<p class="article-body"> A physical ailment is usually obvious – you’re in pain, or your body isn’t functioning as optimally as it could. But mental pain can be harder to pinpoint, and once you recognize that something is off, it can be difficult to find treatment. <br> <br> “When someone realizes they need mental health support, finding that support can be a challenge,” says Rachel Smolowitz, Ph.D., program manager of Sheppard Pratt Integrated Behavioral Health at GBMC. “It’s hard to even know what you need.” <br> <br> September is Suicide Prevention Month, and GBMC is working to combat those challenges with an emphasis on behavioral health in the primary care setting all year round through their Collaborative Care Model. In partnership with Sheppard Pratt, all GBMC Health Partners advanced primary care practices have a full-time behavioral health manager available in the office or virtually to provide mental health evaluations and support almost immediately. <br> <br> Dr. Smolowitz says a behavioral health program in a primary care setting is more than just a convenience for patients. <br> <br> "It’s important to assess and screen anyone who may be experiencing increased anxiety and depression,” she says. <br> <br> She adds that making mental health part of a comprehensive care appointment also reduces the barriers some people face in receiving care. <br> <br> “Going into a psychiatry office is a stigma for some people. This breaks down that barrier and allows them to easily get the help they need in a familiar setting.” <br> <br> When a primary care physician notices someone has symptoms of a behavioral health issue, they’re able to connect them with the behavioral health care manager. The behavioral health care manager does a comprehensive intake with the patient to discover what they need, whether it’s therapy, medication, or a combination of the two. They share their findings with a psychiatrist, who provides recommendations to the primary care physician. <br> <br> Dr. Smolowitz says they are essentially helping patients become their own therapists. She uses an analogy of driving a bus to further explain. <br> <br> “The patient has a bus, and their symptoms are driving the bus. Traditional therapy just puts the therapist behind the wheel, but we’re putting the patient in the driver’s seat and helping them learn how to navigate the route.” <br> <br> She says this approach allows the care team to help hundreds of patients get the treatment they need. <br> <br> Most treatment plans last around six months, but Dr. Smolowitz emphasizes every approach is customized based on the patient’s needs. Sometimes further help is needed. <br> <br> “Some disorders are best treated by a face-to-face psychiatrist over a prolonged period of time, and if a patient needs something more intense, we will connect them to the next level of care,” she says. <br> <br> In regard to behavioral health in a primary care setting, she adds, “In an ideal world, this would be basic care for people who don’t need the intensity of therapy and medication management.” <br> <br> Dr. Smolowitz says she hopes collaborative care programs like this will continue to grow throughout the U.S. because “we want to help. It shouldn’t be that hard for patients to get help.” <br> <br> She recommends reaching out to your primary care doctor if something is affecting your mental health and not fading or if you have any concerns about your mental state. <br> <br> “People think they have to tough it out, but we can help build their toolbox. You’re still doing the work; we’re just helping you do it more efficiently and effectively.” </p> <div class="end-of-story"> </div>
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<iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qyBTX9Sebr0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="article-body"> Lolly Forsythe-Chisolm is a mind-body specialist for Integrative and Palliative Medicine in the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute. She has a master's degree in Palliative and Integrative Medicine and has worked for Gilchrist for three years. Prior to that, she worked for 10 years at R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma and the University of Maryland Medical Center. <br> <br> Lolly has experience with meditation and mind-body techniques for healing, including guided imagery, expressive arts and others. She appreciates that the team at the Berman Cancer Institute is willing to include non-pharmacological techniques and tools as a valid and important part of patient and family care. On Wednesday, September 7, Lolly shared many techniques for our patients to use during their treatment journey. Here are some key takeaways from this informative conversation: </p> <ul> <li> The mind and body are fully connected. The mind affects the body and vice versa. According to Lolly, evidence suggests patients who utilize mind-body therapy have a much better time handling their pain, stress and anxiety. Some of the techniques Lolly encourages patients to use are guided imagery, art and music therapy, and breath work. These practices can help patients prepare for procedures, such as having to stay still for long periods of time during radiation treatment. </li> <li> Lolly uses a three-step process to help patients cope with feelings of stress and anxiety. These techniques, combined with relaxing breath work, have proven to calm anxious minds. She encourages both her patients and their caregivers to practice the three-step process: acknowledge and name your feelings; allow the feeling and listen to the message it’s sending you; and shift the feeling by doing a body scan and find a peaceful pause. </li> <li> Lolly typically sees each patient for eight sessions and then moves into “check-in” sessions, as needed. Luckily, she was able to continue to see patients virtually during the height of COVID-19 and was proud of her patients who continued to do the work. </li> <li> Lolly shared that art therapy is more than painting and sculpting. She encourages patients to get creative and use activities they are most interested in, such as gardening or even cooking. </li> </ul> Our integrative medicine team is focused on caring for a patient's mind, body, and spirit. Services are offered free of charge to help prevent and manage symptoms for cancer patients who are experiencing pain, fatigue, depression, or anxiety. GBMC is proud to be able to offer this because it's the right thing to do, and what we would want for our own loved ones. To support Lolly, her work, and most importantly her patients, please consider <a href="https://www.classy.org/give/288692/#!/donation/checkout">a donation to the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute.</a>
