General Page - Tier 1
*Luminis Health uses a third party event registration service. Please note that EventBrite will be facilitating the event registration process and will handle any personal information collected in accordance with the EventBrite Privacy Policy. , Screening and Prevention ProgramsFree Breast and Cervical ScreeningsYearly breast exams, mammograms and Pap screenings can help detect breast and cervical problems early - when they are most treatable. We are making it easier for many women in the area to access these life-saving screenings!Women in Maryland may qualify for free breast exams, mammograms and Pap tests if they meet the following requirements:Maryland residentWomen ages 40 or olderUninsured, underinsured, or insured but not screenedLimited incomeFor more information or to register, contact us at 301-552-7724.Free ColonoscopyColorectal cancer is often preventable and curable. However, it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Maryland. To help address this concern, Doctors Community Medical Center provides free colonoscopies. Community members may qualify for free colonoscopies if they meet specific program requirements:Prince George’s County residentsAge 50 or olderAge 50 or younger with a family history of colorectal cancerUninsured or underinsuredAll colonoscopies are performed by experienced gastroenterologists at Doctors Community Medical Center.For more information, please call 301-552-7705 or 301-324-4968.Free MammogramsEarly breast cancer detection saves lives. With regular breast screenings, you can detect breast cancer earlier – when it is most treatable.Doctors Community Medical Center for Comprehensive Breast Care is dedicated to accurately diagnosing and effectively treating women who have breast cancer. If you answer yes to the following questions, you may be eligible for a FREE mammogram.Are you a Prince George’s County resident?Are you uninsured, underinsured or low-income?Are you between the ages of 40 and 65?If you meet these criteria, call us today to schedule your appointment.Contact: For more information, please call 301-552-8524.Diabetes Prevention ProgramDesigned to help you understand diabetes and give you tips and tools to keep those lifestyle changes in your regular routine, this 12-month, medically supervised program will help you: Learn to eat more healthfullyIncorporate moderate physical activityManage stressStay motivatedSolve problems that can get in the way of your healthy lifestyleFor more information and to register please contact the Diabetes & Nutrition Education Center at 240-696-5025. Register on Eventbrite. Once registered please print and complete enrollment forms and fax to us at 301-552-7882, or you may email them to [email protected] more information and to register please contact the Diabetes & Nutrition Education Center at 240-696-5025.
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General Page - Tier 2
Check in with Your Family Doctor Even if you feel healthy, you should see your primary care doctor at least once a year. By monitoring your health over time, your primary care doctor notices early signs of problems. We can help you prevent diseases, like diabetes or heart disease, before they start. If you don't have a primary care provider, you can find one here . Quit Smoking If you're thinking it's too late for you to quit, think again! According to the Centers for Disease Control, once you've stopped smoking for three to six years, your added risk of coronary heart disease drops by half. And by the time you've gone five to ten years without smoking, your added risk for many cancers also halves. You'll also have seriously reduced your risk of heart attack and stroke. Ready to add years to your life? Call Maryland's hotline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW, or check out resources at smokefree.gov . Learn how Luminis Health can help you take the first step, call 443-481-5366 . Because it's always easier to do hard things when you have friends around you! Keep up to Date on Routine Cancer Screenings Routine cancer screenings let your doctor catch cancers at an early stage when they're easiest to treat. Some screenings even catch precancers, letting you remove cells before they turn into cancers. Pretty amazing, right? At Luminis Health, we offer cervical, breast, colon and lung cancer screening, based on age and risk factors. We also offer low-cost and free screenings for those who need them. Check with your doctor about which cancer screenings you should receive. Get Outside Getting outside has benefits for your mental and physical health. Sunlight, fresh air and a stroll among the trees can boost your mood. Plus, if you're outside cycling, walking or jogging, you're also getting major heart health benefits. Boost Your Immune System with Vaccines You might hit the gym to work out your muscles, but your immune system needs training too. Vaccines help your immune system recognize and attack dangerous viruses in case you're exposed in