- Behavioral HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogMany of us have had a Snickers bar or two and could probably eat the candy bar every day. But, we know it’s not nourishing. A candy bar is not a hearty meal with vegetables, protein and fruits. Instead, it’s a quick sugar fix that wears off. Then, we want more and more of it. If we only ate candy bars – as tasty as they are – our health would deteriorate. Digital devices are very similar. The constant connection to others, and even the sound of a ringtone, give us instant gratification. But that gratification quickly wears off – just like a sugar fix – only to leave us wanting more. As a result, our health is impacted in more than just one way. We are spending more time than ever before watching videos, browsing social media and swiping screens on tablets and smartphones. Research shows the average American adult spends more than 11 hours per day interacting with media on digital devices. We are developing a digital addiction. Technology can have a negative impact on our mental and physical health. When we are constantly connected, it can cause psychological issues, such as distraction, expectation of instant gratification and even depression. Physically, it can cause vision problems, hearing loss and even neck strain. Here are a few steps you can take for a digital detox to recharge your mind and improve your quality of life: Plan quality time with others. Before sitting down at the dinner table, put your phone away and ask others to do the same. This will make room for conversation and, if practiced frequently, it can improve your relationships and quality of life. Change your ringtones. If you have to keep your phone around due to your work or profession once you get home, change the tone of your notifications to distinguish work-related calls over calls that can wait until later. Delete unnecessary apps. You’re likely hoarding apps. You need your phone for calls, texts and emails. Do you really need all those other apps? Be selective. Keep one or two that you absolutely need. Schedule some offline time. Make sure to put your phone down to relax for a couple of hours, especially before bedtime. Multiple studies have shown that blue light from screens suppresses melatonin, a hormone responsible for controlling your sleep-wake cycle. Set your phone on sleep mode and disable any buzzing, as that could also lead to distracting emotions and thoughts. It can even cause anxiety that can interrupt your sleep. Set the example. Don’t forget, if you’re a parent or have young children around, they’re paying attention to your every move. If you put your phone down, this will teach them to do the same. If you treat your phone as a luxury item instead of a necessity, you’ll soon realize that it’s meant to be enjoyed sometimes but not lived by. And just like you wouldn’t eat a candy bar every day, you should consider putting your digital devices away more often. This will help you build meaningful relationships and take care of your physical and mental health. Plus, it’s good to detoxify once in a while! Visit Luminis.Health/BehavioralHealth to learn more about Luminis Behavioral Health Care or to schedule an appointment.
- Behavioral Health, News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogMeeting the behavioral needs of residents in Prince George’s County is the motivation behind a new partnership between Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center (LHDCMC) and Prince George’s County. Victoria Bayless, chief executive officer for Luminis Health, and Deneen Richmond, president of LHDCMC, joined County Executive Angela Alsobrooks for the official groundbreaking for the Behavioral Health Services Building. Located on the campus of Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center, the facility will offer a broad continuum of behavioral health services. “Today is a momentous occasion for Luminis Health as we break ground on this facility – to provide patient centered care and local access to community members suffering from mental health and substance use disorders,” said Victoria Bayless, CEO of Luminis Health. “We are committed to removing barriers to health care, and ensuring everyone has access to the care needed to live a healthy life.” Right now, there are limited mental health resources in Prince George’s County. “We are here to serve the residents of Prince George’s County, and behavioral health care is one of the major needs,” said Deneen Richmond, president of LHDCMC. “In the last year, we have seen an incredible rise in the need for mental health services. I believe we all know that particularly during the pandemic, and even prior to COVID, there are a number of people suffering with mental health conditions and are unable to get the care and treatment they need and deserve.” The two-story 31,200 square foot facility is made possible thanks to a $20 million grant from Prince George’s County. “We understand the strength of this partnership and look forward to growing the program with the County as we continue to meet this community’s behavioral health needs,” said Richmond. ”These programs bring us one step closer to eliminating health disparities in Prince George’s County.” The project has two phases. The first phase, which is slated to be completed by Winter 2021, will include first floor ambulatory services: Walk-in/urgent care behavioral health services Outpatient transitional behavioral health clinic Substance use disorder intensive outpatient treatment program Mental health partial hospitalization programs for adults and adolescents 8-bed residential crisis program The second phase is a 16-bed adult inpatient psychiatric unit. A Certificate of Need was recently submitted to the Maryland Health Care Commission for approval for the second floor unit.
- Behavioral Health, CommunityGeneral Page Tier 3BlogWhat’s in your medicine cabinet? It’s a good time to take a look inside. Friday, April 16, is National Clean Out Your Medicine Cabinet Day. A medicine cabinet packed with old or unused meds can be dangerous. Give yours a good cleaning. These simple steps can help keep your family, friends and neighbors safe. Here are ways you can remove the risk: Toss it and forget it You should toss leftover or expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medications. Your old prescription may no longer be effective for your current health condition. Additionally, expired medications may not work as well, or even become toxic and harm you. As a general rule, discard any prescriptions that are more than a year old, or medications that have passed their expiration dates. How to do it right Do not flush your pills down the toilet or the sink. They can harm the water supply and affect the fish we eat. Instead, dispose your leftover or expired meds in designated drop-off boxes. Conveniently, the Anne Arundel County Police Department has several locations. District stations are open 24/7, headquarters from 8 am to 4 pm. In Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties, you can often take old meds to your local pharmacy for disposal. Throwing meds in the trash can harm the earth. If you must, consider using a secured container or DisposeRX packets. Let’s look out for each other Doctors prescribe opioids to treat pain. Common types are oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin) and methadone. Did you know that 70% of people who misuse opioid painkillers get them from friends and relatives? It’s important to safely toss or lock your medications to protect those you care about. We can all do our part to end substance misuse and keep our community safe. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there is help including locally at Pathways, Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center’s substance abuse and mental health treatment facility. Call (443) 481-5400. Authors Daniel Watkins is the director of substance use services at Pathways.
