ON THE CALENDAR – JAN 2017

Landmark at Monastery Heights Open House

Jan. 16: Is it time to have a conversation with your loved one about senior living?  Are they lonely, missing medications, or not eating well? Individuals and families with senior-living concerns are invited to an open house at Landmark at Monastery Heights at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m., or call (413) 781-1282 to schedule a personal consultation and tour. The facility is located at 110 Monastery Ave., West Springfield.

Job Fair for Nurses

Jan. 19: Area nurses who are looking to upgrade their careers are invited to a Cooley Dickinson job fair from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Cooley Dickinson Hospital main entrance, 30 Locust St., Northampton.

Cooley Dickinson is hiring registered nurses in the following specialties: childbirth/maternity, cancer care, emergency medicine, medical/surgical, behavioral health (inpatient psychiatry), and home care (VNA & Hospice). On-the-spot interviews will be offered. Area nurses who are looking for a place to provide and support state-of-the-art, evidence-based care in a supportive team environment are invited to attend.

Learn more about the job fair by visiting www.cooley-dickinson.org/careers/registered-nurse-job-fair. If you are unable to attend, call (413) 582-2241.

 

Diabetes Center Winter Adventure

Jan. 28: Children with type 1 or type 2 diabetes are encouraged to take part in the Cooley Dickinson Medical Group Diabetes Center Winter Adventure from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cherry Hill Golf Course, 325 Montague Road.

Led by an experienced outdoorsman who is well-versed in diabetes management, the group snowshoe across fields and meadows and into a forest. They will hike for 1-2 miles along the Robert Frost Trail until they reach a frozen pond where the group will explore a beaver dam and lodge. To warm up, the group will gather sticks, build a fire, and enjoy lunch. Students should bring lunch, snacks to share and water; participants are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather.

To register, call 888-554-4CDH (4234) or visit www.cooley-dickinson.org/events. Space is limited.

Also, if you have been recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the Step Up Program can help. Through structured exercise, nutrition and meal planning, behavioral support, and medication management, the Step Up program helps participants gain and maintain healthy lifestyles. The next series of classes begin Monday, Jan. 23; the cost is $75 for one, 12-week session plus 9 monthly follow-up meetings once the twelve-week session is over.

If you are 18 years or older, have type 2 diabetes, or are pre-diabetic and interested in Step Up, call the Cooley Dickinson Medical Group Diabetes Center at (413) 586-1601 for more information or to register. Space is limited.

 

Non-credit HCC Classes

Various dates: Holyoke Community College, in collaboration with the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corp., is offering a busy schedule of non-credit classes this winter and spring, including a number of health-related courses.

Registration is open for a variety of convenient and affordable professional-development, workforce-training, and personal-enrichment college courses at the Quaboag Region Workforce Training and Community College Center at 79 Main St., Ware, also known as the E2E — Education to Employment Center. For more information or to enroll, call (413) 552-2500 or visit www.hcc.edu/bce. Courses include:

• ServSafe Prep & Exam: Jan. 16 and 23, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (two sessions, $109); March 7, 14, and 21, 3-6 p.m. (three sessions, $109); May 9, 16, and 23, 3-6 p.m. (three sessions, $109);
• Emergency Medical Technician Training, Feb. 14 to June 22, 6-10 p.m. (38 classes, $1,099);
• HeartSaver CPR AED, March 14, 6-9 p.m. (one session, $45);
• First Aid, March 16, 6-9 p.m. (one session, $45);
• How to Get Debt Free, April 4, 6-9 p.m. (one session, $39);
• Basic Home Repair, April 13, 20, 27, and May 4, 6-8 p.m. (four sessions, $99);
• Career Planning, Goal Setting, and Assessment, April 18, 6-9 p.m. (one class, free);
• Elder Law and Estate Planning, May 1 and 8, 6-9 p.m. (two sessions, $85); and
• Nursing Assistant Exam Preparation/Home Health Aide: call for class times.

 

Baystate Mary Lane 2017 Support Groups

Various dates: Facing a major illness or stressful life change can be a daunting prospect. Although support and self-help groups can vary greatly, all groups share one thing in common: they are places where people can share personal stories, express emotions, and be heard in an atmosphere of acceptance, understanding, and encouragement. Facilitators and participants share information and resources, and people in a support group strengthen and empower others as well as themselves.

Baystate Mary Lane Outpatient Center has announced its 2017 support-group listings:

• Alcoholics Anonymous: Main Conference Room, 2nd Floor, Sundays, 7-8:15 p.m.
• Breast Cancer Support Group: fourth Wednesday of every month, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Open to all women with breast cancer, regardless of stage of treatment. Call Camille St. Onge, oncology social worker, at (413) 967-2245.
• Circle of Angels, a quilting support group for people who have been touched by cancer: twice monthly on Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call Camille St. Onge, oncology social worker, at (413) 967-2245.
• Expressive Writing Through Cancer: third Wednesday of every month, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Open to all cancer diagnoses. Call Camille St. Onge, oncology social worker, at (413) 967-2245.
• General Cancer Support Group: first Wednesday of every month, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Open to all cancer diagnoses. Call Camille St. Onge, oncology social worker, at (413) 967-2245.
• Partners in Caregiving, a support group for caregivers of people with cancer: second Tuesday of every month, 5-6:30 p.m. Call Camille St. Onge, oncology social worker, at (413) 967-2245.
• Look Good Feel Better: held every three months for women who are undergoing cancer treatment currently or within the last 12 months. The program focuses on skin- and nail-care tips, scarf and wig tips, and makeup tips during the challenges associated with cancer treatments. Call Camille St. Onge, oncology social worker, at (413) 967-2245.