WNC Wellness review: Land of Sky holds wellness expo; Mission’s bariatric surgery earns recognition

• Land-of-Sky Wellness Expo TODAY [.pdf file]:

“Land-of-Sky Regional Council presents… Wellness Expo – Monday, September 20th, Biltmore Square Mall, Asheville, 10AM-2PM – Admission is free. Free healthy snacks, exercise, cooking, health screenings, and tips on living well. More info: 828.251.7441” – [Land-of-Sky Regional Council] 

• WNC Red Cross offers tips for flu preparedness:

“Tis the season… Flu season, that is! You can never be too prepared or too careful when it comes to the flu and the spread of germs. Please visit the link below for important information that will keep you and your family safe and healthy this flu season. ” – [WNC Red Cross] 

• Alzheimer’s Association opens new office, counseling center in Cherokee:

“The Alzheimer’s Association is partnering with the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian to open a new office and counseling center. This new center is the first Alzheimer’s Association facility in the nation to be located on a tribal boundary or Indian reservation.” – [Asheville Citizen-Times]

• Bariatric surgery at Mission recognized for quality:

“By designating The Mission Weight Management Center as a Blue Distinction Center for Specialty Care, the BlueCross BlueShield Association recognizes the center’s demonstration of expertise in delivering quality healthcare. The designation is based on rigorous, evidence-based selection criteria established in collaboration with the recommendations of expert physicians and medical organizations.” – [Mission Health]

• Columnist: Lack of sleep can lead to injury and pain:

“We all know if we don’t get a good night’s sleep we feel drowsy, but sleep studies have proven that it can also lead to poor motor skills, memory and cognitive function. Poor sleep can also cause increased blood pressure, abnormal blood glucose levels, weight gain, stiff joints, weak muscles, low energy and increased pain.” – [Asheville Citizen-Times] 

• Mission Hospital grapples with overwhelmed Emergency Dept; establishes dual-track system:

“Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC, sees more than 100,000 patients annually in its ED. It has recently struggled with backed-up waiting rooms, dissatisfied patients, and unhappy employees. In fact, door-to-doctor times soared to 92 minutes, and patients were leaving without being seen at a rate of 7.2%. That’s one reason Mission conducted a massive overhaul in processes within the department, emphasizing teamwork among the many pieces of the system the patient might touch. The initiative is called Physician Integrated Team Triage.” – [HealthLeadersMedia.com]

• Foot specialists join Park Ridge Health

“Park Ridge Health is proud to welcome Russell J. Barone, D.P.M., Pamela Barone Stover, D.P.M., and Hendersonville Podiatry as a service of Park Ridge Health. Their office is located at 600 5th Avenue West in Hendersonville.” – [WHKP]

• Mayo study finds external Qigong relieves chronic pain:

“Just in time for National Pain Awareness Month two new research studies, one by researchers from the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic, have found that an ancient Chinese practice can help patients’ chronic pain. The practice is called Qigong. The specific style studied is Spring Forest Qigong.” – [PRWeb via Asheville Center for Chinese Medicine]

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