Reston Hospital Certified as Primary Stroke Center 

Reston Hospital Center has earned the Gold Seal of Approval for certification as a Primary Stroke Center.  Each year about 795,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke, which is the nation's third leading cuse of death.  On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and someone dies of a stroke every 3.1 minutes.  Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States, with about 4.7 million stroke survivors alive today.  Reston Hospital's certification was granted by The Joint Commission's Primary Stroke Center.  When it comes to stroke, "Time is Brain."  With Reston Hospital's certification, residents of Eastern Fairfax and Western Loudoun and Prince William Counties have much closer and faster access to treatment.  Faster care leads to less disability and a greater likelihood of full recovery. 

Helping the Uninsured/Underinsured Get Medicines They Need 

* Pfizer Helpful Answers is a family of assistance programs for the uninsured and underinsured who need help getting Pfizer medicines.  These programs provide Pfizer medicines for free or at a savings to patients who qualify.  Some programs also offer reimbursement support services for people with insurance.  Call 1-866-706-2400 or go to www.PfizerHelpfulAnswers.com for more information. 

* The Partnership for Prescription Assistance is a service sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry that connects patients to more than 475 public and private patient assistance programs.  Call 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669) or visit www.PPARx.org. 

* Together Rx Access is a prescription savings program sponsored by many of the nation's leading pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, to help eligible hardworking Americans and their families gain access to savings on prescription products right at their neighborhood pharmacy.  For informaiton call 1-800-444-4106 or visit www.TogetherRxAccess.com.

Summer Energy Saving Tips 

You don't have to sacrifice the quality of your meals in order to save energy.  Consciously making a few small changes in your kitchen will reduce energy usage and costs.  Try these hints from "Cooperative Living" magazine:

* Flat-bottomed cookware is the most energy efficient because it has the most direct contact with the heat source.

* Copper-bottom cookware heats quickest.  Copper has twice the heat conductivity of aluminum and 10 times more than stainless steel.

* Water in a covered pot boils in about half the time it takes to boil when uncovered, saving time and energy.

* Use pots and pans on the appropriately sized stovetop burner.

* Smaller pots and burners take less time to heat and use less energy.

* Use a microwave oven rather than a conventional oven.  Microwaves require two-thirds less power than conventional ovens.

* Prepare meals that don't require heat, such as gazpacho, salads, and wraps.

*Grilling food outside keeps your kitchen cool.  If that's not an option, countertop grills use less energy and generate less heat than ovens.

* Pressure cookers use steam pressure to reduce cook time and energy use.

* Don't preheat the oven.  Preheating is often unnecessary unless baking.  Turn the oven on when the dish is added, and adjust the cooking time accordingly.  The less time the stove is on, the less time it has to heat your house.

* Don't open the oven door.  The internal temperature of the oven is reduced by as much as 25 degrees with each peek.  Instead, use the oven window to check food.

* Unplug appliances when not in use, or use a power strip to turn off all power to the appliance.

For more information on ways to be energy efficient, check out these websites:

www.energystar.gov

www.energysavers.gov

www.touchstoneenergy.com