The Wright Center Encourages Men to be Proactive The Wright Center believes stereotypes aside, it’s safe to say that men often tend to be less proactive about their health than women. That’s why public health campaigns like Men’s Health Month in June play an admirable role. The annual monthlong observance raises awareness on the many ways in which males – boys and adults – need to take charge of their health care. June is also home to International Men’s Health Week, which took place last week, and June 14’s Wear Blue Day, which is sponsored by the Men’s Health Network and encourages individuals, organizations, and employers to wear blue and host awareness and/or fundraising events on behalf of the cause. If we’re being honest, society hasn’t done the greatest job of promoting proactive health care among males, no matter the age group. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average life expectancy for men in the United States is 5.4 years less than it is for women. Meanwhile, males are at a higher risk for a number of serious diseases, among them heart disease, lung cancer, and HIV, and experience illnesses completely unique to the gender, such as prostate cancer. And for men from underrepresented groups, the numbers are even worse. So, it’s a good thing that for this year’s Men’s Health Month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) is focused on bettering health outcomes for racial and ethnic minority and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) men through its theme, “Be the Source for Better Health: Improving Health Outcomes Through Our Cultures, Communities, and Connections.” The initiative aims to understand better how the unique environments, cultures, histories, and circumstances – the social determinants of health or SDOH – of minority men impact their overall health. OMH has committed to working with public health and community-based partners to provide racial and ethnic minority and AI/AN men and boys with high-quality medical care and services that are “responsive to diverse cultural health beliefs and practices, preferred languages, economic and environmental circumstances, and health literacy levels.” The thinking is that when patients are provided with culturally and linguistically appropriate information, they’ll ultimately have healthier outcomes for themselves, their families, and their communities as a whole. And by communities, we can certainly include our own right here in Northeast Pennsylvania. With encouragement from health care professionals, as well as family members and friends, there’s no reason why men can’t adopt more healthful practices, whether it’s improving their diet and getting a gym membership or better managing their stress levels through yoga, meditation, or therapy. That also includes making a long-term investment in their medical care, from annual visits to their primary care physician to receiving regular prostate testing and colonoscopies, or Cologuard stool testing, to reduce the chance of metastatic prostate or colorectal cancer. Health education should also start at a very young age so families can instill the importance of lifelong healthy habits in their boys. Most people do not seem to appreciate exercise’s profound impact on reducing the risk of most diseases and even slowing the aging process. Thirty minutes of exercise can prevent decline and decay for both men and women. Let’s all do our part to promote better men’s health by encouraging the important men in our lives – fathers, husbands, sons, friends, coworkers, etc. – to take their long-term health seriously. Douglas Klamp, M.D., is a board-certified internal medicine physician who serves as senior vice president, chief medical education officer, and physician chair of resident and fellow talent acquisition of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, as well as program director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Klamp is accepting adult patients at The Wright Center for Community Health – Scranton, 501 S. Washington Ave.
Geisinger Doctor Discusses Headache Pain By Geisinger neurologist Abigail Chua, DO How to stop waking up with a headache: Ever realized your head is pounding before you even get out of bed in the morning? Waking up with a headache is — well, a pain. Here’s why they happen and how you can find relief. Like other common symptoms, headaches vary in cause and strength. Some intense headaches can last for hours. Others might be a minute or two of dull but manageable discomfort. Most headaches are grouped into primary and secondary categories. Primary headaches are usually caused by pain sensors in your head that aren’t working right. These headaches may run in your family. Or you might get them from foods you eat (or don’t eat enough of), alcoholic drinks or changes in sleep patterns. Primary headaches are what most people have. The good news is, these types of headaches are preventable and treatable. The two most common kinds: Tension headaches – This type causes mild pain around the head, face or neck. Migraine headaches – This neurological disease can cause sharp pain on one side of the head and may last for hours or even days. Secondary headaches are typically caused by underlying medical conditions, including: Dehydration – Not drinking enough fluids on a regular basis contributes to headaches. Medication overuse – Taking too much of a variety of medications — like Tylenol or forms of ibuprofen, ironically — can make your head hurt. For most people, morning headaches result from lifestyle factors. The good news: You can adjust those to ease your pain. Lack of sleep, whether due to insomnia or just an occasional restless night, often leads to waking with an aching head. Others include: Dehydration Poor sleep quality Medication side effects Sleep apnea Jaw clenching or teeth grinding If poor sleep quality is causing your headaches, your doctor may recommend some changes to your sleep routine. Besides getting a better night’s sleep, minor adjustments to your daily routine to reduce the frequency of morning headaches. Simple changes you can make include everything from skipping that extra glass of red wine after dinner to drinking more water before bed. Luckily, there are a number of things you can do to make your morning headache go away. Hydrate: Drink lots of water to start the day. Dehydration can bring on a headache or make an existing one worse. Dim the lights: Many people are sensitive to bright light, especially early in the morning. Give your eyes and head time to adjust. Use a cold compress: Grab a bag of frozen veggies or a cold pack and put it on your forehead or the back of your neck. The cold eases pressure and can soothe a morning headache. Try light massage: It’s simple — but effective. Use your fingers to apply gentle pressure on the part of your head or neck where you’re having pain. This trick can help relieve a tension headache. Get plenty of sleep: Some headaches are related to sleep apnea or other factors causing a lack of quality rest. Try going to bed a little earlier to give your body more time to rest. Digging out the root cause is the first step in treating your early morning headaches. If you’ve tried to troubleshoot on your own with no success, it’s time to talk to your doctor — especially if you have frequent or daily morning headaches. Once you and your doctor determine the right treatment plan, you can wake up refreshed, rested and ready to take on your day. For more health and wellness tops, visit Geisinger.org/balance.
NAMI Northeast Begins Walk-and-Talk Series NAMI Northeast Region Executive Director Marie Onukiavage met recently with outdoor professionals in the community to connect on a new series of monthly walks to highlight help provided by NAMI while encouraging participants to experience the healing power of nature. NAMI will collaborate with Ski Shack owner and yoga instructor Melissa Roberts on planning locations and having Melissa offer stress-relieving breathing techniques and guidance on walking trails. Marie met recently with Melissa and Paul Bechtel, Lackawanna County Director of Parks & Recreation, who provided information and input on parks throughout the county that offer beautiful trails for everyone to explore as they attempt to unplug from daily stressors and plug in to the peace and tranquility that exists among the trees and greenery. NAMI encourages everyone in the community to join them on June 26 at 6 p.m. at Camp Freedom as they highlight men’s mental health and the importance of talking about it openly to remove stigma. NAMI will share information and resources available and nonprofit Camp Freedom personnel will spotlight the many wonderful services they provide, along with leading a walk on their scenic property.
The Dime Bank Transitions to ‘.Bank’ The Dime Bank recently transitioned their website from thedimebank.com to thedime.bank domain to provide customers with an even more secure banking experience. This change provides another layer of enhanced security and verification requirements to reduce the risk of cyber threats and enable The Dime Bank to provide a greater level of digital security. The American Bankers Association (ABA) reports that banking has consistently been one of the most targeted industries for phishing for over a decade. The accessibility of publicly available, unregulated, and affordable domains like .com and .net allow malicious entities to acquire similar-looking domains effortlessly for conducting business email compromises, phishing, and spoofing attacks, resulting in data breaches, identity theft, and financial fraud. The Dime Bank’s email addresses and website URL will now use ‘.bank’ as their ending. Thedime.bank has enhanced security requirements which help mitigate the risk for fraud. There is an extensive vetting process in place so that only legitimate banking institutions can utilize ‘.bank’, thereby preventing bad actors from creating imposter domains. To verify the authenticity of The Dime Bank’s emails and website, customers can easily spot the ‘.bank’. With the ‘.bank’ in place, consumers can quickly confirm emails and websites are real, and avoid interactions that could lead to identity theft and financial fraud. This authentication is also an additional layer of protection for internal and vendor communications, helping to further secure against potential breaches. President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Bochnovich stated, “Customer security is a paramount concern at The Dime Bank, encompassing both personal and financial information. The ‘.bank’ domain is a gated domain, like .gov, and is exclusive for verified banks. Providing cutting-edge technology that caters to customers’ need for high-speed convenience along with security remains a key consideration in all our choices. By transitioning our domain name to ‘thedime.bank’ from ‘thedimebank.com’, customers can interact with confidence when they see the ‘.bank’ at the end of The Dime Bank’s email address and website URL.” Emails from thedimebank.com will be forwarded to the new thedime.bank addresses, and the website previously ending in ‘.com’ will now redirect to the new ‘.bank’ site. Customers are advised to update their address books and bookmarks for thedime.bank.
Geisinger Doctor Discusses Remission By: Geisinger Doctor Sorab Gupta, MD, hematologist-oncologist What does it mean to be in remission?It doesn’t mean “cured,” but remission marks a major turning point in cancer treatment — because your body shows little or no sign of the disease. If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, no doubt you’re looking forward to the day your doctor uses the word remission. Getting to remission is the goal of any cancer treatment. But what does it mean? Remission is a period when tumors or cancer cells in your body have diminished, symptoms have lessened (or disappeared entirely) and you may even get negative results for cancer on medical tests. Once you’re in remission, you can reduce or even stop treatment, because it’s been successful. Remission can last for months, years or even the rest of your life. Decreasing signs or the absence of cancer that lasts for at least a month indicate that a person is in remission. Remission does not mean, though, that you are cured of cancer. Types of cancer remission You can achieve cancer remission through an effective treatment plan. Depending on the type and stage of cancer you have, treatment may include radiation therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy or a combination. It’s more likely for a person to achieve remission with early-stage cancer that remains local than with advanced stages that have spread throughout the body. There are two types of cancer remission: partial and complete. While the goal is to reach complete remission, many people live healthy lives in partial remission. Partial remission In partial remission, many signs and symptoms of cancer have significantly improved, but not all have disappeared. In this phase, the disease is under control and it’s a positive step forward in recovery. Complete remission If you’ve achieved complete remission, all symptoms of cancer have disappeared. Medical tests, such as body scans, biopsies, physical exams or blood tests, show no detectable evidence of cancer. Complete remission could mean that all of your cancer cells have been destroyed, or that cancer cells are still in your body, but they aren’t showing up on tests. That’s why complete remission doesn’t mean you’re cured — there is no way for doctors to know for sure that all cancer cells in your body are gone. Remission vs. cure While the terms are often used interchangeably, being in remission is different from being cured of cancer. Remission means the cancer has become inactive, while a cure is total eradication of the disease, with no cancer remaining in the body. Doctors consider patients to be cured of cancer if they have no signs or symptoms for at least five years after completing treatment. A recurrence can occur during remission — even complete remission — because cancer cells may still be present in your body. The cancer can become active again in the same area it was first diagnosed or elsewhere in your body. Cancer doesn’t always recur, but it’s more likely to if the cancer is fast-growing, more advanced, or initially widespread. Maintaining cancer remission Staying in cancer remission means having regular checkups with your care team, along with routine screenings, such as physical exams, blood and imaging tests specific to your type of cancer. Cultivating healthy lifestyle habits can also lower your risk of recurrence. Regular checkups, especially in the first few years following remission, are crucial to monitor symptoms and detect any signs the cancer has become active again. Your doctor may recommend maintenance therapy, such as taking lower doses of cancer drugs or hormones, to help you stay in remission for as long as possible. Tips for adopting healthy lifestyle habits: Eating a healthy diet full of fruits, veggies, whole grains and lean meats. A nutritionist can help you create a food plan tailored to your needs. Exercising regularly. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (hiking, biking, water aerobics) or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity (running, swimming laps) each week. Maintaining a healthy weight. Getting at least seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Limiting alcohol consumption. Men should consume no more than two drinks per day and women no more than one per day. Quitting smoking. Managing stress through techniques such as breathing exercises, yoga or meditation. Whether you’re going through treatment or on the other side, reaching remission is great news for anyone diagnosed with cancer. It may not be a cure, but it signifies a substantial advancement in the quest for one, and it’s a time to celebrate an important turning point in your cancer journey. For the latest health and wellness tips and advice, visit geisinger.org/balance.
