FREE Mammograms In Towanda On June 15th.
Maternal and Family Health Services, in partnership with the NEPA affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Avon Foundation for Women Breast Health Outreach Program is proud to announce Free Breast Screenings and Mammograms for those who qualify.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Towanda Memorial Hospital
91 Hospital Drive, Towanda, PA 18848
Eligible women will receive both breast exam and mammogram free of charge. Make your appointment today!
Call 1-877-MAMMO 4 U
Transportation assistance is available.
Participants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Ages 40 – 64 (Individuals under 40 who meet eligibility guidelines, have high risk factors, or have a family history of breast cancer may also be eligible)
- No medical insurance or limited insurance with a high deductible
- Low to moderate income, for example: $27,925 for 1 person, $37,825 for a family two
- United States citizen
Maternal and Family Health Services offers programs that empower women to seek early detection and treatment of breast cancer by removing the financial barriers to breast health services for low-income or uninsured women in Northeast Pennsylvania. For more information or to obtain free breast health services, please call 1-877-Mammo-4-U (1-877-626-6648).
“Mammograms are a powerful tool for the early diagnosis of breast cancer,” said Bette Cox Saxton, President & CEO, Maternal and Family Health Services. “Many women who lack adequate health insurance are not able to afford a mammogram. The programs we offer help remove the financial barriers to care and empower women to seek the screenings and care that could save their lives.”
Tell Us How You Stay Fit & Win!
How are your new years resolutions coming along? Getting fit is a popular resolution, but by this time of the year, many of us are having trouble sticking to our original fitness plan. MFHS has something that can re-motivate you to get active - a 3 month membership to Odyssey Fitness in Wilkes-Barre! This great gift basket includes the membership, a 3 month locker rental, and all kinds of goodies to help you get healthy! If you live in the Wilkes-Barre area, you can win this basket by sharing your favorite fitness advice.
Leave us a comment on this post by Friday telling us some of your favorite fitness tips, and you’ll be entered to win! We will randomly draw a winner and announce them on our blog on Monday, May 21st. And don’t forget, to comment you need to fill out the CAPTCHA form below the submit button!
You can read the full contest rules here. Good luck!
Healthy Tips for Moms and their Babies
MFHS would like to wish all the moms and moms-to-be a healthy and happy Mother’s Day!
Being a mother is one of life’s greatest gifts. Whether you are currently a mother or a mom-to-be, it’s important to cherish that gift, keeping you and your family as healthy and happy as possible.
As a mother, you must make positive parenting choices during and after pregnancy. Making good choices is about providing you and your children with the best life possible, building strong and positive relationships with children of any age. MFHS offers several programs that help you make healthy and positive choices for you and the little one in your life.
The following are some positive choices you can make to keep you and your child healthy and happy this Mother’s Day and every day:
-Develop a Healthy Nutrition Plan: Although the lack of weight gain concerns during pregnancy may cause you to overindulge on fast food and snacks, it is important to maintain a healthy diet during those nine months. Keep in mind that everything you eat, the baby eats.
Another benefit of making healthy food choices during pregnancy is getting into the habit of eating better. Once the baby comes, you will already have healthy eating habits developed that you can carry over into their diet as well. MFHS’s WIC Nutrition Program provides useful nutrition information as well as food vouchers that allow you to make better food choices for you and your child.
-Be Active with your Child: Although the life of a new mother tends to be hectic, it is important to always make time to give your child the attention they need. During the early stages of a child’s life, they learn a lot of things strictly by being observant. Talk to your baby as much as possible and make time to play with them. These interactions will stimulate their mind, in turn helping them develop more quickly. MFHS’s Nurse Family Partnership is a program that can help first-time mothers learn the skills needed to successfully interact with their children.
-Pay Attention to Your Baby’s “Coos” and Keep up to Date on Checkups: It is important to know how to react to different noises and expressions your baby makes. A child can’t communicate if they are feelings sick or hurt, so it’s important to keep up to date on their checkups and immunizations and make sure they are the healthiest they can be.
A child’s bond with their mother lasts a lifetime. Keep these tips in mind to assure that lifetime is healthy and happy for the both of you.
It’s National Nurses Week!
National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6, also known as National Nurses Day, through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. As of 1998, May 8 was designated as National Student Nurses Day, to be celebrated annually. And as of 2003, National School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurses Week (May 6-12) each year .
