Bloom Fall 2015

High-Tech Surgery | DIABETES PREVENTION | Genetic Testing Insights

Penrose-St. Francis Health Services

Nurturing women’s health in Colorado Springs

Keeping the Flame

Living

Well Coping with a chronic disease Page 7

Alive

How to reignite the spark with your spouse

Fall 2015 Volume 5, Issue 4

HealthyStart

How bad is it ...

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Reverse courses:

3 steps to preventing diabetes Are you at risk?

If you have one or more of these risk factors, talk to your doctor about being tested for diabetes: • 45 or older • Overweight • High cholesterol or high blood pressure • Immediate family member with diabetes • History of diabetes during pregnancy

Lots of things in life come without warning. But type 2 diabetes does come with a warning — it’s called prediabetes.

“Having prediabetes means your blood sugar level is higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diabetes,” says Judy L. Kibby, RN, a certified diabetes educator at Penrose-St. Francis Health Services. “The trouble is, 90 percent of adults with prediabetes don’t know they have it.”

And without making lifestyle changes, up to one-third of people with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within five years. So if you’ve been handed a diagnosis of prediabetes, Kibby offers three tips to help you reverse course: Lose a little.

Reaching your ideal body weight may be daunting, but losing just 5 to 7 percent of your body weight can cut your risk of diabetes in half!

Walk a bit.

Active muscle uses insulin more efficiently. Your best benefits come from 30 minutes five times weekly.

Don’t have half an hour?

Exercising for 10 minutes three times daily reaps similar results.

Snooze a spell.

Chronic lack of sleep — and also chronic oversleeping — have been found to significantly increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. The ideal amount?

Seven to eight hours nightly.

Learn More If you have been diagnosed with prediabetes or you are at risk of developing diabetes, the Penrose-St. Francis Health Learning Center can help. The center offers the CDC Diabetes Prevention Program, which includes 22 group sessions led by a trained lifestyle coach to learn skills, including eating healthy and being active, needed to make lasting lifestyle changes. For more information, call 719-776-3600 and ask to talk with the DPP coordinator. bloom is published four times annually by Penrose-St. Francis Health Services. As part of Centura Health, our mission is to nurture the health of the people in our community. The information herein is meant to complement and not replace advice provided by a licensed health care professional. For comments or to unsubscribe to this publication, please email us at bloom@centura.org. bloom is produced by Clementine Health Marketing. Executive editor is Jill Woodford.

In a word? Deadly.

Prolonged periods of sitting raise risk for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, among other deadly diseases — regardless of how much activity you get other times of day, according to a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Specifically, sitting eight to 12 hours a day raises risk for type 2 diabetes a whopping 90 percent.

And a new study published in July found that women who sit more than six hours daily have a 43 percent increased chance of ovarian cancer. Inactivity has even been identified as the fourth leading cause of death by the World Health Organization.

“We sit at work, in the car, and on the couch at home,” says Erin Heberlein, Penrose-St. Francis Wellness Center gym supervisor.

“Adults today aren’t getting the physical activity they used to, and it’s killing us.”

What can you do? Stand up to save your life!

• Petition for a stand-up desk • Walk around for two minutes every hour • Use a headset and pace during conference calls • Make one-to-one meetings walking meetings Take a Stand If you are reading this while sitting down, we encourage you to read Page 3 standing up.

2222 North Nevada Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80907

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to sit at a desk all day?

For the man in your life

Facing the facts about facial hair

N

ovember has morphed into Movember, a month to raise awareness for men’s health issues — and a time for men to grow a mustache or beard for the cause. If your man will be showing his solidarity, be sure he knows that facial hair can be a breeding ground for bacteria, and that thorough cleaning is necessary to stay healthy — especially heading into cold and flu season. Good, regular scrubbing helps clean the hair and also exfoliates the skin underneath, where bacteria can hide.

And good news, facial hair aficionados, renouncing the razor may have benefits like: Shielding against cancer. A 2012 Australian study found that mustaches and beards may provide extra protection against skin cancer … though men still shouldn’t skip the sunscreen.

Warding off allergies. Facial hair can help avert allergy and asthma issues by creating a barrier that prevents allergens from making their way into their lungs.

Comparison shopping

for health care

Consumers, who have long been accustomed to comparison shopping for things like cars and computers, now have the ability to comparison shop for health care services.

Centura Health, which includes Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, has developed an online tool that allows consumers to look up pricing and quality for common hospital procedures.