<p class="article-body"> In the United States, 10,000 people turn 65 every day. <br> <br> “It’s called the ‘Silver Tsunami,’” says Julie Merrill, PA-C, Director and Lead Clinician of the GBMC Healthy Bones Program for Osteoporosis and Fracture Prevention at GBMC Health Partners Orthopaedics. “Approximately 10 million of Americans 65 and older have osteoporosis.” <br> <br> Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones become brittle and fragile from skeletal tissue loss. The diagnosis is often the result of calcium or vitamin D deficiencies or hormonal changes. Merrill says post-menopausal women have the highest risk of osteoporosis because of their bodies’ decrease in estrogen production, which protects the bones. <br> <br> “Half of all women, and one in three men, will break a bone in their lifetime due to osteoporosis,” she explains. “For women, the number of fractures per year due to osteoporosis is greater than that of heart attack, stroke, and breast cancer combined.” <br> <br> Osteoporosis-related fractures do more than simply cause pain, Merrill says. <br> <br> “Hip and spine fractures can rob people of their independence and mobility. Twenty-five percent of people who suffer from a fragility hip fracture will be admitted to an assisted living facility, and 50 percent of people will never have the same level of mobility again,” she says. <br> <br> In addition, there’s an added risk of breaking another bone. Once you’ve suffered one fragility fracture, you are five times more likely to suffer another fracture within the year. <br> <br> There are some ways to minimize your risk of a diagnosis, but some risk factors for osteoporosis are unavoidable. <br> <br> “If you have a family history of osteoporosis, or if you have a parent who broke a hip due to osteoporosis, that’s a major risk factor,” Merrill says. <br> <br> Keeping alcohol consumption to two drinks or less a day, quitting smoking, performing regular weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises, and maintaining a healthy weight (not being underweight) are all ways to lower your chances of both an osteoporosis diagnosis and the chances of a fragility fracture. <br> <br> Merrill also recommends talking to your healthcare provider to ensure you’re getting enough calcium and vitamin D. Starting September 1, GBMC Health Partners Primary Care patients may be able to utilize the Healthy Bones program right in their primary care office—GBMC Health Partners Padonia on Thursdays and GBMC Health Partners Primary Care Owings Mills (Suite 306) on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. <br> <br> “Ask your provider when you should have a bone density (DXA) scan. Medicare will cover the test if you’re 65 or older, but if you’re younger and have risk factors, it may be covered as well,” she explains. <br> <br> Merrill also recommends checking out an online calcium calculator to determine your recommended calcium amount to make sure you’re getting the right amount. She adds there are also hormone therapies and hormone-like treatments that can help maintain bone density. These may be an option for women within the first 10 years of menopause. <br> <br> Above all, Merrill encourages everyone to stay on top of their bone health. She says often people don’t realize a fracture really means a loss of independence, which is something most people hope to avoid at all costs. <br> <br> “People are more afraid of losing their independence than they are of fracturing their hip or even dying,” she says. “There are around 180,000 nursing home admissions each year because of osteoporosis-related fractures. If we recognize the risk factors and start managing our bone health now, many of those admissions could be avoided and we can live long, active, independent lives.” </p> <div class="end-of-story"> </div>
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<iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iiSasEHLlAI" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="article-body"> All Medicare beneficiaries are entitled to 180 days of hospice, yet many people wait until the final days of life to seek hospice. In fact, most people receive hospice for 18 days or less—in essence, receiving only 10% of what they are entitled to. When people don’t receive hospice until the final days of life, they miss out on all that hospice can offer and may end up spending difficult days in the hospital or emergency room. Hospice services include physician and nurse care as well as visits by spiritual workers, social workers, medications, medical equipment, and even bereavement support for caregivers and families. Hospice care can take place at the patient's home without them having to be moved to an unfamiliar facility. </p>
