Spurred into action by a growing problem with dirty surgical instruments in the operating room, NBC News Chief Medical Editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman investigated the wide range of instruments used during surgical procedures and the care with which they are handled. She explored the sterilization process and regulations. The story highlights a patient who is suffering permanent damage due to improper instrument cleaning.

The piece also highlights Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital in Newport News, Virginia as “a model for what should be happening across the country.”

Identified for our state-of-the-art sterilization processes and facility, Mary Immaculate’s sterile processing team was featured as a leader in surgical instrument cleaning. Sharon Greene-Golden, head of “sterile processing” at Mary Immaculate Hospital, gave an excellent interview emphasizing the importance of a team composed of skilled and certified technicians.  According to Greene-Golden, the sterile processing team acts as unseen patient advocates, “It is a job that cannot be given to robots because the robot doesn’t have the critical thinking to say ‘this is still dirty.’”

View the full story at MSNBC.com: “TODAY Investigates: Dirty surgical instruments a growing problem in the OR”.

Women who want a tan but not the associated skin cancer risks that come with tanning booths and sun exposure may want to reach for a bottle of sunless tanning product.

Researchers say that women who use sunless tanning products decrease their “intentional sun exposure” and use of tanning beds.

Nine out of 10 of the women surveyed in the study said they believe tanned skin is more than attractive than their natural un-tanned skin. Nearly 80 percent said they feel better about themselves when they’re tan.

The study was published in the Archives of Dermatology.

Source: Emory University press release

Currently one-third of American children are overweight or obese. Parents can teach their kids to control their portion sizes, eat vegetables with every meal and avoid a lot of sugar, but that doesn’t mean that the struggle against obesity ends at home.

Even as doctors and parents struggle to encourage healthy behaviors, a society that loves sugar-filled and sodium-rich fast food and sedentary pastimes can sabotage every healthy effort. Experts cite food marketing, the availability of unhealthy foods at school, and hundreds of tv channels as part of the root cause of childhood obesity. It can seem like their environments are constantly pushing kids in the wrong direction.

Childhood obesity is an epidemic facing the nation with numerous studies outlining the damaging social, psychological, and medical consequences of being overweight. Overweight children are more likely to be bullied by their peers. They’re also much more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, liver disease and bone and joint problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Excess fat has also been linked to many types of cancer.

New research in the journal Pediatrics demonstrates how environmental stresses can also lead to weight gain. Children dealing with stressful circumstances, like poverty or domestic violence, experienced a hormonal change that led them to seek higher fat foods for comfort.

So, as a society, how can parents trying to raise healthy kids make sure they don’t have to struggle with weight? Experts and policymakers agree the solution is to make the healthier choice the easier choice. But, weight loss ultimately starts in the home. Parents can’t underestimate the influence they have in their children’s lives.

To help combat obesity make weight loss – or healthy eating – a family affair. Make the commitment to eat healthier meals and throw away the junk food. Talk about getting more active together.

Struggling to find the tools or resources you need to lose weight? We can help. Contact the Bon Secours Weight Loss Institute today!

Source: WDSU “Why Is It So Hard for Kids to Lose Weight?”

While many Americans switch from regular soda to diet in an effort to be healthier, new research questions this strategy.

Researchers from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, whose study was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, say that older adults who drank diet soda daily were 44 percent more likely to have a heart attack.

However, the study does not prove that diet soda is the culprit. Further research is needed.

New research is emphasizing the urgent need to address chronic hepatitis B and C liver disease in the United States. According to a new government report, hepatitis C death rates have been increasing steadily over the last decade. The latest data (1999-2007) from the CDC shows that more Americans now die of hepatitis C.

Experts speculate that about 50-75% of those who are infected with hepatitis C are unaware they have the disease – which may explain why the death rate is so high. However, chronic hepatitis is very preventable cause of death; liver disease specialists say that early detection and intervention can keep patients safe and healthy. But first hepatitis awareness and screenings need to be promoted more effectively.

A vaccine is available for hepatitis A and B, but not for hepatitis C. Specialists recommend that the best way to address concerns about hepatitis C is routine screening. If current trends continue, by 2030 deaths from hepatitis C are expected to reach 35,000 a year, researchers say.

At the Liver Institute of Virginia, which has two offices on the campus of Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital in Newport News, Virginia and at Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, world-renowned liver disease treatment specialist, Dr. Mitchell Shiffman, and his expert team treat Hampton Roads residents struggling with liver diseases, including hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and liver cancer.

While Dr. Shiffman is currently running numerous hepatitis C clinical trials at his Newport News office, he is excited about the new research and looks forward to the next stage of trials. According to the Oxford team, a U.S. team of researchers is planing to carry out a larger trial of the vaccine in at-risk groups. “We can currently treat hepatitis C sufferers with a variety of methods,” notes Dr. Shiffman, “but the development of a hepatitis C vaccine, to join the hepatitis A and hepatitis b vaccine,  would be crucial in helping at-risk patients avoid the disease in the first place.”

+ Suffering from liver disease? Schedule an appointment with Dr. Shiffman today!
+ Learn more about the Liver Institute of Virginia.

Source: Health.com “Hepatitis C Now Kills More Americans Than HIV”

According to some studies, moderate drinkers, those who consume an average of one or two alcoholic beverages per day, tend to have narrower waists and less belly fat than those who don’t drink. Experts speculate that this could be due to the fact that drinking alcohol temporarily speeds the metabolism.

However, there’s a fine balance to benefiting from alcohol consumption; drink too much and you may experience an increase in hunger urges and a drop in blood sugar.

One of the biggest worries of women when they are pregnant is gaining too much weight.

If you’re pregnant and trying to achieve the recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise, maybe it’s time to take the dog for a walk.

Researchers found that pregnant women are 50 percent more likely to reach their exercise goals if they own a dog.

“Although the higher physical activity levels of adult dog owners has already been demonstrated in the U.S. and Australia, this is the first study of its kind to examine whether the effects also apply to pregnant women, said Dr. Carri Westgarth, in a news release from the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Infection and Global Health. “By not managing their weight and exercise, pregnant women risk unnecessary weight gain, as well as a difficult labor or weight problems for the child in later life.”

Walking is considered a low-risk exercise, according to the researchers. Walking the dog could help combat obesity, they wrote.

The study, which included more than 11,000 pregnant women, was published in the journal PLoS One.

Source: University of Liverpool news release

+ Learn More about Exercise and Weight Loss

+ Find a Parenting Class

Last week Bon Secours Virginia announced the beginning of the second phase of the campus development plan for Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center. The health system plans to break ground on a 105,000 square foot, four-story medical office building, which will be located on the medical center campus, just off Granby Street at 150 Kingsley Lane, by late summer or early fall of this year.

According to the plans, building occupancy is expected to be available for occupancy by fall of 2013.

The $25 million new office building will be home to specialists and primary care physician practices.  At the core will be a comprehensive cancer center, which will place state-of-the-art technology in the hands of cancer experts, enabling them to address the unique needs of those battling cancer.

“Over the past three years, Bon Secours has continued to demonstrate its commitment to the Norfolk community by making a series of investments in programs and services at Bon Secours DePaul,” said John E. Barrett, CEO, Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center.  “With the first phase of investments completed we are looking forward to the development of our new medical office building, which marks the start phase two.  Our final phase of development will be the construction of the new Bon Secours DePaul to allow us to better serve our community.”