- Behavioral Health, News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogLuminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center (LHDCMC) has submitted a Certificate of Need (CON) to the Maryland Health Care Commission for a 16-bed inpatient behavioral health unit. “Adding this new service is an important step for Luminis Health and the community. We are committed to removing barriers to health care, and ensuring everyone has access to the care needed to live a healthy life,” stated Victoria Bayless, chief executive officer of Luminis Health. “We will also be adding outpatient programs and services, as well as working to eliminate healthcare disparities, not only on our Lanham campus, but in the community at large. This would be impossible without the support of leaders from Prince George’s County. This is truly a partnership that will benefit the entire region.” Prince George’s County is home to nearly one million residents and spans an area of 500 square miles, with two acute care units for inpatient behavioral health currently in the county. In 2019, more than half of the adult admissions from Prince George’s County (1,900 cases) were admitted to out-of-county hospitals. More than 900 patients required hospital-to-hospital transfer for psychiatric admission. “We know that when a community member requires inpatient mental health care, half of the residents leave the county, with nearly a quarter traveling to Washington, D.C.,” said Deneen Richmond, President of LHDCMC. “On the Lanham campus, we will develop a continuum of behavioral health services by providing local access to acute inpatient services and additional outpatient and crisis options for individuals facing mental health and substance use disorder challenges.” The proposed project will include a 16-bed acute adult care behavioral health unit at LHDCMC. The acute care program is designed to provide a safe and clinically expert environment to engage patients and families in their treatment and healing, link patients directly to care transition services, and assure continued patient-provider relationships after discharge. Richmond explained, “We are more committed than ever to continuing our mission to provide Prince Georgians with the care they need and deserve. We look forward to working with the Maryland Health Care Commission to gain approval for these needed beds.” Residents can learn more about the project or write a letter of support by visiting here: https://www.dchweb.org/behavioral-con .
- Weight LossGeneral Page Tier 3BlogTips and Recipes for Heart Healthy Super Bowl Snacking The biggest game of the NFL season is just around the corner. Which means it’s time to start prepping the all-important Super Bowl snacks! The big game doesn’t have to mean foods big on calories – February is American Heart Month after all. So treat yourself to snacks that are delicious but also good for you and your family. There are great resources for heart healthy eating from the American Heart Association. We’ve got you covered with a few recipes below. But first, here are some tips to make your Super Bowl Sunday ‘super’ healthy. Be sure to eat your regular meals during the day so you don’t find yourself overly hungry at game time. Make vegetables and fruits front and center. Use veggies instead of chips for dipping. Have platters of fruits and vegetables ready for munching or take one to the COVID safe gathering! Exercises before or after the game. Consider a quick walk during halftime. If you are drinking alcohol, do so in moderation and consider making non-alcoholic spritzers. Have a variety of sparkling waters and unsweet teas on hand. Stay hydrated! Try one of the following recipes listed below and have fun! Portobello Pizzas 8 baby Portobello mushrooms ½ c. tomato or pizza sauce ½ c. shredded skim mozzarella cheese 1/4c. Parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 350. Wash mushrooms, dry and remove stems. In bowl, combine parmesan and marinara sauce. Place scoop of sauce in each mushroom cap. Place mushroom caps on greased or foil lined baking sheet and top with mozzarella. (Feel free to add additional toppings – onion, peppers, olives,) Bake for 25-30 minutes until cheese is melted. Let cool for a few minutes and serve. Vegetarian Chili and Topping Bar Olive oil for sautéing 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped 1 large onion, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 ½ inch piece of fresh ginger, minced 1 tsp. dried thyme 1 tsp. cayenne pepper 2 Tbls. Chili powder One 28oz. can plum or crushed tomatoes One 19 oz. can kidney beans, drained One 19 oz. can chickpeas, rained One 5 ½ oz. can tomato paste 2 cups frozen corn 2 dashes hot sauce In Large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the carrots, onion, celery, peppers, garlic and ginger for 10-12 minutes. Add the seasonings. Add the tomatoes, beans, chickpeas, tomato paste and corn. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add hot sauce to taste. Topping Bar Place the following items in separate bowls to serve alongside the chili. 1/2c. Fresh cilantro chopped 1/2c. Green onion, chopped ½ c. shredded low fat cheddar cheese 1/2c. Low fat sour cream 1 lg. avocado, diced Hummus 1 can garbanzo beans 2Tbs. olive oil 1 lemon –squeezed 3 Tbls. Tahini 2 Tbls. Water 2 garlic cloves Add all ingredients into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Adding more olive oil to desired consistency. Pour into bowl. Serve with a platter of fresh vegetables and pita bread.
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