Valleywide Health News, March 5-11, 2015

VISION FORUM PLANNED AT LAS VEGAS SENIOR CENTER

The Las Vegas Senior Center, 451 E. Bonanza Road, plans to host a vision forum for all ages from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 5. The free event is for the visually impaired and their families. Vendors are set to attend, and a variety of workshops are planned.

For more information, call 702-229-6454.

ST. BALDRICK’S EVENTS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER RESEARCH

McMullan’s Irish Pub, 4650 W. Tropicana Ave., plans to host its annual head-shaving event March 7 to raise funds for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. To register to participate or to donate, visit stbaldricks.org/events/mypage/5/2015. For more information, visit mcmullansirishpub.com.

The New York-New York, 3790 Las Vegas Blvd. South, plans to host its sixth annual St. Baldrick’s Day head-shaving event from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. March 7. Guests are invited to the hotel’s Brooklyn Bridge for live music and celebrity guest head-shavers as participants shed their locks to support the foundation.

Participants interested in shaving their heads for the cause can register at stbaldricks.org/teams/mypage/98390/2015 or on-site the day of the event. Group registration is also available for teams and organizations.

Ri Ra Las Vegas in The Shoppes at Mandalay Place, 3930 Las Vegas Blvd. South, plans to host its fourth annual St. Baldrick’s head-shaving event at 1 p.m. March 7. Registered attendees will shed their locks, and those looking to make a bald statement can register at stbaldricks.org/events/mypage/7982/2015 to shave at Ri Ra or to donate time or money to the cause.

Those who sign up to shave at Ri Ra will go bald March 7 at the pub. Barbers from The Art of Shaving at The Shoppes at Mandalay Place will volunteer their time to give the haircuts, which will continue throughout the day. Those wishing to keep their hair can donate funds online and at the pub.

For more information about the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, call 888-899-2253 or visit stbaldricks.org.

BETTER BREATHERS CLUB TO MEET MARCH 10 AT CENTENNIAL HILLS HOSPITAL

The Better Breathers Club plans to meet from noon to 1 p.m. March 10 at Centennial Hills Hospital Medical Center, 6900 N. Durango Drive. This month’s meeting is set to feature a nutritionist speaking on a healthy diet and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The meeting is free, and a light lunch will be served.

For more information, visit lung.org.

SEMINARS TO ADDRESS SURGERY FOR KNEE AND HIP PAIN

Seminars focusing on surgical options for knee and hip pain are planned from 6 to 7 p.m. March 10 and 23 in conference rooms 1 and 2 at Centennial Hills Hospital, 6900 N. Durango Drive. It will cover procedures for partial knee resurfacing and total hip replacement using the specialized MAKOplasty technology available only at Centennial Hills Hospital.

To register, call 702-388-4888. For more information, visit centennialhillshospital.com and click on “Hospital Services.”

WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY SEMINARS PLANNED

Free weight loss surgery informational seminars are planned at the Surgical Weight Control Center, 3802 Meadows Lane, at 10 a.m. March 14 and 28 and 6:30 p.m. March 17.

Registration is required by calling 702-313-8446. Anyone considering weight loss surgery, including gastric sleeve, lap band or gastric bypass, or who would simply like to learn more about the various surgeries, is invited to attend.

DOCUMENTARY SCREENING TO RAISE FUNDS FOR CROHN’S AND COLITIS FOUNDATION

A screening of the Las Vegas-produced documentary “Semicolon; The Adventures of Ostomy Girl” is scheduled for 4 p.m. March 15 at Brenden Theatres inside the Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, to raise funds for the local chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of American and the Cleveland Clinic Digestive Disease Institute.

The award-winning documentary, produced and directed by Robin Greenspun, chronicles the tragedies and triumphs of 25-year-old Dana Marshall-Bernstein, who suffers from Crohn’s disease.

Tickets are $50, and corporate sponsorships are available. Proceeds will directly support the foundation’s research efforts and programs for those living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, as well as support the institute’s efforts.

For tickets, visit bit.ly/168WIl3. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Kim Gradisher at 702-581-8284 or kgradisher@ccfa.org.

COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTERS ADDS PULMONARY DIVISION

The Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada recently announced the addition of a pulmonary division to its practice, offering services to patients with lung and bronchus cancer.

Beginning June 1, The Lung Center of Nevada will join the centers and will consist of two nurse practitioners and five physicians.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has approved Medicare coverage for lung cancer screening by low-dose CT, marking the first time the government program will cover annual screenings. Under this new provision, the centers will look to include low-dose CT and annual screenings for select lung cancer patients with the onset of the new division.

“The Pulmonary Division at CCCN not only expands our scope of expertise but creates that much more of a seamless flow of care for our patients,” said Dr. James Sanchez, medical oncologist and practice president of the centers. “Our continuum of pulmonary care will also extend well beyond lung cancer patients, offering quality treatment options to patients with lung diseases and sleep disorders as well.”

In addition to lung cancer, the lung diseases and sleep disorders treated by the centers’ new division will include asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, chronic cough, nicotine dependence, snoring, insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea.

For more information, visit cccnevada.com.

PARTICIPANTS SOUGHT FOR NEW ALZHEIMER’S DRUG TRIAL

The Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, 888 W. Bonneville Ave., is recruiting participants for a new clinical trial, the A4 trial, investigating whether treating older individuals with the investigational drug solanezumab can delay memory decline in those who may be at risk to develop Alzheimer’s disease. The Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s study, or A4 study, also aims to learn more about brain markers and other tests to better predict who will experience memory decline and progress toward Alzheimer’s-related dementia.

The 3½-year, placebo-controlled study will test an experimental anti-amyloid antibody medication called solanezumab in people who may be in an asymptomatic stage of Alzheimer’s disease (having evidence of elevated amyloid build-up in their brain, but normal thinking and memory function). PET amyloid imaging scans will be used to determine whether potential participants have evidence of elevated amyloid buildup. The overall goal of the study is to determine whether decreasing amyloid in the brain with antibody treatment can help slow the memory loss associated with amyloid buildup in some people.

The trial is seeking healthy, older individuals ages 65 to 85 who may be at risk for memory loss due to Alzheimer’s disease. Those selected will be randomized to either receive solanezumab or a placebo once every four weeks by intravenous infusion. Approximately 1,150 participants will be tested nationwide.

The study is a private-public partnership, funded by the National Institutes of Health, Eli Lilly and Co. and several philanthropic organizations.

For more information, call 855-568-7886, visit clevelandclinic.org/brainhealth or email brainhealth@ccf.org.

CHILDREN’S SPECIALTY CENTER JOINS SICKLE CELL COLLABORATIVE

The Children’s Specialty Center of Nevada has joined the Pacific Sickle Cell Regional Collaborative part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration. The collaborative specifically addresses the needs of those affected by sickle cell disease.

The Children’s Specialty Center of Nevada, 3121 S. Maryland Parkway, joins other well-known regional treatment centers in the Western U.S. to improve available services and the long-term health of those affected by sickle cell disease, the most common inherited blood disorder in the U.S. The collaborative’s outlets provide: a sickle cell comprehensive care team of knowledgeable health care providers who are up-to-date on the latest treatment methods, best outcome practices and clinical trials; shared measurement and data monitoring; and family-to-family, community-based organizations to help access patients/families in need of services.

The Children’s Specialty Center of Nevada and The Hemophilia Treatment Center of Nevada are programs of the nonprofit Cure 4 The Kids Foundation. For more information, visit cure4thekids.org.

BLOOD DRIVES PLANNED ACROSS LAS VEGAS VALLEY

The American Red Cross plans to host blood drives across the Las Vegas Valley. All blood types are needed, especially types O negative, A negative and B negative.

For more information or to schedule a donation appointment, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767.

Upcoming donation opportunities are:

Henderson

March 7, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Inspirada Community Association, 2000 Via Firenze

March 8, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Congregation Ner Tamid, 55 N. Valle Verde Drive

March 13, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Mercedes of Henderson, 925 Auto Show Drive

Las Vegas

March 7, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Warm Springs Stake, 8670 Bruce St.

