Compiled by Debra Scherban. Please send items to dscherban@gazettenet.com.
Dr. Michelle Helms has joined Dr. Holly Michaelson and nurse practitioner Casey Fowler at Cooley Dickinson Medical Group General Surgical Care.
Helms comes to the practice, located at 22 Atwood Drive in Northampton, from Halifax Surgical Associates in South Boston, Virginia.
Helms earned her medical degree from Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School. She completed a general surgery internship at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and a general surgery residency at Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, New Jersey.
Helms’ surgical interests include benign and malignant breast conditions, thyroid and parathyroid disease, skin cancers, gallbladder disease, colon and rectal conditions, emergency surgical maladies, hernias, and wounds, and laparoscopic surgery in general.
“I enjoy creating a reassuring and comfortable experience for my patients that is founded on mutual trust and respect,” Helms said in a written statement. “I very much look forward to serving new patients, providing excellent care, and integrating into a wonderful community.”
For the fourth consecutive year, Cooley Dickinson Health Care was awarded the “Greenhealth Partner for Change” award by Practice Greenhealth, a national health care community dedicated to reducing the environmental impact of health care facilities worldwide.
The award is one of the Practice Greenhealth’s Environmental Excellence Awards that are given annually to honor environmental achievements in the health care sector.
The award recognizes health care facilities that continuously improve and expand upon their mercury elimination, waste reduction, recycling and source reduction programs.
At a minimum, facilities applying for this award must be recycling 15 percent of their total waste, have reduced regulated medical waste, are well along the way to mercury elimination, and have developed other successful pollution prevention programs.
Among Cooley Dickinson’s recent environmentally friendly initiatives it has:
Recycled 30 tons or 60 percent of the construction waste during the construction of the Mass General Cancer Center at Cooley Dickinson Hospital.
Switched to a reusable tote delivery system for its medical and surgical supplies, which eliminated more than 35 tons of cardboard from its annual solid waste disposal stream. The hospital saved $3,200 per year on the cost of removing that waste.
Diverted nearly 100 tons of food waste and compostable packaging, plates and cups from landfills to composting facilities.
Since the mid-1980s, Cooley Dickinson has heated and cooled its facilities by burning woodchips in a dedicated boiler system.
That boiler system produces steam for heating and cooling, and through the process electricity is generated as a byproduct of burning wood.
For these reasons, the hospital has a relatively low greenhouse gas profile.
“As a Practice Greenhealth Partner for Change Award winner, Cooley Dickinson is committed to improving the health of our patients, staff and community as a whole,” said Anthony Scibelli, vice president, operations & chief administrative officer. “Cooley Dickinson’s employees take pride in our sustainability efforts.”
The Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards were presented May 19 in Dallas, Texas at the CleanMed Conference & Exhibition, a national environmental conference for leaders in health care sustainability.
To learn more about Practice Greenhealth visit www.practicegreenhealth.org.
To learn more about blood donation opportunities or to schedule an appointment download the Red Cross donor app, visit redcorssblood.org or call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) Walk-ins are welcome.
Thursday, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St., Easthampton.