- Community, Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogEvery day we learn something new about the coronavirus (COVID-19). But as we continue to gather new information, myths about the virus have also been spreading fast. It is critical that we are able to tell apart facts and misinformation, especially as it impacts vulnerable communities. Current data shows an unequal burden of illness and death among racial and ethnic minority groups, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Health disparities among racial and ethnic groups are traced to economic and social conditions, such as living conditions, work circumstances, underlying health conditions and access to care. Here are the facts: Truth 1: COVID-19 has the potential to affect everyone. COVID-19 impacts all races and ethnicities. However, older people and people with other underlying health conditions – such as asthma, heart disease and diabetes – are at a higher risk of getting seriously ill. Truth 2: It is not proven that certain hot drinks or foods will prevent infection. There is no evidence that drinking hot fluids, lemon juice or alcohol, or eating hot peppers or garlic, will prevent you from getting COVID-19. There are two different paths just past our tongue. One is our esophagus for food and liquids. The other is our trachea for breathing. Inhaling small droplets of the virus is the most common way the virus enters our bodies. Truth 3: Children, teens and young adults can get the virus. The virus infects people all ages. However, older people and people with pre-existing medical conditions are more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus. Truth 4: Bathing in hot water does not prevent the virus. Taking a hot bath after exposure to COVID-19 will not kill the virus inside your body. Your best defense is preventing exposure. For example, washing your hands often, wearing a face covering and physical distancing from people who aren’t in your household. Since distancing from people is not always an option for everyone, wearing a mask or facial covering is especially important. Frequent and thorough hand washing is best. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is also an option when access to soap and water is limited. Truth 5: It’s possible that if you don’t feel sick or show any symptoms you can still spread the virus. Many people who feel well can actually have COVID-19 and spread it. It’s important to follow the CDC’s recommendation to wear a mask and maintain six feet of distance from others. Truth 6: Hospitals are safe. Hospitals are safe, ready and open to provide you safe expert care, including preventive appointments, select surgeries, procedures and diagnostic testing. Safety protocols are in place to offer the highest standards of care. Our doors are open and we are ready to treat patients with non-COVID related medical needs in a safe environment. Truth 7: Everyone can seek medical care. Seeking medical attention will not make any legal processes, like getting a green card, more difficult in the future. Everyone should seek medical care if needed. As we continue to learn more about this pandemic, it’s important that you take care of yourself. Do not delay or be afraid to seek medical care when you need it. Authors Tamiko Stanley is the director of Diversity and Inclusion at Luminis Health.0
- Cancer CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogQuitting smoking can be challenging under the best of circumstances. Add in the stress and isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and you compound that challenge. Research shows that smoking and vaping are harmful to lung health. They can also increase the risk of not only developing COVID-19, but impact the severity of the infection. How does smoking or vaping increase my risk of getting COVID-19? We know that smoking causes several respiratory diseases, including emphysema. Smoking also suppresses the immune system and reduces your body’s ability to fight infections. This makes you more susceptible to COVID-19. Does smoking raise my risk of getting a severe case of COVID-19? Smoking affects the ability of the lungs to function normally and do their job of providing fresh oxygen to your body. When you add a COVID-19 infection on top of that, this can lead to worse health outcomes. Does vaping increase my risk of a COVID-19 infection? According to the National Institutes of Health, people who smoke are two times more likely to get the flu than non-smokers. This may be true for COVID-19 infection as well. Research is limited for COVID-19 infections caused by electronic cigarettes/vaping. A study by the Journal for Adolescent Health looked at more than 4,000 young people ages 13-24 who vaped. The study found that they were five times more likely to get COVID-19 than young people who didn’t vape. Youth who smoked cigarettes and vaped were seven times more likely to get a COVID-19 diagnoses, compared with those who didn’t use any form of tobacco. How can I quit smoking or vaping? Trying to quit during this time is possible. But it requires a plan. Your plan can include finding alternative ways to deal with triggers associated with smoking. Medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration for quitting nicotine are helpful in curbing smoking cravings. How long