Often described as an art and a science, nursing is a profession that embraces dedicated people with varied interests, strengths and passions because of the many opportunities the profession offers. Nurses work in emergency rooms, school based clinics, and homeless shelters, to name a few. The American Nurses Association recognizes National Nurses Week as a way to thank all the nurses in America for all that they do.
Maternal & Family Health Services employs a variety of nurses in all of our programs. A BIG THANK YOU goes out to all our nurses for all you do and continue to achieve by making our world a better, healthier place one patient at a time.
You Say Potato, I Say Ca-ching
Starting a vegetable garden not only puts those all-important green vegetables on your plate, but also helps save some serious green – as in cash. With the USDA recommending half your plate be filled with fruits and veggies, a summer’s worth of gardening can result in some serious savings. Some estimate just $25 of seed and fertilizer yields over $600 in produce.
If you haven’t already, now is the time to start planning this season’s vegetable garden. The USDA recommends planting summer produce in Pennsylvania no earlier than May 15, so April provides gardeners a great opportunity to prepare.
If you’ve never planted a vegetable garden, why not make 2012 the year to test your green thumb? With regular watering and attention, vegetable gardening saves the wallet and the waste line – and is good for the environment, too. Here are some tips for the novice and not-so-novice alike:
Start small: While the idea of having a produce department in your back yard may sound appealing, a large garden can also be overwhelming. New gardeners should limit themselves to a few vegetables. A few plants of four or five different vegetables can yield quite a bit of produce!
Location, location, location: Most vegetables grow best in full sun. Select a site that gets over six hours of sunlight a day. The site should be well drained, so make sure you select a site where rainwater doesn’t puddle. A site near a fence can provide vegetables like tomatoes and beans a no-cost trellis to climb.
Prepare the soil: Remove any grass or plants. Loosen the soil down to a depth of between 6 and 8 inches and remove any rocks or roots to allow for root growth in soft, cultivated soil. A low-cost spade and tiller should do the trick for most small gardens. Adding organic material like compost will help ensure your plants are the envy of the neighborhood.
Mix it up: The USDA recommends that you eat vegetables from each vegetable subgroup during the course of a week. Pick vegetables of different colors and consult My Plate to ensure you’re planting a balanced diet. And don’t forget about fruit! While planting an apple tree might be best left for Mr. Appleseed, blueberry bushes and strawberry vines are the right size for any garden.
Plant biggest bang for your buck: To save even more money, select vegetables that are expensive to buy in the grocery store. Grow more expensive items, like tomatoes and melons, or large quantities of vegetables you purchase regularly.
Plant, Planted, Have Planted: If you prefer to get a jumpstart, you can start plants in containers with proper drainage indoors near windows and transplant after May 15. Otherwise, you can buy seeds or small plants from nurseries and plant them directly in the garden. Generally, the tallest plants should go on the garden’s north side. Follow directions on the packet. If you’re planting seeds, remember to plant extras to allow for failed germination and thinning. Fertilize as needed.
Apartment gardening: Gardening isn’t just for homeowners. Use pots and planters to create a deck garden or find out if there’s a community garden nearby. Community gardens afford those without land the opportunity to garden. Contact local health departments, hospitals and universities to find one near you.
It takes a village: Those with the greenest thumbs often find themselves with a surplus of one vegetable or another at some point. Instead of cramming, say, broccoli into every meal, skip the broccoli-topped Cheerios and network with other neighborhood gardeners. Trade your surplus to maximize your culinary palette.
Free Women’s Health Screenings Tomorrow In Kingston
Maternal and Family Health Services will offer a free HealthyWoman Cancer Screening Event on Tuesday, April 24 in partnership with Women to Women, Inc., Kingston.
Women ages 40-64 who have no or limited health insurance and meet income guidelines will be provided with free pap tests and clinical breast examinations, as well as a referral for a free mammogram if necessary. A family of two can make can make up to $3,065 per month.
Screenings will be provided, by appointment only, on
Tuesday, April 24, 1-4 p.m.
570-714-5880
Women to Women, Inc.
Park Office Building Suite #208-209
400 Third Avenue, Kingston, PA 18704
Space is limited and appointments are required. Contact Women to Women to receive more information or to make an appointment at 570-714-5880.
The event is offered in partnership between Maternal and Family Health Services, Women to Women, Inc., the HealthyWoman program and the Avon Foundation for Women Breast Health Outreach Program.
