Lake Health | Press Releases

In recognition of National Diabetes Month, Lake Health encourages you to schedule your yearly eye exam.   Nearly 26 million children and adults in America are living with diabetes.  Regular eye exams are crucial for individuals of all ages, particularly those with diabetes or who are pre-disposed to diabetes as early signs of eye complications often occur without warning

Diabetic retinopathy, a diabetic eye disease, causes 12,000 to 24,000 new cases of blindness each year making diabetes the leading cause of blindness in adults 20-74 years of age. Regular eye exams can help detect diabetic retinopathy in the early stages and help physicians prescribe effective treatment plans.
Lake Health recommends the following health tips to help decrease your chances of developing diabetic retinopathy:

• Keep blood sugar under control
• Control blood pressure levels
• Quit smoking
• Have a yearly eye exam
• See your ophthalmologist if your eyesight has changed

The longer you've had diabetes, the more likely you are to have retinopathy. Almost everyone with type 1 diabetes and most people with Type 2 diabetes will eventually have early stage retinopathy. Patients who keep their blood sugar levels closer to normal are less likely to have retinopathy or to have milder forms.

Lake Health recommends seeing an ophthalmologist once a year.  If you need a referral to an ophthalmologist near you, call the Best of Health Line at 1-800-454-9800.

Read more: National Diabetes Month and Your Yearly Eye Exam

As part of their ongoing efforts to keep our country and communities safe during emergencies, the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Emergency Management Agency will conduct the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS).

The EAS test plays a key role in ensuring the nation is prepared for all hazards, and that the U.S. public can receive critical and vital information, should it ever be needed.  The first nationwide test will be conducted Wednesday, November 9 at 2 p.m. ET.  This test may last up to three and a half minutes, and will be transmitted via television and radio stations within the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii, the territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. Similar to local emergency alert system tests, an audio message will interrupt television and radio programming indicating: "This is a test." When the test is over, regular programming will resume. 

For more information about the nationwide Emergency Alert System test, please visit http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/6407 and www.FCC.gov.   On November 9 at 2 p.m. EDT, please remember: Don't stress; it's only a test.

Concord Township, Ohio, November 3, 2011 - Becker's Hospital Review has named Lake Health to their list of "70 Hospitals with Great Cardiology Programs." The list includes hospitals that offer outstanding heart care, and the Becker's Hospital Review editorial team selected them based on clinical accolades, quality care and contributions to the field of cardiology. The hospitals on the list have been recognized for excellence in this specialty by reputable health care rating resources, including U.S. News & World Report, HealthGrades, Thomson Reuters, the American Heart Association, the American Stroke Association and the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

From community education programs for the prevention of heart attack and stroke to state-of-the-art diagnostics, emergency intervention, cardiovascular surgery and rehabilitation, Lake Health's Heart and Vascular Center delivers patient- and family-centered care that embraces a holistic approach to healing. The result is fewer complications and superior outcomes. And through a partnership with the Cleveland Clinic Heart Surgery Program, Lake Health provides patients with access to leading edge cardiovascular treatments, including coronary artery bypass surgery and valve repair and replacement, close to home. In fact, it's the only such program between Cuyahoga County and Erie, Pennsylvania.

• Lake Health's Heart and Vascular Center has received national recognition for delivering heart and stroke care, including:
• The Emergency Departments at TriPoint Medical Center and West Medical Center are accredited chest pain centers by the Society of Chest Pain Centers.
• The Emergency Departments at TriPoint Medical Center and West Medical Center are certified primary stroke centers by the Joint Commission.
• Lake Health is certified by the Joint Commission for Heart Failure.
• Lake Health was recognized with the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines Heart Failure and Stroke Silver Quality Achievement Awards.

Read more: Lake Health Named to Becker's Hospital Review List

CONCORD TWP., Ohio, November 3, 2011 - Lake Health/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center (LH/UHSCC), located in Mentor, Ohio, has been recognized by the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) Certification Program, an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The QOPI® Certification Program certifies oncology practices that meet the highest quality standards for cancer care. The LH/UHSCC medical oncologists who achieved this designation are: Mark Bergman, MD; Maria Espinosa, MD; Joel Saltzman, MD; and Willem van Heeckeren, MD.

"We're extremely proud to receive this certification from ASCO and QOPI which underscores our commitment to bringing this level of quality cancer care to our patients," said Julie A. Moran, Executive Director of the Lake Health/ University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center.

The Lake Health/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, a joint venture between Lake Health and the Seidman Cancer Center of University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University, offers a unique approach to cancer care. The center offers medical and radiation oncologists; chemotherapy services in a peaceful, healing environment; on-site radiation therapy and access to clinical trial studies and valuable support services.

"Cancer patients and their families should expect nothing less than accountability and the highest standards from their cancer care providers, " said Allen S. Lichter, MD, CEO of ASCO and president of the QOPI Certification Program. "QOPI participation reflects a commitment to quality of care that leads to fundamental changes in the clinical practice of oncology. Oncology practices that commit to quality and safety are those that provide the most optimal cancer care.  The certification program helps practices determine whether they are providing the best treatment and care possible to their patients and demonstrates a commitment to excellence and ongoing quality improvement in the hematology-oncology outpatient practice. "

Read more: Lake Health/ University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center Receives National Certification from the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative