It's good to know Mount Nittany Medical Center's recent acquisition of SimMan, a computerized "manikin," will help clinical staff hone their skills with "rapid assessment and intervention," which in layman's terms means knowing what to do when seconds count.

The education department at Mount Nittany Medical Center has dubbed the computerized patient simulator "TJ." "We wanted the name to be gender neutral, because SimMan can actually be transformed into a woman as well," said Dwain Pegues, BSN, RN, EMT-P, clinical educator.

TJ is five foot, five inches tall, and weighs 75 lbs. It is moveable and flexible, which allows for a variety of positions in simulation scenarios.

Mount Nittany Medical Center is proud to announce that we have received the Get With The Guidelines® Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association for 2012.

Get With The Guidelines® is a national quality improvement program based on the latest care guidelines recommended by the American Heart Association/American College of Medicine.

This award demonstrates that we treat heart failure patients according to these evidence-based guidelines, which have been shown to improve the quality of care for heart failure patients, save lives and reduce healthcare costs by lowering the recurrence of heart attacks.

"Emerging research is backing up the claims that the Mediterranean diet is a way of eating that helps to prevent chronic disease such as coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease," according to Kathryn M. Kolasa, PhD, RD, LDN, professor emeritus at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.

"But you don't just follow the food plan, you follow the lifestyle too," said Kolasa, whose lecture is part of the Family Medicine Seminar Series (FMSS) on August 16 at Mount Nittany Medical Center, and will include the recommendation of following the Mediterranean lifestyle - physical activity, and an unhurried, relaxed, and enjoyable meal away from work.

You've heard that red wine is good for your health, but is there medical evidence to back that up? The answer: somewhat.

There have been multiple studies done that suggest moderate red wine consumption may have a beneficial cardiovascular effect for certain individuals. One component of red wine, resveratrol, appears to play a role in the positive cardiovascular effects.

A mild decrease in blood pressure and blood vessel dilation are two ways that red wine may promote heart health. Red wine can also cause an increase in "good cholesterol," have antioxidant effects and affect blood clotting, perhaps making it less likely for a clot to form.

For Elizabeth Burger, finance, Mount Nittany Health, walking is a family affair. She has been part of the Centre County Heart Walk for four years, and her daughter Emma has gone right along with her each year of her life!

This year Elizabeth is in charge of recruiting a team. Mount Nittany Health currently has seven teams.

April Bassett, finance, who has been with Mount Nittany Health for just about one year, says, "It's great that Mount Nittany Health gets involved with the Centre County walk because it's a great way to connect with friends and family."

If you were given the chance, would you do just one thing that could greatly lower your risk of disease and death?

It is assumed that most people would instantly answer "yes" to the above question, but nearly 30 percent of Americans practice a habit that is widely known to cause disease and death. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, tobacco is the leading cause of disease and death in the United States, resulting in more than 5 million deaths per year. In addition, for every smoker who dies from a smoking-attributable disease, another 20 live with a serious smoking-related disease - making tobacco use the single most preventable cause of disease and death.

To help ensure a safe, clean and healthy environment for our employees, patients and visitors, all Mount Nittany Health facilities will become tobacco free effective September 4, 2012.

I was looking for a way to get 60 minutes of exercise into my day and decided that riding my bike to work was the answer. So, I jumped right in! In the span of one month I had experienced three "mishaps" - one requiring a trip to the doctor.

Luckily, one of my co-workers, Dana Marsh, is active in a local cycling club, See Jane Ride. I thought I could use some help. With her wealth of experience, I asked her for a Bicycling Safety 101 list. I thank her for these safety tips: