The first part of the discussion, “The Evidence for Mind-Body Medicine,” will be led by David Schwindt, MD, board-certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Acupuncture, who will discuss the research behind the harmful effects of chronic stress, the implications about stress causing some of the chronic diseases that are difficult for conventional medicine to treat effectively, and the clinical evidence for using mind-body medicine to treat a variety of illnesses.

The second part of the discussion, “An Introduction to Zen Meditation,” will be led by Daniel Diffin, MD, Radiologist, who will discuss how Zen meditation promotes well-being through the integration of body and mind, the theory and practice of meditation, with a special emphasis on Zen Meditation, and will lead the group in various meditation exercises. Ordained as a Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk in 1980, Dr. Diffin has over thirty years experience in Zen Meditation, and has taught this practice in numerous workshops.  This introduction is open to people of all ages and experience levels in meditation.

Click here to register or call Community Education line at 401-348-2303, or 1-800-933-5960, extension 3423.

Class size is limited.  For more information and to register, please call The Westerly Hospital’s Diabetes Clinic at 401-348-3533 or 800-933-5960 extension 3533, or send an email to:  diabetes@westerlyhospital.org. 

The Hospital’s diabetes program recently became accredited by the American Association of Diabetes Educators, ensuring the program meets and maintains high standards of care.   The course will cover the fundamentals of nutritional management, label reading, meal planning options, guidelines for eating out and special occasions, glucose monitoring, medication management, insulin treatment and administration, sick-day care, foot care, exercise, stress management, and preventing complications. With a physician’s referral, many health insurers cover the cost of these sessions.  Please check with your insurance provider to make check whether or not Diabetes Self-Management Education is a covered benefit for your plan.

In addition to this group course, The Westerly Hospital offers individual, one-on-one instruction with a Certified Diabetes Outpatient Educator which is available by appointment by calling 401-348-3533 or 800-933-5960 extension 3533.

The Westerly Hospital also offers a free monthly diabetes support group which meets the first Wednesday of every month from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. in the Hospital’s Henry J. Nardone Conference Center.  Facilitated by Herb Nieburg, PhD, Psychologist and Mark Rogers, PharmD, CDOE, Clinical Pharmacist for The Westerly Hospital.  For information or questions on the support group, call The Westerly Hospital’s Diabetes Clinic at 401-348-3533 or 800-933-5960 extension 3533.

Lawrence + Memorial’s Commitment to The Westerly Hospital’s Community

Lawrence + Memorial made several commitments when it began to consider purchasing The Westerly Hospital.  These include: 

• To invest $30 million to fund capital upgrades to the facility and equipment over the next five years.
• To invest $6.5 million to fund a turnaround plan aimed at achieving long-term viability for The Westerly Hospital.
• Operate The Westerly Hospital as an acute care facility for at least five years and retain the same complement of clinical care services offered there for at least two years.
• To maintain the non-profit status of The Westerly Hospital, and assure local representation on the newly developed Westerly Hospital Board of Directors as well as local representation on the Board of Directors for the L+M Corporation.
• To retain The Westerly Hospital name

Please note: Statements are contingent upon final approval by the Rhode Island Department of Health, Attorney General  and final closing by the Rhode Island Superior Court.

Interested in learning more about L+M Hospital?

Click here to visit the L+M Hospital’s website.  You can also find Lawrence + Memorial Hospital on Facebook.

Outpatient laboratory services will continue to be offered at the following locations:  main Westerly Hospital laboratory at 25 Wells Street; the Morgan Medical Building located at 45 Wells Street; and Wood River Health Services located at 823 Main Street, Hope Valley, RI.

In addition, outpatient laboratory services are available at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital’s Pequot Health Center in Groton, CT.

Dr. Whelan will discuss various types of skin cancer, causes and treatments of cancers, and how you can prevent skin cancers.  A question and answer session will follow the presentation. This program is free and open to the public.

Click here to register or call 401-348-2300, or, from outside RI, call 800-933-5960 ext. 3423.  Please leave a message with your name, phone number, and program for which you are registering.  You will automatically be registered in the program.

Dr. Whelan is currently accepting new patients.  To schedule an appointment with her, call 401-213-6671.

The Westerly Hospital has received ISO 9001:2008 certification by DNV, a leading accreditor of U.S. hospitals that integrates ISO 9001 quality compliance with Medicare Conditions of Participation.  The Westerly Hospital is the first hospital in New England and among only twenty-six in the country to receive this certification.  

Created by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO 9001 is a quality management system recognized by businesses around the world, including hospitals and healthcare providers, as the benchmark for continual quality improvement.   The ISO 9001:2008 standards place significant emphasis on proper documentation of all processes within a hospital to ensure that the staff is consistently delivering care in the safest and most effective way.   While other certifications mandate specific yet static criteria for participation, with ISO 9001:2008, a hospital continually monitors processes which result in ongoing improvements.

DNV was authorized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in 2008 as the only accreditation and certification program for hospitals that integrates the ISO quality management system with the core requirements for hospitals set forth by the U.S. government.

The Westerly Hospital received its required accreditation from DNV in November, 2012; however, the hospital voluntarily chose to pursue ISO 9001:2008 certification, a more rigorous yearly quality assurance process than accreditation alone.  To receive the certification, The Westerly Hospital underwent an intense on-site evaluation in the fall of 2012 in which they had to demonstrate quality in a number of areas including but not limited to inpatient care, outpatient care, administering of medications, food service, operating and administrative procedures, medical equipment and supplies, and infection control.  To maintain its certification, each year The Westerly Hospital will be undergo a similar review by DNV to demonstrate compliance. 

Said Christopher Lehrach, MD, Westerly Hospital’s Chief Transformation Officer, Interim Operations, “Every patient expects quality care when they walk into a hospital. The Westerly Hospital chose to pursue this more rigorous certification process to ensure that we are not only meeting our patients’ expectations, but that we are exceeding them.”

Dr. Whelan attended medical school at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, Maine.  She completed her internship, a residency in Family Medicine as well as her Dermatology residency at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, NY.

Dr. Whelan delivers quality care to patients of all ages including infants, children, adolescents, and adults.  She provides treatment for rashes, warts, skin tags, moles, acne and all disorders of the skin, hair and nails, evaluates moles and provides skin cancer detection and treatment.  In addition, she offers cosmetic consultations and performs cosmetic procedures in the privacy of an office setting.

 Dr. Whelan is now accepting new patients.  To schedule an appointment, call 401-213-6671.

Classes are held at 45 Wells Street, Suite 101, in the hospital’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Center.  Cost for the twice-weekly, six-week sessions is $48.  Program Leader will be an exercise physiologist from the Cardiac Rehabilitation Department at The Westerly Hospital.

StrongWomen is a safe and effective program designed to improve strength, balance, muscle mass, bone density, and overall well being.  The StrongWomen program features easy-to-follow exercises using simple equipment — a five-minute warm-up, eight to twelve safe and simple exercises, and a five-minute cool down. 

To register or for information, call The Westerly Hospital’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Department at 401-348-3882.  Please note that space is limited.

To read more about the program, click here.