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For Your Health: River Hospital Using New Respiratory Tests
May 15, 2008
Patients heading to River Hospital in Alexandria Bay for respiratory tests can breathe easier.
Starting this week, the hospital is using a state-of-the-art machine to diagnose diseases like asthma and emphysema.
It’s connected to a new computer that records results.
Hospital officials say it’s a big improvement from their old machine.
“Testing with that machine was much more labor intensive for the patient…This test new equipment makes it so much easier on patient. The test is really not taxing to them like the old one was,” said Director of Respiratory Therapy Judy Hunter-Eves.
River Hospital hopes to bring in more patients and start doing two to three tests a day.
Officials also hope to do lung tests for children for the first time.
See our report:
For Your Health: Teen Pregnancy
May 9, 2008
Teens need to know that sex can lead to consequences.
Which is why Nicole Kirby, a teen mother herself, is working so hard to get the word out that being a teen mother isn’t easy.
Nicole’s daughter, Elizabeth is 4-years-old.
Nicole was 15 when she had her daughter.
“You have to grow up right when you find out you’re having a baby. Overnight,” she said.
She has taken her message nationally and locally and maintains a website with information for other girls who might be facing the same problems she did.
Nicole’s website is http://teen-mom.tripod.com
Cindy Habeeb reports on For Your Health: Teen Pregnancy:
For Your Health: Creating A Healthy Workplace
May 1, 2008
A healthy employee is often the most productive and the encouragement we all need to make healthy choices can start right in the workplace.
Steps to a Healthier New York can help your workplace make that happen.
It’s often difficult to find the time and encouragement we need to get fit.
The truth is there’s no better place for that to happen than right at work.
Help doing that is just a phone call away.
WWNY-TV is like any other workplace.
Everyone is busy and that often means sitting at a desk with little time to exercise.
Making healthy choices is often easier said than done.
That’s why Steps to a Healthy New York is offering its third ‘Train the Trainer’ workshop.
“We’re trying to get people healthier. The way to do that is through stress reduction, nutrition and physical activity and that will in turn hopeful decrease employers’ costs for health insurance,” said Steps Coordinator Faith Lustik.
Those attending the workshop will learn how to implement an eight week weight loss and wellness program.
“I hope to bring back ideas that all of the staff members can implement into their daily lives to become healthier individuals,” said Mary Weston, trainer for WWNY.
The workshop is Tuesday May 13th from nine to four o’clock at Jefferson County Public Health. There’s no charge and lunch will be provided.
You have until Friday to register for the ‘Train the Trainer’ workshop.
Just call 786-3719.
It may be the best thing your workplace has ever done for your health.
See Cindy Habeeb’s report:
For Your Health: Autism
April 24, 2008
Autism, a developmental disability which affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others, is diagnosed in one out of every 150 American children.
Mikey White is one of those children.
At three and a half years of age, Mikey has has come a long way since he was first diagnosed.
“Our pediatrician noticed when he was about two years old…because he wasn’t responding to his name,” said Mikey’s mother, Michele White.
Some of the other more common warning signs include a delay in or lack of language, a repetitive use of language or movement, little or no eye contact, a lack of interest in peer relationships, a lack of spontaneous or make-believe play, and a fixation on parts of objects.
Occupational therapy is one of the services he receives at Jefferson Rehabilitation Center where he’s one of eight autistic children who attend the integrated pre-school program.
No two children with autism are alike and neither is their treatment.
“Maybe the most common situation for our children is that they all get speech and language therapy. Part of the reason for that is because among children with autism delays in language development are almost always identified,” said Neil Metevia, JRC Administrator.
While there’s no cure for autism, for any treatment to be successful early diagnosis is important.
According to the Autism Society of America, 1.5 million Americans are living with the effects of autism.
See Cindy Habeeb’s report:
For Your Health: A Boy Makes A Wish For His Brother’s Happiness
April 18, 2008
9-year-old Tyler Bidwell has a form of anemia that weakens his immune system.
His brother, Zack, is developmentally disabled.
When the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted Zack’s wish, it was a trip to Florida to see Disney World.
When Make-A-Wish asked Tyler what he would want for a wish, it was to take Zack and the family back to Florida so Zack could have more fun again.
Tyler’s mother, Dorothy Bidwell, said that she couldn’t be prouder of her son’s wish.
“Tyler spoke up and said ‘I want to take my brother back to Florida so he can have more fun.”
