- Pregnancy & Birth, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogGroup prenatal care like CenteringPregnancy® can be an excellent way for new moms to build friendships and make connections. Beyond this emotional support, however, you may be wondering how group prenatal care will affect your baby’s health. Over the last couple of decades, there have been many studies comparing the benefits of group prenatal care to the benefits of one-on-one prenatal care with a provider. While more research needs to be done, the data gathered so far shows that group prenatal care can have a positive impact on pregnancy and birth outcomes. Here’s what the research has to say. Group Prenatal Programs Like CenteringPregnancy® Often Result in Better Health Outcomes for Mom and Baby Healthier Newborns While we’re just beginning to understand the impact of group programs versus traditional one-on-one prenatal care, initial study results indicate that group prenatal care programs lead to the same — if not better — outcomes for newborns. Since birth weight is one of the most important health factors for a newborn baby — low birth weight (less than 5.5 pounds) can lead to serious health problems and was one of the first measures closely studied. CenteringPregnancy® has been shown to have a positive effect on newborn outcomes, including birth weight and preterm delivery. A 2015 Yale School of Public Health study showed that group prenatal care resulted in: Babies with higher birth weights compared to those receiving individual prenatal care Less babies that were small for their gestational age Shorter neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stays, when that level of care was needed Study results also suggest that group prenatal care promotes breastfeeding, and more women are likely to initiate breastfeeding if they participate in a program like CenteringPregnancy®, especially adolescent moms. Breastfeeding can have many benefits including: Helping to protect your baby from infection Reducing the risk of your baby developing a chronic illness later in life Supporting your baby’s development Healthier Pregnancies With the group discussion and provider-led activities in each CenteringPregnancy® visit, there are more opportunities to reinforce healthy behaviors among the women in the group — and a healthier mom often translates to a healthier baby. Women participating in group care, such as CenteringPregnancy® meetings were: At less risk for a preterm birth Less likely to get pregnant quickly after giving birth Less likely to go to the emergency room, especially in the third trimester More likely to make healthier lifestyle choices, such as eating healthy, exercising and abstaining from alcohol, nicotine and drugs More likely to maintain a healthier weight throughout their pregnancy When it comes to prenatal care, women enrolled in CenteringPregnancy® programs attended more prenatal visits and were more likely to attend both prenatal and postpartum appointments. And, because of the structure of each CenteringPregnancy® meeting, you can enjoy up to 10 times the support, time and pregnancy knowledge compared to individual visits with an OB-GYN or midwife. Learn More, Talk With Our Team Today When you’re deciding the right type of prenatal care for you, it’s important you find a program that fits your personal needs and preferences, whether it’s with a group or one-on-one with your provider. If you have more questions about CenteringPregnancy® please visit our program website.0
- Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogCoughing. Fever. Trouble breathing. These are some of the potential symptoms of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). If you or someone in your family exhibits these symptoms, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend you call your health care provider. Most people will have mild illness and will be asked to recover at home. If this applies to you, here are the steps you should take. Stay home Unless you are seeking medical care, please stay home. Self-isolate in a room away from other people in your home as much as you can. Use a different bathroom if you have one. Clean “high-touch” surfaces in those rooms, but let someone else clean and disinfect surfaces in common areas. Such surfaces include phones, remote controls, counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables. Don’t share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels/wash cloths, bar soap or bedding with other people in your home. Wash these items thoroughly after using them. Wash your hands Hand washing is the single most important step in preventing infection from COVID-19. Use soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer to wash your hands, and have every member of your family do the same. Wash your hands after you touch surfaces, use the bathroom, cough, sneeze and before you eat or prepare meals. Monitor your symptoms If you are experiencing more serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, pain or pressure in the chest, confusion or bluish lips, call 911 and say you may have COVID-19. This will allow health care providers to take steps to protect themselves and other patients. Wear a cloth covering, scarf or face mask if you have one. If you don’t, cover your coughs and sneezes with tissue. The CDC advises that you practice social distancing by staying at least six feet away from others. When it’s okay to stop home isolation You can stop isolating when you’ve had no fever (without taking fever-reducing medications) for at least 72 hours, your other symptoms have improved and it has been a least seven days since your symptoms first appeared, the CDC says. After your fever has subsided, we recommend you follow these prevention steps for 10 days: Stay home except to get medical care. Don’t go to work or any public areas. Avoid using public transportation, ride sharing or taxis. Ask a friend or family member who is healthy to help you with errands including buying groceries or picking up medications. Avoid people who are at high-risk of developing severe infections from COVID-19, including elderly people, people who are immunocompromised and people who have chronic health conditions such as chronic heart, lung or kidney problems. Author Jean Murray is Anne Arundel Medical Center’s director of Infection Control.0
