News from Hamilton Health

Hamilton to offer vascular education program -Feb. 20 & 21

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

Dr. Ian Hamilton

DALTON, Ga. (Feb. 3, 2012) – Hamilton Medical Center will offer Dare to CARE, a free, two-part comprehensive vascular disease program focusing on early detection and education, at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 20 and at scheduled evening appointment times on Tuesday, Feb. 21. Dare to CARE will be held at Hamilton’s Brown Conference Center.

"When vascular disease is detected early, most strokes can be avoided," said vascular surgeon Ian Hamilton, MD, who champions Dare to CARE locally.

The first component of the program involves lectures about vascular disease given by a panel of physicians. Topics include the definition of the various types of vascular disease, causes and risks for the disease and the latest treatment options.

The screening includes a blood pressure check and non-invasive ultrasound examination of the carotid arteries, abdominal aorta and the circulation of the legs.

If a person is suspected to have vascular disease, the findings are reported to his or her primary care physician. The patient’s primary care physician then refers their patient to a vascular specialist for a thorough examination, when appropriate.

The program is offered quarterly and is free to men and women over the age of 60 and for those over 50 with vascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, smoking or family history of vascular disease.

To register for Dare to CARE call 706-272-6114. Space is limited.

The CARE acronym stands for: 
C – Carotid artery disease, the primary source of preventable deaths 
A – Abdominal aortic aneurysms, the 10th leading cause of death in men
 R – Renal artery stenosis, responsible for at least 20 percent of patients of dialysis 
E – Extremity artery disease, which affects 12 million Americans and has a mortality rate significantly higher than breast cancer

HMC among the top 5 percent of hospitals in nation - 2 years in a row

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

In front, from left, are Lamar Lyle, Hamilton Health Care System Board chairman; Bob Chandler, Hamilton Medical Center Board chairman; and Jack Turner, Hamilton Health Care System Board member. In the back are Stephen Rohn, MD, chief medical officer for Hamilton; and Jeff Myers, president and CEO for Hamilton.

HealthGrades Distinction is based on outstanding patient outcomes  across 26 medical procedures and diagnoses

DALTON, Ga. – HealthGrades, the nation’s leading independent healthcare ratings organization, has named Hamilton Medical Center a Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence, two years in a row. This prestigious distinction places Hamilton among the top 5 percent of hospitals nationwide for clinical performance.

HealthGrades Hospital Quality and Clinical Excellence study, released recently, objectively identifies those hospitals with the best overall clinical performance across 26 medical diagnoses and procedures that the organization rates. These 263 top-performing hospitals represent only 5 percent of the nation’s hospitals and each is designated as a HealthGrades Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence™.

“Hamilton Medical Center can be proud of the contributions of its physicians, nurses and staff in achieving outstanding patient care,” said Kristin Reed, MPH, HealthGrades vice president of hospital ratings and author of the study. “The Dalton community is fortunate to have access to some of the highest quality hospital care in the nation.”

Hamilton Medical Center’s HealthGrades clinical achievements include:

Recipient of the HealthGrades Stroke Care Excellence Award™ in 2012
Ranked among the top 5 percent in the nation for Treatment of Stroke in 2012
Ranked among the top 10 percent in the nation for GI Medical Treatment for 2 years in a row (2011-2012)
Ranked #3 in Georgia for Treatment of Stroke in 2012
Ranked #9 in Georgia for Overall Pulmonary Services in 2012
Ranked #6 in Georgia for GI Services in 2012
Ranked #3 in Georgia for GI Medical Treatment in 2012
Ranked #10 in Georgia for Critical Care in 2012
Five-Star rated for Treatment of Heart Attack for 2 years in a row (2011-2012)
Five-Star rated for Treatment of Stroke for 2 years in a row (2011-2012)
Five-Star rated for Overall Pulmonary Services for 2 years in a row (2011-2012)
Five-Star rated for Treatment of Pneumonia for 2 years in a row (2011-2012)
Five-Star rated for Treatment of GI Bleed for 2 years in a row (2011-2012)
Five-Star rated for Treatment of Bowel Obstruction for 3 years in a row (2010-2012)
Five-Star rated for Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism for 2 years in a row (2011-2012)
Five-Star rated for Treatment of Respiratory Failure for 4 years in a row (2009-2012)

“This has been a collaborative effort,” said Steve Rohn, MD, chief medical officer at Hamilton Medical Center. “Our staff and physicians have worked very hard to achieve this level of excellence, and they deserve a lot of credit. We are continually pushing and challenging ourselves to improve.”

