Current News

This year, National Handwashing Awareness Week is observed December 1-7, 2013. Campaigns associated with this annual event highlight the importance of proper handwashing in preventing the spread of communicable diseases, including the flu, common cold, pink eye, pneumonia and strep throat, to name a few.

In order to better serve its patients, Methodist Hospital for Surgery has created a joint wellness program to teach patients and their families about what to expect before, during and after a surgical procedure. The program was launched earlier in the summer with the intention of reducing potential fear and anxiety for each person coming to the hospital, regardless of if they are a patient or a caregiver.

Central to the program is a joint class, which is taught by Candace Callegan, who brings over 25 years of nursing experience to the job of joint coordinator. In the class, Callegan walks patients and caregivers through the joint replacement process, including helping with the coordination of their pre-op testing and ensuring they have medical clearance prior to their procedure.

Each September, the American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) observes Pain Awareness Month in an effort to raise awareness about the 100 million Americans suffering from chronic pain. The ACPA is committed to raising awareness through mass media, public forums and other sources so that chronic pain may be readily recognized, better understood without the traditional stigma attached, and more fittingly treated and managed.

Each year in June, Men’s Health Month is celebrated across the country with screenings, health fairs, media appearances, and other health education and outreach activities. The purpose of Men’s Health Month is to heighten awareness of preventable problems and encourage early detection and disease treatment among men and boys. The centerpiece of Men’s Health Month is National Men’s Health week, a special awareness period passed by Congress and signed into law on May 31, 1994.

Each April, the Occupational Therapy Association, Inc., celebrates Occupational Therapy Month. During this occasion, the importance of occupational therapists and the work they do is showcased. Occupational therapists help people, ranging from the babies and young children to the elderly, participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities.

Sufferers of chronic pain no doubt cringe as the seasons change and the temperatures cool. Why? Chronic painful conditions get more intense and widespread in the cold months because nerves become more sensitive in the cold. Additionally, painful conditions feel worse in the winter because of the muscle and ligament stiffness that result from lower temperatures.