March 9, noon to 5 p.m., Keller Williams, 6180 Brent Thurman Way, Suite 100

March 10, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Camping World, 13175 Las Vegas Blvd. South

March 14, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Sky Pointe Landing Apartments, 5850 Sky Pointe Drive

FREE BLOOD PRESSURE CHECKS TO BE OFFERED FRIDAYS

Free blood pressure checks are set to be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays at the Southern Nevada Health District’s main facility, 330 S. Valley View Blvd.

For more information, visit southernnevadahealthdistrict.org.

SOUTHWEST MEDICAL ASSOCIATES TO HOST WEIGHT MANAGEMENT GROUP

The HEW/Weight Management Support Group is planned from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Mondays at the Southwest Medical Associates Lifestyle Center-West, 8670 W. Cheyenne Ave., Suite 105. Discuss nutrition and exercise and get tips for weight loss.

To register, call 702-877-5356.

MONTHLY SUPPORT GROUPS PLANNED FOR STROKE, BRAIN INJURY SURVIVORS

Monthly support groups for survivors of stroke and brain injuries are planned at Centennial Hills, Desert Springs, Summerlin and Valley hospitals. The meetings offer education, encouragement and resources from other survivors and are facilitated by the stroke coordinators at each hospital.

Support groups are open to all survivors and their spouses/partners/caregivers. All four hospitals are Primary Stroke Centers and are committed to providing a continuum of care through diagnosis, intervention, treatment, acute rehabilitation and ongoing recovery.

Groups are planned at:

— Centennial Hills Hospital Medical Center, 6900 N. Durango Drive, from 3 to 4 p.m. the second Tuesday of every month in Conference Rooms 1 & 2 on the first floor near the cafeteria. Call 702-629-1309.

— Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center, 2075 E. Flamingo Road, from 10 a.m. to noon the first Saturday of every month in the South Magna Conference Center in the black building south of the main entrance. Park off Bruce Street. Lunch is provided. Call 702-369-7560.

— Summerlin Hospital Medical Center, 657 N. Town Center Drive, from 3 to 4 p.m. the fourth Thursday of the month in Conference Room B on the first floor past the cafeteria. Call 702-233-7061.

— Valley Hospital Medical Center, 620 Shadow Lane, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. the fourth Wednesday of the month in the fourth-floor acute rehabilitation unit in the dining room. Light refreshments will be served. Call 702-388-8441 or 702-388-4619.

SMOKING CESSATION CLASSES PLANNED ACROSS VALLEY

The American Lung Association plans to host smoking cessation classes through April at locations around the valley. Sessions feature a step-by-step plan for quitting smoking, with each session designed to help smokers gain control over their behavior. The clinic format encourages participants to work on the process and problems of quitting both individually and as part of a group.

Clinics are scheduled for:

— 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through April 7 at the Aljian Conference Center at St. Rose Dominican Hospital’s San Martin Campus, 8280 W. Warm Springs Road; call Kimberlee Kobernick at 702-616-4900 or register at dignityhealth.org/las-vegas/classes-and-events.

— 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays upon request, St. Christopher’s School En Espanol, 1840 N. Bruce St., Room 8; call Rocio Galicia at 702-376-7429.

POWER OF LOVE GALA TO BENEFIT KEEP MEMORY ALIVE

Keep Memory Alive’s 19th annual Power of Love Gala is set for June 13 to raise funds for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, 888 W. Bonneville Ave. The event is set to feature Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and friends and include live auctions, wine and cocktails, and cuisine by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck.

Tickets are on sale at keepmemoryalive.org/pol. For more information, call 702-263-9797 or email events@keepmemoryalive.org.

SUMMERLIN HOSPITAL TO HOST STROLLER STRIDES CLASS

A new Stroller Strides Fit4Mom class is planned from 4 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays on the campus of Summerlin Hospital Medical Center at 653 N. Town Center Drive.

Stroller Strides is a total fitness program that moms do with their babies. Activities include power walking/jogging and intervals of strength and body toning exercise using exercise tubing, a stroller and the environment. The class is taught by certified fitness instructors with specialty training in the pre- and postnatal woman. Instructors weave songs and activities into the routine designed to engage and entertain the babies.

Registration is required. To enroll, visit lasvegas.fit4mom.com.