Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/750495
1 2 | PULSE Fa l l 2 0 1 6 H E A LT H L I N KS F ew activities are as simply joyful as singing. But did you know that singing is good for you, too? And singing in a group is one of the best ways to improve your health. Studies prove singing has multiple health benefits. Researchers at McGill University in Canada, among others, found it can increase levels of immunoglobulin A, decrease levels of stress and reduce the need for painkillers by stimulating the release of dopamine. It also increases the levels of oxytocin, the "love" hormone. Research is ongoing to see if singing in a choir can slow down the effects of aging. Four Torrance Memorial Medical Center volunteers—Connie Weintraub, Marta Bailey, Joani ompson and Andrea Paris—know these benefits well and happily add their own. Retired nurse Connie Weintraub volunteers in the Lundquist Tower surgery waiting room. She and her fellow volunteers sing in the L.A. South Towns Show Chorus (LASTS), a group of about 55 women of all ages. "Mostly we sing show tunes and standards," says Weintraub. She had a serious health scare 10 years ago—colon cancer—and credits singing as an important part of getting healthy again. "Aer having my life blown sideways, singing really recalibrated me," she recalls. "ere's a mindfulness that happens.You have to be in the moment. Also the connections you build are just magical. Especially in a quartet—you can't hide, and you count on each other." Marta Bailey was an elementary schoolteacher for 36 years and sang with the kids every day. "I'd make up songs about math or whatever we were doing. When I retired I thought, 'Uh oh. Where am I going to sing now ?' en I remembered LASTS and joined them." Harmony is what enchants Bailey the most. "e sense of working together toward a common goal is so important. And the rush of performance is thrilling." Bailey works the Information and Reception desk at Torrance Memorial and has a love of singing in common with Joani ompson and Andrea Paris as well. "I met a lovely lady about 14 years ago," ompson says, "and she invited me to a LASTS rehearsal. But the director wouldn't let me just sit. She made me get up with them on the risers. I've been hooked ever since. "I volunteer on the ICU, supporting the staff and helping patients' families be more comfortable. I know that singing works the brain and the body, too. We don't hold our music, so we have to memorize it. We do lots of breathing and standing for hours, so it strengthens your muscles," says ompson, who was a teacher and school administrator. "is is the first time I've sung barbershop," says Andrea Paris, who also works the I & R desk and was brought to the chorus by Bailey. She has been singing since grade school—gospel, country western, classical. "It's different and it's a challenge for me. I get great joy out of singing. It calms me and it brings me up. I hope it also brings joy into someone else's life." e LASTS's next show is November 20. And if you are a woman who likes to sing, drop by a rehearsal on Monday nights at 7, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Redondo Beach. SING A SONG IT'S GREAT FOR YOUR HEALTH. WRITTEN BY PEG MOLINE For more information, go to lasouthtowns.org. CANCER CARE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL ONCOLOGY CARE MODEL THE FIVE-YEAR PROGRAM PROMISES EVEN BETTER CARE AND SERVICES FOR TORRANCE MEMORIAL CANCER PATIENTS. T orrance Memorial Physician Network Cancer Care, part of the Hunt Cancer Institute, was selected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as one of 200 physician group practices from around the nation to participate in the Oncology Care Model, a federal initiative for promoting better cancer care. "We've been caring for cancer patients and their families for nearly 50 years, and the Oncology Care Model strengthens our ability to provide the highest quality, coordinated care that results in better outcomes for our patients," says Vanessa Dickey, MD, of Torrance Memorial Physician Network Cancer Care. "Patients will have 24/7 access to care and a multidisciplinary team to support them through the complexities of their cancer care and treatment." Physician practices participating in the five-year Oncology Care Model will provide enhanced services to help patients receive timely, coordinated treatment. ese services may include: