Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Southwoods honored
BOARDMAN
The Surgical Hospital at Southwoods Health is a 2018 Pinnacle of Excellence Award winner and a 2018 Guardian of Excellence Award winner by Press Ganey.
Southwoods is the only hospital in Ohio, and one of just 11 hospitals nationwide, to receive both awards in patient experience.
“These awards are an endorsement of the hard work and dedication our staff provides every day to ensure a positive patient experience,” said Ed Muransky, chief executive officer at Southwoods.
Southwoods received the Pinnacle of Excellence Award for maintaining consistently high levels of excellence for at least three years in patient experience. The Guardian of Excellence Award recognizes those hospitals that have sustained performance in the top 5 percent for overall patient experience during the year.
Cancer screening quiz
COLUMBUS
During November, Lung Cancer Awareness Month, the American Lung Association in Ohio is encouraging people who are at risk for lung cancer to take a screening eligibility quiz at SavedByTheScan.org. Lung cancer is the nation’s leading cause of cancer deaths for both women and men, with an estimated 10,760 new diagnosis in Ohio in 2018 alone.
Screening is recommended for people between 55-80 years old, who currently smoke or quit within the last 15 years and who smoked the equivalent of one pack a day for 30 years or two packs a day for 15 years.
Lung-cancer screening helps diagnose the disease in the earliest stages when it is most curable. According to the association, if lung cancer is caught before it spreads, the likelihood of surviving five years or more improves to 56 percent.
AMA vaping policy
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.
Furthering its commitment to preventing tobacco use among youth, the American Medical Association adopted new policies aimed at making e-cigarettes less appealing to youth.
Recognizing the use of e-cigarettes and vaping as an urgent public health epidemic, the AMA pledged to work with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other relevant stakeholders to counteract the marketing and use of addictive e-cigarette and vaping devices by bans and strict restrictions on marketing to minors under 21.
The AMA believes more stringent policies would help protect the nation’s youth from the harmful effects of tobacco use.