RWJ Hamilton's Septemberfest Health Tent Offers Education for Healthy Living

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton – Hamilton's hospital of choice -- is once again a prime sponsor of Septemberfest. The RWJ Hamilton Health Tent near the children's area and entertainment stage offers attendees health screenings and information about a variety of health and wellness topics. From childbirth and family life to sleep and cancer care, health educators and other hospital staff are available to answer your questions.

Accurate Blood Pressure Readings by RWJ Hamilton
Having your blood pressure taken at the tent is the first step to keeping your heart healthy and preventing unwanted conditions. Hypertension, a condition present in one out of every five Americans, contributes to the highest number of strokes, the leading cause of disability and the third leading cause of death in the United States.

RWJ Hamilton, Mercer County's leader in stroke care, opened its new dedicated stroke unit last month in the hospital's new Lakefront Tower served by 13 neurologists and a staff of specially-trained healthcare professionals. RWJ Hamilton is a two-time recipient of the Stroke Care Excellence Award given by HealthGrades, a national healthcare ratings organization, and the only hospital in Mercer County to receive this prestigious award in 2007.

The full-service stroke unit focuses on acute stroke care, rehabilitation, support and education. "Our mission is to reduce the debilitating effects of stroke through specialized care and community education," says Rao Pasupuleti, MD, board certified neurologist and medical director of RWJ Hamilton's Stroke Unit. The hospital is working to educate stroke survivors and their caregivers at a conference to be held Saturday, October 20.

Locally, RWJ Hamilton's stroke program has seen patients as young as 30-years-old so it's important for adults of all ages to know how to keep the heart healthy and recognize warning signs of a stroke. According to the American Stroke Association (ASA), everyone should know these warning signs of stroke and teach them to others:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

Keep Your Heart Healthy
To keep your heart healthy, dieticians will also be on hand to discuss nutrition services and classes held in the healthy cooking kitchen at the RWJ Hamilton Center for Health and Wellness. Information about RWJ Hamilton's many community events held throughout the fall, including Breast Cancer Awareness Month events, will be available. Giving away great prizes, RWJ Hamilton representatives also will be educating the community about the hospital's innovative programs, from the newly expanded Lakefront Tower Maternity Unit to the state-of-the-art Balance Center.

More About RWJ Hamilton
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (RWJ Hamilton) is the only New Jersey hospital to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Located in Hamilton Township, NJ, the hospital is part of the RWJ Health System and Network and is affiliated with the University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey-RWJ Medical School and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

The RWJ Hamilton Health Care Corporation serves communities within a five-county area and includes an acute care hospital, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey Hamilton, three affiliated medical groups, seven Lakeview Child Centers, and the RWJ Hamilton Center for Health & Wellness, home of a medically-based fitness center and the hospital's extensive community education program. Over 1,900 hospital employees and 650 medical staff physicians share RWJ Hamilton's passion for Excellence Through Service. For more information, visit www.rwjhamilton.org.