HEALTH BRIEFS
Weight-loss surgery techniques seminar next Thursday

Dr. Jeffrey L. Lord, a specialist in laparoscopic weight loss surgery, will present "Weight Loss Surgery: Is It Right for You?" on Thursday, March 15, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Sacred Heart Hospital Conference Center in Pensacola.

The only board-certified bariatric surgeon in Northwest Florida with advanced fellowship training in weight loss surgery, Dr. Lord serves as director of the Sacred Heart Institute for Surgical Weight Loss. He has special expertise in minimally invasive surgical weight loss procedures. Dr. Lord and the Institute for Surgical Weight Loss can perform two types of weight loss surgery that use small incisions. The first is laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery, which involves a permanent rerouting of the digestive system that leaves patients with a small stomach pouch. The surgery creates a bypass that reroutes food around a portion of the small intestine.

The second, newer approach performed at Sacred Heart is adjustable gastric banding. Using a laparoscope, the surgeon places an inflatable band around the stomach, creating a small upper pouch at the top, with restricted passage to the rest of the stomach. This pouch fills quickly and creates a feeling of being full.

Reservations are required for this free seminar. To make a reservation or to obtain more information, please call (850) 416-1628 or visit www.sacredheart. org.

Covenant Hospice starts grief support group in Milton

This month, Covenant Hospice will be offering a fiveweek grief support group in Milton at the Covenant Hospice office at 5907 Berryhill Road.

Those who attend will learn methods of coping with grief, how to work through a loss, and will gain an understanding of the grief process. The support group is free but registration is required. Light refreshments will be served. To register or for additional information, call Betsy DeBellis at 202-5930 ext. 1903.

Learn to manage cardiovascular disease

Baptist Health Care Cardiovascular Services is offering Heart Healthy classes for heart disease patients, families and people at risk. Classes are designed to help individuals understand lifestyle factors that increase the risk of heart disease, help reverse the disease and coping mechanisms.

Topics include:

March 14 - Relaxation

March 21 - Eating for a healthy heart

March 28 - Hypertension and congestive heart failure

Classes are located in Baptist Health Care Tower 1, Ste. 103, 1717 N. "E" St. All classes are offered at three different times during the scheduled day: 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Participants must RSVP. The cost is $5 per class, or a series of eight different classes is $25.

Patient safety awareness week continues

Medical errors account for more deaths in America than breast cancer, AIDS, or car accidents annually.

Taking charge in improving patient safety and the patient/provider relationship, the Florida Patient Safety Corporation will sponsor Patient Safety Awareness Week through March 10.

During Patient Safety Awareness Week, tips to enhance the quality of patient care and protection are provided at FloridaPatientSafetyCorp.com.