does it take to see changes in my health after quitting tobacco use? When you stop smoking, the healing starts almost immediately. Within the first 20 minutes, your blood pressure and pulse begin normalizing. Your lung function improves in one to three months. Make a list of all of the health benefits of quitting. Include all the important personal reasons you want to quit. This can keep you motivated. And don’t forget to reward yourself for each day you don’t smoke/vape! Resources Feel your best now by quitting tobacco. There are many resources to help you quit. They come in many forms – in-person, online or by telephone. To talk to a tobacco treatment specialist at Anne Arundel Medical Center’s Nicotine Dependence Program, call 443-481-5366. Author Joanne Ebner is manager of the Cancer Prevention Department and Nicotine Dependence Program at Anne Arundel Medical Center. You can reach her office at 443-481-5366/67.0
- Behavioral Health, Community, Giving, Pediatrics, UncategorizedGeneral Page Tier 3BlogDogs really are man’s best friend. That’s why you shouldn’t be surprised if you see some walking the halls of our hospital and visiting patients in their rooms. At AAMC, we harness the healing power of pets with more than 25 volunteer pet therapy teams. Each team is made up of a volunteer from the community who owns a pre-trained and certified dog. Therapy dogs can help put people at ease both emotionally and physically. Their visits often create a happier, calmer atmosphere not only for patients, but for family and friends as well. Katherine Tighe and her dog, Suzie, along with fellow volunteer George Benoit and his dog, Kallie, have provided pet therapy at AAMC since 2015. They make frequent stops to the emergency room, as well as the pediatric, cancer, joint replacement and elderly care units. “My dad was in and out of hospitals and rehab centers for years before he died,” says Katherine, an animal-assisted therapist and social worker. “He was growing more and more depressed and unhappy.” Then she remembers one day she came to visit him in the rehab facility, and something was different. “There was this black lab there who had stolen my father’s slipper. He was going up and down the halls trying to get back his slipper,” she says. “My dad enjoyed it so much, and it made me happy to see him have a spark again.” Adds George, “One time we walked up to a woman who was waiting for a loved one in surgery.” She started petting Kallie and immediately began crying. “Somehow the dogs give people an emotional release.” “We’ll go in a room where a child is afraid and screaming in pain, and he will see the dog and calm down immediately,” Katherine says. “The whole demeanor changes, and it’s beautiful.” Dogs must go through basic obedience training and pass a canine good citizen test. The team receives an extra level of training that focuses on managing difficult situations and evaluating the dog’s temperament. We partner with five organizations to certify pet therapy teams: Caring Canines, Pets on Wheels, PAWS-AAC, Fidos for Freedom and Pet Therapy International. For information about our pet therapy team, or to learn how your dog can become certified to visit patients, call 443-481-5050. Originally published Feb. 15, 2017. Last updated Jan. 7, 2020.0
- OrthopedicsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogIn one way, a bone fracture is similar to a heart attack — they are both a sign that something is wrong. Just like a heart attack triggers evaluation of cardiac risk factors like cholesterol and blood pressure, a fracture should trigger a workup of risk factors for osteoporosis. Although you don’t feel it, your bones are constantly repairing and replacing old bone with new bone. But by the time you reach your mid-30s, you begin to lose bone faster than you replace it. For women, menopause speeds up this process. Over time, this leads to thinner, weaker bones and the potential for developing osteoporosis. READ MORE: No bones about it: Preventing osteoporosis with these diet and exercise habits Osteoporosis is a disease that happens when your body loses too much bone, makes too little bone or both, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. This leads to weaker bones that can easily break from a fall. And in severe cases, bones can break from sneezing or small bumps. Osteoporosis is a painless disease until a bone breaks. Bone breaks related to this disease are most likely to happen in the hip, spine or wrist, but other bones can break too. Loss of height can be a sign of a vertebra, or spine, fracture, which can also lead to a stooped or hunched posture. One in two women over the age of 50 has an osteoporosis-related fracture in her lifetime. It’s important that you get a bone density scan (DEXA scan) to measure bone density and incorporate lifestyle habits that can slow down the weakening of bones. This helps reduce your risk of fractures. A DEXA (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) scan can diagnose osteoporosis. It uses very little radiation and produces detailed information about your bone density. Information is collected and compared to a reference group to determine your “T score.” A “T score” equal to or lower than -2.5 is considered osteoporosis. There’s also a Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX®) for