Traverse City Record-Eagle

Life

November 25, 2009

Well-Being In Brief: 11/26/2009

Kids can shop at WRC thrift store

TRAVERSE CITY -- The Women's Resource Center will holds is Secret Santa Shopping Day for kids Dec. 13.

Each child that comes into the thrift shop, 3030 U.S. 31 S. near Lowes, will be given $5 per parent in "Santa bucks" to spend in the store. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Volunteers will help wrap the gifts. Santa will also be on hand to great shopers.

For more information, call 946-4180.

Memory care center holds open house

NORTHPORT -- Northport Highlands will host an open house of its Memory Care unit Monday.

Kathryn Browning, R.N., will be on hand to offer tips on dealing with people suffering from memory loss. Adult day care will be provided with preregistration. To register, call 386-9900.

The free open house will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. at 215 S. High St.

Sleep specialist speaking at meeting

TRAVERSE CITY -- Dr. David Walker will speak at the next sleep apnea support group meeting, scheduled for 6-7:30 p.m. Dec. 3.

Walker started the first sleep center in northern Michigan in 1986. The meeting is free and open to all potential or active Cpap users and their families. Refreshments will be served and therapists will be on hand to answer questions.

The meeting will be held at Airway Oxygen, 1364 Trade Centre Dr., in the Hammond Commerce Center. For more information, call 932-0399.

Candle ceremony honors loved ones

TRAVERSE CITY -- Michael's Place, a healing center for children, teens, adults and families, will hold a candle-lighting ceremony, "A Night of Remembering," Dec. 7.

The ceremony will be held at Immaculate Conception Elementary School, 218 Vine St. in Traverse City beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Candles will be provided. Participants are encouraged to bring a picture of their loved one. For more information, call 947-6453.

Music, imagery promote relaxation

TRAVERSE CITY -- A night of relaxing to music is scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month, including Dec. 8.

"Sound meditations" will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse beginning at 7:30 p.m. Anne Hughes, nurse practitioner and hynoptherapist, and the Rev. Kevin Tarsa, minister of music, will use music and guided imagery. The event is free. Participants are welcome to bring a pillow and blanket.

Call Hughes, 645-0911, or Tarsa, 947-3117.

'Playshop' is designed for women

TRAVERSE CITY -- Shann Vander Leek, founder of True Balance Life Coaching, will lead a "PLAYshop" Dec. 5.

Vander Leek says the "playshop," which runs from 1 to 5 p.m., is designed to help women move through their next transition with grace, courage and self-care. The playshop costs $67.

Enrollment is limited to eight; for more information, call 668-111 or go to www.truebalancelifecoaching.com.

Health IT networks to get federal cash

WASHINGTON -- Dr. David Blumenthal, HHS' National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, announced plans to make available $80 million in grants to help develop and strengthen the health information technology workforce. The grants that will be made available include $70 million for community college training programs and $10 million to develop educational materials to support these programs. Both programs will support the immediate need for skilled health information technology (health IT) professionals who will enable the broad adoption and use of health IT throughout the United States.

Authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the grants are the first in a series of programs to help strengthen and support the health IT workforce. Additional details regarding the grant programs for these and other key resource and training areas will be announced over the next several weeks.

"Ensuring the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs), information exchange among health care providers and public health authorities, and redesign of workflows within health care settings all depend on having a qualified pool of workers," Dr. Blumenthal said. "The expansion of a highly skilled workforce developed through these programs will help health care providers and hospitals implement and maintain EHRs and use them to strengthen delivery of care."

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