the future. Your primary care doctor can check to see if you're up to date on your recommended vaccines. Luminis Health offers flu and COVID vaccine clinics with partner community organizations, schools, residences and faith-based groups. Check out our calendar to find out about vaccine clinics near you. Get Enough Sleep Poor sleep doesn't just make you grumpy. People who consistently don't get enough sleep have a higher risk of chronic diseases, including diabetes, obesity, heart disease and depression. To improve your sleep, aim to go to bed at the same time every night and avoid screens two hours before bed. Limiting caffeine in the afternoon, reducing alcohol and getting exercise in the day can also help you sleep more soundly. And Yes, Eat Your Veggies Improving your diet doesn't have to be complicated. It simply means upping the veggies, fruits and lean protein in your diet — all while reducing fried foods, processed foods and sweets. Once you open your horizons to new recipes and seasonings, you'll discover healthy meals are both flavorful and satisfying. Move over boring meatloaf, hello grilled salmon with mango salsa and greens! Learn more about our nutrition services . Overwhelmed? Take It One Day at a Time woman meditating on a patio outdoors Changing your daily health habits can feel daunting. But you don't have to change everything at once. Instead, focus on a change you can make today — like quitting smoking or getting outside every day. Then, you can add on other lifestyle changes when you're ready. Talk to your friends and family about your goals so they can support you. And remember, your Luminis Health providers are here to help, and we're cheering you on, too!
Our Top Tips for Living a Healthy and Happy Life
Your health is influenced by the dozens of decisions you make each day — day after day, week after week. Choices like cooking at home instead of ordering pizza, going for a walk on a sunny day and hitting the sack a little earlier.
Ready to make your health a priority? Here are our top tips to prevent disease, increase your energy, and feel better.
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Community, Primary Care, Pediatrics, Patient Stories
General Page Tier 3
Discover Healthy Activities for You and Your Kids
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The lessons children learn stick with them throughout their lives. That’s why it’s crucial to make good health a habit early on. From helping kids learn social skills to teaching them to be more independent and creative, developing a healthy lifestyle now will set them up for success in the future.
Not sure where to start? We’ve gathered some ideas.
Be brave — experiment
Kids love things that seem unexplainable: That’s why science projects are such a big hit. Help your children feel a sense of satisfaction by helping them:
• Build a volcano and make it erupt with baking soda• Construct a homemade lava lamp• Create their very own art pieces• Tend to a garden
These activities will help your kids see tangible results from their efforts, learn responsibility and maybe even develop a healthy passion for nature and science.
Cook together
Children who are actively involved in meal preparation are more likely to understand the values of nutritious meals. Not only does the internet have a treasure trove of free, healthy recipes for your kids to browse and choose from, today’s grocery stores give them access to healthier foods. Just remember to feed your family before you go since grocery shopping on a full stomach makes you less likely to impulsively purchase unhealthy items.
From food prep and cooking to setting the table, preparing dinner can also be a great team activity. Divide and conquer as a family and be sure to rotate roles often so each kid benefits from learning all it takes to put a healthy meal on the table.
We’d also encourage you to eat as a family. Taking this time together allows space for much-needed interaction and conversation. It also helps us slow down while we’re eating, giving our brains a chance to recognize when we’ve consumed all we need, helping us to learn to avoid overeating.
Encourage kiddos to use their imagination
Your children’s mental and emotional health are just as important to development as their physical health. Instead of spending hours playing with smartphones and tablets, encourage them to:
• Explore their creativity by reading together• Express their thoughts through writing or drawing• Perform skits at home• Play with toys like Lincoln Logs and Legos
Creative outlets that challenge the boundaries of imagination set kids up to be problem solvers, wonderers and empathizers.
Get physical
Finding ways to keep your kids physically active will help them burn off built-up energy in a healthy way. Exercise also stimulates nerve cells that help children focus and retain what they’ve learned in school. And most importantly, active children are more likely to avoid developing serious diseases like obesity and Type-2 diabetes.
Dedicate at least 60 minutes every day to physical activity by:
• Getting outdoors. Most communities have recreational areas that are free for anyone to use. Explore your town’s walking trails, sign up for an hour to play tennis at the local court or find a park where you can play catch. A round of miniature golf or a few swings at the batting cages are also fun, safe and affordable.
• Making household chores active (and fun). Kids enjoy a little competition, so why not encourage it? Have your kids compete to see who can rake the most leaves, take more walks with the dog or shovel the most snow. By giving your kids a chance to show their capabilities, you’ll have more rounded children and a more functional home.
• Training as a family. You can benefit from physical exercise, no matter your age. First, be sure to set a good example by going to the gym regularly. Then, consider teaming up with your kids to turn your backyard into an obstacle course or train for a walk or 5K that benefits a cause the whole family supports.
Your kids will grow up understanding that physical fitness should be part of their routine. And when they get old enough, they can even help spot you and encourage your progress.
Play games
Friendly competition among family members helps children learn to strategize, develop partnerships and understand the importance of losing with grace at an early age. You can keep your activities sedentary with jigsaw puzzles, board games and card games. Or you can get your family up and moving with charades or a scavenger hunt.
Need more ideas? We’re here to help.
Your child’s pediatrician or your family medicine physician can be a great resource when it comes to healthy living: Make them a part of the conversation. Find a provider near you.
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Community, News & Press Releases
General Page Tier 3
Luminis Health Board of Trustees Approves and Adopts 10 Bold Health Equity Recommendations
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Luminis Health has released a bold plan to become a national model for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI).
The groundwork for the plan began in 2020 with the formation of the health system’s HEART Force, a multidisciplinary group consisting of members of the boards of trustees, senior leaders, medical staff, community partners and stakeholders. The events of the year 2020 prompted Luminis Health to assess data and information to identify greater opportunity to affect change through addressing the effects of systemic inequity, and dismantling structural injustice.
“The future of health equity calls for organizations like ours to take bold action to dismantle structural and social drivers of ethnic disparities in all of its forms. Luminis Health is committed to exactly that,” said Victoria Bayless, CEO of Luminis Health. “These recommendations will be intentionally woven into who we are as a system and a part of what we do every day to better serve our workforce, and enhance the health of our patients and communities.”
The recommendations are structured by three major categories:
Lead as an inclusive organization, confront and eradicate inequities in health care.
Enhance culturally informed communications and community collaboration.
Measure and integrate accountability.
The recommendations outline ten strategic approaches to begin tackling these challenges:
Confront inequities and embody principles of an inclusive organization in policy, culture and performance.
Eliminate health disparities and improve health outcomes of diverse communities.
Become a trusted partner in diverse communities through a formalized community network.
Become a diversity, equity and inclusion thought leader in Maryland and in health care nationally by hiring and retaining a diverse workforce.
Establish culturally customized care as the formal standard of quality.
Share the Luminis Health JEDI journey with diverse populations by incorporating into the Luminis Health brand.
Extend current diversity, equity and inclusion reporting and programs effectively across the system.
Establish minority business enterprise/supplier diversity goals and partner with local minority businesses, vendors and suppliers.
Develop a sustainable accountability model.
Integrate specific JEDI focus into the board governance structure.
Put forth by Luminis Health’s HEART Force, co-chaired by Dr. Randy Rowel, associate professor and director of the Why Culture Matters Disaster Studies Project at Morgan State University, and Alicia Wilson, social justice advocate, the recommendations were unanimously approved by the boards of trustees and adopted by the health system in June.
“The time is now for swift and progressive action to confront and eradicate inequities in health care and beyond,” said Tamiko Stanley, vice president and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Luminis Health. “At Luminis Health, we are committed to comprehensively evaluating our processes, policies, and practices to move toward meaningful change within our organization and in the communities we serve. Driven by accountability and transparency, our plan will light Luminis Health’s path to the next level of excellence in our diversity, equity, inclusion and justice journey.”
