Health News

Blood pressure

+ Free blood pressure screenings will be offered on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month for the convenience of community residents who wish to monitor their blood pressure. The screenings will be available on the fourth Wednesday of each month. The screenings will be available from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Adult Day Care Department at Taylor Health Center.

+ A monthly Blood Pressure Screening will be held the first Friday of every month in the main lobby at St. James Hospital. Chronic fatigue syndrome

A new support group for community members diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia. The group is scheduled to meet the third Tuesday of the month from 3-4 p.m. in the small cafeteria conference room at St. James Mercy Hospital.

The support group is open to persons with diabetes as well as their family and friends. Judy Griffith, RN, is the Patient Educator for St. James Mercy Hospital and facilitates the group.

For more information, please call Judy Griffith at 324-8139. Gastric Bypass support

The monthly meeting of the Gastric Bypass Support Group of St. James Mercy Health System will be held on the third Wednesday of every month from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Memorial Conference Room at St. James Mercy Hospital.

The free support group is

open to anyone who has had a gastric bypass or is considering one.

For more information, contact Faith Mills at 324-5869 or tmrcj@yahoo.com.

Diabetes support

The monthly meeting of the Diabetes Support Group of St. James Mercy Health System is held the third Tuesday of every month at 3 p.m. in the cafeteria at MercyCare on Bethesda Drive in North Hornell.

Multiple sclerosis

The Multiple Sclerosis meetings will be held the first Wednesday of every month at 10 a.m. at Friendly's in Hornell.

Cardiac support

The Cardiac Support Group will meet on the second Wednesday of every month at 6:30 p.m., in Cardiac Rehab, second floor, at St. James Hospital.

Grief support

+ A Grief Support Group will be offered on the second Wednesday of every month at 1 p.m. in the St. James Hospital Chapel.

For more information, contact Chaplain Astuti Bijlefeld or Sister Elaine Hollis at the St. James Mercy Hospital Spiritual Care Office at 324-8153.

+ The new evening Grief Support Group; "Good Grief Group" will be held the second and forth Monday of every month at 7 p.m. in the Hospital Chapel on the ground floor. The group is designed to help individuals who have experienced a recent loss of a loved one, or are experiencing grief and are having difficulty with their loss.

For more information contact Laura Vetter, community services coordinator at 324-8147 or Kim Gardner 776-1146 (days)/776-9523 (evenings). Questions on hospital bills or Medicare?

Financial Representatives will be available on the second Tuesday of every month to answer questions regarding hospital bills or Medicare at St. James Hospital. This is a free service offered to any individual and no appointment is necesssary. Want to quit smoking?

The Bath VA is offering the Quit Smart Program to assist eligible veterans to stop smoking. To find out if you are eligible and/or to enroll, contact the Behavioural Health Clinic at 664-4300.

Senior home care

The Steuben County Office for Aging can assist senior citizens and their families explore the many options for home care and support services for eligible senior citizens.

Call the office of the Aging for more information at 776- 7813. Free health care services

Free health care services are now available in Bath for people who have no health insurance or means of payment.

Call for an appointment, 776-8085 Ext. 218. Health Ministry of the Southern Tier, Bath Community Care Center, 23 Liberty street, Bath.

Brain injury

Traumatic Brain Injury Support Group meeting will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. on the third Monday of every month in the conference room located at the rear entrance of the Pro-Action building, 117 E. Steuben St., Bath. The meeting is for people with brain injury and their families.

For more information contact Gail Cochrane, TBI Coordinator, (585)747-3959. American Red Cross course schedule

+ An infant and child CPR course will be held from 6-10 p.m. March 20 at the Bath American Red Cross chapter office. The course will teach rescue breathing, choking emergencies and CPR. The cost is $40.

+ A babysitting class will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 14 at the Bath American Red Cross chapter office. The course is for youths ages 11-14. The course will teach responsibilities of a babysitter, accident prevention, emergency first aid, and how to prepare for a babysitting job. The cost is $40.

+ A standard First Aid/CPR/AED course will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 24 at the Bath American Red Cross chapter office. Traumatic brain injury

A Taumatic Brain Injurty Support Group meeting will be held the third Monday of every month from 5:30-7 p.m in the conference room, rear entrance of Pro-Action building, 117 E. Steuben St., Bath. The meeting is for people with Brain Injury and their families. For more

information contacct Gail Cochrane, IBI Coordinatior at 585-382-3959.

Smoking Cessation

Steuben County Public Health & Nursing Services is offering Smoking Cessation classes for Feb. 27, and March 6. Seven sessions will take place; orientation, preparation, quit day, stress management, benefits of quitting, relapse prevention, and maintaining the quit. The registration fee is $20 and will be refunded upon completion of all 7 sessions.

For more information contact the Steuben County Public Health & Nursing Services at 664-2438 ext. 2652 or toll free at 1-800- 724-0471.

Child immunizations

The Steuben County Public Health and Nursing Services will sponsor the foll o w i n g C h i l d r e n Immunization clinics for the month of Feb. under the direction of the local Medical Director:

+ From 5-7 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Steuben County Public Health and Nursing Services, County Office Building - G3 off D.S.S. lobby, Bath.

Adults are encouraged to attend the immunization clinic to receive Tetanus/Diphtheria vaccine which is recommended every 10 years. The cost for this vaccination is $20.

Coping with Cancer

The American Cancer Society and The Wellness Council of the Southern Tier will hold a Coping with Cancer presentation at 7 p.m. March 7 at the Centenary United Methodist Church, 3 West Washington St., Bath. Speaker Janet

Opila-Lehman, from Finger Lakes Wellness Center and Health Spa, will speak on Lymph Drainage Therapy and Lymphedema.

Caregiver support

T h e Alzheimer's Association offers a monthly caregiver support group in Elmira for people who have a loved one with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia. Meetings will be held on the first Tuesday of each month from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at Stafkings Health Care, 221 W. Church St.

For more information contact the Alzheimer's Association at 585-760-5400. Veterans information open house

A Veterans information open house will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Charles E. Wescott American Legion Post, West William St., Bath.

Representatives from the VA Medical Center, Bath National Cemetery, Steuben County and New York State Veteran Service Agencies will be on hand to answer questions for veterans and their families concerning eligibility for medical care, disability, education, pension, burial, and property tax exemption benefits. Membership information for the American Legion and refreshments will be available. Alzheimer's disease support

Office For the Aging will hold an Alzheimer's Disease Support Group for spouse's/partners only (of those with dementia,) from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon March 12 at the Stueben County Health Care Facility.