Breast Cancer Survivors and Physicians Celebrate at 'Dance in My Shoes'

A celebration of survivorship will take place on Oct. 16 at Allegheny General Hospital.

"Dance in My Shoes," a celebration of breast cancer survivorship that invites survivors to learn and have fun while seeing their doctors in a whole new light, will be held Tuesday, Oct. 16 from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Magovern Conference Center at Allegheny General Hospital. "Dance with the Doctors," in which six West Penn Allegheny Health System oncology physicians will perform special dance routines with current and former patients, highlights the evening’s entertainment. An hour of open dancing will follow for those who’d like to invite their doctors for a spin on the dance floor. The event will also feature judging of a shoe-decorating contest, with shoes decorated by hospital departments, survivors and family members to reflect …

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'Austin’s Playroom' Finds Home with AGH’s Center for Traumatic Stress

The child-friendly waiting area for pediatric patients and their families is funded by the Mario Lemieux Foundation.

Austin’s Playroom, a child-friendly waiting area for pediatric patients and their families, funded by the Mario Lemieux Foundation, opened its latest room Tuesday at Allegheny General Hospital’s Center for Traumatic Stress in Children and Adolescents. “Austin’s Playroom,” a special initiative of the Foundation’s Austin’s Playroom Project, is specially designed to improve children’s experiences in the health care system, whether as a visitor or a patient, by furnishing cheerful playrooms that are safe, calming and comfortable. “We are very pleased and grateful that the Lemieux Foundation chose the Center for Traumatic Stress to build the latest Austin’s Playroom,” said Anthony Mannarino, Ph.D., director of the center and vice chair of the …

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Highmark, West Penn Allegheny Approve Affiliation Agreement

The emergency department at West Penn Hospital will be reopened.

Officials from Highmark Inc. and the West Penn Allegheny Health System, Inc. (WPAHS) Tuesday announced another important milestone in their plans to build a new integrated health system. The two organizations announced that their boards of directors have approved a definitive agreement, which will soon be filed with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID). In addition to the PID, the transaction must be reviewed by the Pennsylvania Attorney General and the Internal Revenue Service.  “This transaction is critical to ensuring the continued vitality of the West Penn Allegheny Health System and maintaining provider choice in our community,” said Kenneth R. Melani, M.D., Highmark’s president and chief executive officer. “In recent weeks, we…

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Large Study Recommends Mammograms Beginning at Age 40

Michigan research also finds that self-exams are vital to early detection of breast cancer.

Recent trends in breast cancer detection have wavered. To perform breast self-exams or not? To get mammograms or not? The worry about breast self-exams is that they might skew results into too many false-positive tests. Some who recommend fewer mammograms have suggested that over-screening leads to unnecessary invasive tests and undue anxiety. However, the 2011 Breast Cancer Symposium of the American Society of Clinical Oncology overwhelmingly supports these preventive measures. The American Cancer Society agrees. “While there has been ongoing debate about when and how breast cancer screening should occur, this study validates that women who undergo regular mammography screening present at earlier stages and often require less aggressive …

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Your Weekly Dose

Learn How To Combat Ear Infections

Find out the signs and symptoms of ear infections, current treatments and when to consider ear tubes.

According to the website WebMD.com, except for wellness baby visits, ear infections are the most common reason for trips to the pediatrician, accounting for approximately 30 million doctor visits a year in the United States. In addition, about half of the antibiotic prescriptions written for children are written for ear infections. Indeed, if you are a parent of a young child, you are likely familiar with ear checks. “Most of the time when someone refers to an ear infections, they are referring to ‘acute otitis media,’ meaning that there has been a rapid onset of inflammation in the middle ear because of a bacterial infection,” said Farrel Buchinsky, MD, an otolaryngologist at Allegheny General Hospital . “The middle ear describes the …

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Health System Launches Tai Chi Program for Arthritis Patients

West Penn Allegheny Health System invites arthritis patients to the Outpatient Care Center in Peters to practice Tai Chi.