Unlike other hospital quality studies, HealthGrades evaluates hospitals solely on clinical outcomes: risk-adjusted mortality and in-hospital complications. HealthGrades analysis is based on approximately 40 million Medicare discharges for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010. Using these top-performing hospitals as a benchmark in this year’s HealthGrades study, HealthGrades quantifies the impact of differences in hospital quality in terms of lives lost and unexpected complications.

The HealthGrades study found that:

Distinguished Hospitals can be found in 38 states. The top cities for hospital quality, determined by having the highest percentage of Distinguished Hospitals in a Designated Market Area (DMA), are found in 26 states.
Specifically, Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence had a 30.07 percent lower risk-adjusted mortality rate and a 1.86 percent lower risk-adjusted in-hospital complication rate among Medicare beneficiaries compared to all other hospitals.
In fact, if all hospitals performed at the level of Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence, 165,704 Medicare lives could potentially have been saved and 6,800 Medicare in-hospital complications could potentially have been avoided.

Wearing red for women

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

Staff members at Hamilton Cardiology Associates, pictured, wore red today for Wear Red Day, part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women program. The program was designed to uncover the truth about heart disease – that more women die of heart disease than the next three causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer.

Hamilton to offer Take it to Heart program -Feb. 28th

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

DALTON, Ga. – Hamilton Medical Center will offer its next Take it to Heart Program on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. and Saturday, March 3 at scheduled times. The program includes a free cardiac risk assessment and information to help you prevent future heart problems.

Dr. John Poehlman

Take it to Heart is a two-part program. The first part consists of an educational seminar at Hamilton’s Brown Conference Center, presented by John Poehlman, MD, cardiologist. Poehlman’s presentation includes education on causes, risk and genetic factors, diet, exercise, symptoms, treatments and medications.

“Prevention is the key,” said Poehlman. “Knowing your risk is the first step in avoiding heart disease.”

The second part, held at Hamilton Diagnostics Center, is a cardiac risk assessment including blood pressure, calcium scoring, lab work (total cholesterol and HDL), height, weight and a series of questions.

The information collected during the assessment is calculated into a formula that provides the participant with a risk percentage of developing heart disease in the next 10 years. Recommendations for follow up will be based on the outcome of the assessment.

This program is free and open to anyone who is not currently being treated by a cardiologist and has at least two of the following risk factors: Family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, history of smoking and being overweight.

To register for a screening, Call 706-272-6114.

BWC offering CPR for parents class - February 13th

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Mandy Hunter, programs coordinator

DALTON, Ga. – Are you a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or babysitter?

Bradley Wellness Center will offer a “CPR for Parents” class to provide information on how to respond in emergency situations. The class will cover child and infant CPR and choking. The class will be held on Monday Feb. 13 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

“You will be glad you attended,” said Mandy Hunter, programs coordinator. “Since an emergency can happen at any time, it is vitally important that anyone involved with the care of children know CPR and choking rescue.”

This class for information only. It is not a certification, and participants will not receive a completion card.

The cost is $10 for members or $20 for non-members. The deadline to register is Feb. 6. To sign up for this class or for more information, please call 706-278-9355.

Hamilton Hospice honors veteran - Ralph Kirby

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Ralph Kirby, left recently received the Veteran’s Recognition Award from Hamilton Hospice. Presenting the award are Jim Herman, Hamilton Hospice chaplain, middle, and Hamilton Home Health nurse and Army veteran Daryl Silvers, RN

DALTON, Ga. – Hamilton Hospice recently honored WWII veteran Ralph Kirby, with the Veteran’s Recognition Award.

“We are very proud of our veterans and feel they deserve public recognition for the sacrifice and dedication to our country,” said Carol Fitzsimmons, Hamilton Hospice social worker.

Kirby served in the Army during WWII and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. It was during the winter months and without proper footwear, he experienced severe frostbite damage to his feet. As a result of his injuries, he was not able to return to the field. Kirby received seven citations and a Purple Heart for his service.

Kirby resided at Calhoun Health Care Center while on Hamilton Hospice and passed on Dec. 12, 2011. He is survived by his son, Tim, and daughter, Lisa.

Hamilton Hospice honors veteran - Steve Kelly

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Hamilton Home Health nurse and Air Force veteran Rusty Pickard, RN, left, recently presented the Veteran’s Recognition Award to Steve Kelly.

DALTON, Ga. – Hamilton Hospice recently presented the Veteran’s Recognition Award to Steve Kelly for his 20 years of service in the U.S. military. Kelly served in many locations during his career, including Spain, Hawaii and Key West.

“While in Africa serving on a peace-keeping mission, Mr. Kelly‘s only housing was a solitary tent,” said Carol Fitzsimmons, Hamilton Hospice social worker.

Kelly, who resided in Chatsworth while on Hamilton Hospice, has since passed. He is survived by his wife, Elaine.

Challenge Yourself to Keep Motivation in the New Year

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Setting resolutions and working toward a fitness or weight loss goal is great, but it is really only half the battle. It is the ability to sustain the weight loss, and maintain the fitness gains that is the real challenge for so many. How do you keep your weight losses, and avoid becoming one of the 90+% who gain some, or all, of it back? Truly, reaching your goals is wonderful, but to prevent relapse and maintain motivation over the long haul requires learning some essential skills.

Recommit to Your Success

For starters, if you are not fully connecting to what you will gain, you will lose motivation. It's that simple. To avoid the "now what" syndrome of many achievers, create a new goal to deepen your resolve. Consider improving your time in your favorite 5K or 10K walk/run, or getting to the quarter finals in a tennis tournament. Every year or so, learn a new sport—rowing, kayaking, in-line skating, basketball, or volleyball. You always need some goal to shoot for—maybe an annual hiking, bicycling, or backpacking trip. Or it might be time to explore other lifestyle changes you've been considering.

Challenge Yourself

The bottom line is you must challenge yourself! Making progress towards a challenging goal is what keeps you motivated. Fitness Specialist Clarence Bass says, "Challenge lights the fire. Progress keeps it burning bright.” Psychologists say a key to motivation is enjoyment. But too few recognize that most of the enjoyment comes from the challenge, the striving and the growth, rather than the achievement. So keep striving—and enjoying! Be wary of those who tell you to "take it easy." Don't ever stop trying to improve physically, or mentally, or spiritually. Challenge yourself.

Staying Focused

It's easy to get bored with the same old thing, so freshen up your exercise routine to avoid getting in a rut. Think of ways you can add a little flare to your workout:

Try new activities or sports, change set or rep patterns with weights
Vary your bicycling or walking route, try a new technique like intervals
Change the music you listen to
Buy new workout clothes
Exercise at different times of the day, etc.

A Slip is Just a Slip

Even the most committed individuals have times when they falter. Don't fret if you get off track for a day. In fact, if done infrequently it can even be healthy. One missed workout, or a holiday dinner can't set you back. The time to be concerned is when a missed workout turns into 1 or 2 weeks of no exercise! Or when a holiday dinner or party turns into a whole season of treat nibbling!

Don't Worry:

If you sleep through your morning workout, or worked late and skipped the gym
If you’re just too tired today
If you ate too much at the party last night, or too often on your vacation

Cause for Concern:

You no longer work out in the morning (or any other time), or have excuses every day
You don't go to the gym for a week
Your frequently eating high fat foods (chips, fast foods, fried) or high sugar foods (desserts, pastries, soda, candy)

The key is not to let a slip turn into a slide. Remember, our fast food culture is against you. Stay focused on your reasons for staying in good shape. Reread your goals. Review how much progress you've made and how good it feels. To prepare for the inevitable slips though, list those situations that are troubling for you, and tempt you to quit exercising and eating right. Also, include ideas you can use to overcome or get back on track.

And in This Corner...

