Food Drive, CPR Class, Doctor Chats

Part Of Saturday’s Health And Safety Fair

Final additions to the raft of activities scheduled during the 16th Annual Newtown Health and Safety Fair are complete, according to co-organizer and Newtown Health District Director Donna Culbert. The event is Saturday, September 26, from 10 am to 2 pm at the Newtown Middle School on Queen Street.

In addition to the 40-plus exhibitors and numerous free health screenings, there are some new highlights for this year’s fair, including an “Ask the Doctor” series of talks, a food drive, and the final sessions for the Hearts for Harmon CPR Challenge.

The Ask the Doctor series to be held inside the gymnasium will feature a 10:15 am talk by Ron Tietjen, MD, on “Current Trends in Joint Replacement Surgery.”

Dr Tietjen is chief of orthopedic surgery at Danbury Hospital, a role which he has held since 1997. He is also medical director for orthopedic surgery at Danbury Hospital.

Dr Tietjen is also a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons; a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons; a member of the Connecticut State Medical Society; and the Fairfield County Medical Society.

There will be an 11 am talk with Jody Murray on “The ABC’s of Acupuncture Therapy.” Acupuncture is one of the oldest medical practices in the world. This medical model is based on natural laws that describe the flow of energy in nature and in the body. Qi regulates body functions as it courses in an orderly network of channels.

When qi in the body is abundant and flowing, health is promoted. Most illnesses and injuries are caused or accompanied by, disturbances in the flow of qi, according to practitioners.

Acupuncture can correct energetic disturbances and encourage the body to govern itself in a normal and balanced manner, and can successfully treat: back and neck pain, headache, sports injuries, menstrual disorders

Ms Murray is a board certified, state licensed acupuncturist, with additional training in traditional Chinese medicine gynecology and obstetrics. In addition, Ms Murray is a board certified and state licensed athletic trainer, with an advanced degree in exercise physiology.

She is the official team acupuncturist to the Danbury Westerners, and on the teaching faculty of Lotus Gardens Yoga School.

At 11:45 am, Kevin Bill, MS, CES, will discuss “Risk Factors of Coronary Artery Disease.” Mr Bill is the program director Marcus Cardiac Rehabilitation/Preventive Cardiology at the Praxair Regional Heart and Vascular Center at Danbury Hospital, a position he has held since 1992. Prior to that, he was an exercise physiologist for the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at Danbury Hospital from 1988 to 1992.

As an American College of Sports Medicine certified exercise specialist, his interests include exercise and its effect on cardiovascular health and weight loss.

“Ask the Doctor” talks conclude12:30 pm with Dr Thomas Botta discussing smoking cessation. In July 2007 Dr Botta joined Danbury Hospital’s Department of Medicine, Section of Pulmonology, Critical Care, and Sleep Disorders.

Dr Botta is board certified in pulmonary medicine and is board eligible in critical care medicine, and was awarded a Physician of the Year, Fellow’s Award in 2006.

The Health and Safety Fair will also serve as a collection point for a one-day Newtown/Salvation Army Food Pantry food drive. Many individuals and families are feeling the effects of these difficult economic times, even here in Newtown.

The Newtown/Salvation Army Food Pantry would greatly appreciate donations, and could specifically use: peanut butter, jelly, canned fruit, Jell-O mix, canned ravioli and spaghetti, tuna, cereals, beef stew, rice, cake mixes, and laundry supplies.

The health fair will also host the final sessions of the Hearts for Harmon CPR Challenge, where volunteers from the local ambulance corps will train 16 individuals on the American Heart Association’s CPR Anytime program.

This initiative is being conducted in memory of the late Newtown Bee sports editor Kim Harmon, who suffered a heart attack in December 2007. The CPR Challenge not only provides initial training for the individuals involved, but asks participants to pledge to use their training kit to train ten other people in the coming year.

Ultimately, the goal is to train 1,000 individuals in CPR and the use of an automatic external defibrillator with the original 100 training kits that were underwritten by Newtown Savings Bank, and distributed through various training sessions since March. There are approximately16 CPR Anytime kits remaining for these final training sessions, which will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis during the fair.