http://www.williamsburghelth.com/ Williamsburg Health RSS Feed en-us In the past two issues Health Journal asked readers to share their reasons for being thankful this holiday season, and here is what they had to say: We found this story of Christmas miracles, submitted by Kathleen Schmidt of Yorktown, espec http://localhost5/archive.php?id=57 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=57 2009-01-05 14:15:59 Though some of the illnesses and diseases that plagued the American Colonists of the 17th and 18th centuries, such as malaria and smallpox, still threaten parts of the world, medical treatments for many of those conditions have improved a great deal. http://localhost5/archive.php?id=50 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=50 2009-01-05 14:09:35 Best-selling author Dr. Harvey Karp, often dubbed "the Baby Whisperer," recently shared his baby-calming tips—known as the 5 S's—with Hampton Roads Parents. We hear them in the elementary schools and movie theatres across the country. They lur http://localhost5/archive.php?id=65 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=65 2008-12-19 08:08:02 Dr. Michael Grimes, a physician at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center, recently began offering endometrial ablation, a procedure that lasts less than four and a half minutes, as an alternative to a hysterectomy or hormone therapy to help alleviate he http://localhost5/archive.php?id=82 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=82 2008-12-18 09:19:21 Unlike most health professionals we've profiled, Sandy Fagan didn't always know what he wanted to be when he grew up. In fact, this former College of William & Mary quarterback and free safety studied business and figured he would become an entrepren http://localhost5/archive.php?id=63 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=63 2008-12-01 19:08:10 Q: “Can problems of the lower back 
influence a person’s overall health?” A: Absolutely. An important first step to pain recovery is to look at how pain of the low back is affecting your life and well-being. To consistently p http://localhost5/archive.php?id=60 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=60 2008-12-01 18:56:51 Fitness fads may come and go, but a strong and lean physique never goes out of style. Here's a sneak peek at what will make the grade for fitness in 2009 versus what former crazes are safe to shelve. What's "In," Wii Fit This f http://localhost5/archive.php?id=56 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=56 2008-12-01 14:31:29 Well, it's that time of year again—the holiday shopping season. Have you thought about what to give those people on your "impossible-to-shop-for" list? Instead of another necktie for your dad or cashmere socks for your sister, why not give them a t http://localhost5/archive.php?id=59 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=59 2008-12-01 14:00:59 If the material excesses of this holiday season have ever distressed you personally, or seemed somehow contrary to what the season means to you, they likely seem so more than ever this year, now that the movement toward “green living” is progress http://localhost5/archive.php?id=70 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=70 2008-12-01 13:08:55 St. Mary's Home for Disabled Children, Virginia's only long-term care facility for pediatric patients age 21 and under, provides a safe haven for children from all over the state who have severe physical and intellectual disabilities. A few months http://localhost5/archive.php?id=49 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=49 2008-12-01 12:59:52 The Christmas cards we receive speak of love, peace and kindness for all creatures everywhere. We open each card, read the message inside and smile at the names of friends and family we may not hear from often. The holidays are a time for joy and war http://localhost5/archive.php?id=62 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=62 2008-12-01 12:54:28 Local parents still wary despite legislation passed to protect children from lead-tainted toys. While local parents are pleased with a new federal bill that bans lead from toys, most remain cautious when purchasing products for their litt http://localhost5/archive.php?id=51 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=51 2008-12-01 12:51:54 Even though Hampton Roads doesn't usually have any snow or ice to speak of in December, it may be tempting to skate on thin ice, at least figuratively, when it comes to guarding against common holiday health hazards. Those of us at the Health Jour http://localhost5/archive.php?id=53 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=53 2008-12-01 12:50:22 Parents of children with special needs can use a variety of legal tools to help make their child's financial future worry-free. Today more children with life-limiting disabilities are living longer and healthier, while more parents find themselves http://localhost5/archive.php?id=52 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=52 2008-12-01 12:44:29 Women who feel they are at increased risk of developing breast cancer can receive a free assessment through a program offered at Sentara Leigh Comprehensive Breast Center in Norfolk. Once admitted into the program, women are offered immediate access http://localhost5/archive.php?id=81 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=81 2008-12-01 09:17:54 Lifeline, a personal response and support service available through Chesapeake Regional Medical Center, will offer free activation for new subscribers during December. The personal response system gives subscribers a one-touch button, which they wear http://localhost5/archive.php?id=80 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=80 2008-12-01 09:17:27 Bon Secours Hampton Roads Health System has been named to the 2008 HomeCare Elite, a list of the top 25 percent Medicare-certified home health care providers in the U.S. The ranking is based on an analysis of performance measures in quality outcomes, http://localhost5/archive.php?id=79 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=79 2008-12-01 09:17:06 Virginia Beach resident Nguyen Pham, a physical therapist with Interim HealthCare, was named the Therapist of the Year by the company for his clinical practice, compassion and consistent performance. Interim HealthCare is a provider of comprehensive http://localhost5/archive.php?id=78 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=78 2008-12-01 09:16:43 Dr. Aaron L. Marlow, a surgeon with Orthopaedic Surgery Centers in Portsmouth, performed Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center’s first bi-compartmental knee replacement surgery.  