- Behavioral Health, Men's Health, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogWhen discussing domestic violence, I often hear comments like, “I’m lucky not to know anyone affected by domestic violence,” or “I have never been exposed to anything like that.” Most people are not only surprised to learn domestic violence is not always as obvious as a black eye—a lot of people, in fact, have been exposed in some capacity. While domestic violence can include physical and sexual violence, the most elusive kind of abuse is emotional abuse. Unlike physical abuse, the people doing it and receiving it may not even be aware it is happening. Emotional abuse can be more harmful than physical abuse. Even in the most violent families, the incidents tend to be cyclical—a violent outburst, followed by a honeymoon period with remorse and attention that eventually ends, and then the violence starts over again. But with emotional abuse, it happens every day. The effects are more harmful because they’re so frequent. This emotional abuse can happen between a parent and child, husband and wife, among relatives, and between friends. The other factor that makes emotional abuse so devastating is victims are more likely to blame themselves. When the words directed at you seem subtle—if the abuser says you’re unattractive, fat, dumb or unlovable—it’s easier to assume this is your own doing. But if someone hits you, it’s easier to see that he or she is the problem. It can undercut what we think about ourselves and impair our ability to be our true selves and escape the abuse. With emotional abuse, the abuser projects their words, attitudes or actions onto an unsuspecting victim. One person controls the other by undermining his or her trust, value, development, or emotional stability, or causes fear or shame by manipulating or exploiting that person. And it’s not so much about the words used, rather the threatening effects of the behavior by the abuser. The body language, tone and actions by an abuser oftentimes contradict the words. And this is very destructive to the victims. Warnings signs of abuse can include: decreased interaction with friends and family, constantly receiving phone calls or text messages inquiring about location and activity, seemingly anxious to please the partner, making excuses for partner’s behavior, going along with everything the partner says and does, decreased productivity at work or school, personality changes, lowered self-esteem, and limited access to transportation and money. These signs of abuse are more common and often overlooked. The support of family and friends can be helpful. But professional counseling will provide the victim with tools to prevent, cope and move on from an abusive situation. Anne Arundel Medical Center’s Abuse and Domestic Violence Program has professionally trained staff available to help patients, employees and community members. For information about abuse, call 443-481-1209. For a 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline, call 410-222-6800. Author Rae Leonard, Anne Arundel Medical Center’s abuse and domestic violence program coordinator, can be reached at 443-481-1209. Originally published Nov. 12, 2015. Last updated Sept. 16, 2025.0
- Men's Health, Senior Care, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogMay is Better Hearing and Speech Month. It’s a time when speech-language pathologists (SLPs), like me, help raise awareness about how our profession can help with a variety of communication and swallowing disorders. More than help with stuttering For many years there has been confusion regarding speech therapy. People often only associate it with help for stuttering. When I first became a licensed speech therapist, I assumed the majority of people would know what I could do to help them. However, I quickly found that there was a need to expand our knowledge about speech therapy, even among the medical community. Not just for kids Also, it’s important to realize speech therapy benefits more than just children. SLPs treat patients of all ages, from birth through end-of-life care. In 2014, seniors over 65 represented 14.5 percent of the population. By 2040 their numbers are expected to grow to more than 21 percent of the population. As people age, normal changes occur in their speech, language, memory and swallowing. Plus, their chances of having a communication or swallowing disorder related to a disease increases. Ways adult speech therapy can help Adult speech therapy helps a wide range of conditions that affect speech, language and swallowing. It helps with progressive neurological diseases like primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), dementia and Huntington’s disease, as well as stroke and traumatic brain injury. Speech therapy also helps with a broad range of other diagnoses, from oral and laryngeal cancer to developmental disorders. Here is a breakdown of the many facets of adult speech therapy: Cognitive therapy: memory; attention; executive functioning, including organization, planning, problem solving, etc.; functional/daily living tasks Speech therapy: voice; dysarthria (slow speech, weakness); apraxia (difficulty with executing/planning speech movements); accent reduction; stuttering; voice/communication for transgender clients Language therapy: aphasia, which is a language disorder that can result in difficulties with any combination of word retrieval or verbal expression, understanding what you hear, understanding what you read, and being able to write out your thoughts Swallowing therapy: dysphagia (difficulty swallowing); aspiration pneumonia; mouth, throat, lip, tongue or cheek weakness Communication options: augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, tracheostomy/ventilator communication Speech therapists guide you and your family through life changes. We clinically challenge your skills using evidence-based practice techniques and support you through the rehabilitation process. Our goal is to improve your quality of life by helping you reach functional goals. If you think you or a loved one could benefit from a speech therapy consultation, please call 443-481-1140 to schedule an appointment with AAMG Physical Therapy. Our outpatient speech therapists are available in Crofton and Annapolis. Author Anusha Sivalingam, SLP, is a speech language pathologist with Anne Arundel Medical Group (AAMG) Physical Therapy. To reach her office, call 443-481-1140.0
- General Page - Tier 2Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center(LHAAMC), on a 57-acre medical campus in Annapolis, Maryland, is nationally recognized for our joint replacement center, emergency heart attack response and cancer care. Also a leader in women’s services, we rank second in Maryland for number of births annually and have a Level III neonatal intensive care unit. With more than 1,000 medical staff members, employees and 750 volunteers, we consistently receive awards for quality, patient satisfaction and innovation., Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center(LHDCMC) is a network of medical and surgical services provided throughout Prince George’s County and in Anne Arundel County. At the heart of this network is our flagship – Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center in Lanham, Maryland. With a diverse network of knowledgeable physicians, skilled nurses, and compassionate staff, we are here to provide a care for our community.Luminis HealthIgniting new possibilitiesIn 2019, Anne Arundel Health System acquired Doctors Community Hospital as the culmination of our shared Vision 2020 plan – and with a vision of being able to do more together. We are at a pivotal time in our history. As Luminis Health, we are working to break down barriers to health and deliver more high quality care across the region.As we turn towards our plan for the future, Vision 2030, our focus centers on community, wellness, and experience. Not illness or treatment. Fundamental to this vision is our belief that it is essential to be in partnership with our community. We embrace the changing world of consumer experience and expectations. Luminis Health is igniting new possibilities: creating a health system that is refreshingly easy.0
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