Bill Walton, doctors to discuss back, leg pain
Mercy Regional Medical Center invites the community to join fellowship-trained spine surgeons Douglas Orndorff and Jim Youssef and guest Bill Walton – former pro basketball player and Hall of Famer – for a free community presentation about back and leg pain.
Orndorff and Youssef will explain causes of back and leg pain, and Walton will tell his story of chronic back pain and how he got his life back after minimally invasive surgery. The presentation will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the DoubleTree Hotel, 501 Camino del Rio.
To RSVP, email RobertLiscombe@Centura.org or call 764-1113.
Support available to breast-feeding women
San Juan Basin Health Department joins the United States Breastfeeding Committee in recognizing August as National Breastfeeding Month.
The health department’s Women, Infants and Children program is participating in a statewide breast-feeding peer counselor program. The WIC program encourages breast-feeding and has trained staff members as lactation management specialists. The program can provide breast pumps to appropriate WIC clients.
For more information about the WIC program, call the health department at 247-5702.
The local breast-feeding peer counseling service will be discontinued as of Oct. 1 because of funding cuts; however, these local businesses offer support to breast-feeding mothers and families:
The Durango Pregnancy Center offers free breast-feeding classes and lactation coaches. The center is in the Northpoint Mall, 1315 Main Ave. For more information, call 247-5559.
The Family Birth Center at Mercy Regional Medical Center offers lactation specialists available for counseling after birth, by phone and for outpatient consultation.
A free breast-feeding support group, Breast Feeding Friends, meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month. Breast-feeding classes are offered for $25. The center is at 1010 Three Springs Blvd. For more information, call 764-3100.
Kids Rock Children’s Clothing Store offers breast-feeding supplies, such as nursing bras, gowns and breast pumps. Breast-feeding classes are offered quarterly by Joy Frazier, who is a naturopath and midwife. Kids Rock is at 563 Main Ave. For more information, call 259-9400.
Health-coverage options discussed
Kevin O’Connor, certified health-coverage guide from San Juan Basin Health Department, will be at these sites to meet with people and business owners to discuss the options, opportunities and obligations under Colorado’s new health insurance laws:
From noon to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Oct. 2 at Walmart in Durango, 1155 South Camino del Rio, outside the north entrance.
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays from Sept. 17 to Nov. 12 at the Durango Business Improvement District office, 850½ Main Ave.
From 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Durango Regional Job Fair at the DoubleTree Hotel, 501 Camino del Rio.
The health department encourages anyone with questions about the Affordable Care Act, Connect for Health Colorado or Medicaid to visit one of the above locations.
In addition, the public is invited to attend presentations on Nov. 18, Dec. 16, Jan. 6, Jan. 20 and Feb. 3 at Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave. These meetings will address how the Affordable Care Act affects Colorado residents and how it can benefit people and families. A question-and-answer period will be held after the presentations.
To schedule a personal appointment or for more information, call O’Connor at 335-2021.
County health summit scheduled for Sept. 25
The Citizens Health Advisory Council will host the fifth annual Health Summit of La Plata County on Sept. 25 at the DoubleTree Hotel, 501 Camino del Rio.
A breakfast buffet will be served at 7:15 a.m., and the presentations will begin at 8 a.m.
Registration is available at www.chaclaplata.org and is open until Sept. 17. There is no cost to attend the summit.
Speakers from the Pueblo Triple Aim Corporation, the Commonwealth Fund, the Center for Improving Value in Health Care and Pediatric Partners of the Southwest will speak about health-care changes happening locally, statewide and nationally.
Free women’s hormone evaluations offered
Free women’s hormone health evaluations will be offered Friday at Durango Natural Medicine, 117 East Animas Road (County Road 250).
People who are suffering from the symptoms of hormonal imbalances including irregular or painful periods, PMS, fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, abnormal Pap tests, mood swings, fibrocystic breasts or menopausal issues can find out why they have these symptoms and how to get relief from them.
Nancy Utter is a licensed naturopathic physician who has been treating hormone-related issues with natural medicine for more than a decade.
For more information or to make an appointment for a free evaluation, call 247-0737.
Herald Staff