Are you living with arthritis? West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS) invites individuals living with arthritis to learn about the benefits of practicing Tai Chi. Two free workshops will introduce participants to the movements of Tai Chi and explain why this combination of exercise and meditation is ideal for those coping with arthritis pain and swelling. The complimentary sessions will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 12 from 4-5 p.m. and 6-7 p.m. at Allegheny General Hospital on the North Side, and on Friday, Oct. 14 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. at the WPAHS Outpatient Care Center in Peters Township. A formal six-week program will subsequently be offered for $60. The six weekly sessions will begin at Allegheny General Hospital on Oct. 26, and in…

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UPDATE: Victims of I-79 Crash Identified

Two cars collided near the Southpointe exit on Interstate 79.

Two people died and another two were seriously injured Thursday afternoon in a two-car crash on Interstate 79 in South Fayette Township. State police said a car traveling north near the interstate rest area crossed the grassy median and crashed into a southbound vehicle at about 1 p.m. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victims as Katherine Wright, 66, of Rivesville, W.V., and Elizabeth Gilbert, 21, Prosperity, Pa. The man driving the Toyota was taken to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh with what state police considered were life-threatening injuries. A female passenger in the Pontiac was taken to Mercy Hospital with serious injuries, police said. The crash snarled southbound traffic for hours–traffic was…

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Mom-E-Talk

Achoo! Fall Allergy Season is Nothing to Sneeze At

Taking small precautions can pay off big when searching for relief from fall allergies.

Think you are in the clear from your allergies now that fall has arrived? Think again, fellow moms (and dads) of Upper St. Clair. The fall allergy season is now upon us, and if you are an allergy sufferer, it is likely you have spent much of your time the past few weeks sneezing and shopping for relief. “Fall allergy season typically begins in mid-August,” said Deborah Gentile, MD, director of research in the Division of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology at Allegheny General Hospital. “The season peaks in early to mid-September and ends with the first hard frost, which usually is in October.” The good news is that when fall is over, so is allergy season, unless you have mold allergies, according to Dr. Gentile. “If you are allergic to mold, …

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Becky Brindle

12:00 pm on Thursday, September 22, 2011

I get an itchy throat when I eat bananas...had no idea that means I'm likely allergic to ragweed! Very interesting Heather!   more ›

Mom-E-Talk

Dealing with Those Terrible Twos

Dealing with the terrible twos is a challenging time for parents, but it is helpful to remember that, 'this, too, shall pass.'

Ask any parent of a two-year-old if they are experiencing a childhood phase called the “terrible twos,” and you are likely to get a roll of the eyes, not out of annoyance, but out of genuine exhaustion. A better question might be about the level of severity of this trying time in a child’s (and parent’s) life. “The terrible twos describes the behaviors that toddlers this age exhibit, and are marked by the children developing preferences and expectations. When these expectations are violated, the children often become very frustrated, possibly throwing temper tantrums in response. It can be very challenging for parents to respond to in a sensitive way,” said Elizabeth Schwall, PhD, child clinical psychologist and Upper St. Clair resident. “…

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USC Cancer Specialist to Take Your Questions about Breast Cancer

Mark Trombetta, MD will be taking questions live on KDKA radio on Monday night.

Mark Trombetta, MD, a resident of Upper St. Clair and a leading breast cancer specialist at Allegheny General Hospital, will be a guest on West Penn Allegheny Health System’s KDKA Radio Medical Frontiers program, Monday, August 29, from 7 pm.-8 p.m.  Dr. Trombetta is a radiation oncologist at AGH and director of the hospital’s breast radiation oncology program. Joining him Monday evening to take listeners’ calls about the latest developments in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer will be Kathleen Erb, MD, an AGH breast surgical oncologist. Medical Frontiers is an informational health program produced by West Penn Allegheny that airs Monday evenings from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Pittsburgh’s CBS radio affiliate, KDKA-AM 1020…

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