- Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThe C-word no one wants to hear is cancer. Thankfully, cervical cancer is highly preventable thanks to the HPV vaccine. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, there has been a significant drop in the number of young people receiving the HPV vaccine. January is cervical cancer awareness month, and it’s a good opportunity to learn about screenings and vaccinations. What is Cervical Cancer? It is cancer that starts in the cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. We know that the human papillomavirus (HPV) causes changes in cells that lead to this type of cancer. Many women do not experience symptoms of early-stage cervical cancer, which is why screening is so important. Symptoms of advanced cervical cancer include: Pain in the abdomen, pelvis, or back Pelvic pressure Difficult urination Difficult bowel movements Abnormal vaginal bleeding, including in between periods Common treatments include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. What Are Your Options? The HPV vaccine protects people from the types of HPV that usually cause cancer. But the key is to get the vaccine before there’s a chance of being exposed to HPV. Children can get the HPV vaccine as early as age 9, but most providers recommend it for preteens ages 11–12. We suggest that people younger than 26 get the vaccine if they haven’t had it already. Your provider can help you know if and when the vaccine is right for you. Providers have safely administered the HPV vaccine to young women for more than a decade. Schedule Regular Cervical Cancer Screenings Even after receiving the HPV vaccine, women should plan on screenings. There are two main screening tests—the more well-known Pap test and the HPV test. The Pap test looks for cells on the cervix that may become cancer. The HPV test looks for signs of HPV, which can lead to cervical cancer. If you have a cervix, we recommend getting your first Pap test at age 21. Consult with your gynecologist regarding specific screening recommendations that are right for you. You may need screenings more often if the test results are abnormal or you’re at a higher risk of cancer. When cervical cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, the 5-year relative survival rate is 92%. With it being Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, make it a priority to get a routine screening, and if you haven’t already, make sure your children receive the HPV vaccine. It can save their life. Author Nicholas C. Lambrou, MD, FACOG, FACS, is the chief of gynecologic oncology at Luminis Health. Dr. Lambrou’s areas of interest include the treatment of women with gynecologic cancer, cancer prevention strategies and advanced gynecologic surgery.0
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogIn September 2017, Tamiko Stanley joined Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) as manager of Diversity and Inclusion. This is a new position for AAMC, created as a result of the work of the Board of Trustee’s Health Equity Task Force — dedicated to eliminating health disparities in our community, and strengthening AAMC’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Tamiko comes to AAMC from Pittsburgh, Pa., where she worked in the diversity field for a number of large organizations, including FedEx Supply Chain, the City of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Pirates. In this Q&A, Tamiko shares her perspective on and aspirations for her new role. What does your role as manager of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) mean to you? My role as the head of D&I means a great deal to me. I’m helping us do our part in reducing health disparities, and ensuring a culturally competent workforce that reflects the communities we serve. And helping to build and foster a workplace where all employees feel valued. I’m proud to be a part of an organization committed and dedicated to this mission. What does D&I mean? D&I means the opposite of indifference about difference. It means being intentional about difference. Fundamentally, diversity is people who offer difference in ethnicity, gender, culture and values. Inclusion is the action-orientated piece to diversity. It is the act of bringing together these differences and harnessing the power they bring. It is done by encouraging involvement and giving voice to all perspectives in order to contribute to the collective. Why is it important in an organization? The relationship between success and effective D&I is proven. D&I produces a more creative and innovative workforce that delivers effective, efficient and impactful solutions. Specifically in health care, culturally competent interaction and culturally customized care make each patient, family, colleague and community encounter better. At the core of it all, it’s the right thing to do, the smart thing to do, the responsible thing to do, and the only business-sensible thing to do for future success. How do we begin to practice and implement D&I strategies at AAMC? Our strategy will start with equipping our personal tool boxes, so that we each can contribute to fostering inclusion. That starts with dialogue. The overall goal is for diversity and inclusion to be integrated into what we do every day. Are other organizations engaged in similar initiatives? If you look at the world’s most successful companies, you’ll find a successful D&I strategy embedded in those organizations. We’ll learn from those organizations and benchmark ourselves for success. How will we know if those strategies are working? Success will come in many forms, both tangible and intangible. Tangible goals include increased diversity in the organization and more diverse applicant pools for positions. More diversity in position promotions and more diverse vendors, as well as increased patient and community satisfaction. Perhaps even more importantly, we’ll see intangible impact. There will be more inclusive work groups, more freely shared ideas, and innovation in unplanned and unforeseen places. We’ll see more shared experiences and openness from all members of different cultures, background and orientation. There will be times of evaluation, reassessment and realignment. But we’ll know our strategies are working by making continuous progress toward our goals and, ultimately, accomplishing those goals. How does AAMC’s focus on D&I impact the community at large? Our D&I efforts will have positive impact on the community. We’ll look to the community for feedback, guidance and support. And we’ll continue to strengthen our community partnerships for enhanced recruitment and hiring practices, supplier diversity initiatives and much more. Ultimately, we’ll prioritize and respond to the changing and culturally specific needs of our community. Why is it important for all employees to be actively engaged in D&I? What responsibility do we have? We’ll only go as far as the participation of our employees take us. We each have a responsibility to share our uniqueness and extend the best of what we have to offer. That means participating in awareness events and initiatives, serving on the diversity council or on an event committee, volunteering as a mentor, or any one or more of the exciting opportunities to come. What are some of the immediate things you’ll be working on? What can we expect in your first year? Some of our immediate actions will include policy review, data collection for perception and attitude, goal setting for culture development, workforce and supplier diversity, awareness and inclusion initiatives, and identifying members for the diversity council, community partner network, and champions of inclusion committees. Beyond that, we have so much in store. Everyone can expect to feel a slight bit of communication overload as we plan to keep our workforce and community informed on where we’re headed.0
