Southcoast Health System

Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care announces six cancer support groups beginning in March 2010.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Southcoast Hospitals Group and Northeast Ear Nose & Throat Surgeons will be offering free head and neck cancer screenings on the Southcoast Health Van on Wednesday, April 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at CVS/Pharmacy, 1145 Kempton St. in New Bedford.

Reservations are required for the screening. To register, call the Southcoast Wellness Line at 1-800-497-1727.

Southcoast Hospitals Group has named Patricia A. Nelson as Director of Oncology Operations for the Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care.

In her new role at Southcoast, Nelson will oversee the administrative staff and function in both medical and radiation oncology for Southcoast’s cancer centers in Fall River and North Dartmouth as well as the new flagship center being built in Fairhaven.

FAIRHAVEN, Mass. — FUN 107 and the Fogaren family today announced plans to hold a memorial walk and family-friendly event to honor Sharon Fogaren, the co-host of the “J.R. & Sharon” morning radio show on FUN 107, who passed away after a brief illness this past September.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Southcoast Hospitals Group is sponsoring a series of free vascular screenings at its three hospital sites this spring.

The non-invasive screenings are performed by a trained nurse and take approximately 20 minutes. Patients should arrive 15 minutes prior to screening time.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Southcoast Hospice & Palliative Care is looking for volunteers, including but not limited to, veterans and Portuguese speaking individuals in the Greater New Bedford and Wareham areas to provide emotional support to patients and their families.

“One thing all hospice volunteers have in common is a true desire to help,” said Jo-Ann Richard, Volunteer Coordinator at Southcoast Home Care, Hospice & Palliative Care & Infusion Services. “Some provide care and comfort to patients and their families while others prefer to assist with fundraising events, bereavement services, memorial planning, community networking, office tasks and other helpful duties.”

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Southcoast Hospitals Group has announced the recipients of the 2009 Southcoast President’s Award for Excellence. Nominated by their co-workers, the President’s Award recognizes 12 individuals and one team, for outstanding performance, culture behaviors, and overall quality of services provided.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. - The Southcoast Health Van provides free education and screenings for the community addressing cardiac disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. It also serves as an off-site blood donation center for the Southcoast Blood Bank.

Southcoast Hospitals Group will be hosting free public H1N1 flu vaccination clinics in Fall River and New Bedford. College students are urged to attend the two clinics being held at Bristol Community College’s Fall River campus. The following are the times and locations:

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The Southcoast Blood Bank at St. Luke’s Hospital announced its new “Double Red Cell” collection program to strengthen the local blood supply.

“Southcoast’s new Double Red Blood Cell program addresses the critical demand for red blood cells at Southcoast Hospitals by using a new technology that collects two units of red cells, safely, in one blood donation,” said John Laverty, MD, Medical Director of the Southcoast Blood Bank.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Southcoast Hospitals has lifted the restriction on siblings in the maternity units. Children under the age of 18, who are not siblings to the new baby, will continue to be restricted from the maternity and pediatric units. In addition, no visitors with cold or flu symptoms will be allowed. The policy applies to Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in Wareham.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Southcoast Hospitals Group will be hosting free public H1N1 flu vaccination clinics at its three hospital sites next week. The following are the times and locations:

Southcoast Hospitals Group has named Lisa Tager as Director of the Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine Center at Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River. She joins Gerald Monchik, MD, who has recently been appointed Medical Director for the Center.  http://www.southcoast.org/news/releases/2009/123009.html

FALL RIVER, Mass. — Gerald Monchik, MD, has been appointed Medical Director of the Southcoast Wound Care Center & Hyperbaric Medicine Program, scheduled to open in February 2010.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Southcoast Health System announced the appointment of George H. Beauregard, DO, as President & Chief Medical Officer of Southcoast Physicians Network (SPN).

