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PROGRESS NOTES PATRONS | Fall 2015 7 Miracle of Living Calendar 2015-2016 At Torrance Memorial's Hoff man Health Conference Center 7 p.m. OCTOBER 21 Cancer NOVEMBER 18 Men's Sexual Health DECEMBER No lecture; see you in 2016! JANUARY 21 Arthritis FEBRUARY 18 Heart Can't attend? Visit TorranceMemorial.org/ MOL to stream the lecture live or view on- demand. You can also view the taped lecture at 10 a.m. on the Monday following the lecture at Torrance Memorial. Call 310-517-4711 for more information or to purchase a copy of the lecture. Miracle of Living at the Beach Shade Hotel, 1221 N. Valley Drive, Manhattan Beach 7 p.m. OCTOBER 20 When the Diagnosis Is Cancer, You Are Not Alone (in Recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month) Please visit TorranceMemorial.org/MOL for the latest lecture schedule. Call 310-517-4728 to RSVP. Miracle of Living Off ers Access to Latest Health Info WRITTEN BY CAROLE JAKUCS O ne way to stay up-to-date on the latest innovations in health care is to become a regular attendee of the Miracle of Living health education lecture series. On the third Wednesday of each month, experienced medical professionals present credible health information to attendees. " e lectures are one notch below what you would hear in medical school. Attending can serve as a great adjunct to one's physician visit by providing useful, reliable patient education," says Eduardo Anorga, MD, a family practice physician and chair of the Miracle of Living committee. e Miracle of Living lecture series was born from a collaborative eff ort between a group of physicians and community members in 1972. e presentations are free and open to the public. e objective is to help community members understand the changes in health care and provide updates on services off ered at Torrance Memorial. e lectures encompass a broad range of topics such as heart health, diabetes, joint replacement surgery, dementia, anorexia, melanoma and more. Moe Gelbart, PhD, executive director of the elma McMillen Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment at Torrance Memorial, has presented numerous lectures through the years on a variety of psychological topics such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, eating disorders and violence. "We provide practical health information that helps people understand more about health and to discern if something is a problem or not. e lectures refl ect the commitment by the hospital to patient education and the community. I'm proud to be a part of it," he says. Another frequent speaker is cardiologist Mark Lurie, MD, director of the Melanie and Richard Lundquist Cardiovascular Institute at Torrance Memorial. Dr. Lurie has spoken on a wide range of cardiometabolic topics such as heart disease, complications of diabetes and stroke, valve disease and peripheral artery disease. "What's presented is extremely advanced, solid, scientifi cally accepted and evidence-based information that is honest and straightforward," he says. Guests at Dr. Lurie's lectures have come to expect that cookies will be available—his requirement for participation. "I feel they bring a touch of comfort," he says, "but I also have to say: Use only in moderation." Approximately 300 guests attend each month. Guests can fi ll out cards during the program to write questions for speakers to address during the Q&A session. ey are also asked to fi ll out an evaluation form for future topics. e Miracle of Living Committee reviews the forms the week following the lecture. e topics and speakers are chosen by the committee, which is comprised of community members and Torrance Memorial staff and physicians. ey choose topics by integrating requests from the community, along with ideas from committee members and hospital staff . Two longtime committee members from the community are husband and wife, Dave and Toni Sargent. Toni has been on the committee since its inception. With a lifelong interest in health, she says she was "thrilled to become a part of this program." In 2003, after Dave's retirement, she recruited him to join. "Satisfaction" is the most common response Toni receives from attendees. "People are thankful for this service." She recalls one attendee sharing his gratefulness for attending a lecture on heart disease. He recognized he was having a heart attack and sought care quickly. He believes his survival is a direct result of attending the lecture. Le : The 2015 Miracle of Living Planning Commi ee: (le to right) Toni Sargent, Colleen Farrell, Mary Ford, Catherine Hargrove, Frank Miles, Mary Lou Hayden, Dave Sargent, Eduardo Anorga, M.D., Marylou Tom. Right: Moe Gelbart, PhD, psychologist and execu ve director of the Thelma McMillen Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment.