WILKES-BARRE - The Wyoming Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross will conduct community blood drives throughout the next month. Donors who are 17 or older, weigh at least 110 pounds and are in relatively good health may give blood every 56 days. Donors who cannot attend a community drive may donate at the fixed donor site in Hanover Township. For more information, call the Red Cross at 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.
• Tuesday, Oct. 25, 12 -5 p.m., T.P.S. Medical Pavilion, 468 Northampton St., Edwardsville.
• Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2-7 p.m., St. Mary's Church, 66 Willow St., Plymouth.
• Thursday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Jewish Community Center, 60 S. River St., Wilkes-Barre.
PLAINS TWP. -- Health Education/Information Day will be held today from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Veterans Administration Medical Center's main lobby, 1111 East End Blvd. Education/information tables will be available throughout the day on many health related topics and services available at the VA and through the community. Several community health agencies will be here between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to give information about the services that they offer.
PLAINS TWP. - Geisinger Wyoming Valley will a childbirth refresher class today, 7-9:30 p.m., in the Kistler Learning Center, Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, 100 E. Mountain Blvd., Wilkes-Barre.
MOUNTAIN TOP - The Diabetes Support Group will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26, in St. Jude's School cafeteria. The topic will be "Standards of Care," what experts recommend on how to monitor diabetes health. Call 474-6590 for additional information.
PLAINS TWP. - Geisinger Wyoming Valley will offer a sibling class on Thursday, Oct. 27, 6-7:30 p.m. The class if for families with children ages 4-10 to prepare for the arrival of a new baby. Refreshments will be served.
SCRANTON - The Chrohn's and Colitis Foundation of America meeting will be held Thursday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. in the School of Nursing building at Community Medical Center. For information, call 947-3573 or 457-6651.
WILKES-BARRE - The Wyoming Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross will sponsor a Sports Safety Training class Oct. 29, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the chapter office, 256 N. Sherman St., Wilkes-Barre. The class is designed for coaches at all levels, and includes training in both adult and child CPR, sports injury prevention and first aid and use of an AED device.
The cost is $55 per person. To register, call 823-7161, ext. 328 or e-mail to altieria@usa.redcross.org .
WILKES-BARRE -- The Children's Service Center Of Wyoming Valley's 67th annual luncheon will be held Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 12 noon, at Genetti's Hotel & Conference Center, Wilkes-Barre. Jack Burke, Penn Millers Insurance, is the guest of honor. For more information, call 825-6425 extension 516.
PITTSTON - The Greater Pittston YMCA is offering a Youth Fit program, for children age 9-15 who have a body mass index of 25 or higher. A personalized program will be set up for each child and a nutritionist will assist in a group setting. The program is free, and optional adventure programs will be held once monthly for a nominal charge. For more information, call 655-2255.
KINGSTON TWP. - Candy's Place, a cancer resource center for patients and families, will now hold its gentle yoga classes every Tuesday and Thursday at The Rock Recreation Center, Carverton Road in Trucksville. This is part of the Back Mountain Harvest Assembly church. The fee is $5 for Rock members or participants 60 years of age and over, and $7 for non-members. No charge for cancer patients in treatment with a doctor's note. Call Candy's Place at 208-HOPE (4673) for more information.
PLAINS TWP. -- Hans Peter Olsen, MD, has joined Geisinger Specialty Clinic in Wilkes-Barre and Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center as an associate in orthopedics. His office is located in the Valley Medical Building, on the Geisinger Wyoming Valley Campus, 1000 East Mountain Boulevard, Plains Township.
TRUCKSVILLE -- Dr. Shawn W. Miller and Dr. Mark E. Morris have relocated their office, Chiropractic & Rehab Associates, to 165 S. Memorial Highway, Trucksville, adjacent to Sheetz in the Pendragon Center. The new office includes four treatment rooms, a massage therapy room, a rehabilitation area and waiting room.
WILKES-BARRE - The City of Wilkes-Barre Health Department is offering two free clinics.
A sexually transmitted disease clinic is held 1-4 p.m. Tuesdays. Free STD/HIV counseling and testing for Wilkes-Barre city residents only is provided at the MD Associates Building, 166 Hanover St., Suite 207, Wilkes-Barre. Call 208-4268.
An immunization clinic is held 1-4 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Thursdays. Free immunizations are provided for children ages 6 weeks to 18 years at the Kirby Health Center, 71 N. Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre. Open to anyone, regardless of residence location. Must have a current immunization record and call for an appointment, 208-4268.
has joined Geisinger's Janet Weis Children's Hospital as an associate in pediatric pulmonology. She will see patients throughout the Geisinger Health System in Wilkes-Barre, Plains, Scranton and East Stroudsburg.
Prior to coming to Geisinger, Dr. Pugazhendhi was an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University. She is Board Certified and a Diplomat of the American Board of Pediatrics.
WILKES-BARRE -- The Wilkes-Barre YMCA is offering a youth fitness program, an integrated fitness and nutrition education program for ages 8 to 18 to promote weight loss, provide nutritional education, and develop life-long fitness habits.
The rate for members and non-members will be $60 for a six week session. The class will meet six hours a week. Call to register at the front desk. 823-2191.
WILKES-BARRE - A freedom from smoking program will be offered at the Wilkes-Barre YMCA by the American Lung Association. The instructor will be Cathy Terrwilliger, Wyoming Valley Alcohol and Drug Services, Inc.
Call front desk to register for this free, six-week program. 823-2191.
WILKES-BARRE - Wyoming Valley Health Care System's Cancer Support Group meets the first and third Wednesday of each month at 4 p.m. in the Wilkes-Barre General Hospital Radiation Oncology Department, 575 N. River St., Wilkes-Barre.
The support group provides a comfortable atmosphere for cancer patients and their families and support persons to share their cancer experiences. Conducted by health professionals, the meetings provide a program of support, education and hope through informational presentations and open discussions.
For more information or to register for the program, please call 552-1300.
PLAINS TWP. - The Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center now offers My HealtheVet, an Internet-based program designed especially for veterans and their families to help them achieve the best possible health.
My HealtheVet provides "one-stop shopping" for VA information, such as benefits and services. A health education library provides up-to-date information about health conditions and healthy lifestyles. A variety of self-check tools are available for a large number of conditions. A Personal Health Journal provides a convenient and secure on-line register to record and track personal health information, such as blood pressure, body weight, medications, and tests. Veterans that receive their health care at the VA now are able to refill prescriptions online through My HealtheVet and, by this time next year, they will be able to read key portions of their health records online.
Veterans can visit My HealtheVet at .gov or through the Patient Education Web page on the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center's Web site www.va.gov/vamcwb . Registration is required for full access and is open to veterans, VA patients, and care givers.
SCRANTON - The Social Security Administration has mailed letters to people who may be eligible for the new Medicare prescription drug plan, beginning in January 2006.
The letters include an application and a return-addressed, postage-paid envelope. The letter explains the program, and tells how to apply.
Those who qualify could save an average of $2,100 per year. There are income and net-worth restrictions. Some beneficiaries will automatically qualify; anyone who has both Medicare and Medicaid, or Medicare and Supplemental Social Security Income, or anyone whose state pays their Medicare premiums will not have to complete and eligibility application.
Even those who automatically qualify must enroll in a Medicare-approved prescription drug plan to obtain coverage.
Anyone who thinks they might be eligible may apply online at www.socialsecurity.gov , or by calling 1-800-772-1213 (TTY, 1-800-325-0778).
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