Franciscan St. James Health presents Centennial Health Fair on Saturday, June 4.

Event celebrating Franciscan St. James Health’s 100th Anniversary to be held at Prairie State College.

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL – MAY 26, 2011 Franciscan St. James Health will host its Centennial Health Fair Saturday, June 4, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights.

The event, which is free and open to the public, is part of St. James Health’s yearlong celebration marking 100 years since the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration were invited to the south suburbs and opened St. James Hospital.

In addition to giveaways and raffles, the Centennial Health Fair will feature free screenings and informational exhibits by St. James Health physicians and staff, including blood pressure screening, blood glucose and cholesterol screening, osteoporosis screening and pulmonary screening.

A feature of the Centennial Health Fair will be “Ask the Physician” sessions hosted by St. James Health and WellGroup HealthPartners’ doctors. Attendees are encouraged to bring their healthcare questions to family medicine physicians, Roy Bardwell, DO, and William Campbell, DO; obstetrics and gynecology specialist, Allan Ruby, MD; and urologist, Shahrokh Kayhan, MD.

Other exhibits will focus on cancer prevention, heart health, pain management, joint replacement, sports injuries/therapy, bariatric surgery, home health care and diabetes awareness.
Local community groups, including CEDA, South Suburban Family Shelter and the Rich Township Food Pantry, will also participate in the Centennial Health Fair.

The Centennial Health Fair will be held in the Prairie State College Atrium at 202 S. Halsted, Chicago Heights. Attendees are invited to park for free in Lot A, and access the event at the southeast corner of the campus.

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Media contact:
Michael Shepherd
708-756-1000, ext. 3455

A Boutique with a Difference

Lynn's Boutique

Located in the Comprehensive Cancer Institute (CCI) at Franciscan St. James Olympia Fields campus, Lynn’s Boutique specializes in items for women who have survived or are living with breast and other cancers. Among the boutique’s abundant and varied inventory are inspirational and gift items, plaques, angels, watches, t-shirts and other clothing, turbans, breast prostheses, and bras.

The boutique offers bra and prosthesis fittings by appointment on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Certified bra fitter Norene DeLaurentis helps her customers find the perfect fit. “I’ve been doing this for 28 years and Lynn’s Boutique is my favorite. It is absolutely a woman’s dream – feminine, welcoming and friendly with no ‘medical’ feel,” said Norene.

With plenty of sizes and styles of bras and prostheses, Lynn’s Boutique has something for everyone, including balance forms to fill the area left by lumpectomy procedures. After taking measurements, Norene tries different form shapes to arrive at the best look for each patient. She explains, “The main reason to wear a breast form is balance. Weight has been removed and should be replaced to help avoid things like backaches, arm problems or lymphedema if lymph nodes have been involved.” Norene also fits women who have had reconstructive surgery to help them find a bra that works to balance out the two sides.

Lynn’s Boutique bills insurance for breast cancer patients. Medicare allows for one prosthesis every two years and six to 12 bras a year. “I advise patients to start with a couple of styles and wear them for a while to find out how they are going to feel,” Norene said.

Women who have not had surgery, including St. James employees, also take advantage of Norene’s bra-fitting skills. A surprising 80 percent of women are wearing the wrong size bra. Ill-fitting bras not only create visible disadvantages, they are uncomfortable. Adds Norene, “No matter what, we can always fit the ladies.”

Lynn’s Boutique was established in memory of Lynn Panici, who was lost to breast cancer at the age of 34. Staffed by volunteers, it is open Monday through Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Thursday afternoons. With more volunteers, they are hoping to add Friday hours. Conveniently located inside the breast center, the boutique is just behind the mammogram waiting room. Franciscan St. James CCI is located in the 3900 building on the Olympia Fields campus at 20201 South Crawford.

Breakthrough Blood Sugar Control System for People with Diabetes

Dr. Ilene Yohay 

By Ilene Yohay, M.D.

The Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGMS) presents an innovative approach to help control blood sugar levels in diabetics. The system consists of a tiny sensor wire that is inserted just underneath the skin of the abdomen. The sensor measures glucose levels in the tissue at regular intervals and a transmitter on the skin above the sensor sends the information to a cell-phone-sized monitor that is worn on the waist.

Information including insulin taken, exercise, meals or snacks, and other events are also recorded for later review. The ability to review blood sugar data daily enables people to literally see how various foods they eat or exercise they engage in affects their blood sugars. This comprehensive monitoring is most beneficial to patients whose diabetes is not well controlled, and who experience frequent hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels). Another key benefit is the monitor’s ability to alert patients when they are approaching dangerous levels.

Patients calibrate the monitors periodically by entering finger stick blood sugar readings into the monitor. It’s important to note that the monitors do not replace standard finger stick blood sugar readings. However, they usually significantly reduce their frequency.

Capturing dangerously low overnight blood sugar levels, morning spikes, high between meal levels and more, this continuous monitoring provides physicians with a more effective and safe treatment approach. Alerts can be programmed into the monitor based on a doctor’s assessment of appropriate blood sugar levels, and can be adjusted as needed. Hypoglycemia can be dangerous, and with the CGMS, low blood sugars can be prevented before they occur. For example, if a sleeping patient’s glucose level reaches a point that indicates a steep drop may be in progress, an alarm will wake the patient.

In treating diabetes, we encourage good control because with better control there are fewer complications. However, with better control, patients also run the risk of hyperglycemia. The Continuous Glucose Monitoring System presents physicians with a tool that enables us to be aggressive about controlling blood sugars without the dangers.

The level of protection provided by these devices also gives parents of diabetic children an extra sense of security. When a child is acting out, for instance, it can be difficult to know if low blood sugar may be the culprit. A monitor showing two arrows pointing downward indicates a rapid drop in blood sugar. In this way, parents may be able to prevent certain behavior issues as well as other problems including seizures.

In order to bring this revolutionary device to the south suburbs, St. James Diabetes Center has started a program for the CGMS. At the Center, we can print out data from the monitor and review it with patients to give them a prospective and retrospective view on their blood sugars. Over a week’s time, we have seen blood sugars improving as patients get a better sense of what’s going on with their body and make more appropriate decisions.

For some patients, the Diabetes Center uses the sensor on a periodic basis for diagnostic purposes. Patients with a doctor’s prescription may also come to the Center to use the sensor on a trial basis to see if they might like to buy it, both of which are often covered by insurance.

Franciscan St. James Diabetes Center is a community resource for doctors and their patients. Anyone is welcome to make an appointment to learn more about the CGMS or for general diabetes education. The Center staffs endocrinologists, certified diabetes educators, dieticians and diabetes nurses.

Ilene Yohay, M.D. is an Endocrinologist at the St. James Diabetes Center. Franciscan St. James Health is a member of the Southland Health Alliance.