Frisbie Memorial Hospital First in the Nation to Install High Quality Imaging at Low Radiation Dose

ROCHESTER—
Frisbie Memorial Hospital has announced the installation of a powerful and compact Computed Tomography (CT) system offering improvements from earlier CT models in diagnostic capabilities at low dose levels – up to 40 percent lower compared to an average medical facility – and designed for sustainability and ease-of-use. General Electric’s (GE) Optima CT660 enables fast, high performance imaging for patients in a variety of clinical settings, including cardiac, neurological, emergency room and routine CT scans. The Optima CT660, which is scalable up to 128 slices, replaces Frisbie Memorial’s 64-slice CT scan.
To publicly announce the installation of this new cutting-edge technology, representatives from GE Healthcare will be arriving from locations throughout the country to be onsite at Frisbie Memorial Hospital on October 26, 2011. This official launch recognizes Frisbie Memorial as the first facility in the United States to install the Optima CT660 system. In addition, Frisbie Memorial Hospital will be designated as GE’s official Optima CT660 “show site.” Hospitals nation-wide will have the opportunity to visit Frisbie Memorial to learn more about the Opitma CT660’s advanced diagnostic capabilities.
Already in use at hundreds of sites across Europe, Latin America and Asia, Frisbie Memorial is the first hospital in the United States to install GE’s Optima CT660 that is both ecomagination and healthymagination-certified, two of GE’s global initiatives aimed at transforming healthcare delivery through innovation, partnerships and sustainability. As a result, Frisbie Memorial Hospital patients now have access to quality CT imaging with a reduced dose of radiation.
“Frisbie Memorial Hospital is committed to providing our patients with the highest quality CT images at the lowest radiation dose possible. This new scanner gives us the latest tools available to accomplish that,” states Carrie Aubut RT(R) (CT), Lead CT Technologist at Frisbie Memorial Hospital. The lower dose was confirmed during acceptance testing by Frisbie Memorial’s Health Physicist, Arthur Savard, Ph.D., DABMP, Cardinal Medical Physics Services. His report stated, “Radiation dose was remarkably low. I would suggest doing pediatric patients on this unit.”
Moreover, from an operational standpoint, this new equipment makes good business sense for Frisbie Memorial.
“The Optima CT660 is an ideal replacement for our VCT 64. No room or wiring changes were needed. It provides safer scans, faster patient set-up and uses less electricity. Our scanning quality and efficiency go up, and operating costs go down. Exactly what we need to do in this economy,” said Dean DeMaster, RT(N), CNMT, MBA, Director of Imaging Services at Frisbie Memorial.
An ecomagination-certified product, GE’s Optima CT660 is also among the world’s most energy efficient Volume CT systems, using about 60 percent less energy than earlier scanners. Additionally, its lighter weight reduces transportation costs while its environmental design addresses refurbishment and end-of-life recycling. In line with Frisbie Memorial’s Go Green initiatives, which include hospital-wide recycling and energy conservation efforts, all components of the Optima CT660 are completely recyclable at end of life.
GE’s Optima CT660 features advanced tools to use less radiation while enhancing imaging quality. Standard on the Optima CT660, “Dose Check” technology notifies and alerts CT users prior to scanning if the estimated dose is above their institution’s set values, requires explicit user authority checks when estimated dose exceeds the alert value, enables specifically-defined pediatric and adult alert values, and provides for audit logging, review, and protocol change control capabilities. Frisbie Memorial currently uses GE’s Featherlight software so that pediatric patients receive low-dose radiation.
Photo caption: Frisbie Memorial Hospital will be the first in the United States to install General Electric’s Optima CT660 computed tomography system. (Courtesy photo)

Legends, Lore and Mystery with New England Curiosities’ Roxie Zwicker

RYE—
Families can get together for a hauntingly good time at the Seacoast Science Center on Thursday, October 27 at 5:30 p.m. The evening will kick off with a family-style dinner. Children will then Trick-or-Treat around the darkened Center, using bags they have decorated.
Then, two different age-appropriate activities will be offered. Young children can enjoy supervised seasonal stories and games at the Center. Older children (appropriate for ages 8 and up) can walk to the Odiorne Family graveyard with their parents, where Roxie Zwicker awaits. She will tell us about the hidden-away graveyard: the oldest in New Hampshire! She will regale us with local legends­—suitable for the season and the family. Be among the first to hear the specially prepared tales Roxie will tell based on research about the graveyard and legends of Odiorne and our coast.
This is the first of the Center’s Heritage Dinner Series to be planned just for families. Costumes are encouraged, but remember to dress for the weather and the walk! Some flashlights will be available, but best to bring your own. This is a rain or shine event: it may be entirely inside if necessary.
As founder of New England Curiosities, Roxie has been sharing her stories of New England legends and lore since 1993. She has captivated national audiences in person, as well as on television and radio. She will be autographing her books (available in the Nature Store) this evening.
The cost for evening is $10/adult, $5/child for members; $15/adult, $6/child for non-members and includes beverages and family fare. Please send checks made payable to Seacoast Science Center, 570 Ocean Blvd., Rye, NH 03870 or contact Nichole at 603-436-8043, ext. 26 or n.rutherford@seacentr.org to sign up.
Photo caption: (Courtesy photo of Roxie Zwicker)

