Health & Fitness
Friday, February 01, 2013
Rarely Used Screenings Can Identify Depression in Teens
By Arielle Levin Becker
www.ctmirror.org
Screening tools are relatively simple. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Ctmirror.org photo
When his office began using a questionnaire to screen adolescents for depression, Dr. Robert Dudley was skeptical.
“What’s the chance these nine silly questions are going to pick something up?” he wondered. “I’ve known this kid forever. I’ll know if they’re having troubles or not.”
Then he started using the questionnaire.
The number of patients identified as having mental health issues skyrocketed.
Click here for more of story
Friday, December 07, 2012
Westport Urgent Care to Debut Monday
A medical care facility, Westport Urgent Care, a division of MedExcel, opens on Monday at 1045 Post Road East, according to Linda DiLorenzo, executive director. She said the walk-in facility is not an emergency room but will treat any nonlife threatening condition including performing physicals, administering vaccines and tending to acute health conditions. Its three physicians include Deborah Mogelof, Scott Herman, and Tabitha Fortt. Office manager Jackie Demeter has been associated with Westport Family Health for 14 years. Open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the office can be reached at (203)557-8200. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Film About Concussions Draws Crowd of Parents
About 75 persons tonight attended a Westport Public Library screening of the film “Head Games” that describes the increasing awareness of the concussion crisis in American sports. Westporter Ann Sherwood, whose child suffered a concussion, gets a show of hands after asking the audience, “How many of you here tonight are parents?” Pippa Bell Ader, an organizer of the evening’s event, said her 16-year-old son, a high school sophomore, suffered a concussion playing touch football. She said the purpose of the screening was “to improve concussion awareness, to understand the dangers of repetitive concussions and the need for safety practices.” Ader said the film can be acquired on iTunes for $6.99. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Library Tonight Features ‘Head Games’ Concussion Film
Thanks to the hard work of several parents, Westport tonight will be one of the first communities to view “Head Games,” which organizers describe as a “revealing documentary about the silent concussion crisis in American sports.” It will be shown at 7 p.m at the McManus Room of the Westport Public Library.
It is directed by Steve James, an Academy Award-nominee for “Hoop Dreams” and “The Interrupters.”
In the film, athletes from the professional to the youth levels share their personal struggles in dealing with the devastating and long-term effects of concussions, an epidemic fueled by the “leave everything on the field” culture so prominent in American sports, a news release said.
Released on Sept. 21, the film is currently showing in select major cities across the country. It lasts 90 minutes and there will be a short discussion following.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Comings and Goings: Medical Facility to PRE
UPDATE
A medical care facility, Westport Urgent Care run by MedExcel, will open at 1045 Post Road East, between Oct. 15 and Nov. 1, a company spokeswoman said today. She said the facility is not an emergency room but will treat any nonlife threatening condition including performing physicals, administering vaccines and tending to acute health conditions. The hours will be Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Privately-owned MedExcel was founded by Dr. Anthony Ruvo who “hand-selected Westport as the first MedExcel Urgent Care location in Connecticut,” the spokeswoman said. The company currently has urgent care facilities in New York and New Jersey. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Bridgeport Coal Plant Under Scrutiny
By Neena Satija
www.ctmirror.orgMore than 150 people crowded into a room in the Bridgeport City Hall Annex Monday night to weigh in on Bridgeport Harbor Station’s request to renew its five-year operating permit, which expired earlier this year.
Environmentalists have been trying for years to shut down the coal operations at the station, which is owned by the Newark-based Public Service Electric & Gas. This may be their best chance, said John Calandrelli, program director for the Sierra Club’s local chapter.
“This is the first, big, major step in what we believe will be, hopefully, a short fight to convince them to not only retire this plant but to revitalize Bridgeport,” Calandrelli said.
PSE&G insists that the plant’s coal operations are among the cleanest in the nation.
Click here for more of story
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Large Turnout for ‘Farmageddon’
More than 200 persons turned out Friday night to view the documentary film “Farmageddon” at Westport’s Christ and Holy Trinity Church followed by a question and answer session. The screening of the film which tells the story of small family farms battling the bureaucracy to provide fresh, healthy foods to their communities was presented jointly by the Westport Cinema Initiative (WCI) and the Westport Farmers’ Market and sponsored by Whole Foods Market. “The highlight of the evening was a community of all ages coming together to share in their passion for their support of the independent farmer and their concerns for the food that we eat,” said Sandy Lefkowitz, executive director of WCI. Contributed photo
Monday, October 03, 2011
Westporter Wins Nobel Prize for Medicine After Death
UPDATE A Westport man who died three days ago today shared in winning the Nobel Prize in medicine for discoveries about the immune system that led to new ways to treat and prevent infectious illnesses and cancer.
Ralph Steinman: Westporter honored for 1973 discovery. Contributed photo
Canadian-born Ralph M. Steinman, 68, whose death was disclosed after the Nobel announcement, shared the 10 million-kronor ($1.5 million) award prize with American Bruce Beutler and French scientist Jules Hoffmann. Steinman has been affiliated with Rockefeller University in New York since 1970. The university disclosed his death hours after the Nobel announcement.
