- Cancer CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogYvette Garity had tried to quit smoking on her own, but it just wasn’t working. So, after 42 years as a smoker, Yvette enrolled in the smoking cessation program at AAMC. As it turns out, that program may have saved her life. The coordinator of the cessation program recognized that the 58 year-old Edgewater resident’s smoking history suggested a high risk for developing lung cancer. She recommended Yvette for the Lung Screening program. “I thought, that’s good,” Yvette said, “because I will be able to see how much my lungs have improved by quitting smoking.” More people like Yvette will have access to AAMC’s Lung Screening Program thanks to a recent grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation. The Geaton and JoAnn DeCesaris Cancer Institute at Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) was awarded a three-year $1.25 million grant for lung cancer prevention and screening from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation. This grant will enable AAMC to expand lung cancer prevention services within high-risk populations living in underserved communities in Anne Arundel, Calvert and Prince George’s Counties. AAMC’s outreach plan includes providing smoking prevention education, smoking cessation programs and lung cancer screening education both to health care providers and community members. This grant will allow us to better reach and inform at-risk patients in the region about the need for lung cancer screening and provide desperately needed education and resources for smoking cessation – Stephen Cattaneo, MD, director of thoracic surgery at Anne Arundel Medical Center. AAMC has already begun extending lung cancer prevention and screening to at-risk groups. Tobacco treatment specialists visit schools to provide smoking prevention education to students and meet clients weekly at community clinics to provide free smoking cessation counseling. More recently, AAMC provided transportation for residents from a nearby public housing community in order to receive their lung cancer screenings. While Medicare and many other insurance companies cover lung cancer screening, the Bristol Myers Squibb grant will provide an opportunity for AAMC to reach many other communities in the future by increasing access to lung cancer prevention education, screening and follow-up care in underserved communities. Lung Cancer in Maryland. Lung screening and prevention programs are important in Maryland. The incidence and mortality rates for lung and bronchus cancer are higher in Anne Arundel than in the U.S. and Maryland. Lung cancer is also the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., with a mortality rate higher than any other cancer, primarily because the cancer is not usually detected or treated at an early stage. Those at risk for lung cancer include current and former smokers, those exposed to secondhand smoke, radon and other substances such as asbestos, arsenic, diesel exhaust, a personal or family history of lung cancer and those who have had radiation therapy to the chest. To learn more about lung screening call 443-481-5838.
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogWe recently received the Stroke Gold Plus Achievement Award from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA)—the highest award given to stroke programs nationally. The award is part of the AHA’s “Get with the Guidelines” program for improving stroke care by promoting the latest scientific treatment guidelines. This award recognizes 85 percent compliance with seven achievement measures for 24 consecutive months or more, and 75 percent compliance with five or more quality measures for 12 consecutive months. For stroke patients, quick actions save lives and reduce long-term disabilities. Our stroke care team is trained to identify stroke symptoms early, so patients are treated efficiently and effectively, and given the best chances for recovery. In addition to the Gold Plus award, we received the “Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus” status for administering clot-busting therapy within 60 minutes in 75 percent or more of ischemic stroke patients and achieving a door-to-needle time of 45 minutes or less in 50 percent of acute ischemic stroke patients. Most hospitals that implement “Get With The Guidelines” see measurable results, including improved patient outcomes and fewer recurring events.
