Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Apply for Free, Youth Grief Support Camp Hosted by Hospice By The Bay in August

Apply for Free, Youth Grief Support Camp Hosted by Hospice By The Bay in August

North Bay, San Francisco, and East Bay children and teens, ages 6 to 17, who are coping with the death of a parent, loved one, or friend are invited to apply for Hospice By The Bay's 2nd annual grief support camp weekend, Camp Erin™ Oakland/Bay Area, which will be held August 21-23, 2009.

Larkspur, CA (Vocus) February 25, 2009 -- North Bay, San Francisco, and East Bay children and teens, ages 6 to 17, who are coping with the death of a parent, loved one, or friend are invited to apply for Hospice By The Bay (http://www.hospicebythebay.org/)'s 2nd annual grief support camp weekend, Camp Erin™ Oakland/Bay Area, which will be held August 21-23, 2009. Attendance is free of charge for campers, and includes accommodations, meals, traditional camp fun, and therapeutic activities. Transportation is provided to and from Marin County to Camp Erin at the beautiful CYO Retreat Center in the Sonoma County Redwoods.

Camper registration is limited, and preference will be given to first-time Camp Erin attendees. For information and an application, contact Hospice By The Bay at CampErin(at)hospicebythebay.org, or (415) 526-5699, ext. 8501. Download an application at the Camp Erin Oakland/Bay Area web site: www.hospicebythebay.org/Calendar/Events.html.

Along with recreational activities such as swimming, hiking, games, and campfires, campers will gain emotional support through therapeutic groups and activities led by professional counselors and an important sense of connection with other youngsters who are experiencing similar feelings of loss. As a previous Camp Erin participant said,

"It really helps to talk with other kids who have gone through a loss and understand how you feel. You don't feel so alone."

Campers will also have opportunities to express their feelings about the loss of their loved ones and learn ways to cope with their grief. A study by Ewalt & Perkins suggests that approximately 90 percent of youngsters will experience the loss of a family member or close friend before finishing high school. Research also indicates these children are at a much greater risk for depression, suicide, poverty, and substance abuse.

Hospice By The Bay (http://www.hospicebythebay.org/), a non-profit, regional hospice and palliative care organization, has long recognized that children need grief support different than that for adults. As part of its Youth Bereavement Program, which offers youth a full range of counseling services, Hospice hosted its first Youth Bereavement Camp in 2001.

Hospice hosts Camp Erin Oakland/Bay Area in partnership with The Moyer Foundation (http://www.moyerfoundation.org), which supplied partial grant funding for annual camps through 2018. The Seattle-based foundation was established by Major League All-Star pitcher Jamie Moyer and his wife Karen with a long-term goal of establishing 50 camps nationwide to support grieving children in cities with Major League Baseball teams. This year, 28 Camp Erin weekends will be held in 18 states. The foundation's Campaign for Kids is a national fundraising effort to continue to expand Camp Erin across the country.

The Oakland Athletics and A's third baseman Eric Chavez and his wife Alex are advocates for Camp Erin Oakland/Bay Area. Michael Crowley, Oakland Athletics President, says, "The Oakland A's organization is honored to be a part of The Moyer Foundation and its efforts to support grieving children through its Camp Erin efforts in the Bay Area, we would like to thank Jamie and Karen Moyer on their vision and dedication to such a worthy cause."

A co-sponsor of the 2009 Camp Erin is The CYO Retreat Center (http://www.cyocamp.org/retreatcenter/), a 216-acre facility in the redwoods, with a private lake, playing fields, two pools, and heated cabins. Hospice By The Bay requests that individuals and other businesses who wish to support Camp Erin through their tax-deductible financial or in-kind donations contact its Director of Development at (415) 526-5500 or donate online at www.hospicebythebay.org.

Hospice By The Bay, which serves Marin, San Francisco, Northern San Mateo, and Sonoma counties, is dedicated to providing the highest quality of end-of-life care to patients and their families regardless of their ability to pay. Hospice By The Bay also serves people whose lives have been affected by the loss of a loved one through its community grief support program.

Hospice By The Bay is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been serving the Bay Area since 1975. Hospice By The Bay programs are funded through health care reimbursement and financial and in-kind donations from community members and businesses. For more information about Hospice By The Bay's care or to make a donation to support our work, call (415) 927-2273, or visit www.hospicebythebay.org.

