Pottstown Hospital – Tower Health is showing people that preventing serious health conditions can be as easy as a walk in the park with its Medicine on the Move series.
The walk-and-talk event occurs in the spring and fall. The hospital is inviting community members to get their health education directly from the source, a physician, by joining the doctor for a morning stroll. The physician will talk about an important health topic along with prevention tips. All participants receive a pedometer, a healthy snack and water.
Casey Fenoglio, Pottstown Hospital community wellness program manager, said the walking series is the result of a 2018 community needs assessment. From the assessment, the hospital learned the community had a great need for chronic disease prevention and management.
“Just by coming to the event, you’re already going to be on the right track,” Fenoglio said.
There will be a walk at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, at the Limerick Community Park. Dr. Michael Messina specializes in orthopedic surgery and will be discussing joint health during the event.
“As we age, our joints naturally get wear and tear,” Fenoglio said. “There’s definitely some preventative measures that individuals can do to prevent joint damage.”
She said people who join Saturday’s walk will learn recommendations on how to maintain good joint health such as through stretching, nutrition, and regular exercise. Participants will also learn when they should seek help if they’re experiencing joint pain.
The following Medicine on the Move program will take place at 10 a.m. on Nov. 6 at Riverfront Park in Pottstown. Dr. Nainesh Patel specializes in cardiovascular disease. He’ll be discussing heart failure and heart attacks.
“Across the world, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women,” Fenoglio said.
She said Pottstown has a high rate when it comes to people who are overweight or obese, and people who have diabetes and heart disease.
“The good news with heart disease is that it’s actually preventable. By controlling some of those risk factors, we’re able to reduce our chances of getting a heart attack by 80 percent,” Fenoglio said.
She said preventative behaviors include improving your diet, getting regular fitness, not smoking, and not consuming a lot of alcohol.
Fenoglio said the pandemic has resulted in people moving less and more mental health challenges. Regular physical activity and stress reduction are two ways people can improve their health.
Fenoglio said the pandemic has also led to fewer people getting their regular cancer screenings.
“This past year because of the pandemic, there was an estimated 35 percent of people across the nation who did not get their annual cancer screening,” she said. “This means we are going to see an increase in cancer mortality in the upcoming year or two.”
Fenoglio said the hospital encourages the community to get their regular screenings so conditions such as cancer can be detected early.
Each Medicine on the Move session has limited spacing. People can register online at bit.ly/PottstownMedicineOnTheMove. People can also contact Casey Fenoglio at 610-327-7035 or by email at casey.fenoglio@towerhealth.org.
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