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Mike Krysl, Marketing and Communications,
(712) 279-2394
Or visit our web site at www.mercysiouxcity.com

January 3, 2007

Mercy Previews Winter & Spring Community Education Calendar

Women’s health forums, health screenings, and kids’ classes highlight the Winter & Spring 2008 schedule of community education events and classes offered by Mercy Medical Center—Sioux City.

Women’s Health Forums

Mercy will present “Making a Difference,” a women’s health program on the topic of organ failure and organ donation, on Thursday, Jan. 24 from noon to 1:00 p.m. at the Marina Inn in South Sioux City. Nancy Schreiber, an organ donation coordinator for the Iowa Donor Network, hopes to deflate fears and possible misconceptions related to organ donation while also emphasizing its importance. Pre-registration and pre-payment of $10 per person (which includes lunch) is required.

On Wednesday, Feb. 27, Mercy will host the program “Women…Do We Ignore Our Symptoms” from noon to 1:00 p.m. at the Marina Inn. Dr. Bruce Stavens, a cardiovascular surgeon for Mercy, will discuss the importance of screenings, preventive medicine, helpful procedures and medications to help ensure women live longer, healthier lives. Pre-registration and pre-payment of $5 per person (which includes lunch) will be required.

A women’s health forum on Thursday, April 17 from noon to 1:00 p.m. at the Marina Inn will examine “My Aching Back.” Led by Neurosurgeon Dr. Grant Shumaker, the program will discuss how an accurate diagnosis is important when dealing with back pain — whether it is osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, or disc problems. He will discuss common back problems, diagnostic procedures, and treatment options including a new procedure that provides rapid relief. Pre-registration and pre-payment of $5 per person (which includes lunch) is required.

Community Programs

A Mercy “mini-medical school” on Thursday, Feb. 7 will feature an “Ask the Cardiologist” program and a mock open-heart surgery demonstration. The program, which will be held from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in Mercy’s Leiter Room, will include a team of physicians, surgeons, nurses and technicians who make up the award-winning care team at Mercy, ranked No. 1 in Iowa for cardiac surgery, open-heart surgery, and coronary interventional procedures.

A community education program on Wednesday, Feb. 13 from 8:00 a.m. to noon will be of special interest to stroke survivors. The program will consist of three parts: Life After Stroke—A Husband and Wife Perspective; New Cutting-Edge Technology in Rehabilitation; and an Update on Stroke Management.

Mercy will present the community program “Coping with Anxiety, Stress and Depression,” on Monday, Feb. 18 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in Room 300 of Mercy’s Central Medical Building. Lyn Marksbury, RNC, and Brian Damon, LMSW, will discuss the causes, symptoms and types of anxiety and depression. They will also talk about coping methods and treatment options. Pre-registration and pre-payment of $5 (which includes refreshments) will be required. Seating for the program will be limited.

Siouxland residents are invited to attend the Siouxland Garden Show on Mar. 14 and 15 at the Marina Inn Conference Center in South Sioux City. The event will include educational sessions and exhibitor booths designed to make your spring flower planting, landscaping, lawn preparation and gardening easier. One-day passes for $5 and two-day passes for $8 will be sold at the event.

Health Screenings

Mercy Medical Center continues to offer cholesterol screenings each weekday year-round at three different Sioux City area locations. Those wishing to check their cholesterol can get a full cholesterol panel and a glucose level check for just $12. A 12-hour fast is required before the blood test. No appointments are needed. Call Mercy at (712) 279-2995 for locations.

The hospital also offers a comprehensive “HeartSmart” Vascular Screening by appointment each Tuesday. Stroke/carotid artery screenings, abdominal aortic aneurysm screenings, and peripheral arterial disease screenings are just $45 each. Or, all three screenings can be purchased for $99. Each screening also includes a free risk assessment, blood pressure check and body mass index calculation. Local cardiologists and radiologists read all of the results of the “Heart Smart” Vascular Screening. To make an appointment for a “Heart Smart” screening, contact the Mercy Heart Center at (712) 279-2098.

