DID YOU KNOW?


Dr. Peter Gott offers sound medical answers to reader questions in the new Lifestyles section...

   Is eyelid twitching caused by meds?
   Phone calls are a doc's responsibility
   Alcoholism may be cause of fiance's problems

Gastric Bypass Group meets tonight
PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh Gastric Bypass surgery support group meeting will be at 7 tonight at the United Way Building on the Tom Miller Road. For more information, call Gloria Durivage at 493-3593.

Blood drives ongoing
PLATTSBURGH — The North Country Regional Blood Donor Program offers many opportunities to give blood this week and next.

Here's the schedule: 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. today, Plattsburgh State's Angell Center; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Massena Memorial Hospital; 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Peru High School; noon to 4 p.m. Friday, Willsboro High School; 5 to 8 p.m. Monday March 8, Peru Fire Department, and 3 to 6 p.m., the Saranac Lake Senior Center; 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesday March 9, Westport High School (also including a bone-marrow registry); noon to 4 p.m. Thursday March 11, Champlain Centre mall in Plattsburgh; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday March 12, Lyon Mt. Correctional Facility.

Walk-in donors are welcome at the Blood Donor Center from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. To sponsor a drive, call 562-7406.

Fibromyalgia
Group to meet

PLATTSBURGH — The Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Support Group meets at 7 p.m. Thursday at Pine Harbour Assisted Living, 15 New Hampshire Drive, Plattsburgh.

The meetings, held the first Thursday of each month, are open to anyone suffering from chronic pain and fatigue. Family and friends are also welcome.

For more information, call Kathy Madore at 572-7222.

Uninsured focus
of open house

PLATTSBURGH — A health-insurance open house will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday at CVPH Medical Center, 75 Beekman St., to introduce affordable health-insurance coverage to those who are uninsured.

At the event, hosted by Fidelis Care, eligible residents will be able to apply to enroll for free or low-cost health insurance. Applicants need to provide proof of age, income and address. Appointments are not necessary and available representatives will be available to answer questions.

Fidelis offers programs that include New York State's Child Health Plus, Family Health Plus and Medicaid Managed Care.

For more information, call (888) 343-3547) or visit www.fideliscare.org.

Grants available
in Essex County

ELIZABETHTOWN — The deadline is Friday to apply for mini grants through the Essex County Healthy Communities Capacity Building Initiative.

The funding, from the New York State Department of Health's Bureau of Community Chronic Disease Prevention, is available to organizations, businesses and others in Essex County that seek to improve community health status by supporting improvements in nutrition and/or physical activity.

Available is a maximum $2,000 each to four or five projects.

To learn more, go to: http://www.leadershipforhealthycommunities.org/images/stories/toolkit/action_strategies_toolkit_final[1].pdf, call Jessica Darney-Buehler at 873-3518 or e-mail her at jdbuehler@coessex.ny.us.

Hospice teleconference set
ELIZABETHTOWN — This year's Hospice Foundation of America's National Bereavement Teleconference, "Cancer and End-of-Life Care," will be broadcast from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 24.

An education tool for health-care professionals and families on issues affecting end-of-life care, it can be viewed at Elizabethtown Community Hospital.

The teleconference will address care options related to cancer diagnoses, as well as loss and grief reactions for patients, families and professional care-givers.

The event is free but advance registration is required. Contact High Peaks Hospice & Palliative Care at 546-9850 for registration materials.

Teddy bears
await ER patients

SARANAC LAKE — Tri-Lakes Snowmobilers Inc. has donated stuffed teddy bears to help relieve some of the anxiety children may experience at Adirondack Medical Center Emergency Room.

Also, for the third year in a row, the club made a donation to North Country Life Flight. Both gifts are a way the snowmobilers give back to the community.

BHSN wins grant
PLATTSBURGH — Behavioral Health Services North was recently awarded a grant of $820 from the Port Jackson Fund at the Adirondack Community Trust in support of the eighth-annual "Mardi Gras North" fundraiser, which took place Feb. 21 at Anthony's Restaurant.

"In raising funds to support the new community-based Early Childhood Mental Health Initiative," commented Harry Cook, CEO of BHSN, "the grant from the Adirondack Community Trust will give us additional resources to create this vital community need."

Runners Clinics
set dates

SARANAC LAKE — Runners are invited to clinics by sports medicine professionals.

Runners Clinics will take place March 18, April 22 and Aug. 12 at the Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Department at Adirondack Medical Center, 29 Church St., Lake Placid. And one is planned for May 13 at Adirondack Physical Therapy and Sports Rehabilitation, 159 Margaret St., Plattsburgh.

Start times are 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m., with four participants allowed per time slot. Clinic cost is $45 per person.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 523-8589.