- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogIn honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center is hosting its annual Pink Ribbon Rally Saturday, October 5 on our Lanham campus. The event aims to spotlight the importance of breast cancer awareness and the crucial role of early detection through mammograms. The Pink Ribbon Rally will feature no cost mammograms and clinical breast screenings, as well as life-saving information about the signs, symptoms, and early detection of breast cancer. “Breast cancer impacts lives profoundly, especially in Prince George’s County,” said Deneen Richmond, president of Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center. “By moving the event to Saturday, we hope to make it more accessible for residents and neighbors to join us. Meeting breast cancer survivors and hearing their inspiring stories always moves me, and I take comfort in knowing that we’re raising awareness and offering hope to the many women in our community fighting breast cancer.”Prince George’s County has one of the highest mortality rates of Breast Cancer in Maryland. To address this critical issue, Luminis Health is currently in the third year of a $1.3M state grant to provide breast cancer screenings to women in Prince George’s County. Thanks to this funding, the health system has administered more than 2,300 no cost breast cancer screenings, significantly advancing our efforts to combat breast cancer in the community. “This event empowers women to get a mammogram because it saves lives,” said Dr. Regina Hampton, breast cancer surgeon at Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center. “With one in eight women in the United States facing a breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, and breast cancer being a leading cause of death among women in Prince George’s County, I encourage every woman to start getting mammograms at age of 40, or earlier if they have a family history.”In addition to mammograms, the Pink Ribbon Rally will offer resources and guidance from local organizations, support groups, and healthcare professionals. There will also be inspirational stories from breast cancer survivors, bra fittings, live music, food, and games.Event DetailsDate: Saturday, October 5, 2024Time: 11 am to 3 pmAddress: 8118 Good Luck Road, LanhamAdmission: Free and open to the public
- Heart Care, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogMike Tennor of Columbia, Maryland stayed physically active for years. He played racquetball and handball for decades and as he reached his 70s, traded in those sports for walking and exercising on an indoor bike to go easy on his joints. While on a walk with his daughter, he began to feel short of breath after walking just a quarter of a mile. He took a break and continued to walk but felt short of breath several times. When they returned home, he told his wife of 50-plus years that he didn’t feel well during the walk, and she recommended they seek medical care. Tennor visited an urgent care facility and a high-sensitivity troponin T test showed that he had experienced a heart attack. He was taken by ambulance to Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center (LHAAMC). At the medical center, it was determined that he had blockage in three arteries. He was scheduled for a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. “For Mr. Tennor, the CABG was needed to restore blood flow to the areas of his heart that were not getting enough blood due to the blockages. This surgery improves heart function, especially for those who have recently had a heart attack,” says Murtaza Dawood, MD, the cardiothoracic surgeon who treated Tennor. The surgery took place in February 2024. Tennor states, “Dr. Dawood and his staff were fantastic. He answered any questions we had and we could not have asked for better care.” Following the surgery, Tennor recovered in the Zazulia Heart and Vascular Center, which is an inpatient unit for those with heart conditions. After 36 one-hour sessions of cardiac rehab, Tennor was back to staying physically active. He still walks and uses an indoor bike, and he goes to the gym three times a week. On September 7, 2024, he had his 80th birthday. His wife and two daughters planned a celebration for him in their home of 30-plus years. In addition to staying active, he and his wife dedicate their time to several non-profits. He has two degrees in mathematics and taught high school mathematics for 16 years before learning computer programming in the 1970s. He left his teaching career for a role with Apple in the 1980s, and following that he worked for Lockheed Martin as a programmer analyst. During his time there he received a top secret clearance twice and worked on projects for a variety of government agencies. Today, he uses his background in computers to help non-profits manage their websites. He and his wife love to travel and they have plans to visit Spain and Portugal this fall.
- Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogMenopause is one of the most common medical conditions in the world, and one of the least understood. Hot flashes, sleepless nights, and mood swings can all be signs of this major hormonal shift. But symptoms differ from woman to woman, and may be severe or mild. Here’s what you need to know about the signs of menopause — and what options are available to treat them. What Is Menopause? Menopause occurs when you stop having periods. Officially, it begins 12 months after your last period. Menopause occurs because your body makes less of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone, and your ovaries stop releasing eggs. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health, the average age of menopause in the United States is 52. But you might have irregular periods and menopausal symptoms for years before that, during the transition time known as perimenopause. Perimenopause usually lasts about four years, and typically starts in your mid-40s — although the time frame can vary. Symptoms like hot flashes can persist for more than a decade after menopause. Signs of Menopause Every woman’s experience is unique, and yours may be different from your friends or relatives. The intensity of symptoms can also vary greatly. Generally speaking, these are the most common symptoms of menopause: Hot flashes — a feeling of warmth that suddenly spreads over your whole body, sometimes followed by a chill. Hot flashes usually start in your upper body, especially around your face and neck. The sensation might be as short as 30 seconds or last up to 10 minutes. The frequency varies — hot flashes can happen rarely, once or twice a day, or several times an hour. Mood swings — your shifting hormones may cause you to feel irritable, moody, forgetful, or depressed. Difficulty sleeping — you may have trouble falling asleep, or may wake up in the middle of the night with night sweats. Many women have trouble falling back to sleep once awake. Vaginal dryness — during the menopausal transition, vaginal tissue becomes thinner and drier, which can make sex painful. Loss of interest in sex — your libido may diminish as your hormones change. Body changes — as hormone levels decline, you may lose muscle mass and gain fat around your waist. Your hair may thin out and your skin could become drier. Aches and pains — many women experience headaches, joint pain, or muscle pain during menopause. How to Ease Symptoms of Menopause It’s important to talk to your doctor about your menopause symptoms. If you’re suffering, there is hope by taking the following steps: Hormone therapy Your doctor may recommend hormone therapy for relieving hot flashes, vaginal dryness, night sweats, and mood swings. Hormone therapy may also help prevent bone fractures from osteoporosis, decrease your chances of developing heart disease, and lower your risk of dementia. The two types of hormone therapy are: Estrogen therapy — your doctor may recommend estrogen therapy if you had a hysterectomy (removal of your uterus). It comes in patch, pill, cream, gel, spray, or vaginal ring form. Combination therapy — uses both estrogen and progesterone in pill or patch form. It is for women who still have a uterus. Progesterone is used in various birth control methods, but can also help treat symptoms of menopause. Lifestyle changes There are many things you can do at home to help ease menopause symptoms. Consider trying the following: Eat a healthy diet. Eating fried, high-calorie, or fatty foods and drinking sugary soda can make menopausal symptoms worse. Prioritize sleep. Shortchanging rest can aggravate menopausal symptoms. Try to avoid hot flash triggers like caffeine, spicy foods, alcohol, hot weather, and stress. Use vaginal lubricants to make sex more comfortable. Exercise to relieve stress and improve your overall health. If you smoke, make a plan to quit. Smoking can trigger hot flashes and even lead to earlier menopause. To Get Help for Symptoms of Menopause There’s no need to suffer with menopausal symptoms. Make an appointment with a Luminis Health OB-GYN. Ifeyinwa Stitt, MD is an obstetrician gynecologist at Luminis Health.
