<p class="article-body"> This fall and winter, with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to impact public health, it’s more important than ever to reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses like the flu. <br> <br> GBMC Health Partners is pleased to offer drive-thru flu vaccinations for its primary care and specialty care patients beginning<strong> Tuesday, September 28, 2021</strong> at Farmhouse Hill on GBMC’s campus. This flu vaccine program is open to all patients of <a href="/node/2416">GBMC Health Partners</a> over the age of 6 and will take place through October. Appointments are required. <br> <br> <strong><em>IMPORTANT: </em></strong>Vaccines for Medicaid patients between 6-18 years of age are not available at the drive-thru. Please contact your Primary Care Physician’s office to schedule. <br> <br> <strong>Hours of operation are:</strong> <br> September 28 and 29: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. <br> October 2: 7 a.m. - 10 a.m. <br> October 5: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. <br> October 6, 12, and 13: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. <br> October 17, 24, 31: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. <br> <br> <br> There are <strong>two options for scheduling</strong> your drive-thru vaccination: </p> <ol> <li> Schedule using your <a href="/node/2209">MyChart account</a> - you can <a href="/sites/default/files/hg_features/hg_post/84a5e41f1498d57ba727fe5e8963b99a.pdf">view instructions here</a> <br> </li> <li> Call your Primary Care Physician’s office </li> </ol> <em>We will bill your insurance for the cost of the vaccine.</em> <br> <br> <strong>Important notes!</strong> <ul> <li> Please wear a mask, and bring your insurance card and a photo ID. </li> <li> Remain in your car until a staff member flags you to drive up. </li> <li> <strong>Wear short sleeves</strong> and <strong>avoid having family pets in the car.</strong> </li> <li> <a href="/sites/default/files/hg_features/hg_post/f428a8299422c8fcf403a78d9f093da6.pdf">Click here for a map and directions to Farmhouse Hill</a>. </li> </ul> We hope all of our patients will take advantage of this convenient opportunity to get their flu vaccinations. <br> <div class="end-of-story"> </div>
<iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/592385693?h=12c08b2492" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="article-body"> Fueled by the overwhelming generosity of our community, The Promise Project will bring two historic advancements to GBMC—a new Inpatient Facility and The Sandra R. Berman Pavilion, the new home of the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute at GBMC. These initiatives will not only modernize GBMC’s facilities but extend our promise for generations to come. <br> <br> <a class="btn dark-green" href="https://gbmcpromise.org">Visit the Promise Project Website</a><a class="btn red" href="https://www.classy.org/give/265460/#!/donation/checkout">Donate NOW!</a> </p>
<iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5ixf37PneUU" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="article-body"> The Nearly New Sale is a longstanding tradition at GBMC and has been a hugely successful fundraising event thanks to the generosity and support of our donors and patrons. Held twice each year, it raises approximately $250,000 annually, contributing significant dollars to patient care delivered by GBMC Healthcare. Recent proceeds have gone to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the GBMC Center for Neurology, the Gilchrist Kids Endowment Fund and a new state of the art surgical simulation lab for clinicians and nurses on campus. See what Bonnie and Ken Kaplan think about this amazing event, and learn about what things you can find! Go to <a target="_top" href="/node/2483">https://www.gbmc.org/nearlynewsale</a> to learn more! </p>
<iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YWc63wX2giM" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="article-body"> The Nearly New Sale is a longstanding tradition at GBMC and has been a hugely successful fundraising event thanks to the generosity and support of our donors and patrons. Held twice each year, it raises approximately $250,000 annually, contributing significant dollars to patient care delivered by GBMC Healthcare. Recent proceeds have gone to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the GBMC Center for Neurology, the Gilchrist Kids Endowment Fund and a new state of the art surgical simulation lab for clinicians and nurses on campus. See what Yuliya Klopouh, PharmD, MH thinks about this amazing event and learn about what things you can find! Go to <a target="_top" href="/node/2483">https://www.gbmc.org/nearlynewsale</a> to learn more </p>
<iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8v82nIqA4FQ" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="article-body"> The Nearly New Sale is a longstanding tradition at GBMC and has been a hugely successful fundraising event thanks to the generosity and support of our donors and patrons. Held twice each year, it raises approximately $250,000 annually, contributing significant dollars to patient care delivered by GBMC Healthcare. Recent proceeds have gone to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the GBMC Center for Neurology, the Gilchrist Kids Endowment Fund and a new state of the art surgical simulation lab for clinicians and nurses on campus. See what April Asuncion Higgins thinks about this amazing event and learn about what things you can find! Go to <a target="_top" href="/node/2483">https://www.gbmc.org/nearlynewsale</a> to learn more </p>
<iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CAcR135WSzM" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="article-body"> The Nearly New Sale is a longstanding tradition at GBMC and has been a hugely successful fundraising event thanks to the generosity and support of our donors and patrons. Held twice each year, it raises approximately $250,000 annually, contributing significant dollars to patient care delivered by GBMC Healthcare. Recent proceeds have gone to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the GBMC Center for Neurology, the Gilchrist Kids Endowment Fund and a new state of the art surgical simulation lab for clinicians and nurses on campus. See what Mike Stein, thinks about this amazing event and learn about what things you can find! Go to <a href="/node/2483" target="_blank">https://www.gbmc.org/nearlynewsale</a> to learn more </p>
<iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0soDczkINrM" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="article-body"> The Nearly New Sale is a longstanding tradition at GBMC and has been a hugely successful fundraising event thanks to the generosity and support of our donors and patrons. Held twice each year, it raises approximately $250,000 annually, contributing significant dollars to patient care delivered by GBMC Healthcare. Recent proceeds have gone to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the GBMC Center for Neurology, the Gilchrist Kids Endowment Fund and a new state of the art surgical simulation lab for clinicians and nurses on campus. See what Brian Riemer thinks about this amazing event and learn about what things you can find! Go to <a target="_top" href="/node/2483">https://www.gbmc.org/nearlynewsale</a> to learn more </p>
<iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R4rDobEuKgY" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="article-body"> The Nearly New Sale is a longstanding tradition at GBMC and has been a hugely successful fundraising event thanks to the generosity and support of our donors and patrons. Held twice each year, it raises approximately $250,000 annually, contributing significant dollars to patient care delivered by GBMC Healthcare. Recent proceeds have gone to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the GBMC Center for Neurology, the Gilchrist Kids Endowment Fund and a new state of the art surgical simulation lab for clinicians and nurses on campus. See what Christopher Greenawalt, MD thinks about this amazing event and learn about what things you can find! Go to <a target="_top" href="/node/2483">https://www.gbmc.org/nearlynewsale</a> to learn more </p>
<iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KrDKWxrc6Cs" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="article-body"> The Nearly New Sale is a longstanding tradition at GBMC and has been a hugely successful fundraising event thanks to the generosity and support of our donors and patrons. Held twice each year, it raises approximately $250,000 annually, contributing significant dollars to patient care delivered by GBMC Healthcare. Recent proceeds have gone to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the GBMC Center for Neurology, the Gilchrist Kids Endowment Fund and a new state of the art surgical simulation lab for clinicians and nurses on campus. See what Deborah Higgins thinks about this amazing event and learn about what things you can find! Go to <a target="_top" href="/node/2483">https://www.gbmc.org/nearlynewsale</a> to learn more </p>
<iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w-gbaQR2NLI" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="article-body"> In the last year, it has been painfully obvious how much COVID-19 can affect a person’s physical health. However, Elie Miller, M.D., family medicine physician at GBMC Health Partners Primary Care – Owings Mills, explains that living through a global crisis, quarantine, and minimal human interaction can have a major effect on mental health, too. <br> <br> As a primary care physician, Dr. Miller is often the first point of contact for a patient who’s seeking professional help for feelings of anxiety or depression. <br> <br> “One thing that makes family medicine unique is that it allows for a broad array of interactions. The practice is old-fashioned in the sense that we are truly counted on to understand everything,” Dr. Miller says. <br> <br> COVID-19 brought unprecedented levels of stress and anxiety to patients, some of whom have never dealt with those concerns. Dr. Miller explains, “Almost daily, I encounter patients, high-functioning people, who are unclear as to how to define the issue because they’ve never dealt with something like this. They have symptoms like daily chest pain, they’re up all night, unable to sleep, and it’s because of stress.” <br> <br> Dr. Miller says he noticed a few major factors in 2020 that seemed to play a role in increasing levels of anxiety and stress in his patients. The first was fear of the unknown. <br> <br> “None of us like not knowing what is coming next, and mixed messages from healthcare professionals about the pandemic created stress for many,” Dr. Miller says. He further explains that, at the beginning of the pandemic, there was a tremendous amount