It’s moments like these that Make-A-Wish is trying to realize and they need more help in the form of volunteers.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is holding an informational session at Flower Memorial Library in Watertown from 5:30 to 7 on April 24 for anyone interested in becoming a wish granter.
Andrea Friedman reports:
For Your Health: Hospital Unveils New Web Site
April 10, 2008
Officials at River Hospital in Alexandria Bay say they have a new and improved way of reaching out to patients.
The hospital has a new Web site.
You can now find the results of the River Community Health Assessment Survey online along with a couple of other added features that the hospital says will let patients know what resources are waiting for them.
“It is a great new resource for patients. You can find information about the hospital, our services that we provide. You can now pay your bill on line. You can donate on line,” said Nicole Berry of River Hospital.
Check out River Hospital’s web site here.
See our report:
For Your Health: Follow Up on Kidney Transplant Recipient
April 4, 2008
Fred Zimmerman stops by the kidney dialysis center in Watertown every once in a while.
Only now, instead of receiving a treatment, he is delivering treats to those who helped him.
Fred underwent a kidney transplant in October 2007 and since then, he says he has been given a new lease on life.
For Your Health’s Cindy Habeeb reports:
For Your Health: Doubling The Tobacco Tax?
March 27, 2008
It’s deadly, but that hasn’t stopped 18 percent of people in New York from doing it.
Apparently the health warnings haven’t been enough.
That’s why anti-smoking groups are pushing for legislation that would hit smokers even harder in the pocket.
Advocates are pushing lawmakers in Albany to double the state’s tax on tobacco products - bringing the tax up to $3 per pack of cigarettes.
The Tobacco Prevention and Awareness Cessation Coalition or TPACC of Jefferson and Lewis counties says it supports the higher tax because it deter more people from smoking and help the state offset the costs it pays to treat people who do smoke.
“For every pack of cigarettes sold right now in New York state, there’s a $1.50 tax. For every pack smoked, New York state has to set aside $10.82 per pack. That’s $904 per household for every household in New York state whether they smoke or not just to go towards treating people with tobacco-related illnesses,” said TPACC Director Terra House.
If you’d like to see the tobacco tax doubled, advocates say it’s time to write to or call your representative in the state assembly and voice your support for putting the higher tax in this year’s budget.
See our report:
For Your Health: Diabetes Prevention
March 14, 2008
Senator Charles Schumer unveiled a $500 million legislation plan to combat type one and type two diabetes and encourage healthy living.
The plan will focus on creating healthier meals for children in schools and remove junk food in schools.
“We need nutritional standards in the lunchroom and in the classroom, those will make a huge difference,” Senator Schumber said.
Those aspects are part of the plan that Kaitlin Byrnes thinks will help make a difference.
Kaitlin has had diabetes since she was 11-years-old.
According to Schumer, 1 in 10 people in the tri-county area have diabetes and the numbers are expected to rise.
That is why, according to Senator Schumer, it is so important for North Country and New York residents to get tested and treatment early.
“If we can do early prevention we could both save money and save lives,” Schumer said.
Caroline Tucker reports:
For Your Health: Would You Know How To Handle Someone’s Seizure?
March 6, 2008
December 10 was a day like any other for the Conservation and Forestry class at the Glenfield BOCES, with one exception.
When conservation instructor Kevin O’Neill (pictured) had a seizure while teaching in the woods, his students were not just there with him, they were there for him.
O’Neill had a non cancerous brain tumor removed in April and was being weaned off anti-seizure medication.
As a precaution, he told the students what to do in the unlikely event he had a seizure.
“I remember seeing three students walking through the woods and another three up on the road and that’s the last thing I remember,” said O’Neill.
O’Neill suffered a seizure. Student William King witnessed it.
“His eyes went flying up. He was laying on his back and he started trembling, so I ran over to him and by the time I got there he was stiff, his body had tensed up, he was turning purple. I laid him on his side and I grabbed his arms so he wouldn’t hurt himself,” said King.
The students called 911 and covered O’Neill with their jackets. They also timed his seizure.
Gerald Carter was the bus driver that day.
“They were just like a bunch of paramedics,” he said.
O’Neill will always be grateful to his students and he says since surviving this brain tumor, “every day is a gift” is the motto by which he lives.
“This group is a part of that gift. It’s a great group and I’m just glad to have them,” said O’Neill.
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