Help the AVON Army Of Women By Answering Their Breast Cancer Survey
The Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation’s Love/AVON Army of Women is looking to create an army of one million volunteers to help them fight breast cancer. Funded by the AVON Foundation for Women, this initiative is looking to pair volunteers with researchers who can help advance the research in treatments and prevention of breast cancer.
It is widely known that a breast cancer diagnosis can have far reaching effects both socially and emotionally. Less well understood are the ways in which a breast cancer diagnosis impacts the well-being and quality of life of certain subgroups of women.
Specifically, the research team would like to assess the health and well-being of women who have recurrent disease, metastatic disease, have been recently diagnosed, have an additional invasive cancer diagnosis, OR who are currently undergoing cancer treatment. Identifying the unique needs by asking some questions in a phone survey will help researchers be able to develop appropriate programs for these women.
If this study isn’t a right fit for you, but you know someone who might be interested in participating, please pass it on. Forwarding this information to friends and family is just as important as participating in a study. You can find more information about how to join the study at the Army of Women website.
Free Mammograms at Schuylkill Medical Center Women’s Imaging Center
Maternal and Family Health Services, in partnership with the NEPA affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Avon Foundation for Women Breast Health Outreach Program is proud to announce Free Breast Screenings and Mammograms for those who qualify. Friday, April 20, 2012 at Schuylkill Medical Center Women’s Imaging Center (171 Red Horse Road, Suite 2 Pottsville, PA 17901), eligible women will receive both breast exam and mammogram free of charge. Call 1-877-MAMMO 4 U for more information and to make an appointment. Transportation assistance is available.
Participants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Ages 40 – 64 (Individuals under 40 who meet eligibility guidelines, have high risk factors, or have a family history of breast cancer may also be eligible)
- No medical insurance or limited insurance with a high deductible
- Low to moderate income, for example: $27,925 for 1 person, $37,825 for a family two
- United States citizen
Maternal and Family Health Services offers programs that empower women to seek early detection and treatment of breast cancer by removing the financial barriers to breast health services for low-income or uninsured women in Northeast Pennsylvania. For more information or to obtain free breast health services, please call 1-877-Mammo-4-U (1-877-626-6648).
“Mammograms are a powerful tool for the early diagnosis of breast cancer,” said Bette Cox Saxton, President & CEO, Maternal and Family Health Services. “Many women who lack adequate health insurance are not able to afford a mammogram. The programs we offer help remove the financial barriers to care and empower women to seek the screenings and care that could save their lives.”
Announcing the 19th Annual Golf Tournament
Now that spring is just around the corner here in Pennsylvania, our minds have naturally turned to one of our favorite sports: golf! Summer will be here before you know it, and with it comes the 19th Annual MFHS Golf Tournament. This year’s tournament will be held on Thursday, June 21st, 2012 at the Irem Country Club in Dallas, PA. The 19th Annual MFHS Golf Tournament is your opportunity to make a difference in the lives of women, children and families in Northeast Pennsylvania.
Registration for this year’s golf tournament is officially open. Interested golfers can download the 2012 registration brochure from our events page. This year, registration is available online via PayPal, also through the MFHS upcoming events page. If you’ve never attended our annual golf tournament before, pictures from last year’s golf tournament are available on the MFHS Facebook page.
We hope you’ll join us this year at the Irem Country Club in Dallas for a fun day in support of MFHS, and supporting our mission of improving the overall health and wellness of women, children and families in our communities.
Honoring Hope In The Twin Tiers Region
Are you or someone you know a breast cancer survivor? The Twin Tiers Region Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® invites you to share a story of courage and strength in the fight against breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, there are currently about 2.5 million breast cancer survivors living in the United States, each with their own unique story to tell. The survivor you’ve featured will have a chance to win an overnight stay for two at Esperanza Mansion on Keuka Lake (est. value $290). Full details of the contest can be read on the entry form.
Nominate a friend, a relative or yourself for a pampering package by submitting a brief story about you or someone you know that has overcome the obstacles and challenges of breast cancer. The winning nominee should live in one of the following counties: Broome, Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins in NY or Bradford, Potter, Tioga in PA. All nominations should be entered by May 1st, and the winner will be announced on May 15th. Komen Twin Tiers will select the winning nominee.
Thank you to Komen Twin Tiers for sponsoring this opportunity to pay tribute to all the breast cancer survivors of the region, and for the foundation’s work in battling breast cancer throughout our service area.
