If you are abstaining from meat for Lent or just trying to eat healthier, the Civista Health website has hundreds of healthy vegetarian and meatless recipes.

In March, the Health eCooking® recipe library shows you how to make meatless pastas, sandwiches and entrées using ingredients such as fish, vegetables and beans. These recipes are created by professional chefs and served in restaurants. Registered dietitians make sure every recipe is Heart Healthy or suitable for Diabetic diets.

Our cooking video features New York chef Rob Endelman making a low-fat fish and vegetable dinner in just 10 minutes. You can make this quick recipe in your toaster oven. Chef Endelman uses flounder in this easy recipe, but you can substitute any thin fish such as tilapia, catfish or sole. Find these delicious, filling and easy-to-make meatless recipes at the Health eCooking® recipe library:

• Grilled Veggie Cheese Sandwiches
• Seafood Stuffed Shells
• Spicy Shrimp Farfalle Pasta
• Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Don’t forget: You can find hundreds of delicious and healthy recipes at Civista’s Health eCooking Library.

The hardworking and dedicated staff of Civista are here every day—no matter what—to care for our community, through snow, ice, and emergencies. They each make us so proud to be part of the Civista team. Here are some snowstorm stories of our Civista heroes during the blizzards we had in January and February this year:

“Kevin Marsh stayed through the storms and became the car snow removal angel. When the snow finally stopped and people were able to start removing snow from their cars, Kevin stayed to help countless others dig out their cars before digging out his own.” —Sharon White, Director of Imaging Services

“Norm McKeever stayed and worked through the storm to cover staff who were snowed in and unable to make it for the weekend.” —Lynn Delahay, Manager, Surgical Services

“The Civista nutrition services staff went above and beyond during the recent storms. Many stayed here at the hospital for days during the blizzards, sleeping on cots and working many additional hours to make sure we always kept our patients and staff nourished.” —Doug Santoro, Manager, Nutritional Services

“During the storms, Civista case managers and social workers worked very hard with community families to modify discharge plans due to the weather, make alternative arrangements, and answer staff questions.” —Robin Benton, Manager, Case Management Services

“During the snowstorm everyone on the Civista cardiopulmonary staff showed up for work; one employee even volunteered to come and work the weekend when he wasn’t even on the schedule. He said, ‘I’ll be your peace of mind’—this is why I love working at Civista!” —Angela Booker, Cardiopulmonary Manager

Registration is now underway for the 7th Annual Charles County Women’s Fair to be held on Saturday, March 6th, 2010 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Center for Business and Industry on the La Plata Campus of the College of Southern Maryland. And Civista Health is sponsoring a number of fun and informative events at the fair for everyone to enjoy:

Learn Techniques from a Master Chef for Preparing Healthy and Delicious Meals

Charles County’s very own celebrity Chef Gary Ficke, certified executive chef and head chef at La Plata’s famous The Crossing at Casey Jones restaurant—who is also the featured chef on Civista’s Health eCooking show—will provide a master cooking demonstration featuring a healthy, simple, and “berry” tasty recipe. Participants will have an opportunity to sample Chef Ficke’s special presentation, a question-and-answer session will follow the demonstration, and a complimentary recipe card will be provided.

Visit the Health & Wellness Room

The fair’s health and wellness room is also sponsored by Civista Health, and will offer complimentary tests and screenings, such as cholesterol screenings, hearing tests, body fat composition tests, heel DEXA scans, and much more to help you on your journey toward wellness.

Learn to Take Better Care of Yourself

Please join Civista Women’s Health Center Director Dr. Kanika Hampton, M.D. for her new informative and fun health talk “Taking Care of Yourself.” Dr. Hampton will share insights and tips for better health and wellness for today’s modern woman and the busy lifestyles we lead.

For More Information & Registration

For more information and/or to request an attendee registration form or sponsor/exhibitor form, please contact Roberta Berry at (301) 638-1182 or Darlene Breck at (301) 645-0525, or visit The Charles County Commission for Women website.

Join Civista Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Razaq for an informative and interesting presentation about the latest advances in joint replacement. If you are considering joint replacement, or just want to learn more, then don’t miss this opportunity. The lecture is free and open to the public as part of Civista Health’s community education offering to the public.

Tuesday, February 23rd, 7:00 pm

Civista Medical Center, Ground Floor Classroom B

La Plata, MD

Pre-registration is required but the event is Free. To register, please click here or call (888) 332-4847.

The Civista Women’s Health Center is pleased to offer our Matters of the Female Heart risk-screening program on Saturday February 13th, to help reduce your cardiovascular risk factors through awareness and education. The screening cost is $30 and appointments are available between 7am and 11 am. Pre-registration and prepayment are required.

Protect yourself from heart disease, get the facts, and meet the Civista Women’s Health Center staff. Space is limited, so schedule your appointment today! Call (888) 332-4847 or click here.

The Civista Women’s Health Center is the only women’s primary care center in Charles County, and we are now accepting new patients!

At The Civista Women’s Health Center we’re always happy to work with your schedule because, as busy mothers and wives ourselves, we really do know how hectic your day can be.

We treat the whole woman, with a focus on prevention and wellness. And we offer comprehensive primary and gynecological care as well as nutrition guidance, yoga classes, and more. Call (301) 609-5200 today to schedule your first appointment!

One in six children in the U.S. is overweight. Given these numbers, it’s likely that you know, or are related to, one of them.

But did you know that overweight children are at high risk of becoming overweight or obese adults? And that this increases their risk of developing serious chronic conditions including heart disease, type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers?

It’s a looming public health crisis that the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation’s medical research agency, is trying to prevent through its We Can!™ program.

We Can! stands for “Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition.” We Can!™ provides science-based activities and resources to help 8- to 13-year-old children stay at a healthy weight.

The program focuses on parents and other caregivers, providing them with tip sheets and tools, as well as a hands-on, multiple-session program that covers the basics of maintaining a healthy weight—the We Can! Energize Our Families: Parent Program.

Civista Health, the Charles County Department of Health, and Charles County Parks & Recreation have joined together to assist parents and caregivers in helping children maintain a healthy weight by offering the WeCan!™ program in Charles County for six weeks beginning Tuesday, February 16th, 6:30 pm at Matthew Henson Middle School Community Center in Indian Head, Maryland.

Because exercise is included in each session, a medical release form must be completed before the first session. The program is free but advance registration is required. For more information call Civista on the Line toll-free at (888) 332-4847.

Tried everything to lose weight but nothing seems to work?  Join Civista Women’s Health Center Medical Director Kanika Hampton, M.D. for our new class “No More Fad Diets: Weight Management for Good.” Dr. Hampton will share the latest insights and information on a balanced approach to effective weight management, and help you put the fad diets behind you for good.

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm, Tuesday, January 19^th 2010

Civista Women’s Health Center, Waldorf

­Click Here for more information.

Civista has just launched a new website that helps explain joint replacement surgery, and gives you all the information you need to start a conversation with your doctor about joint replacement.

At the new FREE TO LIVE AGAIN website, you can:

• Watch Videos of Doctors and Past Patients
• Learn the Questions to Ask Your Doctor
• Meet the Civista Joint Replacement Team
• Get the Answers to your Joint Replacement Questions .

Don’t spend another day in pain—get the information you need to start a conversation with your doctor about your joint replacement options at the new FREE TO LIVE AGAIN website.

From all the doctors, nurses, administrators, and staff at Civista, we wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year. We look forward to being your health partner in 2010. Good Health Starts Here!

Best wishes for 2010,

The Civista Health Staff