Fall Wellness Registration
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Registration for Fall Wellness Programs
will open on Thursday, Sept. 13.
We have a new mindfulness program called “Journey to Mindfulness.”
Check our website
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Measles Outbreaks Are Being Monitored by CDC
Do I Need to Do Strength Exercises If I Walk Regularly?
The Benefits of Following a Mediterranean Diet
Patient Story: Vertical Sleeve Weight Loss Surgery
Featured Video: Advances in Spine Surgery
Freedom from Smoking
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
Milford Regional Receives Get with the Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award
Milford Regional Wins Reader’s Choice Gold Again!
Do You Need a Primary Care Physician?
Get to Know Our Weight Loss Surgeons
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Measles Outbreaks Are Being Monitored by CDC
Measles is a highly contagious virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person. It can spread to others through coughing and sneezing. The measles virus can live for up to two hours in an airspace where the infected person coughed or sneezed. If other people breathe the contaminated air or touch the infected surface, then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth, they can become infected. Measles is so contagious that if one person has it, 90% of the people close to that person who are not immune will also become infected.
So far in 2018, 124 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 22 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. There have been nine outbreaks in the U.S. of three or more cases so far this year. You may think that is a small number and it should not be a concern to us, but it is important to know that Measles is still common in many parts of the world including some countries in Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and Africa. Outbreaks in countries to which Americans often travel can directly contribute to an increase in measles cases in the U.S.
The World Health Organization says the number of measles cases in Europe jumped sharply during the first six months of 2018 and at least 37 people have died. The U.N. agency's European office says more than 41,000 measles cases were reported in the region during the first half of this year — more than in all 12-month periods so far this decade. The previous highest annual total was 23,927 cases in 2017. A year earlier, only 5,273 cases were reported.
The symptoms of measles generally appear about seven to 14 days after a person is infected. Measles typically begins with:
- high fever
- cough
- runny nose
- red, watery eyes
Two or three days after symptoms begin, tiny white spots may appear inside the mouth. Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash breaks out. It usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet. Small raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots. The spots may become joined together as they spread from the head to the rest of the body. When the rash appears, a person’s fever may spike to more than 104° Fahrenheit. After a few days, the fever subsides and the rash fades.
Measles can be a serious virus in all age groups. However, children younger than 5 years of age and adults older than 20 years of age are more likely to suffer from measles complications.
Common measles complications include ear infections and diarrhea. Some people may suffer from severe complications, such as pneumonia (infection of the lungs) and encephalitis (swelling of the brain). They may need to be hospitalized and could die.
- As many as one out of every 20 children with measles gets pneumonia, the most common cause of death from measles in young children.
- About one child out of every 1,000 who get measles will develop encephalitis (swelling of the brain) that can lead to convulsions and can leave the child deaf or with intellectual disability.
- For every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die from it.
- Infected people can spread measles to others from four days before through four days after the rash appears.
The majority of people who get measles are unvaccinated. Why take the chance? Make sure you are vaccinated or immune to this virus, and get your children vaccinated.
The CDC recommends that people get MMR vaccine to protect against measles, mumps, and rubella. Children should get two doses of MMR vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12 to 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. Teenagers and adults who do not have evidence of immunity (written documentation of adequate vaccination or laboratory evidence of immunity or laboratory evidence confirming having had measles) against measles should get two doses of MMR vaccine separated by at least 28 days.
If you have an infant at home, it is especially important that all family members are vaccinated since the vaccine is not given until the infant turns one. If you are not sure if you are immune or have been vaccinated for measles, speak to your primary care physician. For more information on measles, go to
http://cdc.gov/measles.
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Do I Need to Do Strength Exercises If I Walk Regularly?
The short answer is any kind of exercise that gets you moving is a great way to start. Walking is an easy way of beginning an exercise program. Cardio workouts such as walking, running, bicycling or swimming will strengthen your heart and lungs and while walking is not a strength-based exercise, you will notice gains in leg strength if you haven’t exercised in a while.
But if that’s the only type of exercise you do, then you could be missing out on the big benefits of strength training. Strengthening your muscles helps build and maintain strong bones, improves balance and increases lean muscle mass. It can help control conditions such as back pain, heart disease, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, obesity and more.
Examples of this type of exercise includes the use of resistance bands, medicine ball, hand or machine weights, or using your body weight to do push-ups, squats, planks and much more. Engaging in strength training just twice a week can make a big difference in your overall fitness level.
To get you started, you may want to try one of our exercise classes. Milford Regional has a couple of classes beginning this Fall that combine cardio and strength training – Cardio, Core & Conditioning or CSI: Cardio-Strength Integration. Check out our website
MilfordRegional.org
for more information.
Registration for classes begins on September 13.
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The Benefits of Following a Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet is a diet inspired by the eating habits in Greece, Southern Italy, and Spain where olive oil is cultivated. Research suggests that the Mediterranean diet consumption pattern promotes good health and longevity.