evaluating fracture risk. Using the results of the DEXA scan, a FRAX score estimates the risk of a fracture within 10 years. Unfortunately, many women don’t get screened. Even if they have a fragility fracture, many don’t realize that’s a sign they may have osteoporosis. Bones shouldn’t break with low-energy falls such as from standing height or less. When they do, your doctor may want to run blood and bone density tests to determine if you have osteoporosis. If diagnosed, you should learn about weight-bearing exercise, fall prevention, nutrition and medication options for healthy bones. Here are some tips to improve your bone health and reduce your risk of fragility fracture: Pay attention to your calcium intake. Calcium is essential to building strong, dense bones. In fact, over 90 percent of the calcium in our bodies is deposited in our bones and teeth. Try to get 1,200 mg of calcium a day, preferably from food. If you don’t get enough from food, add a 500-600 mg calcium pill. Get enough vitamin D. Like calcium, Vitamin D supports the maintenance of healthy bones at all ages. Many people benefit from a supplement of 800-1,000 iu per day. Incorporate weight-bearing exercise into your lifestyle. Try walking 30 minutes a day. Plus, lift weights two or three days per week when cleared by your doctor. Or, if you want to have a little fun, you can play tennis, dance or go for a hike. Evaluate your home. Throw rugs, slippery surfaces and poorly lit hallways can lead to falls and then fractures. Make sure you make your surroundings safe and make any changes that are necessary. Get your eyes checked. If your sight is impaired, your chance of falling is higher. Schedule an appointment with your eye doctor as soon as possible. Eliminate vices. Alcohol and tobacco are two common vices that are detrimental to your bone health. Educate yourself. There are many good resources on the web, including the National Osteoporosis Foundation: www.nof.org. Although osteoporosis is common, it is still a serious, painful and costly disease that can sneak up on you and change your life completely. By talking to your doctor, getting screened and making small changes for your health, you could reduce the risk of developing weak bones. Be good to your bones and they will treat you right! Author Christina Morganti, MD, is a former orthopedic surgeon and medical director of the Osteoporosis Program at Anne Arundel Medical Center Orthopedics. She can be reached at 410-268-8862. Originally published May 28, 2018. Last updated Apr 16, 2026.0
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogToday Luminis Health, the non-profit health system formed in 2019 by Anne Arundel Medical Center and Doctors Community Medical Center (formerly Doctors Community Hospital), unveiled its new brand. A new logo, color scheme and social media pages signify the coming together of the two organizations under the Luminis Health masterbrand. The symbol element of the logo represents a beacon conveying the health system’s commitment to being a force of hope and healing for the region, while igniting new possibilities for how and where health care is delivered. The primary colors, green and yellow, denote the science and humanity at the health system’s core. “Anne Arundel Medical Center and Doctors Community Medical Center have come together to remove barriers to health,” says Victoria Bayless, CEO of Luminis Health. “One way we are doing this is by unifying everything we do under a single system brand. Our brand is about making health care easier, more personal and built specifically for the communities that we —and our patients— call home.” “Our brand defines who we are and what we stand for,” says Loren Farquhar, vice president of Marketing and Communications. “It guides how we express ourselves and reflects our dedication to our patients, fellow employees and the broader community. The geometric facets of the beacon speak to our expertise. The light illuminating from the center is symbolic of our optimism. In addition to our primary colors, the soft forms of our logotype help bring forth our sense of humanity.” This year, Luminis Health also sets course on Vision 2030, the health system’s ten-year strategic plan that will guide it into the future. Among the first actions on the agenda is expanding obstetric services in Prince George’s County and improving access to behavioral health care. “We are building an agile system of care, delivering high quality care in an optimal way by expanding our footprint, mobilizing our services, sparking justice and creativity, and enhancing health in our communities,” Bayless continued. In addition to Anne Arundel Medical Center and Doctors Community Medical Center, Luminis Health is comprised of the J. Kent McNew Family Medical Center, one of the only free-standing mental health hospitals in Maryland, as well as multi-specialty ambulatory sites and clinics, physician practices and clinical service lines that constitute Luminis Health Clinical Enterprise. With 635 licensed beds and more than 80 sites of care in the region, Luminis Health has 6,400 employees, 1,800 medical staff, 1,300 volunteers and serves residents of Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County and the Eastern Shore.0
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