- Community, Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThis week is National Volunteer Week, and though the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has kept our team of dedicated volunteers out of the hospital in recent weeks, we remain grateful for all they have done for our community. AAMC President Sherry Perkins shares her appreciation for our auxilians and volunteers. To our wonderful auxilians and volunteers, This week, we celebrate National Volunteer Week. Though our halls are not currently bustling with auxilians and volunteers, we at Anne Arundel Medical Center want to honor your efforts and express our gratitude for everything you do. Just weeks ago, your smiles were the first introductions our patients had to AAMC as they walked through our doors. You provided a warm and welcome distraction when families popped into the gift shop. You supported our staff all over the hospital and beyond by providing an extra component of care and compassion to patients and their families. I know those days will come again. The history of volunteerism here at AAMC has deep-seated roots. When a donated farmhouse developed into our downtown Franklin Street location in the early 1900s, we received incredible support from our community. Now, many years later, and more than ever, we rely on that help. I learned the meaning of an auxiliary in my first 10 years at AAMC – you set the bar for what a Blue Crew looks like! Thank you for teaching me. I’m so proud to be back and work and lead with you. Our community members, including many of you, have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by coming together to make masks for patients, procuring valuable personal protective equipment for our staff, donating food to feed our health care heroes, and working to ensure we can make it through this crisis together. We thank you. Volunteers and auxilians strengthen our organization’s mission to enhance the health of the people we serve. Your assistance in providing patient and family centered, high-quality care is part of what makes AAMC unique. I want you to know how much we appreciate you. And when we come through this, we all look forward to seeing you back in our hallways and beyond again. We miss you terribly. We all love our Blue Crew. And cannot wait to welcome you back with that Blue Crew chant. My deepest thanks and warmest regards for all you do, Sherry0
- Cancer Care, Men's Health, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogUntil recently, experts typically found early stage lung cancer by accident. Since you rarely have symptoms with early lung cancer, finding it early was often a matter of luck. Take, for instance, the person who fell off a ladder and needed a chest x-ray to look for injuries. In turn, the x-ray found an abnormality and additional tests then found lung cancer. But times have dramatically changed. The results of the National Lung Screening Trial led to the new recommendation of a yearly low-dose chest CT scan for those at high risk of lung cancer. While there are a few exceptions, private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid should fully cover your screening. Take our pledge to love your lungs, and be entered to win a $50 Visa gift card! Am I High Risk? Smoking is the biggest risk factor for lung cancer. It’s also the primary risk to determine if you’re eligible for screening. Other risks include exposure to asbestos, radon gas, or prolonged contact with other environmental toxins. You should talk to your doctor about your personal risk factors and if you’re a candidate. Guidelines recommend the low-dose chest CT scan for lung cancer if you’re between the ages of 55 and 80, and have smoked at least 30 pack-years (number of packs per day x number of years). This includes people who still smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. Ready to Quit? Quitting may not be easy. If you smoke or use smokeless tobacco and it’s difficult to quit on your own, you likely suffer from nicotine dependence or tobacco addiction. Like any other disease, tobacco dependence requires ongoing treatment and support. And just like diabetes and heart disease, tobacco dependence often requires a combination approach of expert help and lifestyle changes. We often think of tobacco use as a public health issue – and it is. But it’s also a disease that needs individualized and specialized treatment. Research shows the most effective treatment includes a combination of counseling and medication(s). Counseling can include one-on-one sessions between you and a trained tobacco treatment specialist, or a group approach with classes designed to give you tools for letting go of your tobacco dependence. There are seven FDA approved medications for treating tobacco dependence. You can use these medications to ease nicotine withdrawal symptoms while you work on changing your habits and routines linked to tobacco use throughout the day. Work with your health care provider on a treatment that’s right for you. One of the biggest hurdles you may face is the shame of continued use of tobacco despite serious health effects and pleas from your loved ones to stop. The key is for you to understand that dependence on nicotine is very powerful. Asking for help is okay. Once you move past this hurdle, find the right treatment plan and a qualified, supportive health care team, you can take control of your life and let go of tobacco for good. If you’re ready to quit, Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) can help. Visit askAAMC.org/QuitSmoking or call 443-481-5366 to learn more. Authors By Stephen Cattaneo, MD, medical director of Thoracic Oncology, and Joanne Ebner, Cancer Prevention program supervisor, at Anne Arundel Medical Center. Originally published April 17, 2017. Last updated Nov. 15, 2018.0
