April 2009  
 
 
  Sneak Peek: Sarasota Memorial's New 9-Story Bed Tower
The Sarasota County Public Hospital Board approved spending up to $186 million on a new 9-story bed tower that will change the face of the community's only public hospital. Full scale model rooms have been created, and the public is invited to join hospital staff for a special open house to tour the rooms and get an overview of campus-wide improvements. When complete, the campus improvements will replace up to 220 patient rooms in the oldest wings of the hospital – with the Neonatal Intensive Care, Labor & Delivery and Orthopedics Units among the areas moving into the new tower. The state-of-the-art facility – which will provide more private rooms – feature the latest technology and patient safety and comfort amenities. The open house will be held 5-7 pm Tuesday, April 14, across the street (north side) from the front entrance of Sarasota Memorial's Emergency Care Center, 1700 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. For information or to RSVP, call our HealthLine at 917-7777. Individuals or groups also can arrange guided tours of the rooms Monday-Friday during regular business hours through the month of April. To schedule a tour, call 917-1804.
  

Community Health Calendar
Upcoming events, classes, support groups. Register online or
call (941) 917-7777.

View the SMH Community Health Calendar

ONGOING EDUCATION & SUPPORT

For information on any of these free events, call HealthLine at (941) 917-7777 or browse our calendar at www.smh.com.

Stroke Support – 10-11:30 am second Wednesday of each month. Information: (941) 917-7048

Caregiver Connection – 9:30-11 am second Wednesday of each month. Information: (941) 917-7777

The Parkinson Wellness Club – 9:30-11:30 am third Wednesday of each month. Information: (941) 917-7777

Living Well With Heart Failure: (941) 917-2114

FREE Memory Screenings: (941) 917-7197

FREE Mental Health Assessments: (941) 917-7760

Childbirth Education (Free and fee-based classes) – (941) 917-1700

Sarasota Memorial Health Care Foundation
Sarasota Memorial
HealthCare Foundation
Advancing Healthcare Through
Philanthropy Since
1976

Do you have a question about
health & fitness?
Ask David - a Healthplex Expert:
David-Flench@smh.com Ask David - a Healthplex Expert

Can Drinking Water Help You Lose Weight?
A new study gives evidence that drinking lots of water daily can help in a weight loss program. Researchers looked at how much water 174 women drank in a year-long weight loss program conducted at Stanford University. Drinking water was found to be an independent benefit in weight loss. It also was shown to encourage healthier eating habits, such as drinking water in place of soft drinks and other higher calorie beverages. Water also has benefits to kidney and bladder health, temperature regulation in hot climates, and a healthy circulation. Drinking water may also help suppress appetite and calorie intake. All of these reasons add credibility to the idea that drinking water frequently throughout the day and staying well-hydrated may help in long-term weight loss and weight management. It’s an easy practice to try, is inexpensive, and has healthy side effects.

The exercise professionals at Sarasota Memorial Healthplex can answer your health and fitness questions to assist you in meeting your goals. You are invited to drop in anytime for a tour to experience the Healthplex difference! Visit www.SarasotaHealthplex.com or call (941) 917-7000 for more information.
     
 

Taking Charge Of Your Health Care Decisions
Join a panel of medical, legal and community experts for National Healthcare Decisions Day 2009 and learn more about ethical & living wills, advanced directives, health care surrogates and ways to make your wishes clear should an accident, injury or illness prevent you from expressing important decisions yourself, 2-4 pm Thursday, April 16, in the Selby Auditorium at the University of South Florida, 8350 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Continuing education credits are available for qualified professionals ($10 fee). Call 359-4203 for information or register at www.sarasota.usf.edu/ippl.


     
 

Parkinson Health Fair & Open House
Meet our team of local health professionals offering the latest treatments, therapies, support services and resources for Parkinson patients & their families, 9:30 am-noon Tuesday, April 21, at Sarasota Memorial’s Institute for Advanced Medicine, 5880 Rand Blvd. (1/2-mile west of I-75 off Clark Road). Complimentary continental breakfast and convenient parking & drop off. Please RSVP: 917-7777.

 
     
 

Energy Saving Tips for Home & Business
Sarasota Memorial’s Green Team is hosting a free community education event 12-1:30 pm on Earth Day, April 22, in the hospital’s first floor auditorium. Florida Power & Light will present energy saving ideas for home and business. Seating is limited. Please RSVP: 917-7777.

 
     
 

National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week
To recognize the important role the hospital’s laboratory staff play in patient care, Sarasota Memorial will conduct daily tours of the lab at 2 pm each day from April 20 to April 24 - National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week. To join a tour, meet in the hospital’s front lobby or call 917-7986 for information.

 
     
 

Breaking the Stigma
Join us for a free community education event featuring Tipper Gore, former Second Lady of the United States and well-known advocate for mental health issues, 1 pm Saturday, April 25, at the Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. Mrs. Gore will discuss the stigma surrounding mental illness and how it affects people seeking treatment, what society can do to combat the stigma and how self-stigma impedes people from seeking help. Following her presentation, there will be a panel discussion with mental health experts Parlane Reid, M.D., psychiatrist and Chief Medical Officer of Sarasota Memorial Hospital, and Family Therapist Chris Cortman, Psy.D., followed by a question-and-answer session. Reservations are required. Register at www.mhcci.com or call 953-3477 or 917-7777.

 
     
 

Forgiveness
Join Family Therapist Chris Cortman, Psy.D., 8:30-10:30 am Tuesday, May 5, for a free community presentation on the processes and dynamics associated with forgiveness. The event will be held at Senior Friendship Centers, 1888 Brother Geenen Way, Sarasota. Continuing education credits are available for qualified professionals ($10 fee). RSVP: 917-1779.

 
     
 

8th Annual Physicians Golf Tournament
Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation will host its annual fund raiser Friday, May 8, at The Founders Club. Information: 917-1286.

  
     
 

FREE In-Home Assessments For Senior Caregivers
Thanks in part to a state grant, Sarasota Memorial is providing free in-home assessments and assistance to local residents caring for seniors with memory problems for a limited time this year. The program – which has no income requirements – runs through June 30, 2009. Anyone over the age of 18 caring for someone 60 or older with memory problems is eligible. Sarasota Memorial will send trained staff to your home to complete a thorough assessment, offer basic training and tips on caring for someone with memory loss and prepare a care plan that links caregivers with local resources when possible. For information or to arrange a home assessment, call (941) 917-7197.

  
     
 

Sarasota Memorial Named Tampa Bay's Top-Ranked Hospital in AARP Magazine
Sarasota Memorial was rated higher than any other hospital in the Tampa Bay area and among the top hospitals in the nation, according to results of a Consumers' Checkbook survey reported in the May/June 2009 issue of AARP The Magazine. Consumers' Checkbook, a nonprofit research organization, surveyed doctors for hospital recommendations and rated nearly all acute-care hospitals in the United States based on death rates, complication rates, patient recommendations and other measures. Just 125 hospitals made the list of the nation's top-ranked hospitals. Sarasota Memorial was the study's highest-rated hospital in the greater Tampa Bay metropolitan area and one of only two hospitals in the region to be included on the national list. To view the list and compare survey results, visit www.aarpmagazine.org/health.

  
     
   
 
This newsletter is produced by Sarasota Memorial's team of healthcare professionals. You are receiving Health e-clicks because you either have joined our mailing list or were referred by a friend. We will protect your privacy and will not share your email address with other organizations. Click here to view our patient privacy practices. If you wish to be taken off our mailing list, Unsubscribe here or call 941-917-7777. Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, 1700 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida 34239.