June 10, 2005

What's Happening

Memorial service
A memorial service for Austin L. Vickery, Jr., MD, of MGH Pathology, will be held June 23, at 4 pm at the Club Room at Fox Hill, 10 Longwood Drive, Westwood, MA.

Eldercare discussion group
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) will sponsor an eldercare discussion group June 21, from noon to 1 pm in the Trustees Conference Room. Barbara Moscowitz, LICSW, an MGH geriatric social worker, will discuss care coordination, legal, estate and medical issues, and caring for oneself while caring for an elder. For more information, call the EAP at (617) 726-6976 or visit www.eap.partners.org.

Disparities in health care conference
The MGH will host a Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care Conference June 27, from noon to 1 pm in the O'Keeffe Auditorium. The conference will feature the viewing of “Worlds Apart” a documentary that captures the experiences of a group of diverse patients with chronic medical conditions as they face the cross-cultural challenges of today's health care environment. Speakers include Robert Phillips, a kidney transplant recipient who was featured in the documentary; Win Williams, MD, director of the MGH Interventional Nephrology and Transplant Unit and director of the MGH Multicultural Affairs Office; and Angelleen Peters-Lewis, RN, PhD(c), nurse manager for the MGH Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Unit.

HOPES seminars
The MGH HOPES — Helping Our Patients and Families through Education and Support — program will offer several seminars, support groups and wellness programs in June. “Chemotherapy ... What You Should Know” will be held
June 13, from 1 to 2 pm and will be led by MGH pharmacists and nurses. Jean O'Toole, PT, an MGH Physical Therapist, will lead “Lymphedema: Basics and Management” June 15, from noon to 1 pm. “Qigong,” a gentle exercise that combines physical movement and meditation, will be held June 15, from 11 am to noon. “Learning to Relax,” simple breathing and meditation exercises, will be held June 15, from noon to 1 pm in the Cox Building, first floor. Suzanne Landry, MS, RD, of MGH Nutrition and Food Services, will lead “Weighed Down by Weight Gain” June 16, from 1 to 2 pm. All events will be held in the Cancer Resource Room, located in the Yawkey Center, eighth floor, unless otherwise noted. Seminars and drop-in support groups are free, and no prior registration is required. For more information or a complete list of programs, call the Cancer Resource Room at (617) 724-1822 or the HOPES program at (617) 724-6737.

EAP lunchtime seminar
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) will sponsor “Thinking About Quitting Smoking?” June 16, from noon to 1 pm in the Thier Conference Room (formerly Wellman). The speakers will be Joanna Hilgenberg, LICSW, and Kathleen McKool, RN, MSN, from the MGH Quit Smoking Service. This is an introductory seminar designed for smokers and friends and family members who want to help the smoker quit. Topics include the health effects of tobacco use, why it is so difficult to quit, methods to help smokers become smoke-free and ways to support smokers during the quitting process. Participants are encouraged to bring their lunch to this seminar. For more information about smoking cessation, contact the MGH Quit Smoking Service at (617) 726-7443. For more information about the EAP, call (617) 726-6976 or visit www.eap.partners.org.

Summer safety health fair
MGH Chelsea HealthCare Center will host the eighth annual Summer Safety Health Fair (formerly Safety-On-Wheels) June 18, from noon to 3 pm on the Chelsea side of the Meridian Street Bridge. The event — for ages 4 to 16 — will feature free helmets, face painting, safety information, a bike check, Child ID program (CHIP), raffles, books and more.

AMMP scholarship program
Applications now are being accepted for the 2005 Association of Multicultural Members of Partners (AMMP) scholarship program. To be considered for the scholarship, a completed application, essay, two letters of recommendation, proof of acceptance into a degree or certificate program and proof of tuition cost must be submitted. The deadline is July 11 at 1 pm. For more information or to receive an application, send e-mail to Charmain Jackman at cjackman@partners.org, or visit
www.massgeneral.org/ammp.

Look Good, Feel Better seminar
Mass General West Imaging in Waltham in conjunction with the Waltham-Watertown Unit of the American Cancer Society will hold a “Look Good, Feel Better” seminar June 22, from 6 to 8 pm. This is a free program that teaches cancer patients about cosmetic techniques to help them cope with appearance-related side effects from chemotherapy or radiation treatments. Wig care, scarf and hat use, and skin and nail care will be discussed, and all participants will receive a free makeup kit. American-Cancer-Society-certified cosmetologists provide the service, which is nonmedical and does not promote any product line. Pre-registration is required. To register, call Danielle Hurley at (781) 895-1199. Mass General West Imaging is located at 40 Second Ave., PARC Building, first floor in Waltham. For more information, visit www.mghwestimaging.org.