“Transparency is not just about price,” says Mark Carley, vice president of Managed Care & Risk Products at Centura Health. “We believe it’s also about providing information on clinical performance via our quality ratings as well as providing information on how consumers can better access care via our charity care policy.”

FAST FACT Winter beards take longer Men may be more likely to grow a beard for warmth during the winter, but body hair grows faster in the summer months.

Centura Health’s online tool lets you: 1 Check prices by region for common inpatient and outpatient procedures for patients who do not have insurance.

2 Request a custom quote to help you understand in advance how much you will pay yourself, whether you have insurance or not.

3 View an interactive report that shows how hospitals in the Centura Health system compare in caring for patients, as well as how satisfied patients are with their care.

4 Get details about financial assistance and Centura Health’s commitment to charity care.

View the online pricing and quality tools at penrosestfrancis.org/quote.

Superfoods offer breast cancer prevention

To reduce your risk of breast cancer, look no further than your kitchen. You can reduce your risk for breast cancer at every meal by opting for a diet packed full of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and beans.

Sandy Weatherly, nutritionist and breast care center manager, tells us how these superfoods help: 1. Berries, kale, beets, and other bright veggies contain antioxidants and phytochemicals, naturally occurring compounds in plants that have potentially health-promoting effects.

2. Including fiber-rich foods helps you feel full longer, which can help you reduce the number of calories you consume and avoid becoming overweight or obese, which reduces your cancer risk.

3. Limiting processed foods, alcohol, and foods with added sugar also helps reduce inflammation, which reduces the risk for cancer.

Sandy Weatherly

To learn more ways to reduce your risk, go online to centura.org/breast-cancer-prevention.

And if you are over 40, be sure you are getting annual mammograms to help detect breast cancer early. Call 719-776-8010, option 2 to schedule your mammogram.

penrosestfrancis.org

2½ Cups of fruits and vegetables daily should be your goal

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Best of all worlds

Hybrid operating room at Penrose Hospital gives surgeons more flexibility to find the best, safest treatment option

The hybrid OR at Penrose Hospital gives surgeons the technology and tools to change course immediately if needed.

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When Joyce Howlett arrived at the Penrose Hospital emergency room in Colorado Springs, she was in serious trouble. The 63-year-old La Veta woman, who has diabetic neuropathy, was in danger of losing one of her legs when her niece, Chell Phoenix, brought her to the ER. Howlett had just had an outpatient procedure that was supposed to relieve cramping in her leg. But instead, the procedure created blood clots that had stopped the blood flow from above her knee all the way down to her foot.

Howlett was referred to Penrose-St. Francis Health Services because of the expertise of Magdiel Dr. Magdiel TrinidadHernandez Trinidad-Hernandez, MD, a vascular surgeon at Southern Colorado Vascular Surgery. Once Trinidad-Hernandez saw the shape Howlett was in, he got her stabilized and took her to the hospital’s hybrid operating room — the first of its kind in southern Colorado.

The hybrid operating room gives surgeons the best of all possible worlds: the ability to conduct imaging tests, and perform both minimally invasive procedures and traditional open surgery, all in the same room.

Penrose-St. Francis Health Services

they need to work. Plus, there’s diagnostic imaging technology in the room, such as CT and X-ray Howlett was in the throes of heart failure and capabilities, which can be used before or during having trouble breathing when she arrived in the surgery.

ER, and was at risk for possible damage to her For example, Trinidad-Hernandez recently nerves, muscles, and kidneys. Once she was on treated a patient who was at risk for stroke, so oxygen and given a diuretic to eliminate some she needed a procedure that involves making an of the fluid from her lungs, Trinidad-Hernandez incision in the neck to clean cholesterol and plaque brought Howlett into the hospital’s new hybrid out of the carotid artery, which carries blood operating room and began working to identify to the brain. But Trinidad-Hernandez the cause of the blood clots and discovered the patient also had a blockage. blockage closer to where the “Being in that room gave me carotid artery originates, inside options,” Trinidad-Hernandez the chest. says. “I could have opened The hybrid operating room “Instead of having to her leg to pull out the blood gives surgeons the best of all open up her chest to get clot. But I didn’t know possible worlds: the ability to that portion and clean where it was, so I did an to conduct imaging tests, it out, in the hybrid room X-ray angiogram to look at and perform both minimally I was able to guide a stent her arteries and determine invasive procedures and through the same incision where to make the incision.”

I’d already made to open traditional open surgery, all But when he found the up that other blockage,” he in the same room. clot, Trinidad-Hernandez explains. “We were able to treat was concerned about making both lesions in the blood vessel that an incision. The skin there was very were putting her at risk of stroke with damaged and swollen, so the incision might one operation, in one room.” not have healed properly or could have become infected.

Bringing superior care to Instead, he injected Howlett’s leg with a clotpatients busting drug most commonly used to treat stroke, called tPA (tissue plasminogen activator). Over Trinidad-Hernandez calls the hybrid operating the next day or two, flushing Howlett’s leg with room a “one-stop shop,” which is one of the main tPA eliminated all of the clots — and eliminated reasons why it’s a benefit to patients. Instead the need for surgery. of performing two procedures — requiring two “Dr. Trinidad-Hernandez saved my aunt’s leg incisions and two doses of anesthesia — surgeons from being amputated,” says Phoenix, who looks often can perform a single procedure instead. after her aunt’s health. “He took his time to find Especially when the procedure is minimally the least invasive procedure and best of all, he kept invasive, requiring only a small incision, it reduces me informed throughout the process.” the odds of infection. Even if it turns out that open surgery is necessary, the patient doesn’t need to Putting a spectrum of tools in be moved around the hospital, saving potentially surgeons’ hands precious time and exposure.

Howlett’s case is a classic example of one of Phoenix says her aunt doesn’t remember much the hybrid operating room’s primary benefits. The about the hybrid operating room, but Howlett room boasts state-of-the-art imaging equipment did describe it as “space-age,” and full of huge instead of portable imaging equipment that’s machinery and lots of gadgets. sometimes used in operating rooms but doesn’t That’s not surprising, considering that it’s the generate images with the level of high definition largest operating room at Penrose-St. Francis ideal for vascular procedures.

Health Services. Inside, there’s a full array of “It gave me the confidence of being prepared equipment to perform traditional open surgeries, for the unexpected,” Trinidad-Hernandez says. the kind where large incisions are made so “Once I had the information from the X-ray surgeons can work inside the body. There’s also angiogram, I could make the decision to continue equipment to perform minimally invasive surgery, with the minimally invasive procedure or convert which uses imaging technology to help surgeons to an open operation, all in the same spot, see inside the body after they’ve guided a catheter without having to transfer her. I’m happy that she through a vein or artery to reach the area where responded very well to every measure we took.”

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One room, multiple procedures

The hybrid operating room at Penrose Hospital, the most technologically advanced of its type in southern Colorado, combines imaging and surgery capabilities into one room. It is being used to treat a variety of vascular conditions, including:

Thoracic aortic aneurysm Abdominal aortic aneurysm Thoracic aortic dissection Carotid stenosis Lower extremity arterial blockages

In addition, surgeons are performing aortic valve replacements in the hybrid operating room, which has also proven beneficial in treating trauma patients with pelvic fractures and abdominal bleeding.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Trinidad-Hernandez, call 719-776-6700.

Diabetic neuropathy is damage to nerves that occurs as a result of diabetes.

Keeping diabetes under control is the best way to prevent or stop the progression of diabetic neuropathy. The Penrose-St. Francis Health Learning Center offers individual and group diabetes education. For information and class times, call 719-776-3600 to speak with a diabetes educator who can arrange a referral.

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Preventing loss of life and limb

We examine six risk factors and weigh in on just how much they affect your odds of having a stroke Risk Factor

How many times have you heard that phrase? It’s most often uttered to parents by unwitting teenagers. But is there truth behind it? Does stress, in fact, lead to stroke, the fourth leading cause of death in Americans? What about other factors? How much do they really affect your risk of stroke? We take a closer look:

What to Know

What to Do

Effect on stroke risk:  Significant | Smokers are twice as likely to suffer a stroke than nonsmokers, according to the National Stroke Association. Smoking causes blood vessels to restrict and blood vessel walls to become thick, both of which make it harder for blood to get through. Add to that the fact that smoking increases the chances blood clots will form, and you have a recipe for blockage.

In short, don’t smoke. But even that’s not quite good enough. “Tobacco use is not healthy for anyone and can increase your risk of having a stroke,” says Pam Elser, RN, MBA, CNRN, group director of neurosciences at Penrose-St. Francis Health Services. “Secondhand smoke and chewing tobacco can also decrease your blood flow.”

