Eastside Medical Center recognizes the significant number of lung cancer cases in the community and is growing their services to meet the needs of the surrounding population. Lung cancer causes more deaths than colon, breast and prostate cancer combined, according to the National Lung Screening Trial. Not only is Eastside Medical Center growing its services in this area, they are also educating their employees about preventative measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of lung cancer and encouraging them to spread the word.
Employees posted words of encouragement in the fight against smoking and to support lung cancer prevention on November 17, 2016Eastside Medical Center’s locations are all proud smoke free facilities. In correlation with Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Eastside Medical Center participated in the American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout event on November 17, 2016. The purpose of the day is for smokers to use this day as their quit day and pledge to a healthy life free of tobacco. According to the American Cancer Society, around 40 Million Americans still smoke cigarettes, and tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the world. Eastside Medical Center used this day, and the days leading up to the event, to educate their employees on the risks of using tobacco and let them know that they have support in the fight to quit smoking.
The educational initiative was led by Paulette Zinkann, oncology program leader at Eastside Medical Center who states, “The hospital is working to better educate our employees and the community on the degree to which smoking can increase your risk for developing lung cancer.” According to the National Lung Screening Trial approximately 1 in 14 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer. “Preventative diagnostic testing for those who meet the criteria is available at Eastside Medical Center with our low-dose CT screening,” Zinkann shared. The National Lung Screening Trial conveys that this technology can detect the deadly disease early and reduce lung cancer mortality by 20 percent.
“The message we are giving to our employees, in partnership with the American Cancer Society, is that they must remember that in the fight to quit smoking, support can make a huge difference. We asked our employees who use tobacco to take the pledge to quit smoking with a friend on the day of the Great American Smokeout and provided them with tips and resources to assist in their journey,” said Zinkann.
Encourage your friends and family to join you on your journey to becoming smoke-free and assist in educating those loved ones who do have a history of smoking to seek out medical advice on how to seek preventative diagnostic screening. If you would like more information on the lung cancer screening services that Eastside Medical Center has to offer, call 770-736-2421 to take the lung cancer risk assessment and determine your eligibility for the low-dose CT screening.
Eastside Medical Center is a 310-bed, multi-campus medical center serving patients in Gwinnett and surrounding counties for more than 35 years. Nationally recognized for patient safety, Eastside’s comprehensive medical and surgical programs include heart and vascular, neurosciences, cancer, orthopedics, rehabilitation, sleep medicine, women’s services, spine and wellness center, wound care clinic, center for weight loss, behavioral health and 24-hour emergency care. Eastside Medical Group provides primary care for patients of all ages in several community office locations. The Eastside Medical Center main campus is located at 1700 Medical Way in Snellville; the South Campus for Behavioral Health and Inpatient Rehabilitation is located at 2160 Fountain Drive in Snellville; the Loganville Digital Imaging Center is located at 3445 Georgia 81 in Loganville; and the Breast Imaging & Diagnostic Center is located at 1700 Tree Lane in Snellville. For more information, visit EastsideMedical.com.