This technique, called partial knee resurfacing, removes the damaged http://localhost5/archive.php?id=77 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=77 2008-12-01 09:16:15 Surgeons at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters (CHKD) were the first in the nation to successfully perform a minimally invasive surgery on three patients who had pectus carinatum, a chest-wall deformity that causes the chest to jut out l http://localhost5/archive.php?id=76 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=76 2008-12-01 09:15:47 Sentara’s Nightingale Regional Air Ambulance has achieved a four-year accreditation from CAMTS, the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems. CAMTS sets a voluntary standard for air ambulance services to ensure the highest levels of http://localhost5/archive.php?id=75 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=75 2008-12-01 09:15:10 Parents and guardians of Williamsburg-James City County students should have received a questionnaire in the mail in November asking them to report their eating and physical activity habits as part of the School Health Initiative Project (SHIP), laun http://localhost5/archive.php?id=74 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=74 2008-12-01 09:14:44 The annual enrollment period for Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage began in November, and Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia reminds all Medicare beneficiaries to review their current plan to make sure it still meets their needs. Those http://localhost5/archive.php?id=73 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=73 2008-12-01 09:14:16 Sentara Norfolk General Hospital was recently named a Magnet Hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and is the first hospital in southeastern Virginia to receive this designation. Only five percent of hospitals throughout the nation hav http://localhost5/archive.php?id=72 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=72 2008-12-01 09:12:23 More than three years ago, I was a new mommy existing in a new world where catching the Washington DC Metro into work each morning was replaced by catching my son Sam before he got into something dangerous. My husband Bob and I thought we had don http://localhost5/archive.php?id=61 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=61 2008-12-01 08:49:53 Bon Secours Health System marked a milestone last January when it celebrated its 25th anniversary—honoring the time when the Sisters of Bon Secours, an international congregation of Catholic women, realized their mission to establish a faith-based http://localhost5/archive.php?id=41 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=41 2008-11-01 19:05:28 Travel, social obligations and increased spending can make the holidays a time of untold stress. But the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder, related to shorter and darker days, shouldn't be written off as merely the winter blues. Here's how t http://localhost5/archive.php?id=46 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=46 2008-11-01 18:45:36 Medical facilities from Portsmouth to Greater Williamsburg will stomp out smoking on Nov. 20, the day the American Cancer Society hosts it's annual "Great American Smokeout." When doctors provide advice on how to stay well, one item http://localhost5/archive.php?id=39 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=39 2008-11-01 18:43:45 Unless your dining room table is brimming with guests this Thanksgiving Day, you'll likely be enjoying leftovers for at least a week. But given the growing concern over the safety of plastic food storage containers, you may be searching for a safer w http://localhost5/archive.php?id=45 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=45 2008-11-01 18:42:58 A Kettlebell is a cast-iron weight that resembles a cannonball attached to a handle so it can be swung. For centuries in Russia, Olympic athletes and the military have practiced a form of training, known as "girya," using this device. Today, people t http://localhost5/archive.php?id=66 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=66 2008-11-01 14:26:01 Physical therapy offices are catching wind of "Wiihab" as a tool for patient rehabilitation. With the holiday season right around the corner, the Wii Fit game system by Nintendo is likely to be on nearly every family's wish list. As the tinsel hit http://localhost5/archive.php?id=43 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=43 2008-11-01 12:52:34 Assistant Editor Brenda Welch shares her experience of being a "fly on the wall" during a milestone procedure for Hampton Roads. On Oct. 2, I called my closest friends and said, "I'll be in surgery all morning, so if there is an emergency, page me http://localhost5/archive.php?id=64 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=64 2008-11-01 09:52:59 This is the first in a new series examining the health practices and issues that were commonplace in Colonial Virginia, including Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown. Each month Health Journal will focus on a different aspect of health during the Co http://localhost5/archive.php?id=44 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=44 2008-11-01 09:52:34 Sentara CarePlex Hospital in Hampton is joining an international clinical