Effect on stroke risk:  Moderate | Once you’ve had a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA, or ministroke), you’re at greater risk (about 17 percent) for having another, according to the National Stroke Association. Your risk also is increased if a close family member has had a stroke.

Though you can’t change your family history, you can take actions to minimize your risks. Just knowing you have an increased risk can give you the power to modify other risk factors. It is important to continue on the medication plan your physician had prescribed to you to minimize the risk of having another stroke.

Obesity

Effect on stroke risk:  Moderate | Carrying around excess fat puts a strain on the body’s circulatory system. It also increases your risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, all of which are also risk factors for stroke.

“Obesity is a risk factor for a lot of chronic diseases such as diabetes and high cholesterol that also increases your risk for a stroke,” says Elser. “Losing weight can be challenging. If you are not able to lose weight with diet control and exercise, talk with your doctor.”

Stress

Effect on stroke risk:  Significant | Your teenager may be onto something here. People who are chronically stressed, hostile, or depressed are at greater risk for stroke than those with less on their minds. In fact, these emotions increased stroke risk fourfold in study participants, according to the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

“People cope with stress in multiple ways,” says Elser.

“Some people eat more, drink, or smoke. Each of these coping mechanisms can lead to increased risk of stroke.

It is important to develop healthy coping mechanisms such as exercise, meditation, and deep breathing.”

Tobacco use

Personal/family history

Birth control/hormone Effect on stroke risk:  Low | Taking even a low dose replacement therapy (HRT) of estrogen has been linked to increased stroke risk in women,

particularly those who possess other risk factors, such as smoking.

Skipping your annual flu shot

Effect on stroke risk:  Low | Getting an annual flu shot can lower your risk of stroke by as much as 36 percent, according to Harvard Medical School. It seems as though getting the flu takes a toll on the body through inflammation and lower blood oxygen levels that can last several months after clearing up.

“If you have any other risk factors, such as diabetes, you are inactive, or you smoke, talk to your doctor before taking birth control or HRT,” Elser says.

It’s easy. Get a flu shot every year.

Stroke Certified Did you know? Penrose-St. Francis Health Services is a certified Advanced Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission and part of the Centura Health Stroke Network, the region’s leading provider of stroke care. It also received the Healthgrades Stroke Care Excellence Award™ in 2015. bloom

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Stroke Scorecard

“Calm down, you’ll give yourself a stroke.”

& QA with Sarah Boyce, MD Family Medicine Physician Penrose-St. Francis Primary Care 3027 North Circle Drive Colorado Springs

Living well with a

chronic disease

About half of American adults live with a chronic, or permanent, health condition such as heart disease, COPD, or diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Living with a chronic condition often results in extreme fatigue, frustration, and sometimes depression.

Sarah Boyce, MD, helps answer a few questions about how to live better with health problems.

Q: How can I take care of myself when I don’t have much energy?

A: Having arthritis, diabetes, heart disease,

depression, or other chronic diseases can make it hard to take good care of yourself. But eating healthy, exercising, and getting enough sleep will make you feel better and can even improve some chronic diseases.

Set small goals and work toward them little by little. Establish a routine for each day, and make a list of the things that you want to do.

If you don’t get all of them done, that’s OK. Ask family or friends for help when you feel overwhelmed.

Q: What can I do to eat better

Walking is a great exercise that nearly everyone can do. Or pick another type of exercise that you enjoy, like dance DVDs at home. Start by walking around your block or doing the first few minutes of an exercise DVD. Increase your goal slowly and try to get up to 150 minutes a week. If you can’t, that’s OK; even a small amount of exercise helps.

Q: What can I do to sleep better?

A: Going to bed and getting up at the same

time each day will help you sleep better.

Exercise can help you sleep, but do it at least four hours before bedtime. Keep computers, smartphones, TVs, and other electronics out of the bedroom. Limit caffeine after noon.

and move more?

A: Planning ahead makes it easier to eat

healthy. Stock up on healthy foods, including frozen fruits and vegetables if you can’t get to the store often. Make meals in advance and freeze meal-sized portions so you don’t have to cook as often. Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet by juicing them.

Eat about five servings of fruits and vegetables, healthy protein (poultry, seafood, soy, eggs, beans, peas, and nuts), and whole grains. Limit red meat, processed meat, refined grains, baked goods, and fast food.

Drink at least 8 cups of water a day.

Q: How can I take care

of myself while being a caregiver?

A: Accept that caregiving could be a long-

term job and be realistic about what you can and can’t do. The things that are good for your loved one — eating healthy, exercising, and sleeping well — are also good for you. Set aside some time for yourself to relax and do something you enjoy every day.

Dr. Sarah Boyce

Dr. Boyce cares for many patients, including Spanish speakers, with chronic conditions.

With her love of hiking and outdoor activities, Dr. Boyce always wanted to live in Colorado. She moved here after finishing her medical training, which included a month in rural Ecuador, where she practiced the Spanish she’d been learning since middle school. “Getting to know my patients and helping them navigate their medical problems is very rewarding for me,” she says. “My patients also like that I know about their lives, not just their medical problems.”

To make an appointment with Dr. Boyce, call 719-776-4646.

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technology

Genetic Testing Should you or shouldn’t you?

generation gene sequencing technology and competition among labs offering the tests. But genetic testing is much too complex to do without genetic counseling first, advises Elena G. Strait, MS, a genetic counselor at Penrose Cancer Center Hereditary Cancer Service.

Assessing your risk and deciding whether you really want to know the possible results of being tested is a key part of genetic counseling. “It’s a very personal choice,” Strait says. “Genetic testing can be empowering, but it can also be fraught with anxiety and worry.”

Getting useful results Dealing with positive or Determining who can benefit from testing, ordering inconclusive results the right test, choosing a reputable laboratory, and If your results are positive or inconclusive (a negative interpreting the results all require the expertise test yet a strong family history), the genetic of a genetics professional. The link counselor will discuss what this between some genes and disease risk means for you and your family. The are well-known. For example, women discussion will include ways to lower with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene your risk, such as extra screening mutation have a 55 to 65 percent Genetic testing isn’t black and tests, medicines, preventive surgery, risk of developing breast cancer. white. A positive result doesn’t or lifestyle changes. The counselor These women can take actions to mean you will get the disease. also will connect you with physicians lower their risk, such as prophylactic and provide other resources, such as A negative result doesn’t mastectomy, or more frequent information on support groups. mean you won’t. screenings to detect cancer at its

With knowledge about genetic earliest and most treatable stage. diseases continually evolving, Strait But many genetic tests aren’t as helpful yet advises people with positive results or those who because the risk of getting diseases linked to those have a strong history of cancer but a negative genes is not well-known. “Genetic counselors make genetic test, to check back every few years for new sure you take away what’s clinically appropriate and recommendations or tests. “We’ve made huge leaps actionable,” Strait says. in genetic testing, but there’s so much more still to learn,” she says.

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Penrose Cancer Center is part of the Centura Health Cancer Network, delivering integrated, advanced cancer care across Colorado and western Kansas.

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When to consider cancer genetic testing Consider genetic counseling and testing if your personal or family history increases your risk for cancer. Early cancer, like breast cancer before age 45 or colon cancer before age 50, means that the cancer is more likely to run in your family. Other signs of increased cancer risk are: • Three or more relatives with the same type of cancer • Unusual cancers, like male breast cancer • Many childhood cancers

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Talk about it on Family History Day

As families gather on Thanksgiving, it’s a great time to talk about diseases that run in the family.

That’s why the Surgeon General declared Thanksgiving as National Family History Day. “Paying attention to your family history, whether it’s cancer or other diseases, is one of the best ways to determine your risk and consider ways to stay healthy and live longer,” Strait says.

To learn more about genetic testing, call one of our genetic counselors at 719-776-5279.

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Genetic testing for cancer and other diseases is more widely available and affordable now, thanks to next-

Get your

GR

R

VE Back

emember when you couldn’t wait to see your spouse at the end of the day? When you sat down for dinner and actually talked? Where did the spark go? And, more importantly, can you get it back?

Beth Lazzelle, MA, LPC, behavioral health specialist with Centura Health, says yes. “In many ways, the midlife years become the better years. It’s a perfect time to reconnect and reintroduce yourselves to each other,” she says. Here’s how.

Ditch the distractions “People aren’t paying attention to each other anymore. We zone out with television, smartphones, and social media,” Lazzelle says. Make your dining room and bedroom tech-free.

One in five British divorce petitions point to Facebook as the culprit.

Dress up for a night on the town Remember when you wore that little black dress and took the town — not to mention your spouse — by storm? The time is now. “Dress up. Make it fun. Find time for your spouse one night a week.”

Spouses who engage in weekly “couple time” are 3.5 times more likely to report being very happy in their marriages.

