Health and wellness is important to you and to MSU. The healthier our faculty and staff are, the healthier MSU will be. This category features information related to wellness at MSU.
Best Doctors LIVE Webinar Series is back with, “Best Doctors Outlook for 2017.” In this special edition of the monthly series, presenters will revisit 2016 and look ahead at what’s in store for 2017. Presenters included Dr. Mark Graber, founder and president of Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine, and Dr. Lewis Levy, chief medical officer of Best Doctors. Dr. Graber will share insights on gains being made in combatting medical error, and Dr. Levy will provide a sneak peek at the trends and technologies that Best Doctors is focusing on in 2017.
Participants will have time for a live Q&A after the presentation. If you are unable to attend, a recording of the webinar can be provided. This free presentation will take place on Thursday, December 15, at 1 p.m. Eastern. To register, click here.
There are nearly as many treatments for cancer as there are types of cancer, making it one of the most complex and life-changing diagnoses possible. In addition, cancer has become so common that doctors are often quick to diagnose it and treat the disease as if it is invasive or fast-moving—which is not always the case.
While cancers are alike in some ways, they can differ significantly in many others—including how they grow and spread. Cancer can begin in the lungs, the breasts, the colon or even in the bloodstream. It can stagnate in certain areas of the body or spread through the body, and the spreading can happen slowly or very rapidly.
Cancer can be difficult to diagnose, and misdiagnosis is increasingly common. With treatments that include surgery and radiation therapy, the need for certainty in your diagnosis is imperative before you and your doctor can even determine an appropriate treatment method. Once you have been diagnosed, it is also vital to confirm that you are receiving the appropriate treatment.
This is where your Best Doctors benefit can be so important and useful. After an in-depth review of your medical case by the Best Doctors experts, you will receive a straightforward, easy-to-understand report that either confirms your diagnosis and treatment or recommends a change.
To read the full Best Doctors article on cancer, click here.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Many women and men have had, know or lost someone with breast cancer. Although support in the fight against breast cancer remains year-round, October brings attention to the continued fight and serves as a reminder for women to get breast cancer screenings.
Of all the cancers diagnosed in women in the United States, breast cancer is the most common and the second leading cause of cancer death. There is a 1 in 8 chance for a woman to have invasive breast cancer in her life, and a 1 in 37 chance of dying from breast cancer. It is important to recognize that these death rates have been decreasing, largely due to early detection and better treatment.
Show your support for the fight against breast cancer by wearing pink this month.
Finding the cancer early is essential. Women should start to get yearly screenings and mammograms around the age of 45. Be sure to check if your health insurance plan offers free mammography screenings.
You too can join the fight against breast cancer. On Saturday, October 22, the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk will be taking place at the State Capitol Building. Support the cause and satisfy your sweet tooth with Gwen’s bagels and pink swirl cupcakes from MSU Bakers. With every purchase of the pink, dried cranberry bagels, $1 will be donated to the American Cancer Society.
MSU Human Resources extends its support to all of the fighters and individuals working to find the cure. Â
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection primarily transmitted by deer ticks that affects more than 300,000 North Americans per year. However, because diagnosing Lyme disease can be difficult, many people who actually have Lyme disease may be misdiagnosed with other conditions, and many experts believe the actual number of cases may be much higher.
Lyme disease affects people of all ages. The Centers for Disease Control notes that it is most common in children, older adults, and others such as first responders and forest rangers who spend time engaging in outdoor activities and have higher exposure to ticks.
Because misdiagnosis of Lyme disease is particularly common, the need for a comprehensive approach to your care becomes even greater. If you have flu-like symptoms and other circumstances that could indicate the prospect of Lyme disease, you should be skeptical about any diagnosis and open to the value of a second opinion.
As part of your Best Doctors benefits, an in-depth review of your case by our experts gives you access to a clear, straightforward report that will help you take control of your health care and determine the best approach for your ongoing treatment.
To learn more about the symptoms of Lyme disease and other conditions the disease may be confused with, view the entire Best Doctors article.
Eating is one of the great pleasures of life, but home cooking can pose many challenges without the right instruction, and it’s often difficult to find easy-to-prepare recipes. Health4U brings cooking know-how right to you with two on-campus instructional sessions: Kitchen Skill Drill and Recipe for Health Cooking Series. These instructional sessions are held on campus from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m., approximately once a month. They are presented by Health4U Nutritionist Peggy Crum and demonstrated by Corporate Chef for Culinary Services Kurt Kwiatkowski.
Kitchen Skill Drill demonstrations are held in the community kitchen in McDonel Hall. Chef Kurt will show you how to best perform a specific skill in the kitchen, such as grilling or knife safety. The session is free, and you get to sample the delicious food prepared in the kitchen. The next demonstration will be on September 20.
Recipe for Health Cooking Series demonstrations are held in the Brody Square Demonstration Kitchen. Chef Kurt demonstrates a recipe featured in the Recipe for Health Newsletter that comes out every month. These recipes revolve around a specific ingredient such as cheese, peanut butter or apples. Make sure you check out the upcoming demonstration on potatoes on Wednesday, August 10!