Johnson College to Hold Instant Enrollment Decision Day Johnson College is hosting an Instant Decision Day for prospective students on Thursday, June 20, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at both the College’s Scranton and Hazleton campuses. To register to attend, visit johnson.edu/instant. During the Instant Decision event, Johnson College will provide prospective students with an immediate enrollment decision. Students must supply their high school and/or college transcripts. It is highly recommended that the prospective student completes a Johnson College application before attending. Applications for Johnson College’s Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiologic Technology, and Veterinary Nursing programs are excluded from instant decisions.
UNC to Hold Pine Brook NPP Community Celebration United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania (UNC) invites the public to our Pine Brook NPP Community Celebration. This event celebrates the significant contributions of our Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP) investors: Cottera Energy, FNCB Bank, and Peoples Security Bank & Trust. The celebration is scheduled for Friday, June 21, 2024, from 2 PM to 4 PM, at the Capouse Corner Green Space, 1371 Capouse Avenue at New York Street in Scranton. The event will feature food, games, a plant giveaway, and fun activities for the community to enjoy. We ask attendees to bring a book to donate to the Little Free Library located in the space. This celebration highlights the generous $50,000 annual contributions from Cottera Energy, FNCB Bank, and Peoples Security Bank & Trust through the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP). These contributions, totaling a $900,000 investment over six years, are instrumental in our ongoing efforts to rebuild, restore, and revitalize the Pine Brook community, a designated Elm Street Community through the Pennsylvania Keystone Communities program. Anyone interested in attending this celebration, please RSVP to Chrissy Manuel at cmanuel@uncnepa.org or call her at 570.878.5643.
Waverly Community House Tennis Camp and Lessons Waverly Comm Children and Youth Clinics: June 17 – August 2 If you are participating in extended Comm Camp, tennis can be included. Please contact Diane at (570) 586-8191 to register. If you are not participating in extended Comm Camp, you may still register. The fee is $70. Beginner: 1-2PM Intermediate: 2-3PM Private and Semi-Private Lessons: Private and semi-private lessons are available, please contact Diane at (570) 586-8191 to register. Private: $40/Hour; $25/30 Min SEMI: $30/Hour/Person
The Wright Center and NE PA AHEC Workshop Collaboration Nevena Barjaktarovic, M.D., a dually board-certified physician in internal medicine and rheumatology at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, will present a free educational session on lupus for Northeast Pennsylvania primary care and emergency room doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. The Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center (NE PA AHEC) is sponsoring the internal medicine didactic session, which will be held from 8-10 a.m., Wednesday, July 31, in The Wright Center for Community Health – Scranton Auditorium, 501 S. Washington Ave. Participation is limited and registration is required by Friday, July 19. To register, visit bit.ly/3QRJqTf. Participants may join in person or virtually through Webex video conferencing. The video conferencing link will be provided after registration. The session is a part of the American College of Rheumatology Rural Health Outreach Project, aimed at improving lupus referral, diagnosis, and treatment in underserved communities. It also will help raise awareness among health care providers of lupus signs and symptoms, what to do if lupus is suspected, and when to consider lupus in the differential diagnosis for individuals at high risk. About 1.5 million Americans have a form of lupus, 90% of whom are women, with about 16,000 new cases annually, according to the Lupus Foundation of America. Lupus is two to three times more prevalent among Black, Hispanic/Latina, Asian American, Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander women than white women. Those with lupus can experience significant symptoms, including pain, extreme fatigue, hair loss, cognitive issues, and physical impairments that affect every facet of their lives. Many suffer from cardiovascular disease, strokes, disfiguring rashes, and painful joints. For others, there may be no visible symptoms. Dr. Barjaktarovic specializes in diagnosing and treating a broad spectrum of rheumatic and inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis, back pain, connective tissue disease, fibromyalgia, gout, joint pain, osteoporosis, psoriasis, and lupus. She also serves as a physician-faculty member at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, where she mentors residents and fellows. A Clarks Summit resident, Dr. Barjaktarovic joined The Wright Centers in 2020 and earned her medical degree from the Medical School of Belgrade University, Serbia. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at James J. Peters VA Medical Center, affiliated with Mount Sinai School of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, and her rheumatology fellowship training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine-Montefiore Medical Center, also in the Bronx.