trial open to early stage breast cancer patients. The TARGIT Trial, which stands for Targeted Intraoperative Radiation Therapy, will compare the results of conventional externa http://localhost5/archive.php?id=47 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=47 2008-11-01 07:46:42 We have all read articles and advertisements beginning with these enticing words: “In only five minutes a day, you can….” We’re promised firm abs, smooth skin, better sex lives. What is overlooked is that most of us do not have five minutes a http://localhost5/archive.php?id=42 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=42 2008-11-01 00:38:06 Dealing with loss of any kind is not easy, whether it is the death of a loved one, a marriage ending in divorce or a home lost to a natural disaster. Grief is a difficult and complex process because each of us experiences it differently. During m http://localhost5/archive.php?id=40 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=40 2008-11-01 00:37:53 It seems as if everyone is tightening their financial belts these days. Hard economic times have families heading to discount stores in search of the biggest bang for their buck. We’re shopping around for better bargains and vacationing closer to h http://localhost5/archive.php?id=38 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=38 2008-11-01 00:35:28 Spinning has become a popular fitness program for people of all ages and endurance levels. Spinning is an aerobic exercise done in a class setting on a specially designed stationary bicycle called a spinning bike. The spinning concept was created http://localhost5/archive.php?id=67 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=67 2008-10-01 13:50:30 The National Institutes of Health estimate that, this year alone, 182,460 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time. So, chances are pretty good that you either know a woman who has battled this disease or you will in the future. http://localhost5/archive.php?id=71 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=71 2008-10-01 13:11:06 On his best days, Don Olson feels like he's about 50 years old. On days when he's dragging a bit, that number may go up to 75. But considering Olson's actual age "97" he can't really complain. Most of the time, "I just move around like I normally hav http://localhost5/archive.php?id=1 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=1 2008-09-01 21:47:51 Though she sometimes misses the interaction she used to have with students when working as a school nurse at both Lafayette High School and Jamestown High School in Williamsburg, Janice Fowler knows that her supervisor's position with the Williamsbur http://localhost5/archive.php?id=26 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=26 2008-09-01 18:58:12 Physical fitness can be one of the most important contributions to healthy aging. Although many older adults are well aware of the importance of physical fitness, 85 percent of seniors do not exercise on a regular basis. Many avoid exercise for th http://localhost5/archive.php?id=68 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=68 2008-09-01 12:25:29 Dr. Jeffrey Carlson, a specialist in spine surgery who practices at Orthopaedic & Spine Center in Newport News, recently performed Mary Immaculate Hospital’s first lumbar disk replacement. This surgery allows for more movement than traditional spin http://localhost5/archive.php?id=48 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=48 2008-09-01 00:43:55 As a competitive athlete, I constantly hear about ACL injuries. Who is at risk for this type of injury and what is the standard treatment? One of four main knee ligaments, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a primary stabiliz http://localhost5/archive.php?id=33 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=33 2008-08-01 18:57:18 If beach time is cutting into gym time, then make the sand your summer workout spot. Keeping up with your workouts at the beach will keep your body in tip-top beach shape without you missing out on summer fun. Popular beach activities, such as playin http://localhost5/archive.php?id=28 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=28 2008-08-01 18:51:31 Startling statistics reveal that parents of infants with developmental delays aren't receiving crucial early intervention services that are readily available in their communities. Two Hampton Roads families share their experiences with local early in http://localhost5/archive.php?id=32 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=32 2008-08-01 12:16:55 Keishera "Kei Kei" White lives like a typical 28-year-old, viewing the world in front of her as an open book. Kei Kei has her own apartment in Hampton, countless friends, a caring fiancee and high aspirations for a career in social work. A Hampton na http://localhost5/archive.php?id=29 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=29 2008-08-01 08:59:33 It's Friday afternoon, and Camille Atkins is leaned over the only inhabited crib at the childcare center where her eight-month-old son, Cael, spends his days while she and her husband, Douglas Atkins, are busy working. Most of the children at the day http://localhost5/archive.php?id=31 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=31 2008-08-01 07:58:17 By now, most of us understand the importance of nourishing and protecting our skin. We’ve read the science, have invested in sunscreen and know to keep skin hydrated. But beyond that, it can sometimes be confusing to keep up with the latest skin-ca http://localhost5/archive.php?id=27 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=27 2008-08-01 07:42:12 According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), there are currently 58,590 clinical trials in progress in 157 different countries. In the United States, over 33,000 clinical trials are in progress, more than 3,000 of which are ongoing in Virgin http://localhost5/archive.php?id=34 http://localhost5/archive.php?id=34 2008-08-01 00:36:58