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Trusted care when you're sick, injured, managing a chronic condition or seeking wellness care
Regular contact with a primary care provider may help you live a longer, healthier life. We provide care for mental and physical health conditions, plus preventative care, to help you become your best self.Our team of providers includes physicians (MDs and DOs), nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Over time, our providers get to know you, becoming a trusted source of medical information and advice.Why Choose Luminis HealthAt Luminis Health, we are committed to delivering evidence-based, compassionate care tailored to each individual. Our board-certified providers prioritize preventive health, early diagnosis, and personalized treatment plans to support long-term wellness. With a patient-centered approach and a focus on open communication, we foster strong, trusting relationships that empower individuals to make informed health decisions. Our structured scheduling and dedicated staff ensure that every patient receives timely, attentive service during each visit.
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Why Choose Luminis Health
A Leading Stroke Care Center
The Stroke Care Team at Luminis Health provides priority-one care — the highest level of urgency —to quickly recognize and treat stroke symptoms. As an Advanced Certified Primary Stroke Center, we are equipped to deliver immediate, evidence-based care to give you the best possible chance at recovery.
Our Stroke Center
We maintain certification from The Joint Commission, earning the Gold Seal of Approval® for meeting and exceeding national standards for stroke care and patient safety.
We are recognized by the American Heart Association through the Get With The Guidelines®–Stroke program, achieving Gold Plus, Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Elite Plus, and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll awards.
Our care extends beyond emergency treatment. We offer personalized rehabilitation programs to support recovery and peer support groups to help patients and families adjust after a stroke.
24/7 stroke care services
Outpatient Rehabilitation services
Condition
Conditions/Services/Treatments Page
Stroke
Every Minute MattersSigns of a stroke occur quickly and require fast action to save your life. Every minute counts. The sooner you start receiving care, the better your chances of recovering.What Is a Stroke?A stroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention. It happens when a blockage or bleed in your brain interrupts blood flow. A stroke prevents oxygen from getting to your brain, which causes brain cells to die.Signs of a stroke occur quickly and require fast action to save your life. Every minute counts. The sooner you start receiving care, the better your chances of recovering.
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General Page - Tier 2
If a doctor, nurse, therapist, technician, or other staff at Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center (LHDCMC) made a meaningful contribution to improving your health or the health of a loved one, then why not say "thank you" by making a gift in their honor? The Grateful Patient Program offers patients and their families an opportunity to express heartfelt appreciation for exceptional care. Your financial support helps provide state-of-the-art equipment and treatment. Together, we can make a difference by bringing hope, healing, and recovery to those who need it most. Our caring doctors and nurses are the heartbeat of our hospital. Help us honor them today. Make a gift to Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center We want to hear from you. Please let us know how our passion for caring has influenced your life or the well-being of a loved one. Stop by the Foundation Office for a cup of coffee and meet our staff, write to us with your story, or e-mail us at [email protected] . Gifts can change lives. Here are examples of what your gift can do:
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Behavioral Health, Men's Health, Patient Stories
General Page Tier 3
Walking the walk: Quitting Smoking Once and For All
Blog
As director of engineering, Tony Kuzawinski is responsible for plant operations, maintenance and facilities. On a typical day you’ll find him running all over Anne Arundel Medical Center’s medical park campus to meetings and inspections that help ensure a safe environment of care for patients, families and employees.
One day, he noticed he was having trouble keeping up with his boss, who always takes the stairs.
“We’d go up a couple flights of stairs and it felt like my heart was coming out of my chest,” says the 36-year-old who had been a pack-a-day smoker since age 14. “It would take me several minutes to catch my breath and be able to talk. When alone, I’d take the elevator.”
Tony had tried to quit several times, including three years ago when his daughter was born. Then, in early 2014, AAMC announced that starting July 2015 it would not hire people who use tobacco. Although the new policy would not affect him, it hit a nerve.
“I found myself defending the policy with family and friends about how it’s about helping people live healthier,” says Tony, who lives in Catonsville. Finally, a friend challenged him to practice what he preached: quit smoking once and for all.
So he did. Tony chose June 20—his birthday—as the day he would stop smoking. And he hasn’t looked back.
“I wanted do it—for my wife, for my kids and for my health,” he says.
Since quitting, his blood pressure has returned to normal. He can run up five flights of stairs and no longer gets winded carrying his kids up to bed at night. And, he’s inspired some of his colleagues to quit.
“Little things make a difference,” he says. “Make up your mind and do it. It’s not easy at first, but it gets easier. You can do it, but you have to want to do it.”
Ready to quit? Learn more about smoking cessation programs at Anne Arundel Medical Center. Courses and individual counseling are free if you live, work or attend school in Anne Arundel County. If you live elsewhere in the region, our staff may be able to navigate you to free resources in your area so please call 443-481-5366. If you’re an employee, we have specific resources for you, too.
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Women's Health
General Page Tier 3
Urinary Incontinence: 3 Things You Should Know
Blog
If you’ve ever dreaded laughing at a good joke or sneezing for fear of an “oops” moment, then you know what it’s like to live with urinary incontinence. You may be hanging back from doing things you love, worried you can’t get to a bathroom and embarrassed about leakage you can’t control.
Here’s a start to learning more about the condition — its causes and treatments — so you can see that it’s possible to get back to living your best life.
Incontinence is more common than you think.
An estimated 15 to 25 million Americans deal with incontinence. But it’s hard to put a firm number on it because so many people are too embarrassed to talk about it.
We do know women are two times more likely than men to develop urinary incontinence — and that physiology plays a part. The structure of a woman’s internal organs, pregnancy, childbirth and menopause all have an effect. Aging does too because pelvic floor muscles that support the urinary tract muscles weaken as you age, making it harder to hold in urine — though it’s not necessarily a normal part of getting older.
There are different types of incontinence.
The most common types of incontinence in women are stress incontinence, urge incontinence, and a mix of the two.
Stress Incontinence
Stress incontinence makes having fun unpredictable. Things like laughing, dancing and exercise put pressure on your bladder, causing uncontrollable leakage. You don’t feel an urge to urinate; it just happens. Weak pelvic floor muscles or the bladder out of its normal position are usually the culprits.
Urge Incontinence
A “gotta go” feeling you can’t ignore is urge incontinence, or overactive bladder (OAB). OAB can happen when certain nerves and bladder muscles don’t work together. Your brain tells your body you need to go to the bathroom, even if your bladder isn’t full. That signals the bladder muscle to contract, and the sphincter — the muscle that controls urine flow — relaxes.
The urge comes on suddenly, even if you’ve recently emptied your bladder, and you may not make it to the bathroom. Some people have a frequent urge to go — up to eight times a day — and then barely go when they get to the bathroom.
Mixed Incontinence
Having more than one type of incontinence isn’t uncommon. If you do, stress and urge incontinence are usually the two that combine and lead to leakage.
You don’t have to live with it
Too many people stay silent about incontinence, assuming events like pregnancy, childbirth and aging make it an inevitable part of life you have to get used to. Not true. It’s very treatable, and often with self-help methods you can do it yourself.
Lifestyle Changes
For some people, reducing the risk of leakage is as simple as making lifestyle changes, such as:
Avoiding lifting heavy objects
Avoiding liquids in the evening
Limiting caffeine and alcohol, which make you produce more urine
Losing weight to relieve pressure on the bladder
Kegel Exercises
Weak pelvic floor muscles — those that support the bladder — are often at the root of leakage problems. Kegel exercises involve strengthening the muscles that control urine flow by tightening and relaxing them. Doctors often recommend women do Kegels during pregnancy to prevent incontinency problems. You can work with a physical therapist to learn how to do Kegels effectively.
Bladder Retraining
Timing is everything when it comes to staying dry. Finding the sweet spot takes practice. It may involve making sure your bladder is empty to prevent the urge to go. Make a pit stop every two hours if you know the urge to go hits every 2 ½.
But you may have to retrain your bladder if the urge to go too often is a problem. That involves gradually extending the time between bathroom visits. For instance, if you go to the bathroom every hour, stretch it to an hour and 15 minutes, increasing the time over a few weeks.
Medications, Devices or Medical Procedures
If self-help approaches don’t help, your provider may suggest other options, such as:
Medications that can help relax bladder muscles or block nerve signals that cause an urge to go
Vaginal inserts available over the counter can be used to reduce stress incontinence
A pessary, a ring-like device your doctor fits you for to support pelvic floor muscles and reduce stress incontinence
Injections of a bulking agent in tissues around the bladder to help keep the opening closed and prevent leaks
Pelvic floor stimulation to nerves and muscles to strengthen them and to reduce the urge to go
A sling is a small piece of synthetic material surgically placed to support the urethra to improve leaking from stress incontinence
Incontinence doesn’t have to control your life. Yes, it can feel awkward to talk with your doctor about bathroom habits. But incontinence is a very treatable condition. A full evaluation with a pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgeon can help you determine the best treatment for you. Asking for help can get you back to a life free of worries about leakage.
Authors
Aparna Ramaseshan, MD, is a Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgeon (FPMRS), at the Women’s Center for Pelvic Health. To make an appointment, call 443-481-1199.
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