Clear Lake Shores News

Staff and Patients to Benefit from $2.1 Million Wireless Investment HOUSTON – (Dec. 8, 2009) – Memorial Hermann Healthcare System announced today it has signed an agreement with Verizon Wireless to install and maintain an advanced telecommunication system at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. The system, called Distributed Antenna System, allows physicians and patients to receive cell phone coverage throughout the 2 million sq. ft. facility, even in the basement. This is the third Memorial Hermann hospital to install the antenna system designed by The Molitoris Group, a Houston-based telecommunications developer, who brokered the business deal and is currently managing construction of the site. Memorial Hermann plans to work with interested wireless telecommunication providers to provide ubiquitous telecommunication services. "Distributed Antenna Systems are no longer a luxury for major hospital complexes. As a result of the installation of this system, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System will continue to be at the forefront of technology in Southeast Texas," added Rob Todd, founder of Molitoris Group. As a result of the project, healthcare professionals, patients and guests will be able to make and receive calls throughout the hospital campus, including stairwells and basements. Verizon Wireless was selected to be the first provider in the project as a result of its business terms, design and engineering focus, which prioritizes the development of hospital systems. "This initial capital investment of $2.1 million and our ongoing maintenance investment for a Distributed Antenna System at Memorial Hermann, demonstrates Verizon Wireless' commitment to the hospital, its staff, patients--and the medical community," said Kay Henze, president - Houston/Gulf Coast Region, Verizon Wireless. "In an area with a high density of wireless device users, like the hospital, the system will provide added benefits like increased capacity and strengthened coverage for Verizon Wireless customers." Dropped wireless calls are the result of either lack of signal strength or too many signals entering into an area. The Molitoris system enables the antenna to automatically turn specific carrier signals on and off, enabling users to have uninterrupted service.

Register using the link and join us Dec. 8 from noon to 1 p.m. to learn more about surgical weight-loss options, and get any of your questions answered from board-certified surgeon Dr. Carlos Ferrari. Obesity is rapidly becoming the nation’s No. 1 health concern. Of the 97 million Americans who suffer from obesity, 5 million to 10 million of them are considered morbidly obese. Dr. Carlos Ferrari is a board-certified surgeon and has received Center of Excellence designation by the the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. He received his medical degree from Universidad Nacional de Cordoba in Cordoba, Argentina. He completed his internship at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, and his residency in Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, New Jersey.

Residents in North County communities are being asked to conserve water for about a week after a major waterline between Texas City and Bacliff collapsed.

Miguel Garcia, 11, says he felt only a tickling sensation while being monitored by a echocardiogram during a screening by the Memorial Hermann Hearts Foundation.

Click Here to Donate: When you see Memorial Hermann Life Flight soaring overhead, 25% of the time the patient who is being rushed to the hospital for care is a child. Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center is the only Level 1 pediatric trauma center in the entire Gulf Coast region, which means that we offer the highest level of care available for children who have been in a traumatic accident. Emergency care for kids is also available at Children’s Emergency Centers at Memorial Hermann’s hospitals in Memorial City, Sugar Land and the Woodlands. The dedicated doctors affiliated with The University of Texas Medical School at Houston are committed to saving our kids' lives every day. Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital is proud to partner with MIX 96.5 for a special three-week fundraising effort, Any Size Saves Lives. All funds raised will support the Level 1 pediatric trauma center at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and pediatric emergency services throughout the Memorial Hermann System. You can make a difference - make a donation online today. Any size donation, $5, $25, $100…after all, Any Size Saves Lives. In addition to raising funds through online contributions, the campaign will include a series of events where attendees can donate. Every Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. during the three-week period (December 3, December 10 and December 17), Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital will be at Discovery Green for Silver Blades on the Silver Screen with Mix 96.5. Classic holiday movies will be shown and attendees can skate in the park’s holiday ice rink for $10. A booth will also be stationed throughout the event to collect contributions in support of Children’s Memorial Hermann. This campaign marks the third consecutive year that Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital has partnered with MIX 96.5 to raise funds. Be sure to tell your friends and family to tune in this year and help us raise even more in support of our tiniest patients!