A 2017 review found evidence that following a Mediterranean diet could lead to a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, overall cancer incidence and diabetes. This diet is also associated with a reduced incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.
In addition to regular physical activity, following a Mediterranean diet includes:
- High intakes of olive oil (as the principal source of fat), an abundance of vegetables (including leafy green vegetables), fresh fruits, whole grain cereals, pasta and rice, nuts and legumes.
- Moderate intakes of fish and other seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products (principally low-fat cheese and yogurt) and red wine if desired.
- Low intakes of red meat, processed meat, butter, margarine and sweets.
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Featured Video
Advances in Spine Surgery
Back pain can be debilitating and relief can be elusive. Our team of neurosurgeons from Brigham and Women’s Hospital diagnose and treat a wide variety of spinal disorders, ranging from the common herniated disc to complex spinal deformities.
Watch neurosurgeons Omar Arnaout, MD, Hasan Zaidi, MD, and Timothy Smith, MD, PhD, MPH, help solve the mystery of back pain and discuss procedures that can help relieve pain and discomfort.
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Vertical Sleeve Weight Loss Surgery
Kelli Beschi couldn’t do a flight of stairs or walk a quarter of a mile without huffing and puffing. Since the excess weight put pressure on her joints, her knees and feet would swell, causing pain. She was on three asthma medications that didn’t help much, had pre-diabetes as well as borderline high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and had a family history of heart disease and cancer.
After undergoing a vertical sleeve gastrectomy in May, 2015, Kelli has lost over 119 pounds and recently completed her sixth 5K race! Today, Kelli has perfect blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar levels and only needs an inhaler for seasonal allergies.
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Freedom from Smoking
Milford Regional has a new quit smoking program that will begin in the Fall. Led by a certified facilitator, The American Lung Association’s Freedom from Smoking Program is an 8-week, small group session for tobacco users who are ready to quit. The program features a step-by-step plan for quitting smoking and each session is designed to help smokers gain control over their behavior.
Because no single quit smoking plan is right for all smokers, the program presents a variety of evidence-based techniques for individuals to combine into their own plan to quit smoking.
Registration is required. To register, visit
milfordregional.org
on or after September 13. For more information, call (508) 422-2206. Cost is $100 and classes will run on Wednesdays , Sept. 26 – Nov. 14, 7:00 p.m.
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Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
This intensive eight-week program teaches skills and perspectives to help manage stress, avoid overwhelming emotions and keep stress from exacerbating health issues. The class is led by Marjorie Zyirek-Bacon, MD, who is a qualified teacher of the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program which originated at UMass Medical School. The first course is scheduled for the week of September 17.
For more information, or to register, contact Renee or Pam at Hopedale Cardiovascular Associates at 508-473-1015.
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Milford Regional Receives Get with the Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award
Milford Regional has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s
Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award.
The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment
to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate
treatment according to nationally recognized, research based
guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.
Milford Regional earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients.
Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions. Milford Regional is proud to be recognized as a Primary Stroke Center by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the American Heart Association.
Read more about this achievement award.
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Milford Regional Wins Reader’s Choice Gold Again!
Once again, Milford Regional has won Regional Gold in the Community Newspaper Company’s
Reader Choice
competition! Readers with the Community
Newspaper group, which includes
Milford Daily News, MetroWest Daily News, Country Gazette, Hopkinton
Crier
and
Holliston Tab
, to name a few, are asked to vote for their “#1 Choice” in a variety of categories.
This year, Milford Regional won the “#1 Hospital” award locally, as well as the “#1 Hospital” award regionally which includes 23 surrounding towns. The Medical Center was joined in the Regional Gold category by Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine in Franklin!
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Milford Regional's active medical staff, consisting of over 250 doctors, is highly qualified to treat you and your family through sickness and in health. Whether you need a primary care physician or a specialist, you can be assured of the best possible care.
Need a Primary Care Physician?
If you need a physician, please call our Physician Referral Line at 1-888-DRS-HERE (1-888-377-4373). Our Referral Line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For a quick look, see our
list of primary care physicians
who are accepting new patients. It is important to note that not all physicians accept all insurances. Please call the physician's office directly to find out if they accept your insurance plan.
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Get to Know our Weight Loss Surgeons
Milford Regional has a highly experienced team of weight loss surgeons who have been performing this type of surgery for many years at UMass Memorial Medical Center, a recognized leader in bariatric surgery. When Milford Regional began the bariatric program in 2013, we partnered with UMass to bring these fine surgeons to Milford. Most of the surgeries are done using a minimally invasive approach and for the patient that means small incisions and a quicker recovery. All of the surgeons are fellowship-trained in this type of surgery.
Learn more about these experts.
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508-473-1190
TTY/TDD: 508-473-5103
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