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogYou could call it a special delivery for the holidays. Pam Crosby, a devoted knitter and the mother of a Luminis Health nurse, handcrafts tiny hats for each major holiday to brighten the lives of babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center. For families facing the challenges of a NICU stay with their newborns, Crosby’s creations bring comfort and a touch of celebration to an otherwise stressful time. Each piece – whether a costume for Halloween, a bunny bonnet for Easter, or a tiny Santa hat for Christmas – offers warmth, charm, and holiday spirit, helping families to feel more at home during the holidays while their little ones are in the NICU. Pam Crosby, who has been knitting for the NICU babies for ten years, says her goal is to provide comfort and support to these families during their NICU stay. "I know how stressful this experience can be for families, especially around the holidays when everyone longs to be at home with their loved ones," says Crosby. “Creating these little hats and costumes is my way of providing a little bit of joy into their lives. I also do this in honor of the NICU staff — especially my daughter Rachel Frazetti, who shows so much dedication and compassion for their patients every day.” To celebrate their first Christmas, the NICU staff carefully dressed the resident babies in holiday themed hats. The dedicated team then celebrated with a special visit from Santa Claus, who proclaimed them ‘Santa babies’ and confirmed they were all on the nice list, while also capturing memories for families. “On behalf of the entire team, we express our heartfelt gratitude to Pam Crosby for knitting more than 700 hats and costumes over the past decade,” said Sharon Mooney, clinical nursing director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. “Seeing the tears of joy in families’ eyes when they see their little one dressed up for the holidays is truly heartwarming. We couldn’t achieve this without the support of our amazing volunteers and dedicated staff who care for our premature babies and their families.” The Frank Family Birth Center at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center welcomes approximately 5,000 babies each year. The Level III NICU, known as “Teddy’s Place,” provides specialized care each year for approximately 800 premature babies and high-need infants who need extra support and care at birth. Consistently recognized by U.S. News & World Report and Newsweek, the Annapolis hospital ranks among America’s best for maternity care.
- OrthopedicsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogBetween the backyard, soccer field and gym; your kids are active, and nothing slows them down. But no matter how invincible they seem, children are prone to injuries, especially during sports seasons. Even under the calmest of circumstances, it can be hard to figure out exactly what’s wrong. Especially when they’re writhing in pain. So, how do you know if it’s a sprain, strain or fracture? We’re here to help you tell the difference — and get your athlete back up and running.Learn to recognize the signsPrepare for your child’s sports season by knowing the most common injures, how they happen, and the signs and symptoms that can help you distinguish between them. It’s also important to pass along this knowledge to the young athletes in your family, so they can relay details to help you make good care decisions. Common sports injuries among student athletes include strains, sprains and breaks.StrainsA strain is a muscle injury and is most commonly a partial tear. One way to pinpoint a strain is recognizing that your child’s pain is in a muscle that does heavy lifting, like back muscles, a hamstring or a quad. The resulting symptoms, include muscle pain, weakness, spasms, cramps and swelling. Your child may have difficulty moving the affected muscle.SprainsSprains are an injury to ligaments and are found around joints. A sprain is a tear of a ligament. Common joints that are sprained include the ankle, knee, shoulder and fingers. Another tell-tale sign of a sprain is hearing a pop or tear when the injury happens. Your child may also experience pain around the affected area, with bruising and swelling.FracturesA fracture is just another term for a broken bone. Most breaks happen when kids fall awkwardly, like with outstretched arms. Of all these injuries, fractures are usually the easiest to spot. In more severe cases, the break will be visible, with the bone either appearing to be placed at an awkward angle or breaking through the skin. Milder fractures, on the other hand, may not be visible to the naked eye, but there could be bruising and swelling around the site.With any fracture, your child will likely also feel throbbing pain, tenderness around the site, numbness or tingling. It may also be difficult — or impossible — to put weight on the broken bone.Know when to get treatmentBehind every goal, touchdown and home run is rest — and lots of it. And that goes double when your student athlete is injured. Doctors recommend the “RICE” method (Rest; Ice, Compress and Elevate), as the best remedy for strains and sprains.When a broken bone is suspected, however, it’s time to see a doctor for an X-Ray and a cast or other type of brace. No matter the type of injury, an accident means no sports for a few weeks or months. And while it can be hard for your young athlete to allow the time they need to recover, it’s important to remind them the goal is total healing — and that they won’t be on the sidelines forever. Your one-stop shop for youth sports injuriesWhen pain takes your athlete out of the game, you may need help making the next move. Luminis Health experts diagnose and treat children in our same-day and next-day clinics, with appointments available seven days a week, including evenings. We also offer imaging and second opinions to give you peace of mind. Sudden injuries deserve immediate care, and to us, it’s about more than just treating injuries—it’s about getting your athlete back to scoring goals, hitting home runs, and, most importantly, being a kid. And that’s a win for everyone. Book an appointment today. Daniel Redziniak, MD is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine.
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