<p class="article-body"> Approximately once every three minutes, a person in the United States is diagnosed with a blood cancer. Ari H. Elman, MD, Medical Oncologist and Hematologist at the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute at GBMC HealthCare, explains the discovery of these cancers often happens inadvertently. <br> <br> “Most blood cancers are picked up by routine labs, almost by accident. The white blood cell count is a little bit high, so further blood work is done to determine the cancer,” Dr. Elman says. <br> <br> He explains there are three major categories of blood cancers: leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. Acute leukemia usually comes on suddenly and is the most dangerous type of blood cancer, but also the least common, according to Dr. Elman. He explains a blood cancer diagnosis often isn’t as dire as it sounds. <br> <br> “A lot of people are surprised to learn when they’re diagnosed with a blood cancer that they don’t need any immediate treatment. We just watch it,” he says. <br> <br> Of the three major cancer types, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) are the most common and most treatable. <br> <br> “People hear about CML and CLL and they focus on the word leukemia, but the focus is really on the word chronic,” Dr. Elman says. “CML is one of the most treatable cancers that we have, and often, patients don’t even need treatment for a CLL diagnosis.” <br> <br> He says even if treatment is necessary, advances in medicine mean patients can often forego chemotherapy and IVs to opt for less invasive treatments that come in pill form. <br> <br> Unfortunately, there are no major defining risk factors for blood cancers. <br> <br> “Most of these cancer types are not hereditary, and we still don’t know what causes a lot of these diseases,” Dr. Elman says. “That doesn’t mean diet and exercise aren’t important. If you take good care of yourself, you’re more likely to get through any diagnosis and subsequent treatment.” <br> <br> There aren’t any preventive screenings for blood cancers beyond basic lab work, but there are some symptoms to watch out for. <br> <br> “Unintentional weight loss, night sweats, and severe fatigue may all be signs that something is wrong,” Dr. Elman says. <br> <br> Also, if you notice a knot or bump in any of your lymph nodes getting larger over the course of a few weeks, you should speak with your doctor. <br> <br> If you are faced with a blood cancer diagnosis, Dr. Elman says the team at GBMC will be with you every step of the way. <br> <br> “We see a patient from before their diagnosis and will help arrange their blood work, staging, and treatment. We’ll talk to them about options and recovery and help guide them through the process,” he says. <br> <br> He emphasizes the importance of being there for his patients as a source of support during a difficult time. <br> <br> Dr. Elman says, “A cancer diagnosis can be very scary and new, but it’s not new to us. There are no silly questions. Our patients can always reach their own doctor anytime they need to because they’re never inconveniencing us.” </p> <div class="end-of-story"> </div>
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<iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1TCkjhETKlk" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="article-body"> Join Good Morning Maryland's Megan Knight and Regina Presley, AuD, Director of Audiology at the Presbyterian Board of Governors Cochlear Implant Center of Excellence at GBMC, as they discuss hearing loss and how you can test your hearing at home. www.gbmc.org/cochlear </p>
<iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H5-6o98jcLg" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="article-body"> Brandon Costantino is the Oncology Support Program Manager in the Sandra & Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute at GBMC and Senior Ambulatory Practice Manager for the Milton J. Dance Jr. Head & Neck Center. He has been at GBMC since 2017. Prior to GBMC, he worked for more than 11 years at the American Cancer Society, most recently as the Patient Resource Navigator at University of Maryland’s Greenebaum Cancer Center. Oncology Support Services (OSS) is available to support patients beyond the medical treatment side of cancer care and to alleviate the many burdens that come with a cancer diagnosis. Brandon and his team help oncology patients and their families navigate the emotional and practical support needed when going through treatment for cancer. On Wednesday, June 8, Brandon shared many interesting and important points about how OSS benefits GBMC patients. Here are the top takeaways from the discussion: </p> <ul> <li> OSS offers services to support both patients and caregivers through a cancer diagnosis. The patients who utilize OSS are not billed for the services provided. OSS is an integral piece to the Berman Cancer Institute. Patients can self-refer to OSS or they can be referred by someone on their medical team. </li> <li> The most common concerns Brandon sees from patients is affordability of treatment, fear of the unknown and the effect the diagnosis will have on their loved ones. The OSS team strives to comfort patients and help them cope with these concerns. For example, if finances are a concern, the OSS team will help patients find programs that may address their specific needs. If a patient is worried about transportation to and from treatment, the OSS team arrange transportation and sometimes pay for it as well. </li> <li> Any GBMC oncology patient can utilize the services provided by OSS without receiving an additional bill for these services. The program relies entirely on community donations and philanthropy. </li> </ul> You can support this remarkable program in your community by <a href="https://www.classy.org/give/288692/#!/donation/checkout">donating to the Oncology Support Services program in the Berman Cancer Institute.</a> All services provided rely entirely on philanthropic support to continue for patients.
For additional information and helpful links, please visit the Maryland Department of Health's website.
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