January 2016
Volume 4 • Issue 1
Tri-Cities gains National Park
Audiologist helps around the world
Tri-Cities Community Health receives renovations
Don’t miss it Jan. 5-6 Eastern WA Ag Expo TRAC, Pasco easternwaagexpo. com
Physical therapy can restore quality of life— physically and mentally By Loretto J. Hulse Before Glenda Higgins discovered the benefits of physical therapy, her world often spun out of control. The 64-year-old Kennewick resident suffered from bouts of vertigo for nearly five years before seeking help from Therapeutic Associates. “It was horrible. I couldn’t lay down, the room just spun and spun around and around,” she said. The worst feeling for her was when everything looked like it was spinning up and over like a Ferris wheel, Higgins added. “That just makes you nauseous,” she said. “You can’t walk, you can’t do anything.” Once at a beauty salon, her stylist was washing her hair. Higgins, whose head was tipped back over the salon sink, experienced such an acute attack of vertigo she had to be taken to the emergency room. “It was crimping her neck that caused it,” said Ken Call, a physical therapist and doctor of physical therapy. Call is the clinic director for Therapeutic Associate’s two Kennewick offices: Southridge Physical Therapy at 4303 W. 27th Ave., Ste. C and West Kennewick Physical Therapy, 1408 W. Louisiana St., Ste. 104-A. “Vertigo is all about nerves. It’s caused by a number of vestibular disorders which affect the inner ear,” Call said. After Higgins’ trip to the emergency room, her doctor prescribed drugs to help ease her symptoms. “I took them for three months, but one was Valium, which can be addictive. I didn’t want to be on Valium the rest of my life,” Higgins said. Higgins has been a longtime patient of Therapeutic Associates for various health issues, so was aware of the help they could offer. In addition to finding help to control her vertigo, Higgins wanted to rebuild her physical strength and lose weight. uTHERAPY, Page 6
Few could resist the lure of dancing the tango, Lindy hop and jitterbug to music from the 1930s to the 1960s at Kadlec Regional Medical Center’s annual Healthy Ages Christmas party held Dec. 10 at TRAC.
Healthy Ages members enjoy annual luncheon and dance By Loretto J. Hulse Dressed in their holiday glitz, couples glided and twirled across the dance floor during the annual Healthy Ages Christmas party in December at TRAC in Pasco. Watching their footwork, few would guess that most of the dancers sashaying by were well past retirement age. Kadlec Regional Medical Center has sponsored the event for the past 25 years for members of its Healthy Ages program and their guests. “For some, this party is their only holiday event,” said Jim Hall, Kadlec’s director of government and community relations “We had about 500 people sign up this year, nearly 100 more than attend-
ed last year,” said Janet Artzer. Artzer and Corey Wakeley co-manage the Healthy Ages program that offers monthly classes on topics of interest to retirees, like managing diabetes, recovering from heart attacks and strokes and weight management. They also oversee the Mall Walkers program, keeping track of walkers’ miles and handing out rewards. This year’s party was the first Sandie and Dean Boyce of Kennewick have attended, even though she’s been a Mall Walker for quite a while. However, after winning a $100 VISA gift card at the party, Dean Boyce said they will likely make the holiday dance an annual event. uHEALTHY AGES, Page 9
Lourdes Medical Center invests in 3D technology for earlier cancer detection By Jessica Hoefer for Senior Times Lourdes Medical Center is now offering 3D mammograms to help doctors detect breast cancer earlier. The machine, which came with a $395,000 price tag, arrived in late summer and patients are already seeing the benefits. “The technology has been out for about three years, but it’s really taken off this year,” said Dan Ellsworth, ancillary service director at Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco. “The 3D image gives more information we can use. It’s saving lives.” According to the American Cancer
Society, more than 230,000 cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed this year. Ellsworth said 3D mammograms, also known as tomosynthesis, increases breast cancer detection by 41 percent. A 2D mammogram takes images from the front and side of the breast, which may create images with overlapping breast tissue. Ellsworth said the 3D image goes 15 degrees from one side of the breast to the other, giving the doctor a better picture of the breast from different angles to find abnormalities. uLOURDES, Page 2
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