The St. Catherine of Siena Hospital Health Fair sprung back into action on Saturday after a three-year hiatus, due to concerns from the COVID-19 Pandemic. Using a large tent to shield patrons from the cool and gusty winds, the fair resumed on April 13, on the grounds of the hospital.
Mary Ellen McCrossen, the Hospital’s Director of Community Relations, was on hand to greet guests and visitors.
“We have sixty-three exhibits set up for our visitors, including one just for children,” said McCrossen.
Also on hand were several elected officials, including Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James), Suffolk County Comptroller John Kennedy (R-Nesconset), and Suffolk County Legislators Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) and Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset).
One exhibit was St. Catherine’s Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Program, otherwise known as HBO. HBO is extremely useful for many conditions, including non-healing wounds, leg ulcers, bone infections, and thermal burns. Dr. Terrana explained that during treatment, the patient breathes 100% pure oxygen while inside a pressurized chamber. It is this high-pressure environment that allows the patient’s blood to deliver more oxygen where it is needed. The increased oxygen facilitates better healing.
Manning another booth was Dr. John F. Folan, Medical Director at the hospital. Dr. Folan was spotlighting the importance of calcium scoring. This test, a type of CT scan, can assess the degree of plaque in your heart’s blood vessels. A buildup of plaque can lead to coronary artery disease (CAD) which in turn can lead to a heart attack. Calcium scoring only takes about fifteen minutes and can be performed in an imaging center. Dr. Folan, who actively works with first responders, recommends calcium scoring as a routine screening test or as part of a cardiac work up.
One visitor at the fair was Ellen from Kings Park, who was visiting with her seven-year-old granddaughter, Kaitlyn.
“There is so much to learn here, the staff is so friendly and willing to shar their knowledge,” said Ellen. “There is face painting and a Teddy Bear Clinic,” added Kaitlyn.
Present at the fair also was Declan Doyle, President of St. Catherine of Siena Hospital. Mr. Doyle was happy to highlight the various initiatives taking place at the hospital, especially the ED expansion, including an improved triage area, and three new treatment bays.
“We are also proud of our expanded St. Francis Heart Center, our robotic surgery program, and our wound care services,” said Doyle.
One popular exhibit was a laparoscopic surgery simulation. The laparoscope is a slender tool that has a tiny video camera and light on the end. When inserted through a small incision, the surgeon can look at a video monitor. Using small, robotically controlled tools, the surgeon can affect a repair without the necessity of a much larger incision. This reduces recovery time. Many visitors tried their skill at operating the robotic hands, trying to locate and retrieve various objects, such as small blocks, seen through the lens of the laparoscope.
Another visitor was Mary Ann, a 65-year-old visitor from Smithtown. While interacting with Hazel, a therapy dog, Mary Ann expressed how impressed she was with how “all the providers were interacting with the public.”
“These are skilled professionals, and their interaction with people is what makes a good hospital great, and this is a great hospital,” she added.
Many visitors to the fair also took advantage of the “blessing of hands,” which was offered by members of the St. Catherine of Siena Pastoral Team. While receiving this blessing, visitors learned the role of the pastoral team is to provide ongoing spiritual support for patients and their families, as well as being a supportive and spiritual presence for the hospital staff.
For visitors looking to turn in their expired or unwanted prescriptions, there was a prescription “take back” bin. Other visitors took advantage of the free screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, BMI (body mass index), blood glucose, and colon cancer. Many people seemed to enjoy chatting with the various health care professionals in an informal manor, and many others seemed to enjoy meeting Hazel while moving around the exhibits.
Both Declan Doyle and Dr. Folan were excited to discuss the innovative Robotic-Assisted Surgery taking place at St. Catherine of Siena. Using a robotic system, such as the da Vinci robot, surgeons can utilize 3D high-definition views, while the robotic arms perform tiny, precise movements. With robotic surgery, there is minimal blood loss, less pain, and typically a speedier recovery. It is presently used for general, bariatric, urologic, and other types of surgery.
At the nutrition booth, Mandi Li, Clinical Nutrition Manager at St. Catherine of Siena Hospital, was seen chatting with visitors about healthy food choices. In fact, there were snacks laid out for people to enjoy, including acai bowls with fresh ingredients, as well as hummus with veggies.
Michelle Pipia-Stiles, Director of Public Relations at St. Catherine’s, was also present. Ms. Pipia-Stiles said she was thrilled for the opportunity to resume the spring health fair. She also mentioned several upcoming events, including:
- Walk Safe with a Doc
(Tuesday April 30, 1:00-2:00p.m.) - Boardwalk to Wellness
(Every Tuesday in May 5:00-7:00p.m.) - Osteoporosis in Men and Women
(Wednesday, May 15, 1:00–2:00p.m.) - Summer Street Fairs for Smithtown
(Sunday June 2) and Kings Park
(Saturday June 15)
For more information on these community events, visitors are asked to call St. Catherine’s Community Outreach Manager at (631) 862-3523.
A community health fair, such as the one hosted by St. Catherine of Siena Hospital, is an excellent resource, where visitors and prospective patients can interact with, and ask questions of various health care professionals. At the same time, there are exhibits and written materials which provide additional information. Most of all, Hazel the therapy dog is well worth the visit.