Never underestimate the power of a good support system of friends and family. Seek someone to be in your corner—a nonjudgmental, positive-minded believer in you. Someone working toward similar goals can provide great support, too. Sometimes family members don't always know the best way to help you, so don't be afraid to tell them what things can help. And a fitness coach or personal trainer is always a great support, for new workout ideas, accountability and helping you expand your horizons and stay challenged. Keep growing!

Submitted by: Thomas Morrison, Fitness Coordinator, Bradley Wellness Center

Imaging Excellence- Hamilton CT techs receive advanced certification

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Some of Hamilton’s full-time CT techs are pictured. In the front, from left, are Lisa Redmond, Jennifer Middlebrooks and Crissy Lively. In the back are Bradley Burgess and Jamie Bryant. Jill Barnett, Tiffany Martin, Tanya Fields and Travis Coffee are not pictured.

DALTON, Ga. – As of December 2011, all full-time CT technologists in Hamilton Medical Center’s Radiology Department are registered in computed tomography by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.

The CT registry is a comprehensive exam that tests the candidate’s knowledge in the areas of patient care, radiation protection, image quality assurance, cross-sectional anatomy and physics. In order to qualify to take the exam, one must hold a license in radiologic technology as well as have experience and documented proficiency in each of the areas listed above.

This accomplishment ensures that the level of care a patient receives while having a CT test at Hamilton is of the highest quality standard as certified by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.

“We hope that our patients will have peace of mind knowing that our CT technologists at Hamilton are highly trained and skilled,” said Bradley Burgess, senior CT tech. “Our techs have a combined experience of over 93 years.”

Full-time Hamilton CT techs include: Lisa Redmond, 18 years; Jamie Bryant, 18 years; Bradley Burgess, 13 years; Jill Barnett, 11 years; Crissy Lively, 12 years; Tiffany Martin, 6 years; Jennifer Middlebrooks, 5 years; Tanya Fields, 5 years; and Travis Coffee, 5 years.

Hamilton Medical Center places on Quality Honor Roll -data July 2010 to June 2011

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

DALTON, Ga. – Hamilton Medical Center has been named to the Georgia Hospital Association’s (GHA) Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA) Core Measures Honor Roll. Hamilton is one of 19 hospitals in Georgia to be placed in the Trustee category, one of the highest on the list. The honor roll is based on clinical data provided by the federal Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS), which administers the nation’s Medicare and Medicaid programs. The data was collected from July 2010 to June 2011.

“This is a great accomplishment for Hamilton,” said Joseph Parker, president of GHA. “This recognition further underscores the commitment of the Hamilton’s staff to ensuring that every patient receives the best, most effective health care possible.”

Hospitals are required to submit care data to CMS, which details how well a hospital’s caregivers adhere to a list of Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) core measures. These measures are the clinical processes of care that are known to be the most effective methods of treatment for surgical patients and patients who have suffered heart attacks, pneumonia and heart failure.

For instance, a recommended treatment to help prevent a heart attack is to take aspirin either before or upon arrival at the hospital, as well as at discharge. A suggested treatment for pneumonia is to administer an antibiotic within four hours of a patient’s arrival. It is recommended that surgery patients are given an antibiotic one hour prior to surgery to prevent infection. The VBP core measure is a composite measure that determines whether or not a patient received the right care at the right time. A hospital’s adherence to these recommended clinical practices usually leads to better outcomes.

“It is our goal that each of our patients receives the best quality of care, like we would want to receive,” said Stephen Rohn, MD, chief quality officer. “Our staff members are constantly working to make patient care even better.”

Hamilton to hold stroke support group - January 2012

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Suzanne Brown, RN, MSN, clinical resource nurse for Hamilton Medical Center will facilitate a new stroke support group.

DALTON, Ga. – Suzanne Brown, RN, MSN, clinical resource nurse for Hamilton Medical Center, will facilitate a stroke support group for patients, family members and caregivers on Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. at RossWoods Adult Day Services, 1402 Walson Ave., Dalton.

Discussion will include general stroke and support information for anyone affected by stroke, including caregivers. Stroke survivors will share their experiences.

“Stroke can be devastating, not only for the patient but for the family and caregivers also,” said Brown. “The effects can decrease the overall quality of life for survivors and their families.”

