Gifford Medical Center offers healthy cooking classesGifford Medical Center offers healthy cooking classesGifford Medical Center offers healthy cooking classesOpen house Sept. 26 for bone density machineer Music Box gives nursing home residents the gift of song
RANDOLPH, Sept. 12, 2007 – Gifford Medical Center will hold an open house on Sept. 26 from 3-6 p.m. to introduce patients to the hospital’s bone density machine and newly certified densitometry technologists, Jane Harrness and Cheryl Manns.
Harrness and Manns traveled out-of-state to receive the special certification from The International Society of Clinical Densitometry.
The certification of staff, state-of-the-art machine and the addition of an endocrinologist at Gifford mean the Randolph hospital now offers complete bone density scans, including on the hip and spine.
Bone density scans primarily detect osteoporosis, a disease of low bone mineral content causing bone fragility and deemed a silent disease. Years ago, it wasn’t until a bone broke that osteoporosis was detected. Now, bone density scans are recommended for older women and men and those at risk.
Risk factors include being over age 65 for women and 70 for men, low body weight (less than 127 pounds), a low lifetime calcium intake, certain medication use, a family history of the disease, being vitamin D deficient and being a smoker, excessive drinker, estrogen deficient or prone to fractures.
The Sept. 26 open house is an opportunity to learn more about osteoporosis, a disease that affects millions of Americans, and to see the new high-tech bone density machine. Those attending will also meet Harrness and Manns, Gifford endocrinologist Dr. Susanne Trost and the hospital’s physical therapy team. High-calcium snacks will be served.
All are invited to this free event being held in Gifford’s Radiology Department. The hospital is located at 44 S. Main St. in Randolph. Enter through the hospital’s main lobby and follow the signs. Call (802) 728-2214 for more information.