- Physical TherapyGeneral Page Tier 3BlogFalls Prevention Awareness Week is Sept. 21-25. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: One in four Americans ages 65 and older falls each year. Every 11 seconds, an older adult receives treatment in the emergency room for a fall. Every 19 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall. Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury. They most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults. As we age, our homes provide new challenges and obstacles. These challenges and obstacles remain unseen until a problem arises. Our bodies also undergo subtle (or not so subtle) changes that create a fall risk. Even in our own home. Our homes are our castles and should be places that are safe and comfortable regardless of any physical limitations. Most people prefer to stay in their homes as they age, but are unsure of how to make changes if/when needed. When faced with mobility or cognitive changes or decline, the preference to stay at home may not remain realistic without adapting the current living environment. Here are some tips and tools to reduce the risk of falling at home and improve your ease of mobility. Clear walking pathways: Remove cords, papers, shoes, pet toys and laundry from your walking paths. Also, be aware of slippery surfaces and spills on the floor. Clean up or cover up a spill immediately. Beware of uneven surfaces in your home: Changes in flooring surfaces and sunken living areas that are not highly contrasted are easy to miss. You may fall and trip on these surfaces. Highlight steps with lighting or color striping. Work with a contractor to eliminate transition strips from carpet to tile. Even throw rugs, if not secured, are enough of an uneven surface to trip you. Add good lighting inside and outside your home: Dark hallways, poorly lit closets, stairs without lighting, doors to enter/exit the home and outside walkways without lighting increase your risk for falling. Home improvement stores have many lighting options to resolve this problem. Add supports in the bathroom: Consider adding grab bars next to your toilets as you enter or exit your shower. There are many fashionable options available at home improvement stores and various online vendors. Make your stairs safe: If you must navigate stairs to enter/exit your home or within your home, please use a well-installed railing for the full length of the stairs. It is best to install two railings if possible and have stairs carpeted. Stairs that are chipped, crumbling or with loose railings are risky. Please get these repaired. Organize frequently used items at home within your reach: Remember what your “strike zone” looked like playing baseball or softball? This is the zone you should store your most frequently used items. Getting up and down from the floor or using ladders in the home can prove difficult so, if you are unsteady, make these changes ASAP. Read the AARP HomeFit Guide: AARP has an online and printed edition guiding you on a room-by-room, area-by-area home inspection to identify fall risks and provide solutions for these risks. Visit the AARP website for details. At Anne Arundel Medical Center, we have a specialized fall prevention program. We send specially trained clinicians to your home to provide feedback on how to optimize the safety of your home while preserving the components that you love. Next, we recommend a follow-up appointment in our outpatient clinics. At our outpatient clinics, we provide intervention to minimize the risk of falls. All steps are designed so you return home with a program tailored to your specific needs to continue to maintain a lifestyle to lower your risk of falls. Our goal is to help our loved ones age in place. This allows them to live their life in the home they love. Author Marilyn Pfeiffer and Jennifer Buchanan are physical therapists at Anne Arundel Medical Group (AAMG) Physical Therapy.0
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogEach year, more than 200 undergraduate and graduate students apply for a summer clinical research internship at Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC). Just 20 students are selected for the eight-week program, which pairs students with a physician mentor and project team. The ideal intern is a student who’s highly engaged and involved in projects beyond the classroom, such as volunteering at a hospital or participating in medical mission trips, says John Moxley, Executive Director of the Department of Medicine and coordinator of the internship program. “We’re looking for students who are going above and beyond their typical coursework,” he says. The program was founded by Dr. Barry Meisenberg, Chair of the Department of Medicine, back in 2014. It has brought more than 125 students from dozens of colleges and universities around the country to AAMC. Together, they work to complete a clinical research or improvement project, then present their findings to a group of AAMC leaders, physicians and other guests at the conclusion of the program. Some of the students’ research has also appeared in scientific journals and been shared at national professional society meetings. Dr. Lori Franks, Senior Medical Director of Hospitalist Medicine, mentored intern Michelle Zhu as she studied delays in patient discharge times. Poor communication and delays in hospital discharge can leave a patient dissatisfied with their care, Dr. Franks says. Each day, Michelle obtained a list of patients on specific medicine units and visited the units at 9 am to learn which patients had a 75 percent chance or greater of being discharged that day. At 3 pm, she returned to the unit to find out which of those patients were still in the