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.

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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:

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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.

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Mercy Foundation and Applebee’s® at 3024 Milton Ave. in Janesville invite you to its Flapjack Fundraiser Breakfast to support Mercy Hospice Care, January 14, from 8-10 am. Breakfast tickets are $5 each and include pancakes, bacon and a beverage.

“Each year, it seems the need for financial support get greater,” said Nancy Bracken, director of Mercy Hospice Care and Mercy Home Health Care. “It’s through the generosity of our community that we are able to provide support for our patients and their families at a very vulnerable time in their lives.”

Proceeds will benefit hospice patients at Mercy Hospice Care in Janesville.

For more information about the event or services provided at Mercy Hospice Care, please call (608) 756-3559.

You inspire all of us at Mercy Health System to give everything we can to make sure you and your family get the very best care. We wish you a very happy, healthy and joyous New Year!

Many Mercy Health System clinics and locations will be closed or have limited hours around the holidays, such as Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

Please call your clinic directly to obtain hours or call Mercy HealthLine at (888) 39-MERCY.

Holiday hours for Mercy Health System emergency rooms, urgent care clinics and immediate care centers are:

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