Mercy also offers calcium scoring, a non-invasive screening for coronary artery disease. The hospital’s state-of-the-art CT scanner can detect the presence of calcium in the coronary arteries—an indicator for coronary artery disease. Call the Mercy Heart Center at (712) 279-2098 for more information or an appointment.

Mercy continues to offer its regular blood pressure screening each week. Screenings will be conducted from 10:00 a.m. to noon on the first and third Thursday of each month in the hospital’s South Lobby, and from 10:00 a.m. to noon on the second and fourth Friday of each month at the Siouxland Senior Center.

A free lymphedema screening clinic is held the third Monday of each month from noon to 4:00 p.m. at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. You are asked to call (712) 252-0088 to schedule an appointment for the screening.

Pregnancy, Parenting and Kids’ Classes

Mercy Medical Center will also offer a full schedule of pregnancy and parenting programs including its Family Start Smart Series. Both a traditional series of programs on four consecutive Monday evenings and a special fast-track session on one Saturday each month will be offered to expectant mothers and their labor coaches. All instructors are certified childbirth educators.

The slate of parenting classes also includes Boot Camp for New Dads, a refresher class for expectant couples who previously attended childbirth class, a newborn care class, and an infant/child safety and CPR class.

Mercy’s New Moms Support Group will also continue to meet on the first Friday of every month from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Room 300 of the Central Medical Building. Those sessions include support and education from a certified lactation consultant, a licensed social worker and other new mothers in a relaxed, comfortable environment.

Mercy’s Breastfeeding Class will convene on Jan. 10, Mar. 13, and May 8 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Room 300 of the Central Medical Building. A certified lactation consultant will instruct women and their support persons on basic, successful breastfeeding techniques.

Mercy will offer an updated “Baby Sign” parent workshop on Feb. 21 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the hospital’s Leiter Room. The program teaches babies to use simple gestures for communicating with their parents and caregivers. According to Mercy’s Community Education coordinators, research shows babies and toddlers who sign are less frustrated, cry less, and speak sooner. Pre-payment of $40 per couple includes am extensive BabySign kit to continue the learning at home.

The next session for Mercy’s popular Move to the Musik class will convene on Wednesday, Jan. 9. A certified, licensed Musikgarten instructor will incorporate fun and learning for children and their caregivers through singing, dancing, focused listening, chanting and playing simple musical instruments to enrich their development. The class for children birth to age 4 convenes once each week for eight weeks. Mercy offers both day and evening sessions. The cost for Move to the Musik is $81, which includes a complete home kit.

A new addition to Mercy’s list of community education classes is a “Sign, Say and Play” class for children 6 months to 2 ½ years of age and their caregivers. The six-week workshop stimulates a baby’s development and uses fun songs, books and activities to help parents and babies learn to communicate through simple “baby-friendly” sign language. The class fee is $55 per couple. The cost for the home kit is $55. Mercy’s first session of Sign, Say and Play will begin on Mar. 6.

Offered in conjunction with the American Red Cross, a fast-paced babysitting class at Mercy on Friday, Feb. 29 will prepare young people age 11 and older to care for infants to school-aged children. The cost for the program is $20, which includes a handbook, two snacks, lunch, a T-shirt, and a course certificate. A second class will be offered on Friday, Mar. 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Sergeant Bluff Rec Center in Sergeant Bluff.

Mercy’s classes for kids this winter and spring will also include a Sibling Class on Feb. 12, April 8 and June 10 for children ages 3 to 8 to prepare them to become the best big brother or big sister they can be. The class meets from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Room 300 of the Central Medical Building.

Mercy community education coordinators emphasize that pre-registration is necessary for all of the classes and events outlined above. They also add that seats for many of the classes and programs will be filled quickly. For more information or to register for classes and events, call (712) 279-2995 or visit www.mercysiouxcity.com/communityed.