St. Catherine of Siena Hospital held its annual Fall Health Fair on Saturday, September 28, from 9:00a.m. to 12:00p.m. Using a large tent to shield visitors from the cool and gusty winds, the fair commenced on the grounds of the hospital.
Mary Ellen McCrossen, the Hospital’s Director of Community Relations, was on hand to greet visitors and guests.
“We are in our 24th year hosting the fair, and this year we have over 60 exhibits set up for our visitors,” said McCrossen enthusiastically. Also on hand were several elected officials, including State Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James), who has made it a practice to attend events at St. Catherine of Siena.
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. Lisa Terrana, the program’s director, explained that during treatment, the patient breathes pure oxygen while inside a pressurized chamber. It is the high-pressure environment that allows the patient’s blood to deliver more oxygen where it is needed, which promotes healing.
A prominent theme on display at the fair was safety. Visitors had the opportunity to learn about home safety, including how to prevent slips and falls. One prominent display explained the signs of a pending stroke. Another booth was manned by Kyle Bannan, an Occupational Therapist, who now specializes in updating homes to improve safety and independence. Examples in Kyle’s brochure include the installation of ramps, stair lifts, grab bars and more. Kyle explained that his background as an OT is tailor made for this line of work. The company is called Safety Net Solutions.
One visitor at the fair was Doreen from Kings Park, who was visiting with her seven-year-old granddaughter, Merideth.
“There is so much to learn here, the staff is so friendly and willing to share their knowledge,” said Doreen. Merideth was eager to try her skills on the robotic arms at the laparoscopic surgery booth.
Present at the fair 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 recent 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. “Coming soon is a Women’s Health Pavilion.”
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. Many visitors tried their skill at operating the robotic hands.
Another visitor was Mary Ann, a sixty-five-year-old visitor from Smithtown. Mary Ann expressed how impressed she was with how “all the providers were interacting with the public.” She went on, “These are skilled professionals, and their interaction with people is what makes a good hospital great, and this is a great hospital.”
Many visitors at the fair 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.
Visitors seemed to enjoy chatting with the various health professionals in an informal manor, while others took a minute to receive a free flu shot or have their blood pressure checked. Then, there was the hot apple cider, fresh coffee, and homemade soups, including New England Clam Chowder, for visitors to sample and enjoy.
Mr. Doyle was 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, precision like movements. While presently being utilized for general, bariatric, and urologic cases, Mr. Doyle was happy to announce the expansion of the program to include neurological surgery.
At the nutrition booth, two dietitians from St. Catherine of Siena were chatting with visitors about healthy food choices. In fact, there were snacks laid out for people to sample, including acai bowls with fresh ingredients, fresh almonds, low fat crackers, as well as hummus with veggies. Emphasis was on nutrition balance and portion control.
Ms. Michelle Pipia-Stiles, Director of Public Relations at the hospital, informed the press of several upcoming events. For example, on Tuesday, October 1, the hospital hosted its “Light the Tree Pink” ceremony, in honor of breast cancer survivors. And on Wednesday, October 23, there will be a Pinktober Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon at the Catholic Health Ambulatory Care Center, located at 500 Commack Road. The luncheon is free and open to the public. For more information, call (516) 497-3663.
In Addition, the Whisper Woods Assisted Living Facility is hosting a Healthy Living Workshop Series, to be held on October 23 and 30, and November 6, 13, and 20. For more information on the series, call (631) 870-3444.
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. And of course, there is good food to sample for those who get hungry while taking in the fair.