The Nobel committee had been unaware of Steinman’s death. But after an emergency meeting, the Nobel Foundation said the award would stand, likening it to a death between announcement of the award and the award ceremony—which its rules permit.
Steinman died Friday of pancreatic cancer, according to Rockefeller University, which said he had been treated with immunotherapy based on his discovery of dendritic cells two decades earlier.
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Sunday, October 17, 2010
Comings and Goings: Milo’s Methods Opens on Post Road West
Milo’s Methods, LLC—a Fitness Movement, has opened at 361 Post Road West, next to John’s Best Pizza, in Westport. Co-owners Matt McDonald (l) of Fairfield and Matt Landman of Redding, both fitness professionals, said this is their flagship gym and plan to expand to other locations. Landman said they decided to open the gym here because “Westport cares about fitness—it’s a great place to start a new (training) concept.” In discussing their concepts McDonald said, “This is the first interchangeable gym anywhere—no one ever does the same workout twice.” The co-owners said that Milo’s, as compared other fitness centers, is not a membership gym and has a business model based on a $20 per hour fee. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Monday, September 13, 2010
Health District Sets Flu Shot Clinics
The Westport Weston Health District announced today it will begin its annual flu vaccination clinics for people 4 years old and older next month and continue into November.
Mark A.R. Cooper, District director of health, said the first seasonal flu shot clinic will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 6, at the Health District’s office, 180 Bayberry Lane.
Preregistration is strongly encouraged, he said, and can be done by following the flu links on the District’s Web site after Wednesday.
Additional flu clinics will be held on Monday, Oct. 18 in the Westport Town Hall auditorium from noon to 3 p.m; Tuesday, Oct. 26 at the Weston Public Library from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 pm; Saturday, Nov. 6, at the Westport Weston Health District office from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Wednesday, Nov. 10 at the Westport Center for Senior Activities from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Tuesday, Nov. 23 at the Westport Public Library from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
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Friday, May 21, 2010
Comings and Goings: Kaia Yoga Opening on PRE
The attraction of personal care services in Westport expands next month with the opening of Kaia Yoga, “a complete wellness center” at 1200 Post Road East in the Carriage Hill complex anchored by Crate & Barrel. According to the manager, Fairfield resident Carrie Perkins (in photo), the 10,000 square feet studio will employ about 50 people and open June 15. She said it will have five treatment rooms, four yoga studios, a teaching and wellness staff, a café offering nutritious and delicious meals, fresh juice, smoothies and organic coffee/tea and will host workshops on an ongoing basis for yoga, mediation, nutrition, natural medicine, and all things holistic. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Friday, April 09, 2010
Cancer Researchers: Increasingly Treatment is Personalized
By Roy Fuchs
Two cancer specialists told the Westport Sunrise Rotary Club today that researchers are gaining ground on identifying molecular abnormalities that are cancer and increasingly treatments are tailored to the individual patient.
Drs. Andrea Ruskin and Jeffrey Franklin said the war against cancer is far from won. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
But Andrea Ruskin and Jeffrey Franklin said the war is far from won.
Ruskin, a hematology and oncology specialist at the Whittingham Cancer Center at Norwalk Hospital, said that 15 years ago the medical community knew far less about the mechanisms of cancer.
Consequently, large numbers of patients with what were then common symptoms were treated similarly, she said. Since then, researchers have identified many molecular abnormalities that enable oncologists to implement individualized tumor therapies, she said.
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Saturday, February 27, 2010
Green Talk: Realizing the Organic Lawn
By Monique Bosch
Spring is coming. That means lawn care companies across the country are gearing up to spread more than 90 millions pounds of pesticides on our lawns. 
These companies are also fighting legislation to study the effects of these pesticides on our children.
They’re worried that the results may lead to a ban of the chemicals they can now spray all over our yards at rates two to four times greater than amounts used for agriculture.
Luckily, we now have organic alternatives to the dangerous “chemical lawn” approach, which is proving hazardous to the health of our children, pets and drinking water.
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Monday, February 15, 2010
Gallup Poll: Connecticut Residents Have Healthy Behavior
Connecticut residents fall in the middle of the pack when it comes to economic confidence and satisfaction with their standard of living, according to a new Gallup compilation of 2009 survey data, despite ranking near the bottom in terms of job creation.
Other findings of the “State of the States” report:
* The state scores relatively high in some key components of physical well-being, including healthy behavior and access to good food, medicine and other factors, but only slightly above average overall.
* State residents are more likely to describe themselves as conservative than liberal; the proportion saying they are moderate-40.8 percent-is fifth highest among all states.
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Friday, February 12, 2010
Green Talk: Only Testing Will Tell
By Wendy G. Batteau
What goes down comes up in the water cycle. For the thousand residences in Westport getting their water from private wells, this principle has important consequences.
Anything discharged on or into the ground may show up in what comes out of the faucet.
The cumulative impact that contaminated well water can have on human health is of real concern, but homeowners can protect their families through periodic well testing.
Testing well water is the way to know what is in it. If problems are found, the solution may be as simple as using an appropriate filter.
Note: WestportNow Publisher Gordon F. Joseloff is also First Selectman of Westport