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Stroke is this nation's No. 3 killer and a leading cause of disability. That's why this issue's featured article on transient ischemic attack (TIA), often called a warning or ministroke, deserves your close attention. In addition to information about TIA and stroke warning signs and vital preventive measures, you'll learn about the specialized treatment available at John Muir Health's nationally certified stroke centers. Other exceptional programs at John Muir are highlighted as well, including those that serve premature babies, encourage new and expectant moms to breastfeed, provide care for adults with asthma and more. There are also updates on treatments for dry eyes, plus practical tips about pill splitting and clever Internet health tools. It's a lineup with wide-ranging insights designed to promote your well-being. Enjoy!

—J. Kendall Anderson
President and CEO,
John Muir Health

Visit the John Muir Women's Health Center Are you looking for information you can trust about some of today's leading health and wellness issues? At our Women's Health Center, you'll find resources on everything from women and heart disease to childbirth education and menopause, as well as osteoporosis screenings and mammography. The center also offers classes, support groups, massage therapy and lactation services. Stop by 1656 N. California Blvd., Ste. 100, in Walnut Creek. Business hours: Monday- Thursday, 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, call (925) 941-7900.

Calling All Volunteers

Becoming a volunteer at John Muir Health is a terrific way to make a difference in your community—and you can choose your area of interest and schedule. Here are some available options.

• John Muir Medical Centers: Volunteers provide support in the medical centers as well as through community outreach services. For more information, call (925) 947- 5358 (Walnut Creek Campus); (925) 674-2165 (Concord Campus); (925) 947-5211 or (925) 308-8275 (Brentwood) or (925) 939-1220 (John Muir Outpatient Center, Tice Valley/Rossmoor).
• Caring Hands: Volunteers are needed to provide free, nonmedical, in-home support to seniors. For more information, call (925) 952-2999.

Celebrate Docent Week John Muir Auxiliary Docents are celebrating 30 years of service from September 25 to 29. If you are interested in becoming a "teaching guide" for John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek Campus, or are interested in a tour, call (925) 941-5028.

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Love Can Be Powerful Therapy

Tiny and fragile Nicholas Pearson tipped the scale at barely 3 pounds when he was born on March 28, 2006. At 28 weeks and five days, he'd arrived well in advance of the 38 to 40 weeks considered full term. But the way his mom, Janine Pearson, and his medical caregivers see things, he was born at a good time and in the right place—a spot where high tech meets high touch, and families reap the benefit.

Nicholas was delivered at John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek Campus, and spent his first six weeks of life in its Intensive Care Nursery (ICN), one of Contra Costa County's most advanced, licensed Level III neonatal intensive care nurseries. Before his birth, Janine had spent more than four weeks on bed rest at the medical center to delay preterm labor and improve her baby's prospects.

Like many of the ICN's premature charges (sometimes called preemies), newly born Nicholas was put on a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) device to ease his breathing. After the third day, he was off the machine and breathing on his own. "Then came Kangaroo Care," says Janine, recalling the soothing skin-to-skin technique she learned in the ICN, in which she wrapped and snuggled her child directly against her chest while the two rested in a reclining chair, seemingly light years from the distractions and stress of the unit's state-of-the-art medical devices and procedures. The process owes its name to the typical experience of a kangaroo baby, who isn't fully developed at birth and cuddles for six months in the warmth and security of his mother's pouch before venturing out.

"From the beginning, Nicholas settled down and seemed just to melt into me," says Janine. "It was such a bonding experience and was very calming for him and me. Eric, his dad, liked doing it, too."

Kangaroo Care is just one of a constellation of nurturing techniques employed as part of the ICN's "developmentally supportive care," which aims to keep preemies as comfortable and free from stress as possible. Babies who've had Kangaroo Care "get off ventilators sooner, gain weight faster, do better with feeding and go home sooner," says Sue Cleaver, ICN clinical coordinator. "It's also very empowering for parents. They no longer feel like helpless bystanders. We often start stable babies on Kangaroo Care when they are very tiny and still on a ventilator or CPAP."

Another important element of ICN care is the Golden Hour Script, developed by a multidisciplinary team of John Muir Medical Center physicians, nurses and respiratory therapists, which gives comprehensive guidelines for the stabilization of extremely premature babies. The Golden Hour—the first hour of a premature baby's life—is considered vital because the treatment provided during that critical time can have long-term effects.

According to the Golden Hour Script, a tube is inserted into the baby's mouth and windpipe. The tube is attached to a special device, called a Neopuff, which assists the baby's breathing by providing breaths at a constant pressure, making it possible to more accurately control the pressure of each breath, Cleaver says. The Golden Hour script has been "very successful," she adds. "Our staff completely supports the program. We are getting babies off ventilators sooner and have observed a drop in chronic lung disease. We believe the Golden Hour Script will have long-term benefits for our premature babies and possibly help them go home sooner."

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Tour Our Birth Center John Muir Health provides all the amenities for a memorable birth experience, plus access to the resources of one of the region's most comprehensive medical centers, including advanced technology and facilities and specially trained physicians and nurses. All obstetrical services for John Muir Health are now provided at John Muir Birth Center - Walnut Creek. For a schedule of Birth Center tours, check online at johnmuirhealth. com (click "Services" then "Childbirth"), or call the John Muir Women's Health Center at (925) 941-7900, option 11 (prerecorded message).

Copyright © 2006 by John Muir Health. WH is published quarterly by John Muir Health as a community service and is not intended for the purpose of diagnosing or prescribing. WH Editorial Advisory Board: American Heart Association and the Office on Women's Health, U.S. Public Health Service. Produced by DCP.

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