Mercy Foundation is pleased to announce its date and location for the 2012 Charity Ball event to benefit the House of Mercy Homeless Center.

The event will be held Saturday, May 19, at the Janesville Country Club, 2615 W. Memorial Dr., Janesville. The prestigious, black-tie invited evening will begin at 5 pm with a social hour, hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, followed by a gourmet dinner, music and a live and silent auction.

(more…)

The National Association of Female Executives (NAFE) recently announced Mercy Health System as one of the NAFE Top Nonprofit Companies for Executive Women. The list recognizes organizations whose policies and practices encourage women’s advancement and whose numbers at the highest levels of leadership demonstrate that commitment.

The new report, conducted by the Working Mother Research Institute, finds that women hold 27 percent of all board of director seats at the NAFE Top Nonprofit Companies, compared with 16 percent across the Fortune 500.

“We are very honored to be listed among the top companies for executive women,” says Javon R. Bea, president and CEO of Mercy Health System. “We have an outstanding leadership team and I’m proud they do whatever it takes to continuously improve the care patients receive.”

(more…)

Eating healthy can be a problem for some people. Our fast-paced world doesn’t always allow for people to sit down and enjoy a nice, balanced meal. While it may be easier to grab a burger and go, taking an extra couple of minutes to eat an apple or a banana makes all the difference.

A growing body of research shows that fruits and vegetables are critical to lifelong good health. People simply don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables to be living a healthy, well-balanced life. The average person is supposed to eat (depending on their age, height and weight) anywhere from one-half to two cups of fruit and veggies a day.

Fruits and vegetables contain essential vitamins, minerals and fiber that can help protect you from chronic diseases. When compared with people who consume a diet with only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts are likely to have reduced risks for strokes, some heart diseases, and certain cancers.

(more…)

Monica Freeman, AuD

What factors keep patients with hearing loss from obtaining hearing aids? The reasons may include cost, cosmetics, difficulty handling a hearing aid, and hearing about or having negative experiences. All of these reasons are valid, but let’s take a closer look behind the scenes and put things in perspective.

What makes hearing aids so expensive? The saying, “you get what you pay for” holds true for the most part with regards to hearing aids as well. Most health insurance does not cover the cost of hearing aids. What you are paying for is both the product and your professional’s time. The cost usually includes the hearing aid selection process, which in itself includes a discussion about your listening needs and challenges. The cost also includes the product itself, and the fitting of it, as well as follow-up visits. That is a lot of time spent with the professional fitting the aids, and time is a valued product with a price tag.

(more…)

Since February marks American Heart Month, we’ve organized several free or low-cost screenings and educational learning events for you and your family to take advantage of.

Take care of your heart with a special Valentine’s Day gift by scheduling your full cholesterol screening on February 14. The screenings are from 8 am-noon and are only $10.

(more…)

Mercy Health System is pleased to announce a new service to reduce long waits for emergency care and urgent care called InQuicker. Beginning February 6, patients with minor emergencies and/or urgent care needs can wait at home instead of the hospital by registering online.

Five Mercy emergency departments and urgent cares now provide this service:

(more…)

More than 60 percent of Americans don’t get regular exercise. Besides the long-term benefits of exercise, such as, controlling weight and reducing risks of certain diseases; exercise helps people to think and move better, manage stress and improve their mood in addition to boosting energy. Here are 14 ways to make regular exercise work for you:

1) Know that one of the biggest challenges for people is to be physically active.

2) Use the buddy system – find a partner to exercise with and hold each other accountable.

3) Make exercise fun! If you don’t like the gym, walk outside, play a sport, or find a group fitness class.

4) Schedule exercise just like you would any other appointment.

5) Start small – Try walking or running for 15 minutes and add 1 minute each time. Set a goal of 45-60 minutes.

(more…)

Your environment, lifestyle and eating habits all contribute to your overall health. Making good food choices every day will add up over time to keep your body well nourished and at healthy weight. Here is a heart healthy recipe for you to share with the entire family:

(more…)

Do you wear progressive lenses? Now’s the time to improve your view with Mercy Vision Centers’ new Autograph lens and frame discount from now until February 29, 2012.

Progressive lenses are often prescribed for people who are having trouble reading fine print with regular glasses, progressive lenses offer a younger-looking appearance and other advantages over the lined bifocal lenses.

From now until February 29, buy a complete pair of glasses with Autograph II no-line progressive lenses and get a FREE pair of Autograph II OfficeTM computer lenses.

(more…)

Mercy Health System invites you to its Family Health Festival from 10 am to 2 pm January 21 at the newly renovated and expanded Mercy Clinic East, 3524 E. Milwaukee St., Janesville. The day’s activities include:

Exclusive behind-the-scene tours at the new facility to see all of the services available such as a new physical and sports medicine therapy gym with a SwimEx pool, renovated consultation and procedure rooms, spacious lobby, pharmacy, vision center, radiology, pediatrics, family medicine, dermatology, orthopedic surgery and ENT services.

(more…)