Health And Fitness

National Wear Red Day is a day when Americans nationwide wear red to show their support for women's heart disease awareness. When you hear the term “heart disease,” you may think, “That’s a man’s disease” or “Not my problem.” But here is The Heart Truth®: one in four women in the United States dies of heart disease, while one in 30 dies of breast cancer.

February is National Hearth Month and Virginia Gay Hospital and Clinics is celebrating by showcasing the Cardio-Pulmonary Rehab Department on Friday, February 14th (10am-2pm) open house. Current and former patients, interested community members are encouraged to visit. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, but heart disease is preventable and controllable.

Virginia Gay Hospital and Clinics is proud to announce VGH Home Health Agency is the recipient of Pinnacle Quality Insight’s 2014 Customer Experience Award™. Qualifying for the award in five categories of service, VGH Home Health displays a continued dedication to providing Best in Class senior healthcare services. Mike Riege, CEO of Virginia Gay Hospital and Clinics describes receiving the award as an honor, stating “This award acknowledges the exceptional and tireless work done by our front line Home Health staff and leadership, and serves as a reminder to our community of our commitment to quality care.

First Christian Church will host  Life Line Screening, to help local residents identify their risk of stroke, vascular disease and osteoporosis. The event is open to local residents and will be held on Wednesday, Feb.19 Provided screenings will include: Carotid Artery Screening – painless, non-invasive Doppler ultrasound is used to visualize the carotid arteries, the arteries that bring blood to the brain.

Virginia Gay Hospital and Clinics is pleased to announce VGH Nursing and Rehab is has received the “Customer Experience Award” for outstanding service in nine areas. Over the course of the last twelve months, Pinnacle Quality Insight, a nationally recognized customer satisfaction firm, has interviewed the customers of Virginia Gay Nursing and Rehab regarding their satisfaction levels.

Training to improve cognitive abilities in older people lasted to some degree 10 years after the training program was completed, according to results of a randomized clinical trial supported by the National Institutes of Health. The findings showed training gains for aspects of cognition involved in the ability to think and learn, but researchers said memory training did not have an effect after 10 years.

Pink, itchy eyes? Pink eye – or conjunctivitis – is common and can spread easily. It sometimes needs medical treatment, depending on the cause. Know the symptoms, when to seek treatment, and how to help prevent it. Pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis, is one of the most common and treatable eye conditions in children and adults.

Does your child have trouble paying attention? Does he or she talk nonstop or have trouble staying still?  Does your child have a hard time controlling his or her behavior? For some children, these may be symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. What is attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD? ADHD is a common childhood disorder, and it may affect children differently.

Every two seconds, someone, somewhere needs blood; and while 38 percent of the population is eligible to donate, less than 10 percent of the eligible population actually donate. Your help is needed to help boost the blood supply during the winter months.  Traditionally during this time of year, donations tend to decrease due to poor weather conditions and the cold and flu season.

Blood pressure is the force of blood against your artery walls as it circulates through your body. Blood pressure normally rises and falls throughout the day, but it can cause health problems if it stays high for a long time. Having high blood pressure raises your risk for heart disease and stroke, leading causes of death in the United States. High blood pressure is called the "silent killer" because many people don't realize they have it.