Honored by NAMI

Honored by NAMI
POLAND -- Carol Nolan Hetherington of Bethany, Okla., formerly of Poland, was recognized as an "outstanding mental-health volunteer" at the annual conference of the Oklahoma National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. Cited for her "quiet leadership and countless contributions," she has been a NAMI volunteer for more than 20 years. Hetherington, 66, is a 1953 graduate of Springfield Local High School and a 1999 liberal-studies graduate of the University of Oklahoma. She and her husband, James, a 1953 graduate of Boardman High School, a former traffic controller at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna and air traffic control instructor at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, have eight children. They moved from Poland to Oklahoma in 1968.
Program open house
YOUNGSTOWN -- S.A.M.I., the dual-diagnosis program of Meridian Services, offers an open house May 23 from 5 to 7 p.m., which includes an informational presentation at 6 p.m. at the Ron Marion Facility, 550 W. Chalmers Ave. The S.A.M.I. program provides support services for substance-abusing mentally-ill clients. Call (330) 746-6452 for more information.
Grief publication
WASHINGTON -- Hospice Foundation of America has published "Living With Grief: Loss in Later Life," which offers insights into the challenges and opportunities older people face as they cope with loss. Call (800) 854-3402 for more information.
HM Talk With a Doc
Humility of Mary Health Partners' May Talk With a Doc program offers information about Coblation, a minimally invasive nasal surgery with no packing, and a procedure for a less-painful tonsillectomy. The program, free and open to the public, will be at 7 p.m. May 23 at Humility House, 755 Ohltown Road, and at 7 p.m. May 30 at St. Joseph Health Center, Warren. Dr. Richard D. Gentile, facial plastic surgeon and otolaryngologist, is the featured speaker. Call (877) 700-4647 for more information.
Free or low-cost care
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A 32-page booklet, "Free & amp; Low Cost Prescription Drugs," published by the Cost Containment Research Institute, offers information on how to save money on prescription drugs. The booklet lists medications available through patient assistance programs. The Institute also publishes "Free & amp; Low Cost Medical Care," which lists hospitals and outpatient and nursing-care facilities that are required to provide free or low-cost care. Copies of the books are available by sending a $5 check for each to Institute Fulfillment Center, P.O. Box 210, Dallas, Pa. 18612-0210.
St. Francis accredited
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- St. Francis Hospital of New Castle has been accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The Joint Commission's on-site survey of St. Francis in March included its home-care services, hospice and skilled nursing center.
LPN association meets
BOARDMAN -- The Licensed Practical Nurse Association, Division 3 of Mahoning and Trumbull Counties, will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, May 20, at Greenbriar Nursing Facility, 8064 South Ave. The program is "Top 12 Foot Problems," presented by Dr. Joseph J. Francisco Jr. All LPNs and registered nurses may attend. The cost is $2 for members and $4 for nonmembers. Call (330) 533-6272 or (330) 758-4612 for more information.
Law on hearing tests
COLUMBUS -- Gov. Bob Taft has signed House Bill 150, which requires a hearing screening for all newborns in Ohio before discharge from a hospital or free-standing birthing center; and that by June 30, 2004, a physiologic hearing screening must be used in place of paper tests. The new law also requires statewide hearing tracking and early intervention programs to identify hearing impairments.
Immunization lecture
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- Dr. John Cunningham offers a free lecture on childhood immunizations at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, at the Womancare Center, UPMC Horizon, 875 N. Hermitage Road. Call (724) 347-7700 or (866) 347-7700 for more information.
YWCA mammograms
YOUNGSTOWN -- The YWCA's ENCOREplus program offers mammograms from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, May 20, at the Y's Phelps Street parking lot. The ENCOREplus program provides breast-cancer screenings and helps refer women to low- or no-cost mammograms. Call (330) 746-6361 for eligibility requirements and to schedule an appointment.