Urgent! Blood Donors Needed!

Due to recent events and the upcoming Labor Day weekend, WNY is in critical need of blood for Buffalo General Hospital and ECMC. Upstate New York Transplant Services needs to replenish their supply for all blood types, especially if you are O Negative or O Positive. 

Just one pint can help save up to three lives right here in Western New York.

All presenting blood donors will receive a $5 gift card to Delta Sonic.

OPEN: Labor Day 9am-1pm

DeGraff Neighborhood Blood Donation Center

445 Tremont Street, North Tonawanda, 14120

Eastern Hills Mall Blood Donation Center

(across from the DMV)

4545 Transit Road, Williamsville, 14221

Southgate Neighborhood Blood Donation Center

1000 Union Road, West Seneca, 14224

UNYTS Neighborhood Blood Donation Center

110 Broadway, Buffalo, 14203

Click Here for Blood Drives Across WNY: http://www.unyts.org/?select=donate_blood

Call 512-7940 or email donateblood@unyts.org to make an appointment. 

Walk-ins always welcome!

Dogs for Donors

Every Tuesday in September hot dogs will be served from 11am-2pm.

110 Broadway, Hours: 9am-3pm

 http://www.unyts.org/?select=donate_blood

Coincidence or Just a Great City? It’s All Happening on September 10

Blondes vs. Brunettes (BvB)

No, it’s not about who has more fun. It is about a wonderful event to raise money for Alzheimer’s Disease. Blondes vs. Brunettes or BvB is a national powder puff flag football game that pits blondes vs. brunettes. The event which began in 2005, has raised more than $1 million. Event co-chair, Kristin Crandall says, “Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death and is striking people as young as 50, and BvB is a way to involve young women with close connections to loved ones with this disease.”  Ladies over 21 can play on the team that represents their hair color. Redhead? Choose either team! It’s happening at 2 pm at Sweet Home High School in Amherst. $20 covers the entry fee and after game party (4:30-8:30 pm) at Ellicott Creek Fire Company. Free food, raffles and photos with the winning team and a free drink are included. Under 12? It’s free! For information call 716-880-7764 or visit www.bvbbuffalo.com.

Get Dirty for a Cause – Be a Dirty Girl!

Dirty Girl is a female-only, 5K mud run for women of all fitness levels from age 14 and up. Fun and unique military-inspired will keep your palms a bit sweaty. The event is organic and eco-friendly, and many of the obstacles will be recycled back into the earth.  Even better, you’re getting dirty for a cause. A portion of all proceeds support breast cancer research, awareness & education. So gather your friends and come to Emery Park in South Wales on September 10 from 8 am to 3 pm for a non-competitive, non-timed fun event that celebrates female empowerment. Participants receive a complimentary adult beverage and hot towel to clean off before the Rockin’ After Party. Sign up before August 8 using coupon code “DIRTYGIRLNY” and receive $10 off registration. Go to www.godirtygirl.com.

Gluten Freedom Day
The WNY Gluten Free Diet Support Group (WNYGFDSG) will celebrate its 25^th anniversary on Gluten Freedom Day, Saturday, September 10 at the Hearthstone Manor in Depew.  Dr. Alessio Fasano, Medical Director, University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research, is the keynote speaker at a 12:30 gluten free luncheon. He will discuss current research, diagnostic tools, treatment strategies, and methods for preventing the disease. A vendor expo featuring products and samples is 8 am to 4:30 pm.  Shelly Asplin, National Nutrition Coordinator for the Celiac Sprue Association/USA presents at 2:45 pm, and Bob Syracuse, owner of Pizza Plant, will hold a workshop at 11 am restaurant personnel. Celiac is one of the most common and under diagnosed chronic genetic autoimmune disorders. Studies estimate that three million adults and children – one in 133 – have celiac disease, but most haven’t been diagnosed. People with celiac disease cannot digest foods that contain gluten found in wheat, rye, barley and their derivatives. Learn more about Gluten Freedom Day, pre-registration and luncheon tickets, at 716-636-6028, 716-310-7299 or  hauckc@roadrunner.com.