- Cancer Care, Men's Health, Women's Health, PediatricsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThe Geaton and JoAnn DeCesaris Cancer Institute at Anne Arundel Medical Center is partnering with two leading area pediatric practices to help raise awareness, and educate parents and health care providers about the importance of the HPV vaccine as a form of cancer prevention. About nine in 10 people will be exposed to HPV, or human papillomavirus, in their lifetime. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly all cases of cervical cancer can be linked to HPV. Experts say HPV also causes between 50 to 60 percent of cancers, including cervical cancer, vaginal and vulvar cancers, anal cancer, throat cancer and penile cancer. “Despite the potential to drastically reduce the number of HPV-related cancers and other diseases, the HPV vaccine has not gained widespread use,” said Luqman Dad, MD, radiation oncologist at AAMC and chair of the medical center’s HPV vaccine taskforce. “We want to see that change because when HPV infections persist, people are at risk for cancer. Raising awareness about the safety and effectiveness of the HPV vaccine is important to us as health care providers. We want parents to know that the HPV vaccine is cancer prevention, and vaccine benefits far outweigh the risks.” “We are excited to join this group of experts to highlight the importance of HPV immunization for children in our community,” said Charles L. Parmele, MD, chief medical officer of Annapolis Pediatrics. “We understand there are many misconceptions about the safety and effectiveness of this vaccine. As pediatricians, this is a great opportunity for us to provide accurate information so parents can make the best decisions on behalf of their children today to reduce their risk of cancer in the future.” The CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have studied the vaccine carefully and determined it is safe. The HPV vaccine has many of the same, mild side effects as other vaccines. The most common side effects reported after vaccination are minor and include pain, redness or swelling in the arm where the patient received the shot; fever; headache or feeling tired; and nausea. “HPV vaccination is an integral part of preventing cancers in young women and men. It is important for families and primary care providers to have an early, open dialogue about the benefits of the HPV vaccine,” said Robert G. Graw, Jr., MD, chief executive officer and founder of the Pediatric Group and a pediatric oncologist at AAMC. Doctors recommend that children get the vaccine before they become sexually active, which is when it is most effective. Boys and girls who are 11 or 12 years old should get two shots of HPV vaccine six to twelve months apart. Children who receive their two shots less than five months apart will require a third dose of HPV vaccine. If your child is older than 14 years, three shots will need to be given over 6 months. Visit askAAMC.org/HPVvaccine for more information.0
- SpecialtyDigestive symptoms, such as nausea, abdominal pain and weight loss, can happen for many reasons. A gastroenterologist's job is to figure out what is going on and to bring relief. Gastroenterologists also make sure your digestive system is functioning well, supplying you with the nutrients you need., Why Luminis Health At Luminis Health, we pride ourselves in caring for patients close to their homes. We treat problems that occur in any part of the digestive system (biology class refresher: that includes the esophagus, stomach, gallbladder, pancreas, liver and intestines). Gastroenterologists conduct colon cancer screenings and also diagnose and treat a number of conditions. They even have a fancy scope to see right into the digestive system. (Pretty cool, right?) We go beyond that, providing treatments that aren't available in all hospitals. We're one of a select number of centers in the state to offer interventional gastroenterology, which means we diagnose and treat conditions using tiny instruments the doctor sends down the esophagus through a specialized tube. This technique avoids the risks of surgery and cutting through the skin, so patients recover faster. If we find a problem that requires surgery or cancer care, we work closely with our colleagues in these fields. This ensures that patients get the best, most appropriate care right away., When Should You See a Gastroenterologist? The American Cancer Society recommends that all Americans get screened for colon cancer every 10 years, starting at age 45. While colonoscopies aren't "fun," they're not painful — and they usually take only 30 minutes or so. The best part is they allow your gastroenterologist to find growths that could turn into cancer and remove them before that happens. (Bye, bye, precancerous growths!) Another reason to see a gastroenterologist is if you have symptoms of a digestive-system condition. Your doctor may refer you or you can call us directly. Signs of a digestive disorder include: Abdominal pain. Unexplained weight loss. Bleeding in the stool or from the rectum. Low iron levels. Jaundice (yellowing of the skin, which indicates a liver problem). Diarrhea. Acid reflux (heartburn). Pain as food