CLEAR LAKE SHORES, Texas - Even though more than 160 residents signed a petition saying they want to vote on any town center plan that includes assuming debt, opinions from the city attorney and a bank's lawyers suggest the city's economic development corporation can ignore the petition and push ahead.

As you may be aware, a high school athlete in your area has been named one of the eight finalists for the Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation <http://www.memorialhermann.org/therapy> Athlete of the Year for 2009. Please send this to your friends and contacts in the community to let them know how to vote. Your vote counts! Go online and vote for your favorite athlete by Dec. 9th @ www.click2houston.com/athleteoftheweek --------------------------------------- FINALISTS K.C. NLEMCHI CINCO RANCH ---------- WILL JEFFERY KATY ----------- JAMICHAEL ROZIER KLEIN COLLINS ------------ LEROY DOBBINS MONTGOMERY ---------- DANIEL LASCO THE WOODLANDS ------------- ANDRE KELLY CHAVEZ ------ CONNOR WOOD 2ND BAPTIST ----- QUANDRE DIGGS ANGLETON

Register and join us Dec. 10 from noon to 1 p.m. for an educational and interactive webinar on dietary supplements. Talk to Roberta Anding, M.S., R.D./L.D., C.S.S.D., C.D.E., sports dietitian at the Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute, to learn which dietary supplements may be helpful and, more importantly, which supplements you should avoid. Roberta Anding is an instructor for the Department of Pediatrics, Adolescent Medicine and Sports Medicine section at the Baylor College of Medicine and is a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Roberta is also the sport dietitian for the Houston Texans and Co-host of The Roberta & Riley Show on 790 AM The Sports Animal.

Register and join us Dec. 3 from noon to 1 p.m. for an educational and interactive webinar on sports performance testing. Terry Dupler, Ph.D., exercise physiologist at the Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute, will talk about how athletes can utilize VO2 Max, lactate blood thresholds and other physiological attributes to track their athletic progress and enhance their training programs. Dr. Dupler is an Associate Professor and Director of the Human Performance Lab at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. In addition, he is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. (C.S.C.S.) who specializes in coaching cyclists, triathletes and marathoners.

What's trendy, green and has the potential to rejuvenate the city's dusty downtown? The farmers' market, which has exploded in popularity in recent years, is the perfect tool to spearhead the revitalization of city's Main Street, Councilman Neil Baron said.

There's no debate in Clear Lake Shores that the city's entrance, marred by vacant buildings and cracked parking lots, should be renovated.

Register and join us at noon Dec. 1 for a chat with Dr. Joan Mastrobattista, a specialist in the care of mothers and babies during high-risk pregnancies. She can answer your questions about supporting a healthy pregnancy and managing factors that may put you and your baby at risk for complications. There is nothing more exciting than the birth of a baby. However, for women whose pregnancies are considered high risk, there can be additional emotions such as anxiety or uncertainty. Pregnancies may be considered high risk because of a number of conditions and complications such as diabetes, hypertension, advanced maternal age, congenital anomalies, and pre-term labor.

Hello Cupcake: For some, the word 'cupcake,' is attention-grabbing enough. But toss in the word 'naked,' and it's sure to cause a buzz.

Worried about your child's health? Get answers directly from the director of emergency services at the Children’s Emergency Centers at Memorial Hermann Memorial City. Dr. Michelle McKane has special knowledge and training in treatment and medications for infants, children and adolescents who are critically ill because of injury or disease.