Greenfield Manor Resident Donates to Somalia

Lancaster, NY— August 25, 2011

GreenField Manor resident, Lynn McClive, generously made a donation to provide famine relief to 100 families in Somalia through the GlobalGiving Foundation on behalf each staff member at the Greenfield Manor & Court.

McClive, a resident of the GreenField Manor for nearly eight years, found a way to say thank you to the GreenFields staff for all they do. According to McClive, “I wanted to show my appreciation for all the help the staff gives to GreenFields residents. The donation will allow each staff member to feed one child for 3 days, as an extension of their giving natures.”

GreenField Manor and Court are a part of The GreenFields Continuing Care Community in Lancaster, an affiliate of the Niagara Lutheran Health System.

RPCI NAMES NEW MEDICAL DIRECTOR FOR PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY CENTER

BUFFALO, NY — Nestor Rigual, MD, FACS, has been appointed Medical Director of the Photodynamic Therapy Center at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI). Photodynamic therapy (PDT) was developed at RPCI, and the PDT Center is a worldwide leader in its use for treating many types of cancer.

PDT, developed in the mid-1980s by Thomas Dougherty, PhD, Chief Emeritus of the Center, is a targeted anticancer treatment — one that kills tumor cells without permanently damaging surrounding tissue. It involves the administration of a nontoxic drug that settles in tumor cells, followed by the application of laser light to the tumor, thereby activating the drug and killing the cancer. At RPCI, it is used to treat various types of cancer, including cancers of the skin, lung, breast, esophagus, colon and rectum.

Dr. Rigual is a Professor of Oncology in the Department of Head & Neck/Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He will provide leadership in PDT translational research, establish clinical conferences for physicians to discuss protocols and PDT patients, train physicians in the practice of PDT, and develop a new multidisciplinary PDT clinic.

“Dr. Rigual brings expertise, enthusiasm and energy to this new position, and I am confident that he will bring new and innovative ideas to the clinical program in PDT,” said RPCI President and CEO Donald L. Trump, MD, FACP.

Dr. Rigual earned his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, and completed residencies at UB and the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

We Want Our Change.

Over 130 teens came together in Buffalo to send a clear message: They have seen enough in-store tobacco marketing, and they want their change. Recruiting replacement smokers, also known as kids, is a building block for big tobacco’s marketing strategy. Recent surveys have shown kids are consistently targeted by flashy cigarette advertising in local stores.
On August 11, 2011, Reality Check youth from across New York State rallied together to send the message that dangerous tobacco marketing should be removed from stores where kids shop. The more in-store advertising they see, the more likely they are to smoke. Communities are eager to protect kids from dangerous influences. Curbing flashy advertising and large tobacco displays whenever they walk into their local convenience store is an important step.
Research in the U.S. and abroad suggests that exposure to in-store tobacco promotions is a primary cause of youth smoking. Very few adult smokers begin after high school, with 90 percent of adult smokers starting at or before age 18.
In-store promotions are a major cause of youth smoking. A National Cancer Institute study concluded that exposure to cigarette advertising causes nonsmoking adolescents to initiate smoking and to move toward becoming regular smokers. Another study found young people are more likely to be influenced by cigarette advertising than by peer or parental smoking. A 2008 analysis found a direct relationship between increased teen smoking and the density of tobacco retailers around schools, while a paper published earlier this year found a direct relationship between the frequency that a kid visited stores containing tobacco advertising and his or her risk of becoming a smoker.
As a result of the recent Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FDA law) and the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), retail stores are one of the last places where tobacco companies can expose kids to their advertising. Consequently, tobacco companies spend billions of dollars each year marketing their deadly products at the point of sale. This is done by controlling dominant display space in retail stores and through in-store advertising. Both are typically found around the cash register, sometimes referred to within the industry as the “goal post” because it is the one place in the store where everyone must go. Tobacco companies invest a lot at these locations in creating so-called “power walls,” large, visually appealing displays of products intended to attract the interest of customers.
The 16 Reality Check Programs in New York work with many other groups such as the American Cancer Society, Roswell Park Cancer Institute and the University of California to educate the community about tobacco issues such as in-store marketing. Teens encourage the community to take action to limit youth exposure to this dangerous and deadly influence.
Reality Check is the youth component of the NYS Tobacco Control Program. Teens 13-18 work to educate the community about the manipulative marketing tactics of the tobacco industry and bring about policy changes that help protect children and teens from its influence. To learn more, contact your local Reality Check program or visit www.realitycheckofny.com.
Alan Rubeck, Erie-Niagara Reality Check: 716-359-6067, arubeck@e1b.orgKasheef Moore, Reality Check Youth Advocate: 716-931-4235, kasheef@gmail.com
For more information contact Deborah Pettibone, Erie-Niagara Tobacco-Free Coalition: 716-868-6182, deborah.pettibone@roswellpark.org,