Flirt — and show your spouse that you want to be wanted, too Lazzelle suggests sitting on the same side of the table at restaurants.

Leave voice messages or texts for each other. Hold hands. “A lot can be said for simple gestures.”

Almost 80 percent of couples who engaged in marital sex more than once a month reported greater general and marital happiness.

Get out of Dodge “Planning something exciting can rekindle a spark, whether it’s a grand vacation or just a simple, local overnight getaway,” Lazzelle says.

Ninety-three percent of Americans are at least “somewhat likely” to have sex while on vacation.

Not sure where to start? “If you’ve been holed up in the foxhole for a while, you forget why you married your spouse. Find three qualities you love and focus on those,” Lazzelle says. And remember, marriage counseling can be a wonderful tool.

“It offers a very neutral, judgmentfree zone where spouses can communicate.”

Beth Lazzelle, MA, LPC Integrated Behavioral Health Specialist Centura Health Physician Group Behavioral Health 17230 Jackson Creek Parkway, Suite 300 Monument, CO 80132 719-776-6850 Area of practice: Community counseling Lazzelle graduated from the University of Colorado in 2007 with a degree in community counseling. She has been practicing in the field for over a decade.

She and her husband, Jeff, stay tuned in to each other by turning off their phones after work, writing each other notes, and planning at least one overnight getaway per month.

She spends much of her free time keeping up with teenage daughter Annabelle (and two mutts named Poe and Buggy).

She also enjoys travel, yoga, hiking, and biking.

Meet our behavioral health counselors at penrosestfrancis. org/bhcounselors. To schedule an appointment, call 719-776-6850.

Finding a behavioral health specialist just got easier Patients now can see behavioral health specialists in Centura Health Physician Group primary care offices. Available on an appointment basis and, in some cases, for crisis intervention, behavioral health is currently available at Tri-Lakes Health Pavilion (Monument), Penrose-St. Francis Primary Care (Circle Drive, Colorado Springs), and Penrose Pavilion (Colorado Springs). Find addresses and make appointments online at penrosestfrancis.org/psf/specialties/behavioral-health/.

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r You Forpirit S ful se ank becau ve h t “Be uggle dn’t ha h.” str woul rengt our st u for y ut it yo n your le o El po with bled u exandra l A m — stu

A Woman Like Me

A Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival Prescreening Event

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Su vive and Th ive Mindfulness Meditation Made Easy for Cancer Survivors/Caregivers Date | Thursdays, Oct 22, 29; Nov 5, 12 Time | 10:30 a.m.-Noon Location | Penrose Cancer Center, 2222 North Nevada Avenue, Conference Rooms A and B Cost | FREE Registration | Call Sherry Martin at 719-776-5311 This integrative therapy workshop will teach you about and let you experience the benefits of using creative expression in conjunction with mindfulness meditation.

Integrative Therapies Miniseries for Cancer Survivors/Caregivers Date | Tuesdays, Nov 3, 10, and 17 Time | 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Location | Penrose Pavilion, 2312 North Nevada Avenue, 2nd Floor Cost | FREE Registration | Call Sherry Martin at 719-776-5311 This three-part series will let you experience three different integrative therapies — aromatherapy, reflexology, and acupuncture — designed to reduce stress and improve well-being.

149

The number of calories a 155-pound person burns raking leaves for 30 minutes.

Have a Ball During the Holidays for Cancer Survivors/Caregivers Date | Tuesdays, Dec 1, 8, and 15 Time | 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Location | Penrose Cancer Center, 2222 North Nevada Avenue, Conference Rooms A-C Cost | FREE Registration | Call Sherry Martin at 719-776-5311 Join us for a three-part nutrition and exercise series. Participants will enjoy using large balls for improving balance and sampling healthy holiday recipes of “ball-shaped” foods. Those who attend all three sessions will get to take home a large ball for continued enjoyment and health.

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calendar

Fall

Date | Thu, Nov 12 Time | 6-8 p.m.

Location | Penrose Pavilion, 2312 North Nevada Avenue, Conference Rooms B and C Cost | FREE Registration | penrosestfrancis.org/awomanlikeme A Woman Like Me is a hybrid documentary that interweaves the real story of director Alex Sichel, diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2011, with the fictional story of Anna Seashell (Lili Taylor), who struggles to find the glass half full when faced with the same diagnosis. The film follows Sichel as she uses her craft to explore what is foremost on her mind while confronting a terminal disease: parenting, marriage, faith, life, and death. When we are stuck between a rock and hard place, can our imagination get us out? Refreshments provided, plus a chance to win tickets to the festival!

