- Behavioral Health, Community, PediatricsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThe heroin epidemic is a national problem that hits close to home in Anne Arundel County. According to the Anne Arundel County Department of Health, heroin-related deaths in the county have increased by 128 percent between 2010 and 2013. The rate of heroin use here is 5.5 percent for youths ages 16 and 17 and 10.7 percent for adults age 18 and older. Both of these numbers are above the averages for the state of Maryland. The Danger of Opioids Fueling the epidemic are opioids. Opioids come in two main forms: prescription painkillers like OxyContin and Percocet and illegal drugs like heroin. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is writing new guidelines for physicians to explore other options before prescribing opioids. Still, many people already have a prescription for opioids. In 2012, doctors wrote 259 million opioid prescriptions. That’s enough for every adult in the United States to have a bottle of pills, according to the CDC. Not everyone who takes opioids gets addicted. However, everyone develops tolerance and some may start to crave these drugs. Opioid use can lead to risk of falls, respiratory problems, sleep apnea, interaction with other medications and potentially fatal overdoses. Suboxone: A Safe Solution Quitting opioids “cold turkey” is painful and dangerous. Withdrawal symptoms start around 12 hours after someone stops using opioids. Symptoms can include stomach pain, anxiety, body pain, chills, diarrhea, nausea, sweating, insomnia, weakness and more. For people dependent on opioids, Suboxone can help. Suboxone is a medication that helps people safely stop opioid use by reducing withdrawal symptoms and opioid cravings. The medication also blocks the effects of other opioids. Suboxone treatment not only allows people to safely withdraw from opioids with little discomfort, it helps manage other health issues related to opioid use. Suboxone treatment also links people with professional counselors. Counselors can help people develop coping skills and behaviors to prevent setbacks. Only qualified, licensed doctors can prescribe Suboxone. Pathways, Anne Arundel Medical Center’s substance use and mental health treatment center, offers both inpatient and outpatient Suboxone treatment. Both programs begin with a phone call to understand the patient’s needs. Based on the phone call, we recommend either inpatient or outpatient care. The opioid epidemic is complex, and the solution is not simple. At Pathways, we believe we can begin to turn this public health crisis around by working together with other healthcare professionals, our community partners and our patients. For more information on Suboxone treatment and other options available through Pathways, visit PathwaysProgram.org.
- News & Press Releases, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogChesapeake Women’s Health of Easton and Cambridge, Md. has joined Anne Arundel Medical Group, a multi-specialty physician group that is part of Anne Arundel Medical Center. The practice will now be known as Anne Arundel Medical Group Chesapeake Women’s Health. They will continue to serve patients in their current locations at: 401 Purdy Street, Suite 102 in Easton 100 Bramble Street, Suites E and F in Cambridge “These are exciting times for AAMG Chesapeake Women’s Health,” says Patrick O’Brien, MD, an OB-GYN who has been with the practice since 2006. “This decision has been thoughtfully made to provide long-term stability to our practice and allow us to continue to care for patients in our community.” AAMG Chesapeake Women’s Health will continue to provide the same excellent medicine and high-quality, attentive care patients deserve and have come to expect in the practice. Providers will continue to deliver babies and provide gynecological surgical care in Easton. They will continue to accept and honor all insurance providers and employers who currently allow patients to see them for care. “We at Anne Arundel Medical Center are committed to serving residents of the Eastern Shore,” said Steve Clarke, vice president of physician services at Anne Arundel Medical Center. “Bringing Chesapeake Women’s Health into the AAMC care network strengthens Eastern Shore community members’ access to high-quality care and services.” For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 410-820-0038.
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogLast weekend, Winter Storm Jonas dumped a record-breaking 29+ inches of snow across the region. Despite the blizzard conditions, AAMC employees made sure to show up for their shifts, ensuring we had no interruptions in patient care. Many stayed overnight, getting shut eye whenever and wherever they could. Not only were employees devoted to making sure our patients and families received the care they needed, but they also showed incredible support to each other. Coworkers helped each other out with rides to and from the hospital and shoveled out buried cars. Angela Reedy, RN, Flex Pool, shared how Cindy Klebe, RN, NICU, went out of her way to pick up six night-shift employees who were staying in a hotel. Because of her assistance, all six were able to arrive on time for their shifts. Kwanza Carter, RN, HVU, and Trish Seal, RN, ICU, gave rides to several employees to make sure they could get to the hospital safely. Other staff members arrived long before the starts of their shifts to ensure they could care for their patients. Some even took on additional shifts so another team member could stay home. And when cars broke down on the snow-covered roads, some employees, like Jolanda Blake, environmental attendant, walked a mile to get to the hospital. It took Gary Cooper, environmental services, half a day to get to work, twelve-and-a-half hours to be exact. Leaving home at 3am, Gary began his long, treacherous trip. His car got stuck in the snow several times, but Gary didn’t turn around once. He arrived at the hospital at 3:30pm. After working long hours in back-to-back shifts, Leo Colon, Security, returned to his hotel in Annapolis to sleep. Many employees slept at local hotels during the weekend to ensure they could get to the hospital. As Leo entered the lobby, he saw several labor and delivery nurses planning their return to AAMC for their shifts. Despite little sleep, he offered them a ride to the hospital and a ride back to the hotel at the end of their shifts. Later that morning, Leo saw one of those nurses, Grace Blackwell, RN, Labor and Delivery, trying to shovel her car out from the hotel parking lot. “Without missing a beat, Leo offered his help to do a job that would have taken me over an hour,” says Grace. “I was able to get home to see my kids.” The Clatanoff Pavilion stayed busy, delivering 19 babies, including a set of twins, during the storm. On Facebook, hundreds of community members shared messages of support and thanks for our team’s dedication. “These people are true heroes! Thanks to them and to everyone at AAMC for their dedication and world-class commitment to serve,” said Facebook fan Bob Herrmann. Check out more photos from the blizzard on the AAMC Facebook page. Have an AAMC storm story you want to share? Let us know on our Facebook page. These stories offer just a glimpse of our extraordinary employees and their dedication to our patients. Thank you to everyone who worked during the biggest blizzard ever to hit our region, from those who cleared the paths to those who prepared food in our cafeterias, to those who cared for patients. We always put our patients first, rain or shine…or 29 inches of snow.