moves down the esophagus. A sensation of food getting 'stuck' in the esophagus. Vomiting., Conditions We Care for at Luminis Health Gastroenterology At Luminis Health, our gastroenterology team can both diagnose and treat a wide range of digestive-health problems. (One-stop care, close to home. Pretty great, right?) We care for patients with the following conditions: Stones in the bile ducts Infections in the pancreas or bile ducts Non-cancerous growths and cysts in various parts of the digestive system Cancers, including esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer and colon cancer Ulcerative colitis Crohn's disease Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) Gallstones Liver disease Chronic hepatitis C, Tests and Treatments We Offer At Luminis Health, we offer common and routine procedures as well as advanced technologies. This means we can diagnose patients quickly. (We know that digestive symptoms can be unpleasant, to say the least!) As a growing hospital network, we are attracting more doctors with expertise in innovative treatments that weren't available even a few years ago. That's good news — advances in treatment mean patients experience improved health with fewer side effects. Here are some of the tests and treatments we offer at Luminis Heath Gastroenterology: Colonoscopy, to screen for cancer or look for problems in the colon. Advanced Endoscopy : minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat a wide range of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions, including complex issues affecting the esophagus, stomach, gallbladder, pancreas, liver and intestines. Upper endoscopy , in which the surgeon inserts a very thin, flexible tube down the throat. The tube has a camera on it to show the esophagus, stomach and more. Don't worry — this test isn't painful. Medication management for a range of digestive-system problems. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP, for short). This is an advanced procedure where the doctor inserts a dye into the pancreatic or bile ducts. Combined with x-ray technology, it allows the doctor to see any blockage, tumor or infection in the liver, gallbladder or pancreas. Endoscopic ultrasound, which uses the same technology as a normal ultrasound but shows the digestive system in much more detail. Lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) , a new technology to connect different parts of the digestive system. This can be helpful in draining an infection in the pancreas, for example. Other imaging tests , including MRI.0
- PediatricsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogStrep throat is a throat infection caused by a bacteria called group A Streptococcus bacteria (group A strep). The bacteria live in the nose and throat. Strep throat is contagious and spreads easily from person to person through airborne droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Good hand washing is important to help prevent the spread of this illness. Children diagnosed with strep throat should not attend school or daycare until they have been taking antibiotics and had no fever for 24 hours. Strep throat mainly affects school-aged children between 5 and 15 years of age, but can affect adults too. When it isn’t treated, it can lead to serious problems including rheumatic fever (an inflammation of the joints and heart) and kidney damage. How is strep throat spread? Strep throat can be easily spread from an infected person’s saliva by: Drinking and eating after them. Sharing a straw, cup, toothbrushes, and eating utensils. When to go to the emergency room Call 911 if your child has trouble breathing or swallowing. Call your health care provider about other symptoms of strep throat, such as: Throat pain, especially when swallowing. Red, swollen tonsils. Swollen lymph glands. Stomachache; sometimes, vomiting in younger children. Pus in the back of the throat. What to expect in the ER Your child will be examined and the health care provider will ask about his or her health history. The child’s tonsils will be examined. A sample of fluid may be taken from the back of the throat using a soft swab. The sample can be checked right away for the bacteria that cause strep throat. Another sample may also be sent to a lab for testing. Your provider will usually prescribe an antibiotic to kill the bacteria. Be sure your child takes all the medicine, even if he or she starts to feel better. Antibiotics will not help a viral throat infection. If swallowing is very painful, your provider may also prescribe painkilling medicine. When to call your health care provider Call your health care provider if your otherwise healthy child has finished the treatment for strep throat and has: Joint pain or swelling. Shortness of breath. Signs of dehydration (no tears when crying and not urinating for more than 8 hours). Ear pain or pressure. Headaches. Rash. Fever (see Fever and children, below). Easing strep throat symptoms These tips can help ease your child’s symptoms: Offer easy-to-swallow foods, such as soup, applesauce, popsicles, cold drinks, milk shakes, and yogurt. Provide a soft diet and avoid spicy or acidic foods. Use a cool-mist humidifier in the child’s bedroom. Gargle with saltwater (for older children and adults only). Mix 1/4 teaspoon salt in 1 cup (8 oz) of warm water. Are you looking for a primary care doctor? Search our Find A Doc directory. Originally published Jan. 31, 2018. Last updated Jan. 10, 2020.0
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