Cole Memorial Hospital | Cole Today | Fall 2014 - page 2

Cole Memorial Hospital and the Cole Memorial Medical
Group are pleased to welcome three certified physician
assistants (PA-C).
Taylor Carrington, PA-C, and Rebecca “Becca” Gard-
ner, PA-C, graduated with honors from the Physician
Assistant Master of Health Science program at Lock
Haven University of Pennsylvania.
Carrington also holds a bachelor of science degree
in chemistry from George Washington University in
Washington, DC. Her prior experience includes working
at the S.R. Medical Center in Monmouth, New Jer-
sey, and two years at George Washington University’s
department of emergency medicine as an emergency
medical technician-B trainee. She will care for Cole
Memorial’s inpatients as a hospitalist.
Gardner will practice family medicine at Cole Me-
morial’s Port Allegany Community Health Center. Her
previous employers include Cuba Memorial Hospital in
Cuba, New York, and Finger Lakes Health in Waterloo,
New York, where she was a certified nurse’s aide. To
make an appointment with Gardner at the Port Allegany
Community Health Center, call
814-642-2505
.
Mandy Erway, PA-C, worked at MedStar Harbor Hos-
pital in Baltimore, Maryland, in the general surgery and
orthopedics areas after receiving a master of physician
assistant studies degree at Chatham University in Pitts-
burgh, Pennsylvania. In addition to holding a bachelor
of science degree in biological sciences and a bachelor
of arts degree in anthropology from the University of
Pittsburgh, Erway serves with the Army Medical Depart-
ment of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. She will
be a hospitalist at Cole Memorial.
“These three excellent new team members will join our total of 17 physi-
cian assistants at Cole Memorial,” says Marlene Wust-Smith, MD, FAAP,
medical director of Cole Memorial Medical Group. “We have the best-quality
medical staff in the area, which includes highly skilled physician assistants
and nurse practitioners. It’s also nice to see a few familiar faces from our
collaborative PA program with Lock Haven University, which provides clinical
practice rotations for students at our hospital.”
One key safeguard is for women to maintain a healthy weight, especially in midlife
and later. After menopause, most of the hormone estrogen in a woman’s body comes
from fat cells. Estrogen can spur the growth of many breast tumors, and being over-
weight or obese can raise breast cancer risk. Women may be especially vulnerable to
breast cancer if extra pounds settle on their waist, rather than their hips and thighs.
These additional steps may help women reduce their risk for breast cancer, accord-
ing to the American Cancer Society (ACS):
● 
Avoid alcohol.
Drinking is clearly tied to a heightened risk of developing breast cancer.
Your risk increases the more you drink.
● 
Be active.
A growing body of research indicates that exercise lowers breast cancer
risk. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity
activity each week.
● 
Carefully weigh the pros and cons of hormone therapy.
Hormone therapy that uses
both estrogen and progesterone can increase breast cancer risk in as few as two years
of use. The use of estrogen alone after menopause does not seem to raise the risk of
developing breast cancer. If a woman and her doctor agree that hormone therapy is
necessary to ease bothersome menopausal symptoms such
as hot flashes, it is best to take the lowest effective dose
for the shortest possible time.
Since breast cancer can develop even with these
precautions, the ACS advises women to have yearly
mammograms starting at age 40 and continuing for
as long as they are in good health. Regular mammo-
grams (breast x-rays) can detect cancer in its early
stages and give women a head start on potentially
lifesaving treatment. If you have a heightened risk of
breast cancer—for example, if you have very dense
breasts—ask your doctor if you need additional
screening tests, such as an MRI scan.
TIME FOR A MAMMOGRAM?
Cole
Memorial offers the latest in digital
mammography, including free
screenings for underinsured
women 45 years of age and over,
thanks to funding from the
Twin Tiers Affiliate of Susan G.
Komen for the Cure.
BREAST HEALTH
WELCOME
To see our provider directory, visit
.
NEW PHYSICIAN IN GALETON
The Cole Memorial Medical Group and the Galeton
Health Center welcome Andrew J. Kayes, MD, a family
medicine physician who joined the team on Sept. 2.
Originally from Portville, New York, Dr. Kayes completed
his doctorate of medicine, magna cum laude, from
the American University of Antigua College of Medi-
cine. He completed his family practice residency
at the Guthrie Clinic at Robert Packer Hospital.
For the past three years, Dr. Kayes super-
vised and trained medical students and interns
as an associate clinical instructor for the State
University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton and the Lake Erie College
of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Kayes also participated in the American
Balint Society leadership training program, which focuses on the ability
to connect with patients to deliver comprehensive care.
Dr. Wust-Smith says the medical staff and leadership team are pleased
to have Dr. Kayes join the organization.
To make an appointment with Dr. Kayes, please call
814-435-2942
.
A
s of yet, there is no sure way to prevent breast cancer, the sec-
ond leading cause of cancer deaths among women in this
country. Even so, there are clear steps women can take to reduce
their risk. And October, which is nationally recognized as
Breast Cancer AwarenessMonth, is the ideal time to take them.
Taylor
Carrington, PA-C
Rebecca “Becca”
Gardner, PA-C
Andrew J.
Kayes, MD
Mandy
Erway, PA-C
A good time to consider
October
NEW MEDICAL TEAM MEMBERS
Register
for your
mammogram
today! Call
814-274-8200.
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