Southcoast Home Care, Hospice & Palliative Care & Infusion and Autumn Glen will be co-sponsoring a Mind/Body/Spirit Medicine Workshop by Christa Johnson, MD, on Wednesday, January 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Autumn Glen, 239 Cross Road, North Dartmouth, Mass. Seating is limited, register by calling 508-992-8880.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. - The Southcoast Health Van provides free education and screenings for the community addressing cardiac disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. It also serves as an off-site blood donation center for the Southcoast Blood Bank.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Southcoast Hospitals Group has named Carter Hunt, MBA, MSPT, as Vice President of Clinical Services, Musculoskeletal, Neurosciences, Rehabilitation & Occupational Health.

Hunt joins Southcoast from Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Conn., where he served as Service Line Executive responsible for the operation and financial leadership of orthopedics, neuroscience, trauma, physician medicine, rehabilitation and occupational health service lines. While at Danbury Hospital he also held the position of Director of Operations.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Southcoast Blood Bank’s annual promotion, “Give a pint, Get a Pound” returns to the region during the month of January.

In January, anyone who donates blood at the Southcoast Blood Bank at St. Luke's Hospital or at any Southcoast Blood Bank site or blood drive, will receive a certificate for a pound of Dunkin' Donuts coffee. Coupons are redeemable at participating Dunkin' Donuts while supplies last.

Southcoast Hospitals Group today announced that it has received the 2010 clinical excellence awards for cardiac care and coronary intervention from HealthGrades, the nation’s leading independent health care ratings company. The recognition is based on HealthGrades’ 12th annual Hospital Quality in America study and places Southcoast Hospitals’ clinical outcomes in the top 10 percent nationally for overall cardiac services for the fourth year in a row.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Southcoast Hospitals Group today launched a new bill payment system that is easily accessible from the Southcoast Website.

FAIRHAVEN, Mass. — “Caring for Caregivers" support group, sponsored by Southcoast Home Care, Hospice & Palliative Care and Infusion Services, will not be held during the month of January. Free and open to the public, Caring for Caregivers will resume every Monday at 6:30 p.m. beginning February 2, at the Southcoast Hospice offices located at 200 Mill Road, Fairhaven. For more information or to register, call Jo-Ann Richard at 508-984-0277.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation & Prevention Program (MTCP) honored Southcoast Hospitals Groups with its “2009 Make Smoking History Award.” It marked the first time MTCP gave such an award.

Southcoast received the award for its efforts to help patients quit smoking through its implementation of the QuitWorks patient referral program. DPH Commissioner John Auerbach presented the award at a ceremony held November 18 in Nurses Hall at the Massachusetts State House.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. - The Southcoast Health Van provides free education and screenings for the community addressing cardiac disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. It also serves as an off-site blood donation center for the Southcoast Blood Bank.

FAIRHAVEN, Mass. — Southcoast Hospitals held a ceremony today as it officially broke ground on its new flagship Southcoast Center for Cancer Care in Fairhaven that, when completed, will provide convenient access to advanced cancer services to residents in the eastern part of the South Coast region.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. —Flagship Cinemas New Bedford teams up with the Southcoast Blood Bank for the “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” weekend premiere on Sunday, November 22, from 12 to 6 p.m.

WESTPORT, Mass. — Volunteers at Southcoast Hospitals Group, who contributed more than 90,000 hours of service over the past year, were honored October 7 at an annual reception at White’s of Westport Restaurant.

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. — Southcoast Home Care, Hospice & Palliative Care & Home Infusion Services will be holding its Annual Interfaith Memorial Service on Wednesday, December 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Rd., North Dartmouth.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Southcoast Hospitals continues to see an increase of influenza-like illnesses across its three hospitals and multiple physician practices. After receiving guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), Southcoast Hospitals is not recommending a rapid flu test if H1N1 (Swine) flu is suspected.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Southcoast Hospitals Group has updated its visitors policy to limit visitor access to maternity and pediatric units to protect the patients most at-risk for H1N1 (Swine) flu and seasonal flu. The policy applies to Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in Wareham.