Did you know that there are approximately 4,800 Will County residents diagnosed with cancer (including breast cancer) every year?  Often, people seek treatments at academic medical centers.  This may require long travel times to unfamiliar places adding additional stress for patients and their families during what is already a traumatic time.

So, Silver Cross Hospital and University of Chicago Medical Center have teamed up to bring cancer care close to home—in New Lenox.

The University of Chicago Medical Center is nationally known for their expertise in cancer treatment:

• Ranks as one of the best cancer hospitals in US News & World Report
• Is one of only 40 centers in the United States that is designated by the National Cancer Institute as a Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Offers more clinical trials than any other program in the  Chicago metro area.

The two hospitals recently submitted a Certificate of Need application to the Illinois Health Facilities & Services Planning Board to build a the UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO CANCER CENTER at SILVER CROSS HOSPITAL on our Replacement Hospital campus at I-355 and Route 6 in New Lenox.  The Cancer Center is planned to open in 2012. 

Services would include:

• Medical oncology, chemotherapy and infusion
• Radiation therapy
• Cancer support groups, prevention and screenings
• Cancer resource center

LEND YOUR SUPPORT!

If you agree that having a world-renowned Cancer Center nearby is good for our community, you can support us by attending  a Public Hearing on Friday, Sept. 10 at 10 a.m. in the New Lenox Village Hall Community Room. You don’t need to speak—just come out and show your support.  However, if you would like to say a few words or write a letter to share how having a Cancer Center in our community could or would have benefited you and your family, please contact us.

Curves is a business partner of the Center for Women’s Health, and they would like to extend an offer to our I Matter members! As you likely know, the international fitness facility is designed specifically for and focused on women.

Below is a PDF of a wonderful deal. We encourage you to download the document to your computer (using the orange “Download” button) and call the Curves location nearest you for more details.

New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann recently interviewed Marybeth Antone (Administrative Director for Imaging and Cardiology Services at Silver Cross Hospital) about the new Silver Cross Center for Women’s Health!

Let’s face it, as women we take care of everything and everyone in our lives—husbands, children, siblings, friends and, yes, even our pets.  Yet, we do so most times with a smile on our face and without so much as a “Thank You.” 

Well now here is your chance to do something special for someone you love and maybe even win a $100 shopping spree!

Simply ask your female friends or family members to join the Silver Cross I Matter program and you both will be entered in a drawing to each win a $100 Gift Certificate to the I Matter Business Partner of your choice.

You may recall, there is no cost to sign-up.  And I Matter members receive valuable discounts from over 150 local businesses just for taking care of themselves by having an annual mammogram and heart screening.

So what are you waiting for?  Call, Email, Facebook or Tweet your girlfriends today to sign up.  And don’t forget to make sure that they include in the I Matter application that YOU referred them.  

There is no limit to the number of times you can be entered in the drawing. In fact, your name will be entered each time it is listed on a new I Matter member application.  Winners will be drawn and notified by Email on Sept. 30, 2010. 

Remember…You Matter too!

1. Who is at risk? According to the National Cancer Institute, 1 in 6 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Nearly 190,000 American men will be diagnosed this year alone, ultimately leading to 27,000 deaths.

2. What are the risk factors? While the exact cause of prostate cancer is still unknown there are dynamics that can increase a man’s risk of getting prostate cancer including:
• Age: A man’s chance of developing prostate cancer increases quickly after age 50.
• Family History: Those with a father, brother, uncle or other male relative who have had prostate cancer are at increased risk.
• Race: African American males are at the highest risk of developing prostate cancer, as they are up to twice as likely to develop and die from the disease.

3. What are the signs & symptoms? Early stage prostate cancer typically has no symptoms. Therefore, in addition to regular checkups, a man should see a health care provider if he experiences persistent hip or back pain, has difficulty urinating, feels pain and/or a burning sensation during urination, or has blood in his urine.

4. How is it caught early? The most common early detection methods include a digital rectal exam and a prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test. Abnormalities may indicate the need for further testing. Beginning at age 40 (35 for high risk men), men should have a baseline PSA and digital rectal exam, and speak with their physician about annual screening thereafter.

5. What can women do to help? Gently remind him to get a prostate cancer screening. If that doesn’t work, make an appointment for him. Silver Cross Hospital and Advanced Urology Associates will offer free prostate cancer screenings in September. Click here for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Remember, early detection leads to the greatest outcomes and an improved quality of life.

Being an I Matter member means you can save when you shop with our expanding list of business partners. On top of that, we’re happy to pass special deals along to you whenever they arise!

As you can see above, Fitness Advantage is offering a 2-day guest pass to first-time guests. To use the coupon, just print this page and have the coupon ready.

Fitness Advantage is located at 540 W North St in Manhattan, IL. If you have any questions, call them at (847) 478-4312.

Becoming an I Matter member is easy! You just need to fill out the membership form and get a mammogram or cardiac screening. To get started, click here!

