Send announcements to The Loudoun Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, e-mail to
loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. For more information, call Jennifer Lesinski at 703-917-6454.
This free listing is reserved for activities and events that are open to the public at no or minimal cost.
Loudoun Hospital Center is establishing a full-service outpatient diagnostic imaging center at its Leesburg Campus with an opening target date of November 2004. The center, located on the first floor of the Leesburg Campus facility, will provide diagnostic imaging services including X-Ray, CT scan, ultrasound, mammography and bone-density screening. In addition, Loudoun Hospital Center has received State Health Commissioner Robert Stroube's approval for a second Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) unit to be specifically placed and operated at the Leesburg Campus.
The Family Caregiver Support Group held by Loudoun County Area Agency on Aging and Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers meets every third Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m., at the Eastern Loudoun Regional Library, 21030 Whitfield Place, Sterling. Adult children, neighbors, friends, long-distance caregivers welcome. For more information call 703-777-0257. The meeting for the remainder of the year are slated for Sept. 21, Oct. 19, Nov. 16 and Dec. 21.
The Loudoun Cancer Care Center offers several free support and educational programs. LCCC is located in Countryside at 14 Pidgeon Hill Drive, Suite 130, Sterling. Dates for 2004 are listed below.
* Creating and Connecting: An art therapy and relaxation group for persons with cancer, their family members and friends. Meets at the Loudoun Cancer Care Center. Registration is required. Meets every other month, 12 :30Ð2:30 p.m. Call for dates.
* Look Good É Feel Better: A program for women coping with the cosmetic side effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Meets every other month, 6 :45-9 p.m., at the Loudoun Cancer Care Center. Meetings are scheduled for Oct. 5, and Dec. 7. Registration is required.
* Meditation Group: A support group for those touched by cancer (patients, family and friends). This group offers individuals the opportunity to learn about and practice the art of meditation. Group meets the last Tuesday of each month, 6 :30-8 p.m., at the Loudoun Cancer Care Center. Meetings are scheduled for Aug. 31, Sept. 28, Oct. 26 and Nov. 30. Registration is not required.
* Spiritual Support Group: A support group for cancer patients, family members, and friends. Intended to help individuals draw upon their own spiritual resources to help them cope with the cancer experience. Group meets the third Tuesday of each month, 6:30-8 p.m., at the Loudoun Cancer Care Center. Meetings are scheduled for Sept. 21, Oct. 19, Nov. 16 and Dec. 21. Registration is not required.
To register for a program or to receive more information, call Karen Archer, social worker, Loudoun Cancer Care Center at 703-444-4460.
Loudoun Healthcare and Olympus Gym are co-sponsoring this year's Dulles Daybreak Dashers Program. The free program encourages people to get fit by walking through Dulles Town Center. Members receive special walking hours, free health screening, and can attend special seminars on health related topics. Visit the customer service desk at Dulles Town Center to join.
Upcoming meeting dates and lecture topics:
* Thursday, Sept. 9, 9 a.m. Cindy O'Hara, educator with The Birthing Inn, will be discussing how to adjust to parenthood.
All lectures last for approximately 30 minutes and are followed by 30 minutes of low impact aerobics with an Olympus instructor. Call Erin Losi at 703-40-7100 for more information.
Beginning in August, Haynesworth Pediatrics will begin free monthly discussions on various health-care related challenges and issues facing parents. These free sessions will be held at Douglass Community Center on 407 E. Market St. in Leesburg. All parents are invited to attend the presentations, held every first Wednesday of the month from 7-8 p.m.
Health Care Decisions. To help Virginians make better-informed health-care purchasing decisions, Virginia Health Information (VHI), a nonprofit independent organization, has published information on its Web site, www.vhi.org, that reports on the inpatient cardiac care provided at all licensed hospitals in Virginia. The information compares their performance and mortality outcomes. VHI's study is based on more than 100,000 cardiac patient discharges submitted by Virginia hospitals for the year 2000.
Asthma Auto Program. Program offered by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Maryland-Greater Washington, D.C., Chapter, is accepting donations of unwanted vehicles to raise money to fund educational programs, asthma care training, scholarships, research, and patient assistance for area residents. Call 800-727-9333.
Birth Mother's Support Group. Meets weekly in northern Virginia for any woman who has ever placed a child in adoption and would like to meet with others who have done the same. For more information call Pat Cunningham or Stephanie Hayden at Catholic Charities at 703-425-0100.
Foster Parents. To participate in the foster parent program, call Children's Services of Virginia at 703-331-0075 or visit www.childrensservicesofva.com for more information.