During phase one developments last year at DePaul, the health system invested in new equipment and expansions, including:

• A neuroscience intensive care unit
• New cardiac catheterization laboratory
• An interventional neurovascular laboratory
• Hampton Roads first low-dose 64-slice computerized tomography scanner
• A state-of-the-art robotic surgical system for the minimally invasive surgery program
• Renovations on the patient care units
• Recruitment of numerous physician experts
• Significant site preparations and extensive planning with the Norfolk Planning office and Duany Plater-Zyberk

Lend Lease Dasco, a national leader in the development, financing, leasing and management of medical office buildings and outpatient facilities will partner with Bon Secours on the project.

You give so much of your heart to others, caring for family and friends. But who’s caring for your heart? At Bon Secours, our cardiac team is passionate about caring for the special cardiovascular needs of Hampton Roads residents. We have three upcoming screening dates and locations:

February 23, 2012  – Newport News, Virginia

Join us for free screenings at Mary Immaculate Hospital. We will also have a panel discussion with the peninsula’s top cardiovascular physician specialists. Enjoy heart healthy refreshments. Speakers and topics will include:

“Women and Heart Disease”
Robert Dunton, MD, FACS

“Minimally Invasive Cardiac Treatment Options:
Kevin Zawacki, MD, FACC

Cost: Free, but registration is required to attend.
Time: Screenings from 6 – 9:00 p.m. (You will be contacted with your assigned screening time. In order to receive the free screenings you must arrive at your designated screening time.) Lectures will be from 7 – 9 p.m.
Location: Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital

We encourage interested participants to take our free, online heart health screening before attending and bring the results of their assessment with them to the event.

February 25, 2012 – Portsmouth, Virginia

The Bon Secours Heart and Vascular Institute is offering a variety of free health screenings, including BMI screenings, Blood Pressure tests, electrocardiograms, ankle/brachial indexes, which measure blood pressure at the ankle and arm and are used to predict the severity of peripheral arterial disease, and glucose/cholesterol tests.

Following the free health screenings, we will also have a panel discussion with the area’s top cardiovascular physician specialists. Speakers will include:

Marc Rosenberg, MD
Cardiovascular Specialists

Ryan Seutter, MD
Cardiovascular Specialists

Cost: Free, but registration is required to attend.
Time: Saturday, February 25, 2012 Screenings from 9 – 11:15 a.m., lectures from 12 – 2 p.m. (You will be contacted with your assigned screening time. In order to receive the free screenings you must arrive at your designated screening time.)
Location: Registration at the Heart Center entrance, Maryview Medical Center

We encourage interested participants to take our free, online heart health screening before attending and bring the results of their assessment with them to the event.

February 28, 2012 – Norfolk, Virginia

You give so much of your heart to others, caring for family and friends, but you also have to think about your own heart health. The Bon Secours cardiac team is passionate about caring for the special cardiovascular needs of Hampton Roads residents.

Join us for free screenings and panel discussions with the area’s top cardiovascular physician specialists. Speakers will include:

Edward Skillen, DO, FACC
Cardiovascular Specialists

Kevin Shortt, MD
Bon Secours Cardiovascular & Thoracic Specialists

Cost: Free, but registration is required to attend.
Time: Screenings from 6 – 9:00 p.m. (You will be contacted with your assigned screening time. In order to receive the free screenings you must arrive at your designated screening time.) Lectures will be from 7 – 9 p.m.
Location: The Talbot on Granby, Community Room

Register for any of the above events by calling 889-CARE (2273) or visiting our website. Screening space is limited and registration is required to attend.

Brush your teeth, drink water, and… scrape your tongue? It seems a bit bizarre, but for bad breath sufferers (and their loved ones), tongue scrapping can be an effective treatment.

Tongue scraping can be an uncomfortable and smelly practice, but dozens of studies have pointed to it as one of the most effective means for curing bad breath. Adding scraping to your regular dental hygiene routine can also reduce your risk of developing gum disease and colds.

Bad breath can also be a symptom of kidney disease, diabetes, or tooth decay, which can lead to a variety of health complications. If you’re struggling with bad breath, make an appointment with your primary care physician to discuss your treatment options and explore potential causes.