Hallmark Health News

Hallmark Health to host seminar series on sports concussions

As of Sept.1, all athletic directors, medical staff, coaches, parents and support staff of high school athletics will be required by the state to complete a safety training course on sports related concussions.

As many as 3.8 million sports and recreation-related concussions occur in the United States each year. A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head or body that causes the head to move rapidly back and forth. What may appear to be a mild bump or blow can be serious. Coaches, parents or anyone caring for young athletes play a vital role in identifying and responding to the signs and symptoms of a concussion.

As a result, Hallmark Health will offer “The Young Athlete: Understanding Sports Concussions,” a free seminar, on several dates throughout the month of September. Participants will learn about the signs and symptoms of concussions, mechanism of injury, treatment and rehabilitation. They will also receive a free concussion toolkit and be entered into a raffle to win a pair of Bruins tickets. Participants will also have access to take the on-line safety training course.

“The Young Athlete: Understanding Sports Concussions” will be held on Sunday, Sept. 12, 6 p.m., at the Lawrence Memorial/School of Nursing, 170 Governors Ave. in Medford, with special guest Bob Sweeney, former Boston Bruins player and director of development for the Boston Bruins Foundation. Additional seminars will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 6 p.m., and Wednesday, Sept. 29, 6:30 p.m., at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, Perkins Lecture Hall.

To register, visit www.hallmarkhealth.org and select “Event Calendar” or call (800) 540-9191. Light refreshments will be served.

For more information about Hallmark Health, visit www.hallmarkhealth.org or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/hallmarkhealth.

Hallmark Health Gala to benefit boutique for cancer patients

Hallmark Health System, which includes Lawrence Memorial Hospital of Medford and Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, will host the Third Annual Gala and Auction on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge.

This signature event will benefit the Hallmark Health Cancer Center and its many comprehensive treatment and screening programs. Proceeds from the Gala will also bring the Center closer to realizing its goal of opening a special boutique in its facility in Stoneham that allows those undergoing treatment to be fitted for wigs, scarves, hats and prosthetics in a convenient, caring and dignified atmosphere.

The evening will include dinner, music, dancing and a live and silent auction hosted by Master of Ceremonies and Auctioneer Billy Costa of “TV Diner” and the “Matty in the Morning” program on KISS 108 radio.

The Hallmark Health Hero Award, which honors individuals who share the mission and high standards of Hallmark Health through their work, values and dedication will also be presented at the Gala. This year’s honorees are Dennis Cataldo, of Cataldo Ambulance Service, Inc., Edith Foley, a longtime volunteer at the Lawrence Memorial Hospital Gift Shop and Robert Harney, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with the Hallmark Health Bone & Joint Program.

Hallmark Health Hero Award recipients demonstrate a commitment to the health and well being of the community, are leaders and advocates for members of the community in need of care or services, contribute to the success and growth of Hallmark Health through philanthropy as well as volunteerism and help build the foundation and establishment of Hallmark Health by providing high quality care or exceptional leadership.

The Hallmark Health Cancer Center offers a continuum of cancer care from prevention and early detection to diagnosis and treatment. Its multidisciplinary cancer care teams of primary care physicians, surgeons, pathologists, oncologists, hematologists, radiation oncologists, nurses, social workers and nutritionists work together to provide each patient with a focused and individualized care plan throughout all phases of diagnosis, support and treatment. Whether newly diagnosed, a new patient, or currently receiving treatment, Hallmark Health’s breadth of patient care services focuses on treating the whole patient, not just the disease.

The Center has been awarded Approval with Commendations from the American College of Surgeons, recognizing the high quality of its programs. This approval means that the Cancer Center will continue its designation as a “Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Program.”

Tickets for the Third Annual Gala and Auction are $250 each, $400 for two and $2,000 for a table of 10. For more information on purchasing tickets, donating items for the auction or becoming a sponsor, visit www.hallmarkhealth.org.

– Information from Hallmark Health