Elk Regional Raises Awareness During Child Passenger Safety Week

Elk Regional Health Center has joined the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (DOT) to promote Child Passenger Safety Week, which this year falls between Sept. 16 and Sept. 22.

The theme for the 2012 Child Passenger Safety Week encourages parents and caregivers to “put them in the right seat at the right time and use it the right way” and raises awareness about the proper use of car seats, booster seats, and seat belts for children from birth through age 12.

“The importance of properly securing your child in a vehicle cannot be understated,” said Charlotte Floravit, Elk Regional’s Public Relations Director. “Using the correct car seat for infants and toddlers sharply reduces the chance of fatal injury as a result of a car accident.”

According to the state DOT, there are more than 340 crashes on state highways on an average day in Pennsylvania. And the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children between the ages of one and 12.

According to the NHTSA, 75 percent of children are not as secure in the car as they should be because their car seats are not being used correctly. Ensuring that children are properly buckled into a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt is the single most effective way to protect vehicle occupants and to reduce child fatalities in a crash.

Parents and caregivers should use the best safety restraint for the child’s size, taking into account the child’s age, height, weight, physical development, and behavioral needs.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has made the following recommendations to ensure that child safety restraints are being used properly:

• All infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing car safety seat until they are two years of age or until they reach the maximum height and weight allowed by the manufacturer of the car safety seat.
• All children who are two years of age or older, and those younger than two years who have outgrown the rear-facing car safety seat should use a forward-facing car safety seat with a harness until they reach the maximum height and weight allowed by the manufacturer of the car safety seat.
• All children whose height or weight exceeds the maximums allowed by the manufacturer of the car safety seat should use a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle’s lap-and-shoulder seat belt fits properly.
• Children between the ages of eight and 12 who have reached a height of four feet nine inches are able to use the vehicle’s lap-and-shoulder seat belt. The lap-and-shoulder seat belt should be used every time the child is in the vehicle.

Under Pennsylvania’s child passenger safety law, all drivers are responsible for securing children in the appropriate child safety restraint system.

Those who are unable to afford a car seat can call 1 (800) 227-2358, or visit www.pakidstravelsafe.org to find the nearest car seat loan program, child safety seat inspection station, or car seat check event.

Elk Regional Announces Second Annual Move & Groove for a Cure

Registration is now open for the Second Annual Move & Groove for a Cure, a 5K Run/Walk and a four-hour Zumba Fitness Party that will be held at St. Marys Area High School on Saturday, Oct. 20.

Last year, we packed the gymnasium at St. Marys Area High School and raised $6,000 for women's health initiatives at Elk Regional! We're hoping to raise $10,000 this year -- and YOU can join us in the fight! Help us empower women and educate them so that they can take control of their health.

Online registration and payment is available here. Pre-register and get a T-Shirt! Registration forms will also be available in the local newspapers and in the upcoming edition of We Are Elk Regional, our popular community newsletter! Same-day registration is also available.

We all know someone whose life has been affected by cancer. This is a fight that everyone can take part in. Join us.

Elk Regional to Hold Stroke Prevention Screening

Strokes, commonly known as "brain attacks," affect millions of Americans every year. They can cause paralysis, speech and vision disabilities, depression or even death. That's why it's so important to minimize your risk!

To help assess your risk of stroke, Elk Regional will hold a Stroke Prevention Screening on Saturday, September 22 from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Radiology Department at Elk Regional Health Center.

As part of the event, several inexpensive screenings will be available to members of the community:

• Stroke and Carotid Artery Screening: This is an ultrasound scan of the carotid arteries that screens for fatty plaque buildup. Cost: $40
• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening: This is an ultrasound scan that screens for an aneurysm in the aorta. Cost: $40
• Peripheral Arterial Disease Screening: This test screens for peripheral arterial disease in the lower extremities. Cost: $40.

Our radiologists will also offer Osteoporosis Screenings FREE with the purchase of any of the above screening tests.

The Complete Wellness Package, which includes all of the tests listed above, costs just $99.

All of these tests will be performed by qualified diagnostic medical sonographers. Your results will be read by Elk Regional's Board Certified Radiologists.

Registration is required. To register, please call (800) 370-9640 Monday through Friday between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Let us help keep you healthy!

Pinecrest Manor Resident Celebrates Her 101st Birthday

On Aug. 17, surrounded by family and friends, Esther Piccirillo, a resident of Pinecrest Manor, celebrated her 101st birthday.

Pinecrest Manor residents gathered in the dining room at the facility to celebrate the occasion with a cake, provided by the facility’s dietary department, and music, provided by Blaine Stauffer.

Mrs. Piccirillo’s family – including her daughters Rose Bellotti and Sylvia Catalano, Mrs. Catalano’s daughter-in-law, Jennifer Catalano, and Mrs. Bellotti’s son Ray – celebrated the day with her. David Wolfe, the administrator at Pinecrest Manor, presented Mrs. Piccirillo with a corsage in honor of the occasion.

Mrs. Piccirillo was born in Ridgway on Aug. 17, 1911. She married Michael Piccirillo and had three children: Rose, Sylvia, and Ben, who is deceased. She has seven grand-children and nine great-grandchildren.

Before moving to Pinecrest Manor, Mrs. Piccirillo was active in the Jenny Lind Chorus and the church choir. She also enjoyed her flower garden and was an avid reader. Today, Mrs. Piccirillo is frequently seen enjoying a book.

Photo: Esther Piccirillo, seated, celebrated her 101st birthday on Aug. 17. With Mrs. Piccirillo are, from left, Jennifer Catalano; Ray Bellotti; David Wolfe, the administrator of Pinecrest Manor; and her daughters, Rose Bellotti and Sylvia Catalano.

Elk Regional Volunteers Make A Difference

Elk Regional Health System is proud to have a dedicated force of more than 200 volunteers, all giving the precious gift of their time to help make Elk Regional the best it can be. Last year alone, Elk Regional’s volunteers contributed 12,000 hours of their time.

Charlotte Floravit, the Health Center’s Director of Public Relations, oversees the Health System’s volunteers. She said the Health System is deeply appreciative of the contributions made by volunteers.

“To say that our volunteers are an important part of the Health System is an understatement,” Mrs. Floravit said. “They do so much for us in so many different areas of the Health System. Without their efforts, Elk Regional would be such a different place. You won’t find a more dedicated and helpful group of people. Our volunteers represent the spirit of Elk Regional. They enrich the lives of everyone they meet, and we are grateful for the generous gifts of their time and talents.”

Volunteering has been part of Peggy Whiteman’s routine for over 30 years. Mrs. Whiteman, who volunteers at Elk Regional Health Center and at the St. Marys Catholic Middle School, is one of Elk Regional’s volunteer patient transporters. When patients or visitors come in to the Health Center and are in need of assistance, Mrs. Whiteman escorts them to the department they need. She volunteers every Thursday for three hours.

“It was my mother-in-law, Winnie Whiteman, who got me started,” Mrs. Whiteman said. “All three of my girls were in school at the time Winnie and I talked about it. She volunteered for the Health Center as a mail messenger, and taught me the job so I could take over when she left. I shadowed her for awhile and just never left.”

Mrs. Whiteman also volunteered at the ReSale Shop before moving into patient transport.

“My favorite part about it is the people,” she said. “The people out at the hospital are just fantastic – both the employees and the people who come in as patients or as visitors. I enjoy being on the move and meeting people, and being a patient transporter allows me to do both.”

Mrs. Whiteman said she feels volunteering is important because at every organization, there is so much that needs to be done.

“People sit around and say, ‘What can I do?’ or they will say there’s nothing to do,” she said. “But there is always so much to be done. So many organizations can use a helping hand. You can volunteer around your schedule and they’re happy to have you for as long as you can be there.

“Any time someone says they want something to do, or when they tell me they’re retired and bored, I bring up the hospital,” she continued. “When your children are all in school, that’s when you can give back. That’s what I did, and I enjoy it. I just feel like I’m part of the family there.”

Aggie Schade, who has volunteered at Elk Regional for 17 years, is another of Elk Regional’s volunteer patient transporters. She retired from the Stackpole Carbon Company after 44 years and said she volunteers as a way to stay active. Not only does she volunteer at Elk Regional, but she also volunteers at the food bank and at Elk County Catholic Middle School. She has also volunteered at Pinecrest Manor, where she spent time visiting residents.

“People say they don’t have time to volunteer, but then they retire and complain that they don’t have anything to do,” she said. “You have to keep busy and active when you retire. You can’t sit at home and do nothing. Think of all the time you spend watching television. You could spend that time being up and active and doing something positive.”

Mrs. Schade said her favorite part about volunteering is the people she meets on a daily basis.

“I enjoy the people the most,” she said. “If you’re just sitting at home, you’re not getting out and meeting people. You’re just wasting your time, and your time on Earth is too precious to do nothing and complain. Get out and volunteer. Do something worthwhile.”

Elk Regional volunteers work in the Health System’s Mailroom, in Patient Transport, in the Health System Auxiliary’s ReSale Shop, and in the Peppermint Stick Gift Shop. Volunteers also provide clerical support to several departments at the Health Center and work in Resident Activities at Pinecrest Manor.

To become a volunteer, call the Volunteer Office (814) 788-8534 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Volunteers should be over the age of 13.

Remember: nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something. It's never too late to make a difference!

Photos: At top is Aggie Schade. At bottom is Peggy Whiteman. Mrs. Schade and Mrs. Whiteman are both patient transport volunteers at Elk Regional.

Elk Regional Supports 20-Year Cancer Study

Elk Regional is proud to support the American Cancer Society's 20-year cancer prevention study! We're holding sign-up days at the Health Center for our employees and are encouraging people in our community to sign up as well.

We all know someone whose life has been touched by cancer. This is your chance to be part of something big. 

To learn more and find out how you can enroll in the study, visit www.cancer.org/cps3. There, you'll find information about the study, FAQs, and a contact form you can use to enroll. Questions about the study can be sent via email to cps3@cancer.org or answered by calling the American Cancer Society toll-free at 1 (888) 604-5888.

Give Blood Today at Elk Regional

Check out the Tweet to the right, which is from the Community Blood Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania (@OurDonorsSave).

Stories like this are why we work with them to hold blood drives at Elk Regional Heath Center every month. If you have a free half-hour today, Sept. 4, come out and see us between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Give blood and make more family outings possible.

It takes 800 blood donors every week to maintain a safe supply of blood, plasma and platelets for Elk Regional Health Center and seven other local hospitals who rely upon the CBB for blood. The CBB is the exclusive provider of blood for ALL hospitals in Elk, Erie, Warren, McKean and Tioga counties. It is also the preferred provider of blood products to hospitals in Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Potter and Allegany counties. It supplies about 40,000 units of blood to these hospitals each year, which helps save lives right here in our region.

Those who donate ...

• Must be in general good health
• Must weigh at least 110 pounds
• Must have no new tattoos or piercings within the last year
• Must be at least 17 yrs of age (or 16 yrs of age with a signed parental consent form from the Community Blood Bank)
• Have a photo I.D.

For more information about the Community Blood Bank, visit them online.