Supporting the Immune System With Nutrition/ Improving Balance for Cancer Survivors Date | Thu, Nov 12 Time | 1-2:30 p.m.

Location | Penrose Cancer Center, 2222 North Nevada Avenue, Conference Rooms A-C Cost | FREE Registration | Call Sherry Martin at 719-776-5311 Join Teri Meno, RDN, and Lynette Olson, PTA, as they teach you the right foods to eat and great exercises for improving nutrition and balance.

You will enjoy take-home recipes and food samples. Please wear comfortable clothing for a gentle introduction to exercise options.

Calcium Scoring Cost | $149 Info | 719-776-8080 This noninvasive CT scan is a quick, painless method for detecting heart disease. At the time of your screening, learn if you are at risk for heart disease before a single symptom occurs, from a cardiac nurse. Calcium scoring does not require a physician referral, but you should consult with your physician to see if calcium scoring is right for you.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the number above.

WomenHeart Support Groups Date | 2nd Wed of month Time | 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Date | Last Tue of month (men and women) Time | 6:30-8 p.m.

Location | Penrose Hospital, 2222 North Nevada Avenue Cost | FREE Info | 719-200-2645 Join a group of women beating heart disease. Share encouragement while learning the latest in heart science and strategies for coping. There is also a support group open to both men and women. Call for more information.

Loving Your Heart — What You Don’t Know About Aortic Valve Disease Date | Fri, Oct 16 Time | 11 a.m.-Noon Location | Colorado Springs Senior Center, 1514 North Hancock Avenue Cost | FREE Registration and info | Email Margo Rockwood at mrockwood@ ctsurgery.com or call 1-800-2049896 Bring your loved ones to join southern Colorado’s leaders in cardiothoracic surgery, Cardiac & Thoracic Surgery Associates, to learn what causes aortic valve disease, how to distinguish aortic valve disease symptoms, and identify various indicators of aortic valve disease.

Enjoy a complimentary catered lunch and gift bag if you are one of the first 50 to RSVP.

$99 Screening Mammogram Date | Oct 1-31 Location | Center for Women’s Imaging, 2312 North Nevada Avenue Appointments | 719-776-8010, option 2 For women at normal risk, an annual screening mammogram starting at age 40 is the best tool to help detect breast cancer in its earliest and most treatable stage. Schedule a $99 screening mammogram at the Center for Women’s Imaging. We pamper our guests with plush robes, aromatic hand treatments, and a special gift, including a 10 percent off coupon to the Mother • Daughter • Sister • Friend boutique.

Bone Up on Bone Health Date | Tue, Oct 20 Time | 6-7:30 p.m.

Location | Penrose Pavilion, 2312 North Nevada Avenue, Conference Rooms B and C Cost | FREE Registration | penrosestfrancis.org/ events Osteoporosis is a condition that causes bones to become weak and brittle and can lead to multiple health issues. Learn what foods to eat and avoid, which medications can contribute to bone loss, and easy exercises to keep your bones healthy.

Seminar taught by a registered dietitian, pharmacist, and physical therapist.

penrosestfrancis.org

Positive Psych Date | Mondays, Nov 2-Dec 14, or Thursdays, Nov 5-Dec 17 Time | 5-5:45 p.m.

Location | Penrose Pavilion, 2312 North Nevada Avenue, Room B, or St. Francis Medical Center, 6001 East Woodmen Road, Conference Room 1 Cost | $25 Registration | 719-776-7983 A six-week program designed to provide participants with a practical hands-on approach to learn and recognize the choices we have in adopting optimism as our philosophy of life. And to acquire some of the skills of optimism that will empower our lives.

Power Up, Yoga, and Zumba are just a few of the fitness classes offered at the Penrose-St. Francis Wellness Center. For a complete list of classes, visit penrosestfrancis. org/calendar or call 719-776-5776.

Barbell Mix Date | Wednesdays, Nov 4-Dec 16 (no class Nov 25) Time | 5-6 p.m.

Location | St. Francis Medical Center, 6001 East Woodmen Road, Garden Level Aerobics Room Cost | $65/two-month unlimited class package, or $25-$70/5- to 20-class punch card Registration | Call 719-776-5776 or email andreamiddleton@centura.org This class uses barbell exercises to challenge your muscles, build lean body mass, improve muscle definition, and torch fat! All ability levels are welcome; no experience needed, just a positive attitude!