Stroke affects men and women, with women at increased risk after menopause. Each year, approximately 795,000 people suffer from a stroke, with about 610,000 being first-time attacks.

For more information, please call Brown at 706-272-6022.

The Best Forms of Exercise for Time Efficient Workouts

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

At the beginning of the New Year many people make resolutions to get more exercise and get in better shape. However, like it or not, we live in a very fast paced society, and it can be very difficult to try and carve out large junks of time to exercise and eat right—regardless of our resolutions. So in the interest of efficiency, and providing the knowledge needed to really make our resolutions “stick” let’s examine the fastest methods to get into good shape.

How F.I.T. is Your Routine?

In exercise science, it is common to use the acronym F.I.T. in talking about an exercise prescription:

F= Frequency (How often you exercise)
I= Intensity (How hard you exercise)
T= Time (How long you exercise)

Which one do you believe is most important for fast progress? Fortunately for those of us who are time pressed, it is not how often, or how long you train that is most associated with increased fitness—but how hard. It is the stimulus of strenuous effort that causes the body to adapt and change the most notably.

How Many Muscles are You Using?

You can greatly improve the efficiency of your workouts by doing those activities that activate the most muscle at one time. Look at the activities below, and the approximate amount of time necessary to get a good aerobic workout from each—it’s very eye opening!

Exercise	Minimum Time for a Systemic Response
Walking	40 minutes
Bicycling, indoor	25 minutes
Bicycling,outdoor	20 minutes
Swimming	20 minutes
Jogging	15 minutes
Rowing	15 minutes
Cross-country skiing	12 minutes
Circuit Weight Training w/compound movements	12 minutes

The important thing is how many muscles are you using, and at what level of effort are you using them. Whatever the activity, if you use more muscle, more deeply, you will bring about a response in your body more quickly.

Using Intervals for Fitness

Intensity, or how hard an exercise is, is really a relative term. What is difficult for an exerciser who is terribly out of shape and fifty pounds over fat, is totally different from what an athlete perceives as difficult. The key however, is the same for both—pushing yourself above what's comfortable to produce results. An exciting way to do this, without injuring yourself, is through the use of intervals. An interval is a brief period during your regular aerobic exercise, where you really push yourself—so you get close to out of breath. Intervals usually last about 20sec to maybe 90sec and then the intensity goes back down so you can catch your breath. Doing this 3 or 4 times (or more!) in a workout will really "press" your aerobic capacity, causing it to become exposed to, and thereby conditioned to, higher intensities of effort quicker.

Cross Training and Weight Training

These two often neglected forms of training will also greatly increase the intensity of your program.

Cross Training— This simply means changing the types of exercises you are doing now and again, to make the muscles perform in unaccustomed ways. Since the muscles are not used to the new exercise, the work (even if moderate) seems more intense to them. If you like to walk or jog, try biking or swimming once in a while. If you like the Stairmaster, try the rower once a week, etc.
Weight Training— You may have noticed that “compound movements” done one after the other, like a circuit, was as efficient as cross country skiing for getting in great shape in our chart above. “Compound movements” are the basic body movements like squatting, lunging, pushing, pulling, etc. Choosing about five weight lifting exercises (like leg press, chest press, pulldown, overhead press and row) to cover the major bodily movements can REALLY increase intensity for those muscles. Performing those exercises until you can barely do another repetition is the best way to really increase your strength and fitness fast! Also, no other activity will impact how you look as much as this one! And Ladies, that means you too! Exercising hard with weights will not bulk up your muscles if you are female—but will produce a toned, sleek appearance, when done in conjunction with a good diet.

So if a healthier, fitter body is one of your New Year’s resolutions give these methods a try. And if you want to be leaner, they can make or break your weight management efforts—especially with advancing age. I’ll see you at the gym!

Submitted by: Thomas Morrison, Fitness Coordinator, Bradley Wellness Center

Royal Oaks resident receives honorable mention for ‘Celebrating Age’ Award

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Royal Oaks resident Stan Applegate recently received honorable mention for the “Celebrating Age” Award given by LeadingAge. From left, Andrea Hopke, Applegate’s daughter; Applegate; and Anne Reagan, executive director of Royal Oaks; celebrate at an award presentation luncheon at Dalton First United Methodist Church on Dec. 16.

