Thank You For Your Support

By LexMed Staff

Photo by Andrew Neel on Pexels.com

Lexington Medical Center has been publishing voices of women of the Midlands on the Every Woman Blog since 2011. We are excited to announce that in the coming weeks we will be launching a redesigned look on our primary hospital blog, including expanding the types of content it includes. As part of this expansion, we will incorporate a Women’s Health and Wellness section into the hospital blog. The Every Woman Blog will be absorbed into this section, and the Every Woman Blog will no longer host these posts on this site.

We have thoroughly enjoyed facilitating dialogue between Midlands women over the past several years on the Every Woman Blog and are grateful for the contributions from all of our bloggers. We appreciate the diverse perspectives of our bloggers and hope to continue bringing multiple voices to this community. Please bookmark our other blog and follow along with us there.

Thank you for your support and readership! We love caring for this community.

Calling All Guest Bloggers: Embracing Our Virtual Community

By Lexington Medical Center

Photo by Andrew Neel on Pexels.com

One of our goals of the Every Woman Blog is to facilitate a dialogue and provide a sense of community for the women of the Midlands. And in times like this, a virtual community is even more important! We have hosted many women bloggers over the year who’ve shared all parts of their lives with our readers. Now, as our community faces something unprecedented, we are inviting women of the Midlands to submit a blog post on topics that may be of interest to other women in our community during this time. We may all have a little extra time to write or read and sharing with others may be a real comfort. We invite women of the Midlands to submit guest blogs and strengthen this community.

If you are interested in submitting a guest blog for consideration, please email it as a text attachment or in the body of the email to everywomanbloglmc@gmail.com. To be eligible, blogs must be between 400-600 words and include at least one photo. Publication will be subject to approval.

Lexington Medical Center’s Coronavirus Response

Lexington Medical Center is carefully monitoring the 2019 Novel Coronavirus known as COVID-19 and referred to as “coronavirus” with multiple, local, state and federal agencies.

A multidisciplinary team of hospital leaders and clinicians meets regularly to discuss updated information about the virus, evaluate appropriate responses including supplies, and establish plans for treatment. Lexington Medical Center is committed to providing the best care to patients and community members.

While a new type of illness can be scary, community members can protect themselves by following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for preventing respiratory illnesses. These include:
·wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after using the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. And, always wash your hands with soap and water if they are visibly dirty.
·avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
·stay home when you’re sick.
·cough or sneeze into your elbow or use a tissue and put it in the trash immediately.
·clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
·get the influenza vaccine.

The most up-to-date information on the coronavirus can be found on the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention websites at www.scdhec.gov and www.cdc.gov.

Dealing with strokes: think F-A-S-T

By: LexMed staff

When it comes to stroke, think F-A-S-T: facial drooping, arm weakness, slurred speech and time to call 9-1-1. Lexington Medical Center is a Primary Stroke Center, honored for its prompt treatment of stroke patients, saving lives and preventing long-term disability. Learn more at LexMed.com/HVC.

USC Basketball Coach on Heart Health: “Knowledge is Power”

By:  LexMed staff

When it comes to heart health, knowledge is power. Just ask USC men’s basketball coach Frank Martin. In this commercial from Lexington Medical Heart and Vascular Center, he talks about the importance of maintaining a healthy blood pressure.

Put your heart in good hands with Lexington Medical Heart and Vascular Center. Learn more at LexMed.com/HVC.

 

“Just Say Know” to heart disease

By LexMed staff

Don’t let heart disease put you on the sidelines of life. “Just Say Know” to heart disease by understanding your risk factors and knowing your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers. Put your heart in good hands with Lexington Medical Heart and Vascular Center. Learn more at LexMed.com/HVC.

Run, Walk, Honor our Heroes! Lexington Medical Center Sponsors Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers South Carolina 5K Run & Walk

The seventh annual Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers South Carolina 5K Run & Walk is set for Friday, September 20, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. in Columbia’s Vista. Along a picturesque course spanning the Gervais Street and Blossom Street bridges at sunset, the race celebrates and appreciates first responders and military service members who serve, save and sacrifice on our behalf every day. Lexington Medical Center is proud to be the presenting sponsor.

 The race is named in honor of Stephen Siller, a New York City firefighter and father of five who died on September 11, 2001. That day, Siller was off duty and on his way to play golf. When he heard what was happening at the World Trade Center, he strapped on 60 pounds of gear and ran from the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the World Trade Center. He gave his life to save others. The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation is committed to ensuring that Americans never forget 9/11 and that our children understand the sacrifices made by many on that day.

The route for the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers South Carolina 5K Run & Walk begins near the First Responders Historic Remembrance Memorial next to the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center on Lincoln Street. Participants will travel down Gervais Street, across the Gervais Street Bridge into Cayce, up the Blossom Street Bridge and back to Columbia’s Vista in the early evening.