Building Community Health Capacity in Buffalo

Three  groups are spearheading new community health initiatives in urban Buffalo, with support from the Community Health Worker Network of Buffalo and the Community Health Foundation of Western and Central New York. The Community Health Worker Network of Buffalo’s mission is to provide opportunities for the residents of vulnerable neighborhoods to realize their full potential for health and well-being.  The network provides training and capacity building for frontline workers in the areas of health care, public health, housing, education, environment, food access and social services, with the intent to empower community members to define their own challenges and opportunities, and take action to self-determine their future.

The Community Health Foundation of Western and Central New York is an independent, private foundation whose mission is to improve the health and health care of people in Western and Central New York. Utilizing a grant from the Community Health Foundation of Western and Central New York, the network issued a call for proposals in June to community groups who had ideas for implementing projects to promote community wellness by building on existing community assets and utilizing community health workers and neighborhood residents as leaders.

The following partners will each receive $5,000, as well as support with community planning and organizational development:

United Partners for Public Education in Buffalo: This group of parents and community activists will be organizing parents, teachers, students, and community members and organizations in four of the city’s schools that have been designated as “persistently low achieving” - Dr. Martin Luther King Multicultural Institute, Bennett High School, International School 45 and South Park High School.  They will aim to build collaboration and bottom up, asset-based solutions to dramatically change the current state of education through a community planning process that engages all stakeholders in formulating actions.

Growing Healthy Together: This collaboration between Erie County Medical Center, neighborhood residents and several faith and community based organizations in the Delevan-Grider area of Buffalo will utilize a Community Health Worker to develop and promote the Farmers’ Market at Grider Street to provide access to fresh food and security for the surrounding community.

“Giving Voice” Series in Western New York: Ujima Theatre Company will spearhead an initiative to use theater as a tool to tell the stories of struggle, survival and triumph of local refugee women, giving them a medium through which they can express their health needs and experiences.  The stories will be integrated into a play that will be promoted as a tool for empowerment within the refugee community, and a medium for education and awareness in the health care/social services sector.  

 “This initiative gives individuals and communities the opportunity for good heath, and by that we mean a framework that fosters healthy environments where people can live, learn, work and play,” Jessica Bauer Walker, director of the Community Health Worker Network said.  “Too often we think of health as just health care, but health starts in our communities with safe streets, quality education, employment opportunities, quality and affordable housing and access to fresh and healthy foods.  Our neighborhood health grants will give frontline workers and residents an opportunity to produce solutions that make sense to them.” 

