Public Health:A Region Faces Cancer Together

An innovative medical/media partnership has formed in central Pennsylvania.Its goal is to educate the public about cancer,bringing in-depth information and resources to bear on this chronic disease.
Facing Cancer Together launched this month.It is an interactive,community education partnership of WellSpan Health,PinnacleHealth,Lancaster General Health and WITF Public Media,Harrisburg.Research-based,the project aims to improve knowledge and change behaviors about cancer.
Through original productions for television,radio and print,as well as interactive web resources,the project will inspire and guide honest conversations about the many aspects of the illness for patients,caregivers and survivors.
Facing Cancer Together will also invite other regional cancer care organizations to participate.It is designed to evolve over the nine months of the initiative based on audience needs and feedback.
Dr.Ronald Hempling,M.D.,director of oncology services for WellSpan Health,said they are excited to be a partner in this project which will highlight the depth of services available in the region.
WellSpan Health is an integrated health care system for the people of southcentral Pennsylvania and northern Maryland.Anchored by York and Gettysburg Hospitals,it includes many physician practices and outpatient facilities.Pinnacle Health and Lancaster General Health are similar organizations in greater Harrisburg and Lancaster,respectively.
The project's comprehensive website is at facingcancertogether.witf.org/ It takes a few minutes to load.There is also a Facebook page for it.

More IT For Patients:WellSpan Offers New Portal

WellSpan Health,an integrated health care system for the people of south central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland,has established a new patient portal,My eCare.Patients are now able to access lab test results or make an appointment through My eCare.They can also send questions to their doctor's office and receive a response within 48 hours.The service is not for usage in an emergency.
A free service,My eCare is described as the most convenient way to manage your health care.
WellSpan Health,anchored by Gettysburg and York Hospitals,includes 47 primary and specialty physician practices,as well as pharmacies,labs and health centers.It is a private,non-profit community resource with the mission of providing high quality,cost-effective and compassionate health care services to all patients.
In addition to My eCare,WellSpan Health employs an electronic medical records system.

Health Uncle:Orthopaedic Project Resumes

Wellspan Health,a nonprofit,integrated health system for Southcentral Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland,is resuming its Rehabilitation and Specialty Hospital project.The project was halted when economic conditions deteriorated.The hospital will be located in York County,Pennsylvania's Apple Hill medical campus.It will offer 73 beds and four orthopaedic operating rooms.With the graying of the population,such a facility will be increasingly useful in the years ahead.Joint replacement is one of the most common surgeries among the elderly.It is often minimally invasive,and the quality of the replacement joints is significantly better than in the past.They can last for up to 20 years now.In osteoarthritis,the cartilage between the joints wears away,and the bones then rub against each other,causing debilitating pain and stiffness.Knees,hips and shoulders affected by it are replaced by the hundreds of thousands each year.Athletes of every age are also turning to orthopaedic procedures to extend their careers.
Some 450,000 people live in Wellspan Health's service area.The health system is anchored by York and Gettysburg Hospitals.