Bee Healthy
BlueCross BlueShield

sets walking event

BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York wants to remind everyone that taking time to walk during lunch breaks leads to better health.

That's why it is holding the second annual National Walk @ Lunch Day on Wednesday, April 30.

Last year, more than 6,000 Western New Yorkers participated in the event, taking to the sidewalks for a half hour of walking. In all, 30 BlueCross BlueShield companies in 46 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico held walking events.

Created to encourage Americans to live healthier lives, National Walk @ Lunch Day incorporates walking into busy schedules. Most Americans build their schedules around the workday, so National Walk @ Lunch Day is designed to fit into - not compete with - their daily schedules.

"National Walk @ Lunch Day creates an opportunity to encourage their employees to engage in physical activity to promote a healthier workplace environment," said Jay I. Pomerantz, senior vice president and chief medical officer at BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York. "This program is one example of how BlueCross BlueShield is an active partner in enabling the health and wellness of consumers."

For more information or assistance in organizing a National Walk @ Lunch Day activity, contact Karl Siebert at 887-7029.

Health conference

spotlights transitions

The Parish Nurse Ministries of New York Inc., in conjunction with Upstate New York Transplant Services and Hospice Buffalo, is holding an educational conference on matters dealing with dying and grief.

The event will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, May 8, and prepaid reservations can be made until April 22.

The conference will be held at the McKinley Banquet and Conference Center, S 3950 McKinley Parkway, Hamburg.

The featured speakers at the interactive event will be authors Susan J. Zonnebelt Smeege and Dr. Robert Devries. They will help the participants identify ways of maintaining a balance of belief, hope and reality as they travel through life transitions.

In their writing and speaking engagements, both Devries and Zonnebelt-Smeege deal with sensitive matters, such as the mental health and spiritual aspects of dying and grief.

The cost is $45 for Parish Nurse members and $50 for nonmembers. The charge includes breakfast, lunch and refreshments, as well as networking opportunities with representatives from various health-related resources.

For more information, call

566-1163 or e-mail pnmmy179@

aol.com.

Asthma, allergies

increase in spring

In Western New York, asthma affects 126,000 adults and costs the region an estimated $40.6 million in health care costs.

One in 10 adults in upstate New York has asthma - a disease that if not managed properly could lead to crippling health problems, hospitalizations and even death, according to a new report by Univera Healthcare.

According to the report "Adults with Asthma in upstate New York," Hispanics, adults making less than $15,000 annually and 18- to 24-year-olds are considered to be the most susceptible to asthma complications. Women are also slightly more likely to have asthma than men.

The report also shows that about 17,000 adults in upstate New York were hospitalized because of asthma between 2003 and 2005 and that it costs the upstate economy $149 million annually in excess health care costs and lost productivity.

"People with asthma who properly manage their disease aren't just improving their health; they're also doing what they can to avoid costly hospitalizations that contribute to the rising costs of health care," said Dr. Robert J. Holzhauer, vice president and chief medical officer for Univera Healthcare.

In fact, about six in 10 asthma patients try to avoid taking medication whenever possible, according to a 2007 telephone survey of adults published in the report "Asthma G.A.P. in America: General Awareness and Perceptions." The survey was conducted on behalf of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical company that makes drugs to treat asthma.

To access the full report, go to www.univerahealthcare.com and click on "Public Policy & Research" and "Fact Sheets." For more information on asthma, visit the American Lung Association Web site at www.lungusa.org or the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America site at www.aafa.org.