Chamber of Commerce & Dover Listens to Host Candidate Forums

DOVER—
The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce will present a series of candidate forums for residents to gain knowledge about candidates running for public office in the November 8th elections. There will be forums dedicated to the School Board, City Council and the Mayoral races.
The Chamber of Commerce Mayoral Candidate Forum will be held on Monday, October 24 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at the Dover City Hall. The City Council Candidate Forums will immediately follow, beginning at approximately 7:00 p.m. Each Ward, as well as At Large Candidates, will be separated into their own forums.
The Chamber of Commerce School Board Candidate Forum will take place on Thursday, October 27 at 6:00 p.m. at the School Board Chamber in the McConnell Center, room 306.
In addition to the Candidate Forums, on Tuesday, October 25, Dover Listens will be hosting Community Conversations from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Rivermill at Dover Landing. The conversation format will give candidates the opportunity to hear from constituents about what they would like from their representatives.
At the Chamber of Commerce Forums, candidates will be given the opportunity to make opening and closing statements and will be asked a series of questions developed by the Forum Committee. The Dover Listens Community Conversations will be more of a small group, facilitated dialogue between residents and candidates.
Don Briand, News Director of WOKQ 97.5 will moderate this year’s Chamber of Commerce forums. All Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forums will be broadcast live on Dover’s local Channel 22 with multiple rebroadcasts likely.

Third Annual Pizza-Tasting Event Benefits Children’s Museum

DOVER—

On Saturday, November 5, pizza aficionados of all ages can cast their votes for best regional pizza restaurants at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire’s third annual PizzaFest and Holiday Auction. The event will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Children’s Museum of NH in Dover and is generously sponsored by D.F. Richard. Attendees will be able to sample different varieties of pizza from local purveyors, then vote for their favorites. All proceeds benefit the museum’s innovative education and outreach programs.
Seacoast area pizza restaurants will be serving up both cheese and specialty pizzas for guests to sample and judge in the categories of Kids’ Choice Cheese and Grown-Ups’ Choice. A judging panel will crown the Judges’ Pick for Best Pizza, Best Crust and Most Creative Toppings. This year’s judging panel will include a student from the Culinary Arts program at the Regional Career Technical Center at Dover High School.
Eight pizza restaurants are already confirmed for this year’s event: Dover House of Pizza, Kendall Pond II, La Festa Brick & Brew Pizzeria, Papa Gino’s, River Bend Pizza & Subs, Roger’s Restaurant, Smiley’s, and Uno’s Chicago Grill.
In addition to all the pizza tasting, there will be activities for children including games, interactive exploration of exhibits and face painting. This event is family friendly but adults on their own are also welcome, as this is a great opportunity to start holiday shopping.
This year’s Holiday Silent Auction will offer dozens of great gift ideas for family, friends, business associates and more. Items up for bid will include ski passes to Cranmore Mountain Resort, an overnight at the Inn & Spa at Mills Falls, a one-week kids’ kayak camp donated by Portsmouth Kayak Adventures, a $500 certificate toward a solar installation from Revision Energy, family portrait packages from Goldsmith Photography, vehicle maintenance certificates from Bill Dube Ford, $50 of Usborne Books and much more.
The cost of the Children’s Museum PizzaFest and Holiday Auction is $10 for adults, $7 for children age 10 and under, and children age two and under are free. Advance reservations are required as space is limited. Reservations can be made by calling the museum at (603) 742-2002 during regular weekday business hours or making payment at the front desk.
Photo caption: The proprietors of Kendall Pond II in Dover will be serving up slices at the Children’s Museum of NH’s PizzaFest for a third consecutive year. (Courtesy photo)

Seabrook Station United Way Golf Invitational Crosses $500,000 Threshold

SEABROOK/RYE—

Seabrook Station held their annual Golf Invitational to benefit United Way of the Greater Seacoast (UWGS) in September at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye, NH with outstanding results. 136 golfers hit the links and recent totals show an impressive $30,000 raised for UWGS. Since the first tournament in 1989, over $500,000 has been raised in support of UWGS and the Greater Seacoast community.
At the celebration event following the tournament, UWGS Sr. Director of Resource Development Janet Guen recognized the efforts of the Seabrook Station team:
“Each year I am both grateful and humbled by the enthusiasm and support that Seabrook Station brings to the table. It is because of the leadership and compassion of company’s like NextEra that we are able to make a difference in the lives of so many.”
Along with NextEra Energy, tournament event sponsors were Ames, BHI Energy, GE Energy, Westinghouse Electric Corp., and Shaw Stone and Webster. Special thanks go to Mike Lewis and Nancy O’Neil who co-organized the event, and to all who participated in the tournament.
Photo caption: Pictured (left to right): tournament organizer Nancy O’Neil, NextEra Energy Seabrook Station Site Vice President Paul Freeman, United Way of the Greater Seacoast Senior Director Resource Development Janet Guen, and United Way Golf Coordinator Mike Lewis. (Courtesy photo)