Kidney Foundation Vehicle Donation Program

Northeast Kidney Foundation is expanding its vehicle donation program to benefit Buffalo, Rochester and Westchester, New York along with Western Massachusetts and Vermont. Proceeds from the program will go to local families in need along with the many other programs the Northeast Kidney Foundation supports in the fight against kidney disease. Kidney Wheels supports people in the Northeast living with or at risk of kidney disease, and helping thousands of individuals waiting for a lifesaving transplant by donating a car, truck, RV, motorcycle or boat. 100 percent of the proceeds from Kidney Wheels are channeled back into the local community to help those most in need. For information on how to donate a car, truck, motorcycle, RV or boat and review the basic requirements requested visit www.kidneywheels.org or call 1-800-999-9697.

Roswell Park Hosts Regional Launch of Television Campaign

The NYS Department of Health (DOH) gave Western New Yorkers a look at its new campaign highlighting the price smokers pay for their addiction at a new ad campaign highlighting the price smokers pay for their addiction. The 30 second spots which began August 1 urge smokers to call the NYS Quitline. The campaign was funded by a federal grant that illustrate the physical impacts that two longtime smokers suffered as a result of tobacco use. Representatives from the American Heart Association (AHA) joined with the Tobacco Cessation Center and DOH for the launch of the campaign, highlighting the connections between smoking and heart disease. Dr. Michael D. Banas, a cardiologist with Buffalo Heart Group, said that quitting is the number-one thing a smoker can do for his or her health. He said cigarette smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease by itself. When it acts with other factors such as high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, obesity and diabetes it greatly increases risk. The Quitline, 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) is a free resource available to all New York State residents, and offers a range of services including a free starter kit of nicotine patches and trained Quitline specialists who help smokers develop quit plans. Call hours are Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. and Friday through Sunday 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Taped messages offer support and help for quitting smoking during off hours, while the Smokers Quitsite, www.nysmokefree.com, is available 24 hours a day.

Dietary-Intervention Study for Prostate Cancer Accruing Patients

Two researchers from Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) have opened a clinical trial that will assess the impact of dietary change to control prostate cancer. The Mens Eating and Living (MEAL) study led by co-investigators James Mohler, MD, and James Marshall, PhD, is both the first to assess the effects of radical dietary intervention on men with prostate cancer and the only current clinical investigation involving men placed on active surveillance in lieu of active treatment for low-risk prostate cancer.
This multisite trial will test the results of assigning men with small, low-grade prostate tumors to an intervention designed to encourage a diet low in animal products. The MEAL trial is now open at RPCI and other sites through several cooperative oncology groups sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Mohler is Senior Vice President for Translational Research and Chair of the Department of Urology, and Dr. Marshall is Senior Vice President for Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences.
Their team will identify 450 men with prostate cancer from across the country, all considered to be at low risk for developing advanced prostate cancer. All participants will change their dietary intake, but half will more significantly change their diet, assisted by a telephone intervention.
Research has shown that a diet low in animal products like meat and dairy and high in fruits and vegetables is associated with lower incidence of prostate cancer. Drs. Marshall and Mohler and colleagues led a similar six-month pilot study launched in 2004.
Dr. Marshall says the MEAL trial promises to be a very strong study based in biological and behavioral changes. He says that the pilot study suggests that we can change diets and can see the progress in diet records but, more importantly, by means of blood-based nutritional biomarkers.
The research is supported by the National Cancer Institute, the Department of Defense and The Prostate Cancer Foundation. The MEAL trial will have two important collaborators--J. Kellogg Parsons, MD, MHS, and John Pierce, PhD, both researchers with the Moores Center, UC San Diego.
Patients ask their urologist if there anything they can do to slow or stop its growth and ask if they should change their diet. And this trial should give us much clearer and perhaps even definitive answers, according to Dr. Mohler. To learn more about the MEAL trial, including eligibility criteria, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or email askrpci@roswellpark.org.

Kenmore Mercy Receives Award for Stroke Program

Kenmore Mercy Hospital was awarded a special certification from the Joint Commission for its stroke care program. The northtown facility is the first of the the Catholic Health System hospitals to receive the Advanced Primary Stroke Center certification which recognizes its cohesive approach to fostering better outcomes for stroke patients. See www.chsbuffalo.org for more information.