Health briefs

Understanding Grief
        The Wood County Committee on Aging, Inc. is partnering with Lutheran Social Services to hold an educational grief support group, “Understanding Your Grief.”
        The group, open to adults, age 60 and older, will run for 11 weeks and be held on Wednesdays from 1-2:30 p.m. beginning Nov. 13 at the Wood County Senior Center, 305 N. Main St., Bowling Green. Joan Staib, MSW, LISW, will facilitate the group.
        There is no cost to participate, however, there is a $25 fee for a book and workbook, due at the first meeting. Scholarships are available.
        To register or for more details, call the WCCOA Social Services Department at 1-800-367-4935 or 419-353-5661.
 
Mercy Diabetes program
        On Thursday, Nov. 14 at 2 p.m., as a part of National Diabetes Awareness Month, Mercy Health will present a diabetes education program at King Road Library, 3900 King Rd., Toledo.
        Jeannie Wagner, Clinical Coordinator of Diabetes Education, will discuss different methods to manage and prevent diabetes from progressing.
        There is no cost to attend. RSVP is requested. Call 888-987-6372 or email mercy_healthlink@mercy.com to register.
 
Monthly Health Screening
        Magruder Hospital will offer its monthly screening Thursday, Nov. 14 starting at 9 a.m. in the lab in the hospital, located at 615 Fulton St., Port Clinton. Screenings are offered the second Thursday of the month.
        The test is a venipuncture/blood draw rather than a finger stick, and includes a basic metabolic panel (glucose, BUN/Creatinine, calcium, potassium, sodium, chloride, CO2, etc.) and a lipid profile (total cholesterol/LDL/HDL/triglycerides), as well as a blood pressure check.
        The cost is $16. Appointments may be made by calling 419-734-3131, ext. 3420.
        For more information on events and screenings, visit www.magruderhospital.com.                    
 
ProMedica Urgent Care earns accreditation
        ProMedica Urgent Care has achieved accreditation through the Urgent Care Association (UCA), the highest level of distinction for urgent care centers.
        It is the first urgent care organization in Northwest Ohio to earn the recognition.
        Urgent care fills the gap between primary care and hospital emergency rooms, offering increased convenience and cost savings.
        ProMedica Urgent Care’s seven centers provide patients with walk-in, extended-hour medical attention for a large scope of medical conditions. As part of the accreditation, the centers have met all of the Urgent Care Association’s established standards and criteria for quality of patient care, safety, and scope of services.
        When a patient’s regular doctor cannot address a medical condition promptly – such as unexpected cuts, sprains or fractures that do not require a visit to the emergency department, ProMedica Urgent Care’s centers provide a convenient and viable treatment option. The centers are all equipped with x-ray, laboratory services, and licensed providers who are always available to perform minor procedures like splinting and suturing.
        ProMedica Urgent Care accepts unscheduled, walk-in patients 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., 365 days a year. Visit www.promedica.org/urgentcare for more details.
 
Hockey Fights Cancer Walleye Game Nov. 23
        The Toledo Walleye will present, “Hockey Fights Cancer,” sponsored by the ProMedica Cancer Institute, Saturday, Nov. 23 at 7:15 p.m. at Huntington Center, 500 Jefferson Ave., Toledo.
        The Walleye and ProMedica are teaming up to engage the community and raise awareness about cancer care and survivorship.
        Tickets range from $19-$25. Visit www.toledowalleye.com for details. Fans are encouraged to wear purple to support the cause.
 
Medical website celebrates milestone
        HealthyChildren.org, the official American Academy of Pediatrics website for parents, will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Dec. 10.
        “Pediatricians are parents, too. And we know parents love to look for information on the internet. With HealthyChildren.org, we wanted to make sure that there was a place for them to find the kind of guidance we’d share with them in our offices,” said Dr. Jennifer Shu, medical editor of HealthyChildren.org. “A decade into this adventure, our fellow pediatricians and many, many parents have told us that we’ve created a truly helpful resource.”
        Since HealthyChildren.org’s launch in 2009, more than 152 million visitors have viewed just over 278 million pages on the site. The site currently attracts nearly 7 million monthly visitors who view more than 8 million pages of content.
        With content available in English and Spanish, the site features more than 5,000 articles on hundreds of children’s health topics, along with interactive tools such as the KidsDoc Symptom Checker, Find a Pediatrician, Ask the Pediatrician, Family Media Plan and much more. The Spanish-language site attracts 3 million visitors from more than 200 countries each month.
        HealthyChildren.org also has a strong presence on Facebook with a total of 560,000 likes on its English and Spanish platforms. The site has attracted substantial followers on other social media platforms as well, including Twitter, Pinterest, and most recently, Instagram.
        AAP will celebrate HealthyChildren.org’s anniversary with a 10th Birthday Sweepstakes in which 10 winners will receive $200 Visa gift cards. Participants must be registered users of HealthyChildren.org. Registration is quick, easy and free, and benefits include a free monthly newsletter, a home page that’s customized for the registrant’s family, and special event notification. The contest will begin Dec.1 and end Dec. 10. Winners will be drawn on or about Dec. 11.