Opening Scenes: ‘50/50’

By Chip Schrader

Movie Reviewer
“50/50” begins with a shot of moving pavement; a hand holding an iPod moves into the frame. As the camera pans back, we see a man in a sweat suit running along a waterfront with the Seattle skyline on the other side. The man stops at the “Do Not Walk” light, while another jogger runs by him to cross the street, regardless of the sign. The light changes and he proceeds.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays as Adam, the cautious jogger who doesn’t drive because it is the fifth leading cause of death. In spite of his prudence, he is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer where mutated genes formed into a tumor along his spinal cord. When telling his 50/50 chance of survival to his best friend Kyle, played by Seth Rogen, Kyle tries to maintain his composure, stating Adam would have better chances than anyone in Vegas with those chances.
The cast is stellar with Anjelica Huston, Anna Kendrick, and Bryce Dallas Howard (The Help) supporting the painful and complicated journey of a 27-year-old cancer patient. Anjelica Huston is Adam’s mother, a worrier whose husband is marooned in the latter stages of Alzheimer’s disease. For her own survival, she seeks her son to allow her to care for him, but his girlfriend, played by Howard, leaves viewers scratching their heads with her care-giving methods.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s portrayal seethes with pain, despair and loneliness until the adversity knots into the viewers’ guts. Just in time, Kyle comes into the scene, insists that his best friend exploit this illness as a means to live his life fully, and uses his vulgar humor to steer the audience and his best friend’s demeanor into lighter territory.
“50/50” will likely introduce Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen to Oscar-conscious audiences and filmmakers. Rogen’s character, in particular, displays that the comedic actor has the chops to be funny in a serious film with this subtly nuanced character. The scenes in the treatment center, Adam’s scenes of private pain, and his anger are very real to those who have witnessed the nature of the disease. Huston shines in the doctor’s office after Adam finally lets her into his private battle; this is the first of many scenes that bring goosebumps in the last third of the movie as Adam’s road to wellness narrows.
Bottom line: “50/50” should not be missed. Viewers will get chills from the deep humanity of the male friendship that inspired this story, and the struggles of a patient who always had to play protector. Scenes with an icy physician and a young psychologist needing a case study for her doctorate subtly indicate the commonplace shortcomings of healthcare. But, the sweeping political commentary is kept at bay as the heart of the story is the most inspiring. This film will make audiences hurt, hate, love, and laugh many times over. “50/50” is based on a true story and makes us revel that friendships like this really exist. 4.5 out of 5.
Photo caption: (Courtesy movie poster image)

World Class Triathletes Jarrod Shoemaker and Sarah Groff to Ride in Krempels King of the Road Challenge

PORTSMOUTH—

Event organizers are pleased to announce that Jarrod Shoemaker, the top ranked American triathlete in the world and current national champion, and Sarah Groff, World Championship Series athlete and 2012 Olympics-bound triathlete, will join other riders at the inaugural Krempels King of the Road Challenge to be held October 15.
In 2009, Jarrod won the Duathlon World Championship and Hamburg World Championship Series race. After attending Dartmouth College (‘04) – where he ran cross country and track and won an Ivy League Cross Country Championship – Jarrod turned his attention to triathlon, and in 2005, won the Under 23 World Championship. He followed that up by finishing 18th at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He currently lives in Maynard, MA.
Sarah Groff is an internationally-ranked triathlete and a member of the US Elite National Team. In early September she won the Bronze Medal for the overall 2011 World Championship Series in Beijing, China. This caps an incredible year for Sarah as she has proved herself to be the top American triathlete. This year, Sarah has posted five top 10 finishes in World Championship Series races, the first ever podium finish by an American woman in a WCS race, qualified for the 2012 London Olympic Games and earned the first ever American medal for the overall World Championship Series.
Sarah was a double major in conservation biology and studio art at Middlebury College, graduating cum laude and with highest honors in art. When finished with triathlon, she plans on going into environmental law. She lives in Hanover, NH.
The Krempels King of the Road Challenge is a fundraising ride to benefit the Krempels Center, a Portsmouth-based nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people living with brain injury from trauma, tumor or stroke. This event has a special connection to the King family, through the local cycle-racing legends Robbie and Teddy King, who are actively involved with supporting the event. Riders of all abilities are welcome to participate.
More information about the Krempels King of the Road Challenge can be found at www.kingchallenge.org.
Photo caption: Jarrod Shoemaker, world champion and Olympic triathlon participant, will participate in the Krempels King of the Road Challenge on October 15. (Courtesy photo)