St. Elizabeth honored for tissue donation efforts

September 21, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

CLEVELAND —St. Elizabeth Health Center is among six area hospitals recognized by LifeBanc, the nonprofit organ and tissue recovery agency for Northeast Ohio, for helping to save more lives by increasing the number of organ donors and the number of organs recovered.

The hospitals will be presented with national Medals of Honor at the 2008 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Organ Donation Medal of Honor Ceremony Oct. 24 in Nashville, Tenn.

For a 12-month period from 2006-2007, three hospitals, St. Elizabeth, Huron Hospital in East Cleveland and University Hospital and Rainbow Babies in Cleveland, achieved a conversion rate at or above the national average of 75 percent. In addition, five hospitals, Akron General, MetroHealth System, Huron Hospital, University Hospital and Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital of Akron, achieved at least the national average of 3.75 or greater in the number of organs transplanted per donor.

Patient room service to be added at hospital

YOUNGSTOWN — To provide more menu options and flexibility to patients, St. Elizabeth Health Center will begin offering patients room service later this month. Patients will now be able to order almost anything they want, whenever they want, over the phone.

Carol Zabel, registered dietitian and clinical nutrition manager for Humility of Mary Health Partners, said that with room service, meals are prepared made-to-order at the time the patient calls, or patients or their families can order meals ahead of time for delivery at their convenience. In addition, the room service system interfaces with the hospital’s patient information system, ensuring that a patient’s dietary restrictions as ordered by the doctor are followed exactly.

Room service has been offered at St. Joseph Health Center in Warren since 2003 and has been provided at St. Elizabeth Boardman Health Center since its opening in 2007.

Coaches fight cancer

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown State University basketball coaches inaugural Coaches vs. Cancer Walk is Oct. 4 at YSU’s outdoor track. Registration for the 3-mile walk is 9 a.m.. The walk begins at 10 a.m. Proceeds from the event will benefit the American Cancer Society. Players, coaches and people from the community are invited to participate, said Tera DePaoli, event organizer.

The entry fee is $10 per person, but there will be a discount for YSU students who show their YSU student ID card. Also, there will be T-shirts, door prizes and a raffle. Bob Evans in Canfield and Coca Cola are sponsors of the walk. For more information about the walk, call the YSU basketball office at (330) 941-3004.

Bikers assist charity

YOUNGSTOWN — Bikers for Babies, an event to help support the March of Dimes mission of improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality, is Oct. 5 at Harley Davidson of Biketown, 5700 Interstate Blvd., beginning at 10 a.m.

Individual riders as well as members of clubs will join together in the 60-mile ride to help fund lifesaving research and educational programs aimed at helping moms have healthy babies, said David Green, president of United Autoworkers Local 1714 at General Motors Lordstown Complex. “We anticipate 100 bikes and have a goal of raising $20,000,” he said.

There will be breakfast before the ride and food after provided by an area chef, as well as prizes to raffle and give away, Green said.

To register, call (330) 207-1903 or the March of Dimes Foundation, NE Ohio Division, at (216) 643.3330.

Education for ill children

BOARDMAN — Akron Children’s Hospital’s Community Outreach and Education Support Center is offering a health education program for health professionals who care for children with asthma or diabetes on Oct. 4 at the Southwoods Executive Centre Auditorium, 100 DeBartolo Place, Suite 115. , in Boardman. The registration deadline is Friday. For more information or to register, call (330) 729-1387.

Designed for pediatric nurses, school nurses, counselors and allied health professionals, the program will cover medical and psychosocial management and intervention issues. Continuing education credit is available.

Breast cancer program

YOUNGSTOWN – As part of its 30th annual Cancer Symposium, Humility of Mary Health Partners is offering an “Update on Breast Cancer” program from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 21 at Stambaugh Auditorium, 1000 5th Ave. The program includes information on risk factors and genetic testing; screening; and diagnosis and treatment. Speakers include Dr. Nancy Gantt, associate professor of surgery, Northeast Ohio University College of Medicine; Dr. Antoine Chahine, medical director, Humility of Mary Health Partners Oncology Department; and Jennifer Stein, genetics counselor.

For more information or to register, call the Humility of Mary Healthline at (330) 480-3151 or toll-free at (877) 700-4647.

NAMI walk is Oct. 18

CANFIELD — The National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) Mahoning Valley annual 3-mile walk is Oct. 18 at the Canfield Fairgrounds. Check-in time is 9 a.m. and the walk begins at 10 a.m.

This event is coordinated by NAMI Mahoning Valley, which includes Trumbull, Mahoning, and Columbiana counties. Funds raised by the effort helps finance the goals of NAMI Mahoning Valley and programs of support, education, and advocacy for mental health consumers and their families.

There are seven teams: Trumbull Lifelines, Church of God Servers, YSU Counseling Program, TGFN, Dianna’s Darlings, Mahoning County Mental Health Board, PsyCare.

More teams and team captains are still needed.

For more information about this event, call (330) 584-9213, (330) 584-6141 or (330) 718-8097.

Senior forum in October

YOUNGSTOWN — The first Mahoning County Senior Citizen’s Forum is from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Mahoning County Job and Family Services office, 345 Oak Hill Ave. The event is free.

Workshop topics include programs for seniors, predatory lending and identity theft, Area Agency on Aging’s Passport Program, Social Security information, and senior services offered by the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department. Call Lenore LaRubbio for more information at (330) 740-2600 ext. 8633.

Legal services talk

AUSTINTOWN — The First Ohio Chapter of the Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health offers a program, “Ohio Legal Services: Updates on Obtaining Services for Our Special Kids,” from 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 30 at the D&E Clinic, 142 Javit Court. The speaker is Ernestine Hargett. Call (330) 538-0184 or (330) 533-4649.