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Contact Information Erin Henke

Hospice By The Bay

http://www.hospicebythebay.org

415-927-2273



Carla Mills, ARNP, Outlines Nurse Practitioner Rescue Plan for Health Care System in New Column for NP World News

Carla Mills, ARNP, Outlines Nurse Practitioner Rescue Plan for Health Care System in New Column for NP World News

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are poised and ready to take a leading role in health care reform, says Carla Mills (http://www.maverickhealth.com/about/), author of the award-winning health book (http://www.maverickhealth.com/smarthealthchoices/) A Nurse Practitioner's Guide to Smart Health Choices and founder of Maverick Health. Her new column, "NPs on the Edge," in NP World News (http://www.webnp.net/npwn08.html) will highlight the ways in which NPs can guide people to smart choices that will reduce their health risks.

(PRWEB) February 25, 2009 -- Carla Mills, author of A Nurse Practitioner's Guide to Smart Health Choices (http://www.maverickhealth.com/smarthealthchoices) and founder of Maverick Health, will write a new column for NP World News (NPWN) titled "NPs on the Edge." The Jan/Feb issue of the news magazine for nurse practitioners introduces Ms. Mills by profiling her career and reviewing her award-winning book, A Nurse Practitioner's Guide to Smart Health Choices. Starting with the Mar/Apr issue, her column will outline a NP rescue plan for a troubled health care system.

"With our health care system in crisis, it is more important than ever for Nurse Practitioners to take a leading role in health care reform. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to communicate with fellow NPs in NP World News." says Carla Mills. "NP Communications has long been a respected publisher for the nurse practitioner profession. It is a great honor to have the quality and importance of my book recognized by such a respected publisher.

In her NP World News column, Ms. Mills will be sharing her views on the role of nurse practitioners in health care reform as well as her common sense approach to reducing the burden of chronic diseases on both individuals and society. She will explain why NPs are the perfect primary care providers to help people make smart choices and choose behavioral changes that will significantly reduce their risk for developing major diseases long before symptoms ever appear.

"Carla Mills has written a book to make all NPs proud. A Nurse Practitioner's Guide to Smart Health Choices is a well written, how-to manual for those contemplating a lower-risk lifestyle. Carla captures completely the holistic, integrated orientation unique to NP practice. Included in this tremendous work are the major lifestyle and behavioral causes of disease, disability, and premature death - plus action steps that help you stick to lifestyle changes you choose." writes NPWN's Eileen T. O'Grady.

In 2008, Ms. Mills' book was named a National Best Book in Health: Medical Reference by USA Book News and was also a winner in the Health Category of the National Indie Excellence Book Award. In addition, it was a finalist in the Health/Wellness Category of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. A Nurse Practitioner's Guide to Smart Health Choices is available for purchase exclusively online at www.maverickhealth.com. The Maverick Health Blog expands on the book to keep readers up to date on the national treatment guidelines for the most common health risks (http://www.maverickhealth.com/blog) and other timely health issues.

About Maverick Health

Maverick Health is dedicated to creating a health care system to complement the country's current sick care system. Its mission is to reduce chronic diseases and prevent catastrophic health events in both individuals and populations. Taking a very practical and measurable approach, Maverick Health teaches people with no prior medical knowledge how to effectively and efficiently manage their own health and health care. The cornerstone of its approach is outlined in the award winning book, A Nurse Practitioner's Guide to Smart Health Choices.

About Carla Mills, ARNP

Carla Mills, ARNP, has been a practicing clinician for more than 20 years. She is also a writer, entrepreneur, and a dynamic speaker who can offer insights on a variety of health care topics that address the role that wellness and illness play on both a personal and professional level. For more information, visit www.maverickhealth.com.

About NP Communications

NP Communications (http://www.webnp.net/) is a leading publisher that has served the Nurse Practitioner profession for over 15 years. In addition to publishing NP World News, NP Communications also publishes two peer reviewed professional journals. The American Journal of Nurse Practitioners includes articles of clinical relevance to NP clinicians and Women's Health Care is the official journal of NPWH (Nurse Practitioner's in Women's Health). As publishers, Louise and George Young have brought together key thought leaders within the NP profession and seen to it that their ideas are widely propagated. As friends of NPs, they have served tirelessly over the years on boards and committees helping NPs become more visible, better organized and better understood by both consumers and lawmakers.

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Contact Information Charles Epstein

Backbone Inc.

561-470-0965