Sacred Heart Hospital's Senior Service's program will present a free seminar on dizziness and balance disorders on July 10 from 12 - 1 p.m. in the Rehabilitation Center at Sacred Heart Medical Park in Pace.

The seminar will be presented by Belinda Anderson, a physical therapist with Sacred Heart Rehabilitation, who specializes in balance disorders. The talk will teach attendees how to recognize the signs of a balance disorder and ways to successfully treat the problem through physical therapy.

Registration is required and seating is limited. To register, call (850) 416-1620 or 1-877-416-1620.

Sacred Heart Medical Park at Pace provides diagnostic services and rehabilitation services to the Pace community, as well as family practice, OB/GYN and other specialty physician's offices. The facility is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located on the north side of U.S. 90 in Pace, between Woodbine Road and Chumuckla Highway.

Sacred Heart SENIORSpirit! is a free program for persons 55 and older.  Benefits include free screenings, seminars, special in-patient benefits such as a three free guest meal tickets per hospital admission, a monthly calendar of events detailing all SENIORSpirit! events, and a quarterly newsletter containing health and event information.

For more information, please call (850) 416-7000 or visit www.sacred-heart.org.

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Sacred Heart Health System will provide free health screenings in July at sites in Pensacola, Milton, Century, Miramar Beach and Gulf Shores, Ala. The screening program targets persons who are poor, uninsured or elderly. 

At most locations, Sacred Heart staff will provide screenings to measure blood pressure, blood sugar, total cholesterol and blood count. These screenings are helpful in diagnosing conditions that put people at high risk for heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and other health problems. 
The schedule is as follows:

. July 2 from 4 to 6 p.m. at New Dimensions Christian Center, 3201 Navy Blvd. Blood screening
. July 10 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 6457 Park Ave., Milton. Osteoporosis screening
. July 11 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at Bayview Senior Center, 20th & Lloyd Streets. Osteoporosis screening.
. July 12 from 8 to 10:30 a.m. at Global Travels & Tours, 4806 Mobile Hwy. Blood screening
. July 15 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast, 7800 U.S. Hwy. 98 in Miramar Beach. Blood screening
. July 16 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at Century Council on Aging, 6025 Industrial Blvd., Century. Blood screening
. July 17 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at First West Florida Baptist Convention, 2400 W. Strong St. Blood screening
. July 23 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Christian Service Center at First Presbyterian Church in Gulf Shores, Ala., 309 E. 21st Ave. Blood screening.
. July 24 from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 303 S. Navy Blvd. Osteoporosis screening
. July 25 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 609 N. Alcaniz St. Blood screening
. July 26 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the Boys & Girls Club, 2751 N. "H" St. Blood screening.
  

   Mission in Motion is a community service provided by Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola. The mobile unit's free services also are made possible by support from the law firm of Kerrigan, Estess, Rankin and McLeod, as well as the Gannett Foundation and other community donors. For more information, call (850) 416-7826.
      

When Dr. James C. Boyd, Pensacola's first and only African-American general surgeon, retired from his 35-year practice in May 2008, it was the first time in 60 years Sacred Heart Hospital had gone without a Dr. Boyd on its medical staff.

James Boyd has strong ties to both Pensacola and Sacred Heart Hospital because of his family history. His father, Dr. Simon W. Boyd, was a dental surgeon and had the distinction of being the first African-American doctor on Sacred Heart's medical staff. Even when James Boyd went away to university and medical school, he always intended to return to his home town to practice medicine.

"I've always been happy that I came back to Pensacola," says Dr. Boyd. "I couldn't have done better for myself in any other place. I guess I could have made more money in a bigger city, but money isn't everything. I'm very proud of Pensacola."

Dr. Boyd grew up in a family with nine children and attended Catholic schools in Pensacola. He was one of six African-American students in his 1962 undergraduate class at the University of Notre Dame. In 1966 he earned his medical degree from Meharry Medical College, an historically black medical school in Nashville, Tenn. After completing his internship at Great Lakes Naval Hospital and residency at New York University Medical Center, Dr. Boyd returned to Pensacola in 1973 to begin his practice in general surgery.

 "It's been an interesting 35 years," says the retiring surgeon, who practiced at both Sacred Heart and Baptist Hospitals. "On both staffs I found, on the whole, that people accepted me and treated me very well. But I also encountered racism from certain individuals. Most of my patients came from the emergency room, so they were not limited to just black patients; they were Pensacola patients. . Most doctors didn't like to take the night call, so I took it. That's how I built up my practice. . I became well known in the emergency room."

"Sacred Heart is, and has been, a very progressive hospital," says Dr. Boyd. "Back in the late '40s and '50s, it was the only hospital in town that would allow a black physician to practice on its staff. My father was allowed to perform surgery at Sacred Heart, so it has always been near and dear to my heart because of that."

"We are all going to miss Dr. Boyd," says Dr. Paul Baroco, Chief Medical Officer, Sacred Heart Health System. "Dr. Boyd operated on many of my patients over the years, and they were all always complimentary of him. Dr Boyd has always provided excellent care to all of his patients, and he never said 'no' to any referrals, regardless of ability to pay. He has been a strong supporter the trauma program at Sacred Heart. We wish him the best in his retirement."

Marcia Keyes, Dr. Boyd's business manager of nine years, says the doctor is well-loved by patients and co-workers. "His bedside manner is his personality," she says, explaining that he brings a sense of warmth and humanity to his interaction with patients and other healthcare workers. She also cites his integrity and compassion in making sure his patients get the care they need - even the ones who can't afford it. "He's one from the 'old school' who stands by that oath he took when he became a doctor," she says.

One former patient, a grateful trauma survivor who learned of Dr. Boyd's imminent retirement, recently made a special trip to the doctor's office to wish him well. As a 14-year-old boy, Matthew Friedman was brought to Sacred Heart Emergency/Trauma Center after a tragic boating accident left the young man's torso and legs badly lacerated by the boat's propellers. Dr. Boyd was the trauma surgeon on call that day, and he worked long hours in surgery to stabilize the boy's condition.

Twelve years later, Friedman returned to express his thanks to the doctor one more time. "I just wanted to shake your hand, thank you for saving my life and wish you a good retirement," said Friedman. Dr. Boyd was thrilled to see the vibrant young man, full of life and bearing excellent reports of his current medical condition.

Dr. Boyd plans to stay connected to the medical community and looks forward to spending more time with his family, especially his two young grandchildren. But his first area of focus will be rebuilding his house that Hurricane Ivan destroyed on Pensacola Beach. "My whole family loves the beach. that's one of the reasons we love Pensacola," he says. "You might even find me fly-fishing off my pier."

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A babysitting class will be offered Saturday, June 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Dudley Greenhut Auditorium at the Sacred Heart Hospital Conference Center on Ninth Avenue.

Registration is under way for youth ages 11 to 15.  Cost is $30 per person. Snacks will be provided. Participants receive both an American Safety & Health Institute Babysitter card and an American Heart Association Family & Friends CPR card. 

To register, or to seek more information, please call (850) 416-7264.

Sacred Heart Health System recently honored outstanding nurses in Pensacola, Crestview, Miramar Beach and Orange Beach, Ala., during celebrations in conjunction with Nurses' Week in May. Winners were announced for the System's Nurse Excellence Awards in areas including the main hospital on Ninth Avenue, Sacred Heart Home Care,  Sacred Heart Medical Group of physicians' offices, The Haven of Our Lady of Peace (Sacred Heart's nursing home), and Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast in Walton County.

Each year, fellow employees, physicians, and patients submit recommendations for nurses, based on their commitment to criteria such as leadership, community involvement, and educational development. This year's winners are:

• Sacred Heart Hospital-Pensacola: Martha Trammell, RN; Betty Wicks, LPN; Tammy Ward, Nursing Tech; and Nada Durant, RN, manager.
• Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast-Miramar Beach: BJ Fontaine, RN
• Sacred Heart Home Care: Patricia Williams, RN; Lawandria Stokes, LPN; Roxanne Dozier, Home Health Aide; and Cynthia Griffin, manager.
• The Haven of Our Lady of Peace: Lezette Jones, RN; Jennifer Skala, LPN; Shae Brown, CAN; and Jocelyn Longo, manager.
• Sacred Heart Medical Group: Layna Cook, RN, Orange Beach, Ala. location; Lyn Williams, LPN, Mobile Highway location; and Nancy Dennis, medical assistant, Urgent Care Center on Highway 29.
• Sacred Heart Medical Group-Emerald Coast: Anne Hurst, RN, of Dr. Stephen Zimmermann's office in Miramar Beach; Cynthia Lychech, LPN, of Bonnie Grundel, PA, in Crestview; Wendy Campbell, medical assistant with Dr. Jose Jimenez's office in Miramar Beach; and Karen Williams of Dr. Susie FitzHarris' office in Destin, special recognition. 

All nurses are eligible to be nominated, including managers, RNs, LPNs, and technicians. For information on nursing job opportunities at Sacred Heart Health System, call 850-416-8773, or visit www.sacred-heart.org/jobs.

A babysitting class will be offered Saturday, June 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Dudley Greenhut Auditorium at the Sacred Heart Hospital Conference Center on Ninth Avenue.

Registration is under way for youth ages 11 to 15.  Cost is $30 per person. Snacks will be provided. Participants receive both an American Safety & Health Institute Babysitter card and an American Heart Association Family & Friends CPR card. 

To register, or to seek more information, please call (850) 416-7264.

Cancer patients, cancer survivors, their families and friends are invited to the next meeting of the Circle of Hope Cancer Support Group at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. The meeting will be held Tuesday, June 10, from 2 to 3 p.m. in the main hospital's Oncology Unit Library on the second floor. Valet parking is available at the hospital's main entrance on Ninth Avenue.

Approximately 10.8 million Americans are living today after a diagnosis of cancer, proving that there is life after cancer. Since June kicked off with National Cancer Survivors Day, the group will focus on cancer survivorship, including care and resources available to patients once radiation and chemotherapy treatments are complete. In addition, family members coping with the loss of a loved one to cancer also are considered survivors and may attend the meeting. Oncology nurses will be participating in the discussion and will be available to answer participants' questions.

The Circle of Hope support group meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 2 p.m. in the same location. Upcoming topics to be addressed also include Advance Directives, disability and other topics of interest to patients and their families.

The group is designed to offer support through education, information, spirituality, and the comfort of fellowship with other cancer patients. For more information, please contact Rene Moses at (850) 416-7703.