by the Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, The Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation Our wellness initiative continues the tradition of honoring mothers as Mother's Day approaches, by remembering the wisdom they teach us about how to live our lives well.

by the Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, The Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation Some people are uncomfortable with the fact that many of the current customs and traditions that surround religious holidays seem purely secular, having nothing to do with the true meaning of the religious nature of the holiday being celebrated.

by the Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, The Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation We all face important decisions in our lives.

by the Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, The Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation Holocaust survivor and human rights activist Elie Wiesel included one of my favorite stories as a preface to his novel, The Gates of the Forest.

by The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, The Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation This past week we witnessed General David Petraeus's resignation as the head of the CIA due to a extramarital affair in which he was involved.

Driving With Our Lights Off by Living Compass The days are getting shorter and darkness is coming earlier each day, and so in just the last two nights I have had the experience three different times of driving down the road and encountering a car coming towards me with its lights off. On each occasion I flashed my lights at the oncoming cars to signal that their lights were off and each time the drivers immediately turned them on, most likely grateful, I assume, for the feedback I had given them...

At the request of clergy attending the Wellness component of our recent 2012 Clergy Conference, the Episcopal Church Medical Trust has put together the attached Nourishing Reading List, a list of books adapted from the "About the Matters of Food and Faith Project." The list includes pieces surrounding the theology, politics, and culture around food, eating, and cooking. Click here to download and share (PDF). For more information, visit mattersoffoodandfaith.com.

by the Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation I awoke last night to the sound of rain.

Enjoy the Benefits of the Sun Safely by the Episcopal Church Medical Trust The skin is the body's largest organ. It protects against heat, sunlight, injury and infection. Yet, several of us don't consider the necessity of protecting our skin.

by the Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation Last week I spent eight days at the General Convention of the Episcopal Church.

Hospital Safety Scores are Now Available by the Episcopal Church Medical Trust A significant advancement in the transparency of hospital patient safety was recently announced. The Leapfrog Group, a national leader and advocate in hospital transparency launched the Hospital Safety Score. By visiting www.hospitalsafetyscore.org you’ll see that many US hospitals have received an A, B, C, D or F Hospital Safety Score based on patient safety via a first-of-its-kind initiative.

by the Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation Our Living Compass team recently had the chance to take part in the National Episcopal Health Ministry's annual conference, an event which brings people from all over the United States together who are engaged in a wide range of healing and wellness programs.

by the Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation America has always greatly valued individualism.

by the Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation I am writing this week's column from Salt Lake City, Utah.

"May is Older Americans Month, a perfect opportunity to show our appreciation for the older adults in our communities. Since 1963, communities across the nation have come together to celebrate Older Americans Month—a proud tradition that shows our nation’s commitment to recognizing the contributions and achievements of older Americans" - (OlderAmericansMonth.aoa.gov). Statement from Secretary Sebelius on Older Americans Month (Secretary Sebelius is the head of the Department of Health and Human ...

by the Episcopal Church Medical Trust One way to take control of the stress in your life is through physical activity. Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from daily worries. Are you too busy and stressed to fit exercise into your daily routine?

by the Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation  Phil Humber pitched a perfect game for the Chicago White Sox six days ago.

by The Episcopal Church Medical Trust April is Alcohol Awareness Month Alcohol Awareness Month is an opportunity to raise awareness of alcohol abuse and encourage people to make healthy, safe choices. How will drinking less or quitting help me? Drinking in moderation or not drinking at all can help you: -Lower your blood pressure -Lower your risk of injury, heart disease, stroke, some types of cancer, and liver problems -Lose weight – Use this calculator to see how many calories you will save.

by the Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation In Wisconsin this year, as with many other areas of the country, spring has come much earlier than usual, with record temperatures in the upper 70's recorded in early to mid March.

Dr. Mike Evans, a family physician at St. Michael’s Hospital and an Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Toronto runs a website called "my favorite medicine.com."  His stated goal is to compile the best medical information available on the internet and distil it into an interesting and trustworthy source.  One excellent example of this is in his video, 23 1/2 Hours.    This video talks about a single medical treatment for conditions as...

by the Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation Entrances are important.

A Month of Tips By The Episcopal Church Medical Trust You probably eat out a lot—most Americans do. People are looking for fast, easy and good-tasting foods to fit a busy lifestyle. Whether it’s carry-out, food court, office cafeteria or sit-down restaurant, there are smart choices everywhere.

by The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation  Last week I wrote about the power of hope, and specifically about my secret hope for perfectly predicting the winners of all sixty-three games in the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

by The Episcopal Church Medical Trust This year’s National Nutrition Month theme is “Get Your Plate in Shape” and encourages consumers to remember to include a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and dairy on their plates every day. Here are a few ways to “Get Your Plate in Shape” from the food and nutrition experts at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: · Make half of your plate fruits and vegetables: Eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark-green, red and orange ...

By Laura Delaney, RN On Saturday, March 3rd a Health Fair was held at Grace Episcopal Church, Fairfield. This church is located in a quiet neighborhood in the city of Fairfield. The Health Fair was open to the community, and quite a few of the neighborhood people did in fact attend.