DALTON, Ga. (Jan. 4, 2012) – Stan Applegate, a resident of Royal Oaks, Dalton’s first full-service retirement community, recently received honorable mention for the “Celebrating Age” Award given by LeadingAge. The award was given in honor of the organization’s 50th anniversary.

LeadingAge – an association of more than 5,400 not-for-profit organizations dedicated to expanding the world of possibilities for aging – seeks to advance policies, promote practices, and conduct research that supports, enables and empowers people to live fully as they age.

In August 2011, LeadingAge solicited nominations for individuals age 65 or older, who reside in a retirement community and live life with extraordinary zest. They desired to reward people who make a difference, either by sharing their creative talents, serving others or making their part of the world a better place to live.

Applegate’s life story includes work around the world with the U.S. State Department’s Agency for International Development. While making a career developing educational programs, he used his own time to support local orphanages. After retirement, Applegate and his wife chose to live at Royal Oaks independent living retirement apartments. Like everywhere else that they had lived, they devoted themselves to helping others.

Anne Reagan, executive director of Royal Oaks, submitted Applegate’s nomination and in it stated, “Stan Applegate exemplifies aging with extraordinary zest. In his late 70s, he began attending creative writing workshops. Soon after he became a published author of two juvenile fiction novels, ‘The Devils Highway’ and ‘Natchez Under the Hill.’ Two years ago, at age 89, he learned to play the dulcimer and joined a performing group. While he shares his creative talents freely, he also volunteers with several non-profit agencies, including the Family Support Council and Family Crisis Center.”

Applegate was honored at a special award presentation luncheon on Dec. 16 at Dalton First United Methodist Church. “This has been a very humbling experience for me,” Applegate said while accepting the award. “I have been privileged to serve as a volunteer and am looking forward to continuing that work in the coming year.”

Hamilton to host Joint Moves event in January 2012

Tue, 3 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

DALTON, Ga. – Orthopaedic surgeon John Norman, MD, will speak on "Arthritis, joint pain and joint replacements" at a Hamilton Medical Center Joint Moves event on Monday, Jan. 16 from 11:30 to 12:45 p.m. at Bradley Wellness Center.

The program is free, and light refreshments will be provided.

“Because the pain relief is usually very significant, total joint replacement patients are some of the happiest patients we treat,” said Norman. “The procedure allows patients to be much more active — physically and socially.”

Arthritis is among the most common causes of knee and hip pain. Osteoarthritis is most common in people over 50 years of age, and in people with a family history of arthritis. In osteoarthritis, the articular cartilage that cushions the bones wears away. Eventually the bones rub against each other, causing pain and stiffness.

Non-operative treatments for joint pain include anti-inflammatory drugs or other treatments such as physical therapy. When non-operative treatments offer little relief, and everyday activities are limited due to stiffness and pain, knee or hip replacement surgery may be the solution to allow people to keep moving without pain.

Please register by Jan. 13 by calling 706-272-6022. Space is limited.

Oncologist McKay speaks for Civitan meeting

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

William McKay, MD, medical director for the Hamilton Regional Cancer Institute, was the guest speaker for a recent meeting of the Dalton Civitan Club.

DALTON, Ga. – William McKay, MD, medical director for the Hamilton Regional Cancer Institute, recently gave a presentation for members of the Dalton Civitan Club.

McKay spoke mostly about cancer and heart disease prevention, including nutrition’s role in disease prevention. His presentation included the advantages of a plant-based diet. “It’s much easier to prevent than to cure,” he said.

McKay also talked about the importance of early detection of disease, and new technology and cancer outcomes at Hamilton.

According to McKay, treatment for cancer has improved significantly over the years, including:

Fewer side effects of chemo therapy due to new support drugs
Safer, less invasive surgery, including robotic and laparoscopic options
Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), that allows radiation beams to be aimed at a tumor from different angles while bending around healthy tissue
Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), which uses frequent two- and three-dimensional imaging, during radiation treatment, to direct the radiation.

McKay said that Hamilton Medical Center’s cancer treatment outcomes are better than major cancer centers and national averages.