Bariatric Medicine: Part 1 At 535 pounds, Rex Adams felt like a prisoner, not just because of his weight, but because he was taking as many as a dozen pills a day to help manage complications of obesity. “When I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and had to go on oral medication, that’s when it really hit me,” Adams says. “I had done this to myself. I knew I had to do something to lose the weight and free myself from all the pills I was taking.” Adams sought a surgical solution – a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass – to control the weight and his blood sugar. He took one last pill the day before the surgery. Since then, he hasn’t required any medication to manage type 2 diabetes. He is no longer considered diabetic. “It was like a complete release,” Adams says. “I had the surgery, and I never looked back.” Weight-loss surgery, including gastric bypass and the lap band, can have a dramatic impact on morbidly obese patients with type 2 diabetes, a condition characterized by high levels of blood sugar as a result of defects in insulin production and resistance to insulin’s actions. Some are able to go off diabetes medications entirely. Others may be able to significantly reduce the amount of insulin or other medication they require to keep their blood sugar in check. Patients who are classified as “pre-diabetic” may be able to avoid the disease all together.

http://www.uthealthleader.org/archive/SURGERY/2007/bariatrics_part2-0725.htm When Abby Erias had gastric bypass surgery, she remembered the physicians telling her that one of the side effects to her rapid weight loss could be increased fertility. She already had two daughters and wasn’t planning to have any more children, so she went on birth control. She didn’t want to take any chances. “I couldn’t find the right birth control for me, so my plan was to go off birth control for 30 days and then go a different route with something new,” Erias says. “In less than 30 days, I didn’t think I could get pregnant, but I went a different route all right. I had a baby!” When bariatric surgeons at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston host informational sessions about gastric bypass and lap-band procedures, they emphasize that as the unwanted pounds come off, pregnancy may become a very real possibility. This discussion often produces some chuckles and a few “yeah, right” comments from women in the audience.

STORY BY Camille Webb Few patients look forward to going under the knife. For Ouida Gernentz, however, abdominal surgery turned out to be a much better experience than she ever could have imagined. Abdominal surgeries typically require large incisions that leave physical—and sometimes emotional marks—including scars at the wound site, pain, lengthy recoveries and a delayed return to normal, everyday activities. Gernentz did not experience the usual, postoperative pain, thanks to a pioneering surgical technique performed by The University of Texas Medical School at Houston’s Minimally Invasive Surgeons of Texas (MIST).

Saturday, November 21, 2009 9 a.m. – Noon Cullen’s Upscale American Grille 11500 Space Center Blvd., Houston, TX 77059 Information, inspiration and insights for teen girls and their moms

Register using the link to chat at noon on Nov. 24 with Stacy Lewis and pediatric orthopedic surgeon Gary T. Brock, M.D., the physician who treated her when she was diagnosed with scoliosis at age 11. Lewis went on to become the 2007 NCAA champion and the 2008 LPGA qualifying tournament winner. Earlier this year she became the celebrity spokesperson for the Scoliosis Research Society. Dr. Brock has special interest and training in the treatment of pediatric spinal disorders, including scoliosis, and in pediatric Sports Medicine.Dr. Brock is affiliated with Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, as well as other hospitals in the Houston area.

Children's Memorial Hermann presents LEGO MANIA! WHO: Kids of all ages! WHAT: FREE EVENT! Children's Memorial Hermann and Women's Memorial Hermann are expanding! Children and adults are invited to a day of fun children’s activities and attractions to celebrate! Professional Lego artists will display their unique Lego creations - from incredible ships to cool trains! They will even build a one-of-a-kind Lego replica of the new Memorial Hermann Tower that stands more than four feet tall! Kids will have an opportunity to build their own fun creations in the Lego build area! We'll even take a picture with you and your cool creation and display it on Flickr.com, where friends and family can vote for the best project. Parents will get a chance to visit with medical experts from Children’s Memorial Hermann Memorial City at our “Ask the Pediatrician” and our “Ask the Ob/Gyn” tables. There will also be an area for kids to color cardboard versions of the Memorial Hermann Tower. Free stuffed animal versions of the Children’s Memorial Hermann mascot, Topper will also be given out while supplies last. There will also be a Teddy Bear ER for your Topper dolls to visit. WHEN: Saturday, November 14th , 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. WHERE: Memorial City Mall, near the skating rink