- Cancer Care, Plastic Surgery & Skin Care, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThey go by many names: beauty marks, birthmarks and moles. Whether you love them or hate them, there are many reasons you may consider having one or more of your moles removed. According to Plastic Surgeon Devinder Singh, MD, of AAMG Plastic Surgery, reasons for mole removal vary, including: To lessen irritation when wearing makeup, jewelry or clothing. To reduce problems when shaving. To smooth skin and improve appearance. To determine a diagnosis. But, these seemingly harmless spots on the skin may be hiding a deadly disease: skin cancer. These marks are made up of pigment-producing cells that can develop into a tumor. In other cases, cancer cells from different tumors can spread to other parts of the body, including the skin. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, and can affect anyone at any age. More than three-and-a-half million people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year—that’s more than the incidence of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers combined. “These spots can appear simply because they’re part of your genetic make-up, or they can appear due to sun exposure,” explains Dr. Singh, chief and medical director of plastic surgery at Anne Arundel Medical Center. And while most beauty spots aren’t harmful, Dr. Singh recommends seeing a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon to have them examined. “Your age and the condition of your skin determine how often you should go for an examination,” he says. “The chance of your moles turning into cancer increases with more exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet light.” How can you tell if a beauty mark is just a harmless spot or a mark masking cancer cells? “Only your doctor can identify if a spot is cancerous,” says Dr. Singh. “But there are several warning signs that may indicate skin cancer.” To do a self-check of your moles, Dr. Singh recommends using the ABCDE method: A for Asymmetry: One half of the mark is different from the other half. B for Border Irregularity: The edges are notched, uneven or blurred. C for Color: The color is uneven. Shades of brown, tan and black are present. D for Diameter: The diameter is greater than 6 millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser). E for Evolving: There is change in size, color or shape, or symptoms such as itching or bleeding begin. “If you notice any of these, you should see your doctor immediately. Even if the mole doesn’t need to be removed right away, you can have it removed for preventative purposes,” says Dr. Singh. Contributor Devinder Singh, MD, is chief and medical director of plastic surgery at Anne Arundel Medical Center.
- Heart Care, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogWhen cardiac rehab patient Eilene Pottorff first came to our Outpatient Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program, she was discouraged about starting her road to recovery–until one day when she found herself in a row of treadmills between two other rehab patients, both named Carol. “They managed to cheer me up to no end,” says Eilene. “So after that, as each new female patient would come in to exercise, we would go over and talk to her, ask her what she had. We’d show her our scars and by the time we walked away, she would be laughing and feeling a lot better.” But the friendships didn’t end there. Soon, this growing group of women started going out for lunch after they finished their rehab sessions. “Then we started going to someone’s home because it was cheaper,” Eileen remarks. From there, the “Lunch Bunch” club was born. “We realized that as the women finished their prescribed 36 visits and then left the rehab center, we didn’t know their names or address and would never see them again,” says Eilene. “So we started a club called The Lunch Bunch.” Eilene spreads the word about the club throughout the rehab center, telling new patients, “‘It’s a club with no dues, no by-laws, no elections and no fights…and the best thing of all is, no one will ever read the minutes of the last meeting.’ That gets them interested every time,” she says. With 37 members, the Lunch Bunch has been hosting monthly gatherings for 13 years. Each member has been through cardiac rehab at AAMC. “We jokingly say that we got ‘well and happy and pretty’ all thanks to the staff at the Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Center,” says Eilene. AAMC offers a variety of rehabilitation services, including cancer therapy, occupational and speech therapy, and physical therapy.
- Cancer CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogSkin Cancer Prevention: Enter Our Contest! May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. To spread awareness about skin cancer prevention, we’re giving away a $200 Ray-Ban® gift card. There are lots of ways to help prevent skin cancer–show us yours! Send a photo of how you protect yourself from the sun to [email protected] before June 1 for a chance to win! Your photos will be featured on our Facebook page. Skin Cancer Reading List What Really Happens When You Sunburn? Sunburn and Sunshine: 4 Surprising Ways Your Skin Can Be Damaged Skin Cancer Screenings: Know What to Look For *To be eligible to win the $200 Ray-Ban® gift card you must email a photo before June 1, 2016. You are limited to one chance to win. One winner will be chosen at random on May 31, 2016. By emailing us your photo, you automatically grant Anne Arundel Medical Center the right to use your photo for AAMC-related purposes, including but not limited to posting your photo on our Facebook page. Contest winner must live in Maryland., D.C. or Virginia. Employees of AAMC are not eligible to win.
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