“These pervasive and systemic issues require multiple, simultaneous and ongoing actions to eliminate them,” said Reverend Stephen Tillett, of Asbury Broadneck Methodist Church and HEART Force member. “By adopting these 10 bold recommendations, Luminis Health can put into motion a new and lasting plan to guide the changes that we must undertake to foster a space for equity to prevail.”
Adopting the recommendations represents a step forward in Luminis Health’s ongoing diversity and inclusion journey. This year, Luminis Health’s LGBTQIA and African-American Business Resource Groups earned the DiversityFirst Top 50 Employee Resource Group Award by the National Diversity Council for commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace and communities. In 2020, the health system received the American Organization for Nursing Leadership’s Prism Award for advancing diversity efforts within the nursing profession, community and organization. Luminis Health is also recognized as a “Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality” after earning a perfect score of 100 on the most recent Healthcare Equality Index (HEI).
In 2019, the health system was bestowed one of the highest honors in health equity with the American Hospital Association’s Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award for outstanding efforts to advance equity of care to all patients, and to spread lessons learned and progress toward achieving health equity. Luminis Health was also the first health care organization in the nation to host a local chapter of Coming to the Table, an employee circle group designed to promote open, candid conversations about race, cultural differences and discussion around ways to understand and mitigate unconscious bias.
“We recognize injustices are harmful and complex problems, but we intend to address them directly, intentionally, and relentlessly through our daily work and our Vision 2030,” continued Bayless.
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Community, Pediatrics, Infectious Disease
General Page Tier 3
9 things you can do to keep your kids entertained while stuck indoors
Blog
How can you keep your high-energy child occupied when you can’t leave the house? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are nine things you can do to keep your child entertained:
Play games
The first few days – or maybe even hours – might seem easy. But your child will eventually say the famous words, “I’m bored!” Games can become your go-to solution. Puzzles are great to keep kids—and adults—entertained for hours. Puzzles stimulate problem-solving skills and boost memory. You should also consider science kits. These are fun and a great way for kids to learn about how things work.
Get creative with play dough
This one never fails. Play dough is actually easy to make at home. You probably already have most of the ingredients on hand. It’s a great way to get kids’ imaginations going. You can challenge them to make something specific or let them get creative on their own.
Create your own coloring books
You can’t go wrong with coloring books. If you need a last minute coloring book, you can download and print images from home. Coloring reduces stress and anxiety, improves motor skills, helps with better sleep and increases focus.
Read books
Staying home for long periods of time is a great opportunity to grab a book and get reading. Revisit your book library and choose a couple of books together with your child. To make it more fun, you can set aside time each day to go over what your child has learned during their reading time.
Build toys
LEGO, of course, is the classic go-to. But consider other safe things around your home that kids can use to build structures for a few hours of fun. Building activities help kids with critical thinking and can teach important lessons about engineering.
Use a tablet
Whether you like to admit it, there will be a lot of screen time happening during your child’s time off. Instead of cringing at the thought of your child spending a large amount of time with their tablet, think of ways you can leverage this. You can download Amazon FreeTime Unlimited or other educational apps so that you don’t have to feel guilty about letting your kids zone out in front of a screen.
Bring out the art supplies
This is a good time to bring out the markers, crayons and other art supplies to keep a child busy for long stretches of time. Art supplies can spark creativity and get them excited about completing an activity. Pair the supplies with a couple of white sheets and watch the magic happen.
Do activities together
Cooking is a great opportunity to teach kids a new skill and get them involved. Give them their own tools, ask them to help you find the right ingredients and let them do some kitchen experimenting for delicious creations. Like cooking, cleaning as a group can also become a fun task when done together.
Get active
At some point, you will all want to get moving. It’s easy to feel frustrated or bored if you’re not being physically active. Try some creative exercise ideas, like setting up an obstacle course in the backyard or in your living room. You can also try some micro-exercises, such as jumping jacks, running up and down the stairs or dancing around to music.
Making the Most of Time Indoors
For whatever reason you might be stuck indoors, it can be challenging for individuals and families. But this time can also be an opportunity to find new ways of enjoying the simple things in life — for both you and your child.
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