Medical Town Meetings

Planned For September

DANBURY — Danbury Hospital kicks off its 2007-08 Medical Town Meeting series in September with four topics that resonate with a lot of people — aches, pains, and injuries.

“You and Your Back: Preventing Injuries and Maintaining Health,” September 11. A panel of doctors and physical therapists will discuss how the back works, what activities aggravate it, and what causes common problems. The specialists will also discuss how to treat back injuries and painful conditions, including physical therapy and state-of-the-art minimally invasive surgery. Doctors include Daniel Southern, MD, and Frank Hermantin, MD, Danbury Hospital Department of Surgery, Section of Orthopedic Surgery. Physical therapists are Bill Anderson, PT, and Tom Sullivan, PT.

“Understanding Fibromyalgia,” September 18. David Trock, MD, Chief of the Section of Rheumatology in the Danbury Hospital Department of Medicine, and Kenneth Miller, MD, Section of Rheumatology, discuss the frequently misunderstood condition called fibromyalgia. Affecting 3.7 million people, fibromyalgia is the second most common type of rheumatic disease, next to arthritis. Joining the doctors will be Christine Gallichotte, MS, RD, CD-N, and physical therapist Jill Maloney, RPT.

“The Importance of Educating the Public About Deep-Vein Thrombosis” (DVT), September 20, featuring Melanie Bloom, national DVT spokesperson, Coalition to Prevent DVT. Ms Bloom never envisioned herself talking center stage on an important public health issue, but after her husband, NBC News Correspondent David Bloom, died from complications related to DVT while covering the war in Iraq, she felt the need to speak out. Come hear her story and learn about the signs, symptoms, and risk factors of DVT with Alan Dietzek, MD, chief of the Section of Vascular Surgery and the Linda and Stephen R. Cohen endowed Chair in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at Danbury Hospital. Seating is limited. RSVP by September 18 to 797-7247.

“Sports Medicine Seminar for Coaches and Trainers,” September 25. A panel of sports medicine doctors, including Ross Henshaw, MD, Matthew Rogell, MD, and Albert Diaz, MD, all from the Department of Surgery, Section of Orthopedic Surgery, will discuss how coaches and trainers can prevent injuries on their teams. They will also discuss how to recognize injuries and treatment methods.

All meetings take place in the John C. Creasy Center for Health Education auditorium at Danbury Hospital from 7 to 8:30 pm. Park free in the Blue Visitor’s parking lot, Hospital Avenue entrance.

For more information about Danbury Hospital community health and wellness programs and services, go to www.danburyhospital.org; for a physician referral, contact the Danbury Hospital Call Center at  866-374-0007.