HEALTH NEWS
Blood pressure screenings

• 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 from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Adult Day Care Department at Taylor Health Center.

Gastric Bypass support

The monthly meeting of the Gastric Bypass Support Group of St. James Mercy Health System will be held on the third Monday of every month from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Cafeteria 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.

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 monthly meeting for 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).

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.

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.

For questions call 324- 8040.

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.

Alzheimer's support

The 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.

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.

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.

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.

Multiple sclerosis

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

Steuben Coordinated Transportation, in partnership with Office for the Aging and the United Way of the So. Tier, offers transportation assistance to Steuben County residents

(not on Medicaid) to medical, nutritional, or other necessary services. Transportation assistance is offered by referrals to area services or by arranging for a volunteer driver to transport qualified clients.

If you are a senior citizen without transportation to necessary, nonemergency appointments, please call HELPLINE at 1-800-346-2211 and ask for Steuben Coordinated Transportation. Donations are accepted but there is not a fee for any services given.

Residents of any age interested in becoming a volunteer driver and a vital part of our community

are also invited to call for more information. (Mileage reimbursement is available to volunteer drivers.)

Immunizations

If your child is in need of immunizations, the Steuben County Public Health and Nursing Services will sponsor the following clinics for September under the direction of the local

Medical Director. The schedule is as follows:

• From 1-3 p.m. Sept. 12

at the Steuben County Public Health and Nursing Services, County Office Building - G3 off D.S.S. lobby, Bath.

• From 5-7 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Steuben County Public Health and Nursing Services, County Office Building - G3 off D.S.S. lobby, Bath.

For more information call 664-2438 or (800) 724- 0471.

Traumatic brain injury

A Taumatic Brain Injury 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 contact Gail Cochrane, IB I Coordinatior at (585) 382-3959.