Using the web makes it easier to keep up with kids at college.

Your hardest role? Being a Mom. But with kids going off to college, that role is changing. At the Silver Cross Center for Women’s Health, we wanted to offer some  tips to help you adjust to your ever-changing role.

Learn more convenient ways to keep in touch.

Your child is going to be very busy with their new role as college student. Consider texting, e-mailing, or instant messaging your kid. They already use the technology to communicate with their friends, so it won’t be such a burden to get back to you the same way. If you insist on getting them on the phone, pick one day a week at a specified time that you will call them so they can be ready for you.

Keep abreast of their academics, but let them find their own way.

Make sure that you know what classes your kids are taking and ask them about it periodically. Advise them to use campus services like academic and resident advisors and school counselors. Let them know you’re excited about what they’re learning, don’t pressure them to tell you about all their quizzes and assignments

If you visit, do it on their terms.

Even if their college is only a few towns away, let your kid know well in advance before you show up on campus. Plan a dinner or a brunch and invite a few of their friends to join.

Talk with other parents.

Create a support network among your friends who have college kids. Bounce your concerns off of them before you take them to your student. You’ll probably find that you have a lot in common with them as you enter this next phase of your child’s life.

Take time for yourself, YOU MATTER!

If your child going to college leaves you with an empty nest, take time to enjoy the hobbies or activities that you’ve been putting off for their whole childhood. Use your I Matter™ rewards  to plan special outings with your friends.  Treat yourself to a spa date or re-decorate your home. Don’t have a rewards card, click here to learn how you get get discounts at over 150 local businesses.

Natural Light Will Help Patients Heal Faster in New Hospital

If you have driven by the Silver Cross Replacement Hospital construction, you probably noticed the massive windows all around the building.  531 to be exact.

The number and size of the windows is no coincidence.  In fact, enhanced natural lighting is a key part of the evidence-based design and has been shown to help in the healing process. 

“Natural light in patient rooms can help patients gain better orientation, decrease confusion, and is associated with a lower use of pain medications,” says Mary Brenczewski, Administrative Director of Nursing at Silver Cross.

Light affects all human beings psychologically and physiologically.  Light, specifically access to daylight, can also:

• Decrease fatigue
• Improve alertness
• Lessen agitation
• Improve sleep
• Reduce length of stay

 “A study of myocardial infarction (heart attack) patients in a cardiac-intensive care unit that used evidence-based design showed that female patients treated in sunny rooms stayed one whole day less,” said Brenczewski.  “In addition, mortality in both men and women have been found consistently lower in sunny rooms.”

Read more about the rooms in the new hospital.

View the construction progress.

After suffering for several months from extreme weakness, a low-grade fever and a dry cough, LeBrenda Cole went to the Silver Cross Free-Standing Emergency Care Center in Homer Glen. “It was so comforting to go right down the street from my home and receive real emergency care with no wait,” said the Homer Glen resident. “After being so ill for many months, I was shocked to be diagnosed with such a rare pneumonia.”

After undergoing an initial assessment LeBrenda had a chest X-ray and blood work performed. Her results indicated that she was suffering from a very rare pneumonia that oftentimes is difficult to diagnose.  Once Dr. Daniel Checco, Medical Director at the Silver Cross Free-Standing Emergency Care Center, determined her illness he suggested Cole be admitted to Silver Cross Hospital. The paramedics who are onsite 24/7 at the Homer Glen Emergency Care Center  immediately transferred her by ambulance to the nearby hospital.  

“I am forever grateful for Dr. Checco’s diagnosis and quick action on realizing I was so ill and required immediate hospitalization,” LeBrenda said. “He is a wonderful man in my eyes.”  

LeBrenda added that the nursing and EMS staff were all very kind and she was pleased to receive the same warm, friendly care when she arrived at Silver Cross. “I was in the hospital for a week and am happy to report that I feel so much better,” she said.

The development of free-standing emergency centers throughout the country were in response to consumers who want more convenient ways to care for injuries and illnesses that are too serious to wait for a doctor’s appointment.  Silver Cross opened the first licensed free-standing emergency care center in the State at 143rd St. and Bell Rd. in Homer Glen.   “In our first year of operation, we have treated nearly 10,000 patients with a variety of illnesses and injuries,” said Dr. Checco. 

The Emergency Care Center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and staffed by Silver Cross Hospital’s board certified emergency medicine physicians and nurses.

Patients can check ER wait times—if any online for both the Homer Glen Free-Standing Emergency Care Center as well as Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet.

In the same building, Silver Cross also offers MRI, CT, X-ray, Ultrasound EKG and laboratory services. And there are several physician offices including a pediatrician, podiatrist, spine and colorectal surgeons, urologists, cardiologists, and family practice physicians. For more information, call (708) 364-6337 or watch this video:  100 Top Health Care in Homer Glen