Living Compass is a faith based wellness program rooted in the belief that each of us knows what we need to do to become more whole, and that we can best move towards wholeness in a supportive community. The program is based on the dimensions of self - heart, soul, strength, mind - through which we are commanded to love God. St.

by The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation  This weekend we will all be turning our clocks ahead one hour.

by Thea Mangels, Office Manager/News Editor A fabulous team from the Episcopal Church Medical Trust led our clergy in a wonderful workshop entitled “Well to Serve, Well to Lead” this past week in Healdsburg.  Alison Pollok and Libby Miller led a presentation about our diocese and the health care system. We use the preventative care and doctor benefits less than average in the Medical Trust, but utilize the emergency and hospital services more than average. Illnesses that are not caught in e...

American Heart Month Take action to promote heart health. 1. Contact your local Red Cross to host a CPR training event in your congregation or community (this would make a great quarterly safety meeting).

by The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation  It is estimated that 18 billion dollars will be spent on Valentine's Day this year.

Valentine’s Day is a day we show our love to family and friends with gifts and acts of kindness, but how can we make it healthy? Here are some tips and gift ideas to have a healthy Valentine’s Day. A Box of Good Quality Dark Chocolate Chocolate is a traditional Valentine's Day gift, and if it's a good dark kind, with at least 65 percent cacao or higher, it is a healthier alternative to other chocolate varieties.

By the Episcopal Church Medical Trust By supporting National Health Observances provided by the National Health Information Center, you can: - Educate your congregation about health risks - Organize successful health promotion events and campaigns - Get new ideas, information, and resources on health topics of interest. Below is a list of a few of the National Health Observances throughout the year. Please visit their website, www.healthfinder.gov/nho, for a full listing and resources.

by The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation    This photo has been circulating online the last several weeks.

by The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation  My entire professional career has focussed on healing.

by The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation  I live in Wisconsin and all across our state this past Sunday afternoon you could sense the collective frustration as the Green Bay Packers lost their first round playoff game, a game they were heavily favored to win.

By Libby Miller, Vice President, Clinical Management & Member Education, The Episcopal Church Medical Trust (ECMT) Start off the New Year and the morning with breakfast! It is the start of a new year. Why not begin 2012 with a great, healthy breakfast every day?

by The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation At Living Compass we support people as they work on "whole-person" wellness, which means that we help them address wellness in all dimensions of their lives.

Preventive care focuses on maintaining your health, and establishing your baseline health status. This may include: - Immunizations - Vaccines - Physical evaluations - Lab work (which may include cholesterol and blood glucose levels) - X-rays - and Medically appropriate health screenings During your preventive visit, your doctor will determine what tests or screenings are appropriate for you based on many factors such as your age, gender, overall health status, personal health history and your c...

Why I believe in small steps to Health By Thea Mangels, Office Coordinator New Year’s resolutions about health and wellness are often grandiose and unrealistic. How many resolutions to “go to the gym everyday” have you heard (or even made) and seen fall apart within the first month of the new year? The problem with this kind of huge, life changing resolution is that it is huge and life changing.

by The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation The first Christmas was such a surprise that no doubt most people missed it.

 by The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation While driving in my car the last several days I have enjoyed a wide diversity of Christmas music sung by an eclectic group of singers.

Everywhere we go we see packaging that says "Reduced Sodium" or "Less Sodium" and health advice indicating that we should watch our salt intake, but what does this really mean?   "Basic U.S. dietary guidelines suggest that adults get less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day (or 1,500 milligrams for those age 51 or older, African Americans, or those with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease)...But the average American gets more than twice the recommended daily dose of...

by The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation We had some friends over for dinner recently--nothing fancy, just a casual gathering.

St. John's in Roseville is having a fundraiser event--Zumba Fitness -- on March 10. What is Zumba Fitness?  "Zumba Fitness® is the only Latin-inspired dance-fitness program that blends red-hot international music, created by Grammy Award-winning producers, and contagious steps to form a "fitness-party" that is downright addictive" (About Zumba Fitness).

by The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation The celebration of Thanksgiving has me thinking about my favorite quote about gratitude.

by The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner,  Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation I can still remember the time eight years ago that I tried to keep a secret from myself and from those closest to me.

by the Rev. Anne Dryden McKeever of Trinity Cathedral “Do you want to be made well?” Jesus asked the man near the pool with five porticoes, a man who had lived with physical and spiritual paralysis for 38 years. The Rev.

by The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation The last two weekends my wife and I have led retreats based on our Living Compass program on both coasts of our country.

by The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation Haunted houses spring up all across the country this time of year as a way of celebrating Halloween.

by Thea Mangels, Office Coordinator  "Water is the most abundant, and the most important, nutrient in your body. You need it to carry the other nutrients to organs, and oxygen to your cells. Blood is made mostly of water, as are your lungs, muscles, and brain.

by Thea Mangels, Office Coordinator Have you had your blood pressure checked recently? If you are an employee insured through the diocesan health insurance plan, remember that a blood pressure screening is part of your free annual physical.  What is Hypertension? High blood pressure (hypertension) increases your risk for several conditions, including heart disease, congestive heart failure, kidney damage and stroke.

Some people get exercise because their jobs require physical activity; however, if your job involves desk work or some other type of sedentary activity, you may need to find creative ways to keep your body moving during the day. Be sure to talk with your doctor before increasing physical activity. Here are a few techniques that might work for you: • Take active breaks: Consider taking a brisk, 10-minute walk around the building or doing body prayers like those suggested in Praying With the Body,...