- General Page Tier 3BlogStart the New Year with plans to eat healthy in 2016. These top healthy food trends can help you reach your goal: Go for the grain. Amaranth, quinoa, chia and sorghum may not sound familiar, but these ancient grains were enjoyed by our ancestors. You can easily add these to many of your favorite dishes. Whole grains are satiating and a great source of fiber. Plus, many grains, like quinoa, deliver a powerful dose of protein. Eat less processed foods. Eat more natural and less artificially sweetened food. More companies are under pressure to remove artificial ingredients, which is a good thing. Focus on keeping naturally occurring sugars in your diet that are naturally within the food, as in fruit. Cut added sugars put into foods during processing, such as in tomato sauce. Check your gut. Probiotics are the rage and with good reason. Science is showing us that the environment in our intestines could play a major role in boosting immunity, fighting disease and providing a general sense of well-being every day. Let technology help. Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest allow consumers to share recipes and ideas for healthy eating. Also, fitness apps, like My Fitness Pal or Lose It, help you keep food records. These records are a necessary tool for successful weight management. Make sustainable food choices. Learn what you can about where and how your food arrives on your table. Food manufacturers need to demonstrate their credentials in environmentally friendly and sustainable practices. Consider vegetarian alternatives. Vegetarian protein sources are now mainstream and appeal to many consumers. There’s pea protein, milk alternatives, beans and more. These are no longer used by just those with intolerances or allergies. Go Greek. Greek yogurt is not just for breakfast anymore. You can substitute yogurt for sour cream or mayonnaise. And, you can add it to soups, or even risotto, for a savory component in dishes. Be inspired by vegetables. Consider spiraling zucchini instead of pasta noodles. Or, shred cauliflower to replace rice. There are many creative ways to get more vegetables into your diet. Join the muffin-pan mania. Restaurants may supersize their meals but it is important to implement portion control at home. Preparing food in a muffin tray helps scale back portions. A muffin pan can allow you to indulge in a guilt-free, perfectly proportioned bite. Shop from your desk. Online automated meal planning services help us get a healthy homemade meal on the table. Services like Gathered Table provide a weekly custom menu based on our eating preferences. Menus are editable, so you can make changes. The matching grocery list automatically updates as you edit your menu. These services can save time, money and calories and cut down on unplanned spending. We wish you happiness— and good health — in 2016. To learn more about nutrition services at Anne Arundel Medical Center, visit AskAAMC.org/nutrition. Authors By Ann Caldwell and Maureen Shackelford, nutritionists and registered dietitians at Anne Arundel Medical Center. To reach them call 443-481-5555.
- Men's Health, News & Press Releases, Women's Health, Heart CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogSudden cardiac arrest, a condition that occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops beating, kills more than 300,000 Americans each year. Previously, the condition was believed to strike without warning, but a new study from the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests otherwise. “We used to think there were no symptoms. This study shows that may not necessarily be true,” says Baran Kilical, MD, cardiologist and electrophysiologist with Anne Arundel Medical Group Cardiology Specialists. “The study suggests people may have slight warning signs, such as chest pain and shortness of breath. It’s important to recognize symptoms and seek help.” Symptoms of a heart attack and cardiac arrest are similar, but they are very different conditions. “Even 18-year-olds can experience sudden cardiac death,” explains Dr. Kilical. “Unlike a heart attack where arteries are blocked, sudden cardiac arrest is an electrical problem. If there’s an electrical short circuit the heart is quivering instead of squeezing. This means it isn’t pumping blood to the brain and other vital organs. That’s how death occurs.” The study included more than 800 people who survived cardiac arrest. About 50 percent of men and 53 percent of women reported at least some warning signs before their hearts stopped. Only 19 percent say they sought emergency treatment. In addition to chest pains and shortness of breath, some patients reported heart palpitations and flu-like symptoms. “When in doubt, if it’s something that’s unusual for you, it’s worth a phone call,” says Dr. Kilical. “It’s best not to play Dr. Google at home. Call your doctor or 911 and ask about it.” Listen to the full interview with Dr. Kilical on WTOP radio. Learn more about the difference between heart attack and cardiac arrest. Contributor Baran Kilical, MD, is a board-certified cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist with AAMG Cardiology Specialists. To reach his office, call 410-897–0822.
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