Mount St. Mary's to present series of health education programs in November

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

Mount St. Mary's Hospital and Health Center will present a series of programs in November as part of its health education program and event series, with special emphasis on programs as part of its recognition of November as Diabetes Awareness Month.

On Tuesday, Nov. 1, "Counting Carbohydrates" will be presented at 6 p.m. in Room 249. This program is conducted by Diabetes Education at Mount St. Mary's and will focus on counting carbohydrates for a nutrition diet. Pre-registration is encouraged. Call 298-2145.

On Saturday, Nov. 12, Mount St. Mary's will host a free breast cancer screening event offering mammograms for uninsured women ages 40-64. The screenings will be offered by appointment from 8 a.m. to noon. The program is in conjunction with the Niagara County Cancer Services Program. Call 278-8285 for an appointment.

On Monday, Nov. 14, "Grandparents in Waiting" will be presented at 7 p.m. by Mary Ruth Baumler, R.N. This program is designed for grandparents and discusses changes in maternal and child care, the changing roles of grandparents, and child safety. To register, call 298-2145.

From Nov. 14-18, Mount St. Mary's will celebrate "Diabetes Awareness Week" with an array of displays and information throughout the hospital.

On Tuesday, Nov. 15, "Know Your Diabetes: Nutrition - Dine and Discuss Diabetes" will be presented at 6 p.m. in the Mount St. Mary's cafeteria. This program is conducted by Diabetes Education and Nutrition Services at Mount St. Mary's and will feature a free, carbohydrate-counted meal with information on making good food choices. The program is free, but seating is limited. Pre-registration is required. Call 298-2145.

On Wednesday, Nov. 16, "Taking Charge of Your Diabetes Education Class" will be presented from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Room 249. This is an all-day class. Pre-registration is required. Call 298-2297.

On Wednesday, Nov. 16, "Fertility Care Introductory Sessions: Natural Family Planning" will be held. Learn how contemporary methods of natural family planning work. This program is held monthly on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. in Room 249. Pre-registration is required. Call 298-2385.

On Saturday, Nov. 19, representatives of Mount St. Mary's will participate in a program titled "Diabetic Awareness and Services" at Health System Services on Williams Road and Plaza Drive in Wheatfield. The program will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dr. Charles Rice of the Mount St. Mary's Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine and certified diabetes educator Deb Hoffman will participate. For information, call 283-4879.

On Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 6:30 p.m. in Room 249, the Mount St. Mary's Sleep Disorders Center will present "Restless Leg Syndrome: An Update on Treatments." The program will be presented by Dr. Kenneth Murray and will include discussions on newly available medications. For more information or to register, call 298-2145.

On Thursday, Dec. 1, "Let's Celebrate Big Brother/Big Sister" will be held at 6:30 p.m. in Room 249. This special program is designed for children 3 to 8 years of age to help them prepare for the arrival of a new baby. Pre-registration required. Call 298-2145

Several support groups will also meet at Mount St. Mary's during November, including the fibromyalgia support group (Nov. 5), Alzheimer's support group (Nov. 8), parent's grief support group (Nov. 9), post-partum breastfeeding group (Nov. 9), lupus support group (Nov. 10), "Us Too" prostate cancer support group (Nov. 17), diabetes support group (Nov. 15), and the breast cancer support group (Nov. 22).

For more information on the programs at Mount St. Mary's, call 298-2145 or visit www.msmh.org.