The goal of Tunnel to Towers is to support first responders and military service members who have been catastrophically injured in the line of duty. Proceeds from the 5K will benefit the building of smart homes for quadruple and triple amputee veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s “Building for America’s Bravest” program.

Register for South Carolina’s Tunnel to Towers 5K Walk and Run at www.t2trunsc.org. The entry fee is $30 until August 20, with discounts for first responders, students and military members. Importantly, businesses and organizations are encouraged to build a team of participants.

In previous years, participants included more than 800 Fort Jackson soldiers running in formation, South Carolina first responders, law enforcement officers, military service members from all branches of the Armed Forces, avid runners, families and teams from businesses and organizations. More than 2,000 people participated. Many more are expected this year.

There will be an opening ceremony at 6:30 p.m. and an after party with an awards ceremony, live music, food and beverages, vendor booths, and a raffle and silent auction.

For more information about the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers South Carolina 5K Run & Walk, visit www.t2trunsc.org.

 Follow news and information about September’s Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers South Carolina 5K Run & Walk on social media:

Facebook: T2TSC

Twitter: @T2TSC

Instagram: T2TSC

For more, visit www.t2trunsc.org

Heart Disease Pop Quiz

When it comes to heart disease, how knowledgable are you? In this WIS-TV report, news anchor Dawndy Mercer-Plank asked community members in downtown Columbia questions about heart health. Then, Dr. Heather Currier, new cardiothoracic surgeon at Lexington Cardiovascular Surgery, provided answers. Watch the video here.

Heart disease is the #1 killer of men and women in America. in fact, it kills more people than many forms of cancer combined. A recent study from the American Heart Association showed that approximately 46% of American adults have some form of heart disease. In South Carolina, the most common heart surgery is coronary artery bypass. And, as the population grows older, valve replacement is becoming more frequent, too. 

Lexington Medical Center wants you to “Just Say Know” to heart disease. To test your heart health knowledge with a quiz, visit LexMed.com/Know.

 

Fixing A Racing Heartbeat at Lexington Cardiology

We’re pleased to bring you a blog series called “Meet the Patients.” We share the stories of Lexington Medical Center patients whose experiences will educate and inspire readers about the outstanding care provided throughout our hospital network and the importance of modern medicine.

For years, Natalie Herndon felt her heartbeat racing extremely fast. Many doctors dismissed the University of South Carolina student’s symptoms as anxiety. But at Lexington Cardiology, a Lexington Medical Center physician practice, doctors discovered something wrong with Natalie’s heart – and knew just how to fix it. She shares her story below.

Natalie’s condition was called PSVT – paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. That’s an abnormal heart rhythm where the electrical signal goes in a circle around the heart rather than in a straight line from top to bottom. It causes a rapid heart rate and can make people feel palpitations, or fluttering, of the heart. In Natalie’s case, she was born with an extra electrical connection in the heart that allows the signal to move faster than usual. She underwent a cardiac ablation that stopped the abnormal heart rhythm in its tracks.

Since her procedure in July, Natalie no longer suffers from PSVT episodes.

For information on Dr. Christopher Rowley and Lexington Cardiology, visit LexCardio.com.

Lexington Medical Center Welcomes Heather M. Currier, MD, FACCP

Lexington Medical Center is pleased to welcome Heather M. Currier, MD, FACCP, to the hospital’s network of care at Lexington Cardiovascular Surgery. The physician practice provides cardiovascular surgery with the latest medical technology and state-of-the-art treatments.

Dr. Heather Currier

An honors graduate of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, Dr. Currier graduated with her medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, earning outstanding performance distinction in surgery. She went on to complete a general surgery residency at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and a cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. She is board certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and a fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians.

Dr. Currier retired as a colonel from the United States Army after more than 24 years of active duty. At retirement, she was serving as the chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at both Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Fort Gordon, Georgia, and Charlie Norwood Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia.

Dr. Currier is a recipient of the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster for her combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Her other positions and awards include Deputy Commander of Surgical Services, Chief of Surgery, the Army Commendation Medal and the National Defense Service Ribbon. In addition to these accomplishments, in 2014, the American Board of Cardiology awarded her with its Award of Honor and recognized her as a board consultant for cardiac surgery.

Prior to joining the Lexington Medical Center Network of Care, Dr. Currier was a practicing cardiothoracic surgeon at Augusta University Medical Center, University Hospital and Georgia Children’s Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia, and provided locums coverage at Piedmont Athens Regional in Athens, Georgia. She also serves as an advanced trauma life support instructor.

Dr. Currier proudly joins Lexington Cardiovascular Surgery to provide cardiovascular surgical consultations, follow-up care and vascular labs, as well as a variety of cardiovascular and thoracic services, including aortic/mitral valve replacement, coronary artery bypass grafting, and procedures for ascending and thoracic aneurysms, pulmonary diseases, esophageal tumors, lung masses and carotid arteries.

For more information, visit LexingtonCardiovascular.com.