of data going out in different directions. <br> <br> “It was a time of uncertainty, and patients looked to doctors to give them answers when they didn’t necessarily have the right ones.” <br> <br> Finally, Dr. Miller describes the blurring of professional and family life as a major cause of stress among people who usually worked outside the home. He suggests creating a commute to make sure work and home time don’t blend together. <br> <br> “When we lost our commutes, we lost the ability to separate a bad day at work from our home life. You finish up a stressful day at work and then automatically have to move into homework and bedtime,” Dr. Miller says. “A walk a few times around the block before coming into the house helps to create that separation.” <br> <br> It turns out he was on to something, as a Wall Street Journal article published in January 2021 detailed the benefits of creating a fake commute to separate work and home life. <br> <br> With COVID-19 vaccines now widely available and most states eliminating restrictions around wearing masks and social distancing, Dr. Miller says the struggle lies in reversing some of the bad habits developed during the months of social isolation. <br> <br> “Here we are, a year later, and the negative habits that we’ve worked on for a year, like drinking every night of the week and unhealthily snacking throughout the day, have become a lifestyle. You have to actively work to reverse those habits,” Dr. Miller says. <br> <br> Primary care physicians can help undo those negative lifestyle trends post-pandemic by addressing the mental concepts behind them. Dr. Miller says collaborative care programs, like the ones offered at GBMC, help immensely. <br> <br> “[They] allow primary care doctors to manage patients’ anxiety in the ways they feel appropriate, while referring them to therapists that we work hand-in-hand with to review the case and give recommendations.” <br> <br> This treatment plan allows Dr. Miller to help long-time patients work past mental obstacles and greatly improve their quality of life. <br> <br> “Everyone is desperate for answers, some degree of consolation,” he says. “We [in primary care] are the main point of contact, and we have to make sure patients get the help they need.” <a href="/node/2531">Get more information about mental health treatment and get started with a primary care provider.</a> </p>
<p class="article-body"> In the latest edition of the <em>Baltimore Sun</em> and <em>Baltimore's Child</em> magazine, GBMC HealthCare has been recognized as the best in several disciplines! We are so grateful for our community's support and for our hardworking staff who tirelessly care for patients each and every day. <br> <br> </p> <h3> <em>Baltimore Sun</em> readers named GBMC HealthCare the best in the following categories: </h3> <ul> <li> Best Hospital </li> <li> Best Audiologist </li> <li> Best General Practitioner </li> </ul> And runner-up in the following: <ul> <li> Best OB/GYN Practice </li> <li> Best Audiologist - Presbyterian Board of Governors Cochlear Implant Center of Excellence </li> <li> Best Pediatric Practice - GBMC Pediatric Group </li> </ul> <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/baltimores-best/bs-fe-best-services-2021-20210706-xpxm57bowvc3zi5xura5ktppvm-story.html" target="_blank">Click here to read the issue!</a> <br> <br> <h3> <em>Baltimore's Child</em> readers named GBMC HealthCare the best in the following categories: </h3> <ul> <li> Best Hospital - Hometown Heroes - COVID-19 Pandemic Response Best Place to Deliver Your Baby </li> <li> Best Pediatric Vision Care - Dr. Allison Jensen, Eye Center at GBMC </li> </ul> And runner-up in the following: <ul> <li> Best Pediatric Physician - Hometown Heroes - COVID-19 Pandemic Response, Dr. Theresa Nguyen - GBMC Pediatric Group </li> <li> Best Medical Matters </li> <li> Best ER for Kids </li> </ul> <a href="http://digital.baltimoreschild.com/issues/July-2021/index.html" target="_blank">Click here to read the issue!</a> <div class="end-of-story"> </div>
<p class="article-body"> The term "cancer survivor" can mean something different for everyone. For Robert B. Donegan, M.D., Chief of the Division of Medical Oncology at GBMC's Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute, a person becomes a survivor at one specific moment. <br> <br> "Survivorship starts at the time of diagnosis. The moment a patient is told they have cancer, they're surviving that cancer," Dr. Donegan says. <br> <br> Dr. Donegan is part of the Berman Cancer Institute's Survivorship Program, a multi-team approach to treating cancer that encompasses the patient's entire wellbeing with comprehensive and continuous services during treatment and beyond. <br> <br> "What is central to survivorship care is a broad appreciation for the entire patient experience. It is not simply a focus on treating the cancer itself. It also means being appreciative of the short- and long-term physical side effects of treatment, the mental health overtones, the impacts on families and jobs as well as the financial burdens," Dr. Donegan says. <br> <br> At GBMC, when a patient reaches a milestone in their therapy, they may meet with a Survivorship Coordinator who further addresses these issues and provides important supportive literature and handouts regarding survivorship care. A printed summary of the treatment received is also given to the patient. <br> <br> The Survivorship Program also helps patients with: </p> <ul> <li> Managing some of the side effects of cancer treatment, including physical and body image concerns. </li> <li> Regaining physical strength and tips on how to live as actively as possible. </li> <li> Making positive dietary changes and maintaining a healthy weight. </li> <li> Learning to live fully and dealing with concerns about returning to work. </li> </ul> Dr. Donegan says the Survivorship Program at GBMC isn't executed simply by one department or team. Everyone who interacts with the patient plays a role. <br> <br> "Physicians, nurses, social workers, and many others who touch the patients' lives help to identify survivorship needs from the time of diagnosis." <br> <br> Dr. Donegan adds that GBMC's various care teams and departments work closely with each other to give patients an integrated approach to their cancer care. <br> <br> "We have the benefit of being a smaller and closely-knit organization. We are all in the room together, literally and figuratively, and I think that does a world of good for the patients. We put a lot of shared heart and soul into what we do, and I think the patients appreciate that." <br> <br> There are currently close to 17 million cancer survivors in the United States, and that number is expected to increase to 22 million by the year 2030. June is National Cancer Survivor Month, a time to celebrate those who have fought the disease and those who are currently in treatment. <br> <br> Dr. Donegan stresses that even though improvements in care, treatment, and screenings mean more people will survive a cancer diagnosis, people need to recognize the effect a diagnosis has on the rest of a person's life. <br> <br> "We have to broaden the definition from people living with cancer to living through cancer, and hopefully, for some, beyond cancer." <br> <br> Learn more about the <a href="/node/2571">Survivorship Program at GBMC.</a> <div class="end-of-story"> </div>
<iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BITcBlHPElM" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="article-body"> The Nearly New Sale is a longstanding tradition at GBMC and has been a hugely successful fundraising event thanks to the generosity and support of our donors and patrons. Held twice each year, it raises approximately $250,000 annually, contributing significant dollars to patient care delivered by GBMC Healthcare. Recent proceeds have gone to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the GBMC Center for Neurology, the Gilchrist Kids Endowment Fund and a new state of the art surgical simulation lab for clinicians and nurses on campus. See what Becky Stove, RN, thinks about this amazing event and learn about what things you can find! Go to <a href="/node/2483" target="_blank">https://www.gbmc.org/nearlynewsale</a> to learn more </p>
<iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9TrfBm2mTno" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="article-body"> Susan Wright Aucott, MD, Director of Neonatology at GBMC, describes the services available in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and talks about the upcoming Father’s Day 5K and 1-Mile Fun Walk happening on June 20, 2021. Go to <a href="https://www.gbmc.org/5k">www.gbmc.org/5k</a> to register or donate! </p>
<iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YWeDadiuAfw" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="article-body"> Having a child in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is an incredibly stressful experience for parents and families. GBMC offers multiple resources to help lessen that burden and make a family’s stay as comfortable as possible. Certified Child Life Specialists are part of a multidisciplinary team that specializes in helping children and their families navigate, cope with, and feel prepared for hospital experiences. The Child Life Program does not charge for its services; it is fully funded through philanthropy. In this episode of Greater Living Live, Sabrina Whiteleather, CCLS, spoke with Mary Beth Marsden to explain the program in greater detail. She covered topics such as: </p> <ul> <li> A Child Life Specialist’s role in the NICU </li> <li> Resources available to help parents and siblings cope with stress </li> <li> Ways that siblings can bond with a brother or sister in the NICU </li> <li> Methods Child Life Specialists use to help patients and families during the pandemic </li> <li> How the community can support GBMC’s NICU and Child Life Program </li> </ul> Every year, GBMC holds a Father’s Day 5K and 1-Mile Fun Walk to raise funds for the NICU. This year’s event will be held on June 20, 2021! Proceeds from the 5K benefit GBMC’s tiniest patients. The money raised from last year’s race has helped the NICU implement the following new advancements to aid families in their baby's care journey: <ul> <li> A Special Care Nursery that creates a larger opportunity for family involvement and helps ease the transition to home care </li> <li> A Bereavement Program that assists in the healing process for parents who have lost their baby </li> <li> A Developmental Program that utilizes positioning devices, stimulating toys, and additional equipment to aide in the prevention of musculoskeletal issues </li> </ul> <a href="https://www.gbmc.org/5k">Click here</a> to donate or register for the Father’s Day 5K! To learn more about the Child Life Program and ways to support it, visit <a href="/node/2341">www.gbmc.org/childlife</a>.