- Employee SpotlightGeneral Page Tier 3BlogFor Akela Harris, work is not just “a job” – it’s what she looks forward to every time she comes in to AAMC’s Neuro Care Unit. And sometimes, it’s a safe haven from her packed schedule.“When I’m going to work I always tell my children that I’m going to my happy place because it’s the busy that gets me away from my other busy,” she laughs. A single mother of three, Akela is a full-time mother and granddaughter during the day and a full-time patient technician at night. “I work three nights a week and go to school four days a week all for my children, as well as looking after my grandmother by taking her to doctor appointments,” she says. Akela embarked on her health care journey 13 years ago when she was working as a kitchen chef assistant at Ginger Cove. She says she didn’t find her passion – her passion found her. “Ginger Cove was offering certified nursing assistant classes and my boss at the time encouraged me to take them,” she says. “She told me I paid a lot of attention to people and she knew the kitchen wasn’t what I loved. I took the classes and it went from there.” Getting to interact with people during their time of need was what attracted Akela to health care. Though sometimes it’s rough, she finds meaning in her work. “You really have to love it,” she says. “Sometimes patients don’t feel well and say things that hurt. This job can be stressful. But for me, sometimes you go into a person’s room and they make you feel like you’re appreciated and that one person can make up for the other five that aren’t treating you as kindly. It takes just one person saying they appreciate what I do or thanking me for helping them. To me, that’s enough.” For Akela, it’s also about the team she works with. Though it’s a small team, they are like a family and look after each other. “I have people here to support me through the ups and downs,” she says. “We can be having a horrible night and someone says something and we all burst out laughing. I love that, you don’t get that everywhere.” Currently working to become a surgical technologist by December 2018, Akela says she looks forward to a new challenge and learning new skills. Her only condition: continuing to interact with patients. “When you do what you love it doesn’t feel like you’re trying, you’re just going to do it because it’s what you love doing anyway,” she says. “It’s effortless.” PRO TIP: “Never give up no matter how hard it gets. If it’s something that you feel in your heart that you’re supposed to do and you want to do, don’t give up. Don’t allow one or two days to make you give up on your dream. If you have a dream and that’s what you want to do, give it your all and do it with a passion.” *Akela Harris received an AAMC Champion award for the month of May. If you know a great individual or a fantastic team going above and beyond to make a difference, make sure to let us know! Looking for a career in health care? We invite you to join a diverse and collaborative team of professionals working together to innovate the future of health care for our entire region. Check out our career opportunities.0
- ServiceGeneral Page - Tier 2Most events are walk-in with no appointment necessary, however events with sign up required will be marked with an asterisk (*). *Luminis Health uses a third party seminar registration service. Please note that EventBrite will be facilitating the seminar registration process and will handle any personal information collected in accordance with the EventBrite Privacy Policy. Check out our 2026 schedule!Community Wellness Days are dedicated events aimed at promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors and fostering a culture of well-being within our community. These events provide an opportunity to raise awareness about preventive health measures and offer valuable resources focused on nutrition, physical activity, and chronic disease prevention. By participating in Wellness Days, individuals can access information and support that empowers them to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.0
- Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogVoting is one of the most important rights you have as a U.S. citizen. But this year, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has raised safety concerns we haven’t faced in previous elections. Maybe you have already voted by mail. Or maybe you have decided to vote in person, either by voting early or going to the polls on Election Day. If you’re going in person, remember these tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Make a Plan Be prepared. Make sure your voter registration information is correct before you go. Have all of the documentation and forms you need, and make sure they are already filled out. Look at a sample ballot at home so you aren’t surprised and you can make your choices quickly. Plan your trip. Avoid crowds as best you can. Mid-morning may be less crowded than early morning or evening. You could also watch the lines from outside the building and wait until they get shorter to join. When You Go Bring your own pen (with black ink) to the polls. If your polling location has touchscreen voting, bring a stylus or a similar object. But check with election workers before you use it. Bring hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol with you and use it often. Especially after touching high-contact areas. That includes door handles and voting equipment. Wash your hands before you go inside your polling location and again after you leave. Wear a mask. If you have trouble breathing, talk to your doctor first. Even if you’re wearing a mask, keep at least six feet apart from others who aren’t part of your household. Don’t disinfect or wipe down voting equipment yourself – you might damage it. Wait until after you use it to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer. Use hand sanitizer again after you exit. Wear your voter sticker proudly! We’re in this together. Let’s take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while exercising our right to vote. Author Jean Murray is the director of Infection Control at Anne Arundel Medical Center.0
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