hospital, and why. “If those patients were still in the hospital, she would ask three different people why – the physician, the case manager and the charge nurse. Each of those three people are very important in assisting the patient through their hospitalization and the transition to home or other post-hospital facility,” Dr. Franks says. She and her staff are evaluating the data to determine their next steps. Other interns’ projects have led to system wide research and quality improvement initiatives including reduction in opioid prescribing, development of clinical pathways, reductions in unnecessary testing and cost savings in medical procedures. Over the last few years, the program has expanded to include a lecture series on relevant health care topics. Clinical and administrative leaders give the lectures on topics including health care finance and total cost of care, medical volunteerism and medical school and residency experience, among other subjects. Students have noted on their evaluation forms that they appreciate the access to health system mentors, John says. “I was amazed by the openness and attitude of the general AAMC community,” one student wrote this year. “Interns were readily welcomed to a wide variety of events and settings and the physicians and staff were very open to questions and discussions. Having the opportunity to shadow was definitely a highlight of the program!” “The availability of resources (human, technology, otherwise) was great- I was able to quickly access all of the people and information I needed and everyone I worked with was incredibly supportive and engaging,” another student wrote. John says at least three to five students return every year, sometimes to continue their previous work and other times to research a new subject. “Funding dependent, we’d love to have more students,” says John, adding that students now receive stipends for their work thanks to a donation coordinated by the AAMC Foundation. The internship program has grown in popularity among staff members, too. John says he had to turn away potential mentors this year due to budget limitations. Dr. Franks says it was a wonderful experience to have interns like Michelle, who bring a different perspective to AAMC. “She was very inquisitive and it was nice to have students bring a fresh perspective to the work we are doing,” she says. “It’s great to work at AAMC because we have endless opportunities for interested students to learn about patient care and potentially choose a career in the health care arena.” READ MORE: Anne Arundel Medical Center’s Simulation Center receives accreditation as a Comprehensive Education Institute by the American College of Surgeons Learn more about clinical research internship opportunities at AAMC. The application for summer 2020 interns will be available on Jan. 1.0
- Community, News & Press Releases, Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3Blog[Information updated February 10, 2022] Having a strong blood supply is more important than ever, especially as we continue to monitor the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center’s (LHAAMC) Blood Donor Center is taking these steps for the health and safety of our community: We are practicing social distancing by keeping blood donors separate. We are also keeping a safe distance between blood donors and technicians. This includes decreasing the number of donations happening at the same time on our bloodmobile. Our donor interview process identifies healthy blood donors. We added several screening questions that are specific to coronavirus to our donor interview process. We also added a two-question telephone pre-screen for potential donors. This will disqualify anyone with symptoms or possible coronavirus exposure. There is no evidence that coronavirus can be transmitted through a blood transfusion. For more details, you can check out the AABB (formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks). Additionally, we’d like to help make it clear that people who have had COVID and are fully recovered can donate blood. Per the Food and Drug Administration guidelines, individuals are eligible to donate blood 10 days after complete resolution of symptoms. Our mission is to enhance the health of the people and communities we serve and we ask for help in this endeavor. Every year, LHAAMC’s blood bank helps around 3,000 people heal from medical conditions and surgical procedures. Patients with cancer and other serious illnesses need transfusion support. And having a strong blood supply could save their lives. Healthy individuals should schedule an appointment to donate for those in need. The Blood Donor Center is located inside LHAAMC’s Wayson Pavilion, suite 450. Donation times are Monday through Wednesday from 8:15 am – 3:45 pm and Thursday and Friday from 7:15 am – 2:45 pm. You can call 443-481-4215 to schedule a time to donate. If you’re interested in hosting a blood drive, please contact the mobile coordinator at the LHAAMC Blood Donor Center at 443-481-4272 or [email protected]. Check out our donor center web page for more information and to see upcoming blood drives. Thank you for your support in keeping our community healthy!0