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery: Get BACK to Life Date | Thu, Nov 12 Time | 6-7:30 p.m.

Location | St. Francis Medical Center, 6001 East Woodmen Road, Conference Rooms 1-3 Cost | FREE Registration | penrosestfrancis.org/ events Technology … you hear about new surgical techniques and options in the news, in magazines, and from friends and family. Information can be overwhelming and very confusing as to what surgical intervention may be right for you. Many spinal conditions can be treated using a less invasive technique. Join Dr. Paul Stanton, spine surgeon, for a discussion about minimally invasive spine surgery.

Learn the benefits, how it can allow for a faster recovery, and who is a potential candidate.

Breathing Made Easy — Making Your Lungs Work for You Date | Fri, Nov 13 Time | 11 a.m.-Noon Location | Colorado Springs Senior Center, 1514 North Hancock Avenue Cost | FREE Registration | Email Margo Rockwood at mrockwood@ ctsurgery.com or call 1-800-2049896 Southern Colorado’s leaders in cardiothoracic surgery, Cardiac & Thoracic Surgery Associates, will explain what causes lung disease, how to catch it early, and will give expert tips to help keep your lungs working for you. Enjoy a complimentary catered lunch and gift bag if you are one of the first 50 to RSVP.

Opening December 2015!

1263 Lake Plaza Drive, Colorado Springs • Primary Care • Urgent Care • Orthopedics

• Physical Therapy • Behavioral Health

• Occupational Health • Radiology

Learn more at myneighborhoodhealthcenter.org.

Fall 2015

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Catholic Health Initiatives Colorado Non-Profit Org US POSTAGE

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colorado springs, CO Permit NO. 14

2222 North Nevada Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80907

Penrose-St. Francis Health Services has received the 2015 Women’s Health Excellence Award from Healthgrades® for the seventh year in a row (2009-2015)!

Penrose-St. Francis Health Services is part of Centura Health, the region’s leading health care network.

Centura Health does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, religion, creed, ancestry, sexual orientation, and marital status in admission, treatment, or participation in its programs, services and activities, or in employment. For further information about this policy, contact Centura Health’s Office of the General Counsel at 303-804-8166. Copyright © Centura Health, 2015.

Take a bite out of osteoporosis

With Melaina Bjorklund, MS, RD, Clinical Dietitian at Penrose-St. Francis Health Services

Eating to reduce your risk of osteoporosis likely involves consuming salmon, kale, and calcium-fortified juices, but what about tickling your taste buds with protein or Himalayan pink salt?

Protein: Dietary protein can increase the amount of calcium absorbed by the body by as much as 35 percent, according to research conducted by Yale University and the University of Connecticut. A main component in muscles, protein supports musculoskeletal health and accounts for one-third of bone mass. A strong musculoskeletal system could make the difference between a fall resulting in a bruise versus a broken bone. Healthy protein sources include poultry (white meat), seafood, eggs, beans, low-fat dairy, and lean red meat.

Himalayan pink salt: Try swapping out table salt for Himalayan pink salt, which contains less sodium and more trace minerals and electrolytes — which also aid in bone health. More research regarding its benefits is needed, but preliminary results are positive.

CALCIUM ROBBER

Where it’s commonly found

Why it’s bad

Caffeine

Coffee, tea, sodas, energy drinks

Consuming more than 300 mg/day of caffeine can leach calcium from bones, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Phosphoric acid

Sodas, fizzy drinks

Too much phosphorus can prohibit the amount of calcium the body absorbs.

Excessive alcohol use

Beer, wine, hard liquor

Drinking more than 5-8 drinks per week can disrupt the hormones that regulate calcium absorption and metabolism, and lead to nutrient malabsorption.

50/50

Osteoporosis, a condition that causes bones to become weak, brittle, and break more easily, accounts for 50 percent of all bone breaks in women ages 50 and older, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

Make It Magnesium

Magnesium promotes bone health by helping the body metabolize calcium and contributing to hundreds of biomechanical reactions throughout the body, including those that relate to bone strength and cell metabolism.

You’ll find magnesium in: • Mg Dark chocolate Mg Green, leafy vegetables Mg Whole grains Mg Beans Mg Fish Mg Nuts and seeds Mg Avocados Mg Yogurt

Learn more at our FREE community seminar, Bone Up on Bone Health, on Oct. 20.

See Page 11 for details.