American Lung Association of Virginia. Organization offers an e-mail service to residents in areas affected by smog-unhealthy levels of ozone pollution, which includes the Northern Virginia-Metropolitan D.C. area. Subscribers will receive smog alerts the day before ozone pollution levels are predicted to be unhealthy. For more information on ozone pollution and to sign up for the Smog Alert, visit www.lungusa.org/virginia.
American Red Cross Classes. Classes include adult, child and infant CPR, first aid, baby-sitter training and more. Advance registration required and there is a fee. Call 703-777-7171. Visit www.redcross.org/va/loudounco.
Compassionate Friends. A support group for parents who have lost a child meets the first Wednesday of the month at St. James Episcopal Church, Janney Parlor, 14 Cornwall St. N.W., Leesburg. For more information, call 703-724-7623 or e-mail iluvu2lauren@earthlink.net.
To find out if a Medicare-Approved Drug Discount Card would help you save money and to get help in choosing a card call the Loudoun County Area Agency on Aging card hot line at 703-737-8036.
Domestic Violence Group for Women. A 10-week group for women previously or currently emotionally, verbally or physically abused is being offered by LAWS (Loudoun Abused Women's Shelter). Issues addressed will be the impact abuse has on children, why some people are abusive, evaluating healthy relationships and legal concerns. A children's group runs concurrently with the women's group. Call for more information at 703-777-6552.
Stroller Strides classes Ñ a fitness program for new mothers and other caregivers, incorporating the stroller and baby in an outdoor setting Ñ are now available in Leesburg. The 50-minute workouts include power walking and calisthenics. The classes are offered Mondays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m., and Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10 a.m., at Potomac Station Multi-Purpose Court, at the corner of Rivercreek Parkway and Potomac Station Drive. For more information, call Lisa Atkinson at 800-445-8748 or 703-771-7801 or e-mail latkinson@strollerstrides.net.
Loudoun County Free Clinic. Clinic needs volunteers for Wednesday and Thursday nights from 5:30-9 p.m. Needed are administrative, Spanish interpreters, physicians, nurses, lab tech and pharmacist volunteers. The non-profit clinic provides acute, non-emergency quality health care services to uninsured Loudoun County residents. Call Lyle Werner at 703-779-5412. E-mail LoudounCommunityFreeClinic@lh.org.
Tours of Birthing Inn. The Loudoun Hospital center is offering tours of the Birthing Inn on weekends and evenings. There is no charge for the tour, however registration is required. Registration may be done online at www.thebirthinginn.org or call 703-858-6360.
Safe Sitter Classes. Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Services and Reston Hospital Center for girls and boys ages 11-13 who are interested in babysitting. Call Broadlands Regional Medical Center at 703-858-3465 to register.
Senior Newsletter. The Loudoun Cooperative Extension is offering a newsletter for seniors, "As You Age." The research-based newsletter was created by professors at Virginia Tech in the fields of human development and nutrition, foods and exercise. For a free copy, contact Kalinda Santos or Beverly Samuel at 703-777-0373.
Online Mental Health Screening. The Community Resilience Project of Loudoun County is offering a free, anonymous online mental health screening. The online assessment tool screens for depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders. The tool is available on the Loudoun County Government Web site at www.loudoun.gov/mhmr/screenings.htm. The tool will remain effective until October of 2004. If needed, the resource will inform users of where to obtain further professional mental health services.
Sterling/Reston DRADA (Depression and Related Affective Disorders Association) Support Group meets first and third Tuesdays of each month, 7-9 p.m., in Reston. For more information and directions, call Ginny at 703-966-2510.
Assisted Living. "Choosing an Assisted Living Facility: Considerations for Making the Right Decision," a booklet produced by the Consumer Consortium on Assisted Living (CCAL) in cooperation with the MetLife Mature Market Institute, can be ordered by calling 703-533-8121. Single copies are $10 each.
Reach to Recovery Program. The American Cancer Society offers free services to women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo recent surgery. A trained volunteer who has survived breast cancer is available to talk with patients confidentially, provide helpful information and offer emotional support. A Reach "kit" is given to each patient, which includes a leisure bra, a soft prosthesis for mastectomy patients, exercise items and literature. Call 703-938-5550.
The Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization. Group provides free services including educational programs and lectures, brown-bag seminars, quarterly newsletters, and a 24-hour HOPEline. The HOPEline (703-461-9616 or 1-800-970-4411) is staffed by trained breast-cancer survivors who provide information and emotional support to callers. Call 703-461-9595 or visit www.y-menca.org for more information.