How is diabetes managed? Before the discovery of insulin in 1921, everyone with type 1 diabetes died within a few years after diagnosis. Although insulin is not considered a cure, its discovery was the first major breakthrough in diabetes treatment.

Donate Blood Friday, July 19th From 2:30pm - 5:30pm US Bank Community Room LifeServe Blood Center provides blood to our very own Virginia Gay Hospital! Mark Your calendar & Save a Life (or 3)!    Did You Know? 1 pint of blood can save up to 3 lives Someone needs blood ever 2 seconds Females receive 53% of blood transfusions There is no subsitute for Human Blood Donate Blood on Friday, July 19th from 2:30 - 5:30pm at the US Bank Community Room (414 A Avenue, Vinton).

There are 1,440 minutes in every day. Schedule 30 of them for physical activity! Regular exercise is a critical part of staying healthy. People who are active live longer and feel better.

How is diabetes diagnosed? The fasting blood glucose test is the preferred test for diagnosing diabetes in children and nonpregnant adults. The test is most reliable when done in the morning.

What is diabetes? Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism—the way the body uses digested food for growth and energy. Most of the food people eat is broken down into glucose, the form of sugar in the blood.

How can laughter help patients with Parkinson’s Disease? In more ways than you can think. Laughter can lessen the severity of depression symptoms, increase heart rate, improve respiration, and assist with relaxation.

Older people are at high risk for developing heat-related illness because the body’s ability to respond to summer heat can become less efficient with advancing years.

A Life Serve Blood Drive will take place on August 2, 2013 from 10:30am-2:00pm at VGH in the Cafeteria. See more information HERE.

By Monica Stark, Imaging Services   Kathy Lariviere, the wife of Dr. Gene Lariviere (general surgeon at Virginia Gay Hospital) is recovering from breast cancer.

Heat stroke is the most serious form of heat injury and is a medical emergency. If you suspect that someone has heat stroke -- also known as sunstroke -- you should call 911 immediately and render first aid until paramedics arrive.