News

Free 11-Week Workshop for Those with Addictive Eating Disorders

Grace Cottage is offering a free support group for the community called “Overcoming Addictive Food Behavior,” starting Wed., April 18, and meeting for 11 weeks.   Compulsive overeating is a complex and pervasive problem.  A one dimensional approach to weight loss has rarely worked because different people are overweight for different reasons, and most people […]

Read More...

What Do Your Kidneys Do?

By Dr. Maurice Geurts, Grace Cottage Family Health

What is the function of your kidneys, and why do you have two of them? Good questions to ask, especially during March. It’s National Kidney Awareness Month.

First question first: your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of your fist, located just below your rib cage and toward your back, near the spine. They are part of an important blood filtering system that extracts wastes and extra water, sending this out of your body through the bladder.

The kidneys are busy organs. They filter about 150-200 quarts of liquid each day. One or two of these are excreted as urine, and the rest of the liquid returns to the bloodstream.

Read More...

Hospitals Ask Area Residents to Take Health Needs Survey

WINDHAM COUNTY, VT – Throughout the month of March, residents of Windham County are encouraged to take a brief survey to share what they consider their most pressing healthcare needs and concerns. The survey is an important part of a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) being conducted jointly by Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, the Brattleboro Retreat, […]

Read More...

Healthcare Matters – Ep. 8 Men’s Health

Healthcare Matters Ep 8

Bill Monahan, a Registered Nurse and Community Outreach Coordinator, speaks with host Marty Cohn, as they discuss men’s health topics from the cultural barriers men face when seeking medical help, to common sense ways to stay healthy.

Read More...

Couch to 5K Training Program Offered thru 5/8

The C25K group will meet Tuesdays at 5 p.m. in the Grace Cottage cafeteria, March 13th – May 8th. Participation is free. The group will train outdoors together once a week, and they’ll be encouraged to train on their own time two more days each week. Best to start on March 13th, but you may join the group at any time.

Read More...

Grace Cottage Offers New ‘Chair Yoga’ Class

In addition to its popular Tuesday/Friday yoga classes, Grace Cottage is offering a ‘Chair Yoga’ class on Wednesdays from 1:00 – 1:45, March 7th – April 11th. Beginners to yoga are welcome, as is anyone with limited flexibility or an inability to practice on the floor. Participants will flow through an eclectic blend of seated […]

Read More...

Take the 2 + 3 Challenge

By Cheryl Shaw, Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital Health Coach

Winter. Fresh fruits and vegetables. When gardens and farmland are buried under snow, it’s easy to think these two don’t go together, but actually, winter offers us a wide array of super healthy, budget-friendly fruits and vegetables to enjoy.

Why is it so important to get plenty of fruits and vegetables year-round? These two categories of foods are powerhouses for the essentials vitamins and minerals that perform hundreds of roles in the body. They are important for growth, healing, repair and maintenance of all of the body’s systems. Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals can lead to fatigue, illness and disease. Experts suggest we eat 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day in order to stay healthy.

It’s best to eat the whole plant foods themselves. They provide natural, not synthetic, vitamins and minerals, plus fiber, and disease-preventing phytochemicals not generally available through multi-vitamin pills.

Read More...

Grace Cottage’s Online Auction – Don’t Miss Out!

Wouldn’t a dinner out be lovely? An African Safari?! How about some new artwork for your walls? From 6 a.m. on February 14, ‘til the clock strikes 9:00 p.m. on February 28, you can bid on these items and many more through the Grace Cottage’s annual Cabin Fever Online Auction. An awesome array of more […]

Read More...

Time is of Essence During a Heart Attack

By Lisa May, RN, Clinical Nurse Educator, Grace Cottage Hospital

What is the difference between a heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest? One of the biggest differences is time. A person having a heart attack may have time to get help.  

One out of four deaths in the U.S. is caused by heart disease. It is the leading cause of death for both men and women. The term “heart disease” actually refers to a variety of conditions. The most common one is coronary heart disease, when plaque builds up in the arteries, narrows them, and restricts the flow of blood. A heart attack occurs when an artery becomes blocked, restricting blood flow and oxygen to an area of the heart. Without blood and oxygen, that area of the heart becomes ischemic and dies. 

Time is of the essence during a heart attack, but depending on how severely the blood flow is compromised, the person having a heart attack may have enough time to get help, as long as early warning signs are heeded.

Read More...