- Wellness, Men's Health, Heart Care, OrthopedicsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogSure, it’s a wintertime chore, but did you know shoveling snow can cause major health issues? “Shoveling snow is the equivalent of running a marathon when it comes to the strain it puts on your heart,” says Baran Kilical, MD, cardiologist and electrophysiologist. “If you do not exercise regularly or have a history of heart disease, you should think twice about shoveling. It would be better to ask a family member, friend or neighbor for help.” The cold weather can tighten your blood vessels, making it harder for blood to pass. Couple that with the sudden increase in blood pressure and heart rate from the physical exertion of shoveling, and a heart attack could be triggered. Who is at most risk? People who have had a prior heart attack, have heart disease, smoke, are overweight or lead a sedentary lifestyle. How can you make snow shoveling safer for your heart? According to the American Heart Association, you should: Take regular breaks. Frequently rest during shoveling so you don’t overstress your heart. Listen to your body and how it feels during those breaks. Skip the heavy meal prior to or soon after shoveling. Large meals can put excess strain on your heart. Push snow, instead of lift it. If you must lift the snow, do it in smaller amounts. It’s less stress on your heart to lift smaller amounts in more frequency, than to lift fewer, but heavier, loads. Skip the alcoholic beverages before or immediately after shoveling. Alcohol may lead you to underestimate the extra strain your body is under. Know the warning signs of a heart attack Also, it’s important to know the warning signs of a heart attack. Not all heart attacks look alike, but most show some or all of these signs: Chest pain or pressure that lasts more than a few minutes or comes and goes Pain or discomfort in the arms, back, jaw or stomach Shortness of breath A sudden cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness Call 911 immediately if you begin to experience any of these symptoms. Getting to the hospital at the earliest sign of a heart attack is key to a successful outcome. Protecting Your Muscles and Bones While Shoveling Shoveling not only puts stress on your heart, but also can damage your muscles and bones. Orthopedic Spine Surgeon Chad Patton, MD suggests treating shoveling as a workout. Take time to warm up and stretch before you begin. “Bend with your legs, don’t bend at your waist,” says Dr. Patton. “Try to avoid tossing the snow over your shoulder. Maintain good posture and really use your legs to do a lot of the work.” Authors Chad Patton, MD, is an orthopedic spine surgeon at Luminis Health Orthopedics. To reach him, call 410-268-8862. Originally published Jan. 22, 2016. Last updated Jan. 23, 2026.0
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogLanham, Md. — Luminis Health marked a major milestone in expanding access to comprehensive care with the official groundbreaking of the new Women’s Health Pavilion at Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center (LHDCMC). The ceremony, held this morning, brought together health system leaders, local and state officials, clinicians, and community stakeholders to celebrate the future of women’s healthcare in Prince George’s County. The 67,000-square-foot pavilion will serve as a centralized hub for a full spectrum of services designed to meet the unique healthcare needs of women and families. The facility will include inpatient obstetric care, such as labor, delivery, and postpartum services, along with expanded specialty care offerings to support patients before, during, and after pregnancy. “This groundbreaking represents our commitment to improving the health and well-being of the communities we serve,” said Tori Bayless, CEO of Luminis Health. “The Women’s Health Pavilion is more than a building, it is a promise to deliver compassionate, high-quality, and equitable care for women and families across our region. We are proud to invest in a future where every woman has access to the care she deserves, close to home.” The three-story, state-of-the-art facility will include: Private labor and delivery rooms Dedicated C‑section operating rooms Midwife supported birthing suites Postpartum and nursery units Level II Special Care Nursery Future shell space for expanding women’s services Rooftop helipad with direct access to the Emergency Department Prince George’s County is home to nearly one million residents, yet 8 in 10 women leave the county to deliver their babies due to limited access to obstetrical care. Black women in the region also face disproportionately high maternal mortality rates, approximately 50% higher than the national average. “Delivery is just one part of a much larger journey,” said Deneen Richmond, president of Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center. “The Women’s Health Pavilion reflects our commitment to a coordinated approach to maternal care, supporting women before pregnancy, guiding them through high-quality prenatal care, and ensuring that support continues during the critical postpartum period.” Construction is underway, with expanded women’s health services scheduled to launch in late 2028. Once fully operational, LHDCMC expects to deliver approximately 2,000 babies each year. The project also features major upgrades to core clinical and support areas of the hospital, including: Modernized operating rooms, interventional radiology, and sterile processing Redesigned Emergency Department Expanded laboratory and food & nutrition spaces Major utility and infrastructure improvements In addition to enhancing care, the Maternal Health and Campus Modernization Initiative is expected to bring meaningful economic benefits to Prince George’s County by creating jobs, supporting local businesses, and driving economic activity throughout the construction process. The groundbreaking ceremony concluded with a ceremonial turning of the soil, marking the official start of construction on a project that will shape the future of healthcare in the region. For more information about Luminis Health and the Women’s Health Pavilion project, visit our website.0
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