seven-session, weekly group program includes information about preparing to quit, coping with stress without cigarettes and tips for not smoking again. For more information, call Michele Burgener at (617) 726-7443.

Pre-college classes
The Partners in Career and Workforce Development Initiative will offer "Pre-college Reading and Writing for Non-Native Speakers" starting Nov. 8. This 30-week class will be held Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. A 20-week "Pre-college Class"also will be offered starting Jan. 24 and will be held Mondays and Wednesdays from 7 to 8:30 pm. Both classes will be held at 100 Charles River Plaza. For more information, call Raymond Heath at WorkSource Partners at (617) 232-0330, ext. 138.