So take a well-deserved break in your day for some personalized cooking instruction. Ask questions, sample delicious food and learn a thing or two about healthy cooking that is easier than you think!
Whether you’re new to MSU or you’ve been on campus for awhile, you might be happy to know that there are a lot of very bike-friendly facilities and services that are available to help make your bicycling more convenient, as well as to encourage more people to ride bikes on and to/from campus for their commute.
MSU offers numerous bike-friendly facilities and services for commuters.
Ten years ago, the university established a full-service bike center know as the MSU Bikes Service Center, in the old canoe rental facility in the south-end of Bessey Hall, which is centrally located on campus. The Center offers a complete range of repairs, rentals and sales of new and used bikes, as well as accessories to keep you and your bike rolling safely. Visit the MSU Bikes website for more information. The Center is staffed by university employees and is open year-round, on weekdays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Feel free to bring your bike inside when visiting for service. Click here for visitor car parking information and here for a map showing where we’re located.
Parking your bike outside while at work can be worrisome, especially if you ride a nicer bike. Thankfully, in addition to well over 8,000 outdoor bike parking racks outside every building on campus, there are secure bike parking garages in two locations: north and south in the car parking ramps on Trowbridge Road (Ramp 5) and on Grand River Avenue (Ramp 6). These parking facilities are membership-based and managed through the Center.
Concerned about showing up to work all sweaty? Free, dedicated full-size lockers and showers are available to bike commuters at the IM Circle. These lockers normally cost over $100/year to rent, but they’re free for your use by simply completing a short survey and providing your basic information.
Ever been out on campus riding and needed a common tool or an air pump to tweak your bike? We now have five new DIY bike stations around campus, one in each residential neighborhood.
Not sure which route to take to/from home in the Tri-County area? These maps show recommended routes and those to avoid, as well as all of the off-road pathways scattered around the area to help you find a safer way to, from and around campus. The Center stocks printed copies of these map booklets if you’d like a hard copy.
To learn where all of the on-campus bike facilities (bike lanes, secure bike parking, DIY repair stations, etc.) can be found, check out our current bike map of campus. More resources to help make your bicycling experience more enjoyable on and around the MSU campus can be found on the Commuter Resources section of our blog.
Summertime and grilled food go hand in hand. Corporate Chef for Culinary Services Kurt Kwiatkowski gave us two fantastic grilling recipes that are great for cookouts or quiet personal dinners.
6Â center cut bone-in pork chops, about 1-inch thick
1 T. ancho chili powder
1 t. smoked paprika
1 t. ground cumin
2 t. kosher salt
1 T. olive oil 3 T. sherry vinegar
½ c. pure maple syrup ½ c. chicken stock
Mix all spices and salt together, brush all pork chops with olive oil and then sprinkle on both sides of the pork chops and let rest for 1-2 hours.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.
According to the American Heart Association, about 2,200 Americans die each day from heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Learn the best ways to stay heart-healthy in the upcoming Best Doctors webinar Heart Health Topics: Prevention and Intervention.
The free webinar will begin at 1 p.m. on Monday, July 18. Dr. Corey Goldman, director of Cardiovascular Imaging at HeartVein NYC, will educate attendees on prevention and staying heart healthy. He will also touch on the different conditions people most commonly run into and the ways that they are being treated today.
The webinar will conclude with a live Q&A session.
Look no further than Abrams Planetarium to let you mind unwind in the middle of a busy day.
The planetarium hosts two Health4U events: Relaxing Under the Stars  and Rest with Music. MSU faculty, staff, retirees and students can gaze upon drifting constellations in the night sky projected on the planetarium’s dome from the state-of-the-art Digistar projector. Both sessions are held on weekdays from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m.
The Relaxing Under the Stars sessions feature a short star talk before ambient music plays for the remainder of the hour.
Rest with Music brings a new musician to the planetarium every month. Some past musical genres include folk, jazz piano, Celtic harp, African instrumental music, and even electronic ambient music. Through all of these varieties, the Rest with Music sessions have always been soothing.
The next Relaxing Under the Stars session, provided by Health4U and Abrams Planetarium, is Monday, July 11, 2016.
Rest with Music sessions, which are provided by University Physician’s Office, Health4U, Abrams Planetarium, and Student Health Services, are held approximately once a month on weekdays. The next performance is July 21, 2016, by guitarist Hiroya Tsukamoto.
Take a well-deserved break during the lunch hour to relax, close your eyes and even nap!
Pulmonary embolisms are a blockage of one of the pulmonary arteries in your lungs, and they are usually caused by blood clots that travel to the lungs from the legs or (more rarely) from other parts of the body.
Although anyone can develop blood clots (also known as deep vein thrombosis) and pulmonary embolisms, factors such as immobility, cancer, and surgery increase the risk for this life-threatening condition. Taking prompt, proactive measures to prevent blood clots in your legs, particularly if you are already in the hospital, is the best way to prevent pulmonary embolisms.Continue Reading… Health Matters: Pulmonary embolisms
