News

Aiken Regional Medical Centers is increasing opportunities to hear physicians and executives speak in the community throughout the month of May. Events will focus on various health and wellness topics and be held in Aiken and North Augusta.

Better Health Forum

The Better Health Forum is held quarterly over breakfast in Aiken and over lunch in North Augusta. Advanced registration is required. The first Better Health Forum will be held Tuesday, May 9, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. with Patrick Chambers, Chief Executive Officer at Aurora Pavilion Behavioral Health Services. The event will be held at the Riverview Park Activities Center, located at 100 Riverview Park Drive in North Augusta. Chambers will discuss how to navigate mental health in our community.

“Mental health awareness month is an opportune time for us to each do our part to reduce the stigma of mental illness which continues to plague our society,” says Chambers. “It’s important to learn how to recognize signs and symptoms for those who are struggling so we can help them access appropriate care.”

The next Better Health Forum will be held Tuesday, May 16, 9 – 10 a.m. with Frank Chase MD, FACS, general surgeon at Aiken Regional Medical Centers and Aiken Physicians Alliance. The event will be held in the University of South Carolina Aiken’s Etherredge Center lobby, located at 340 Scholar Loop in Aiken. Dr. Chase will speak about robotic surgery; Aiken regional surgeons use the da Vinci® XI Robotic Surgical System*, which extends the natural capabilities of the surgeon’s eyes and hands. Features include a 3-D, high-definition visual tool that magnifies the surgeon’s view to 10 times what the human eye can typically see.

“Having a smaller incision often means fewer complications than with traditional open surgery, including less blood loss, less pain, less scarring, a quicker recovery time and less risk of infection,” says Dr. Chase.

Dr. Chase recently earned the status of “da Vinci Super User.” It’s the highest recognition by the developer of the robotic surgical system and is awarded to surgeons who have completed 30 or more robotic-assisted procedures in a single three-month period. Dr. Chase has performed more than 350 surgeries using robotic technology.

The Better Health Forum is free to attend, and breakfast and lunch will be provided. Those interested in attending a Better Health Forum must register in advance by visiting aikenregional.com/betterhealth.

Trauma Survivors Day

Aiken Regional is a Level IV Trauma Center designated by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. This designation recognizes the hospital’s dedication to providing a spectrum of care for injured patients.

Join us on National Trauma Survivors Day Thursday, May 18 at 2 p.m. to hear some of this year’s inspiring and captivating stories of Aiken Regional’s trauma survivors. The event will take place in the hospital’s cafeteria. We will celebrate individuals who have experienced serious, life-threatening incidents in the past year.

“We received our Level IV Trauma Center designation in 2022 and have been honored to be able to provide advanced trauma life support to our community,” says Lorenzo Sampson, MD, FACS, Medical Director of Trauma at Aiken Regional Medical Centers. “Saving lives of those who have undergone trauma requires the strength and perseverance of all involved. From the patient to the family and their full support system, to the entire healthcare team. It takes an organized medical team to be able to evaluate and treat any injury that comes into our facility, but it takes an even greater team to help the patient heal and recover.”

In many trauma cases, patients may be in the hospital for several months working closely with staff. This event provides them a chance to reunite with the care team who saved their lives and helped get them back home.

Heart Series

The first event in Aiken Regional’s newly launched Heart Series will be held Tuesday, May 23, 9 – 10 a.m. at Aiken Senior Life Services, located at 1310 E Pine Log Road in Aiken. This heart-healthy breakfast will include Christine DeStephan Mills, MD, and Edward Terrien, MD, both structural and interventional cardiologist with Aiken Regional Medical Centers and Aiken Physician Alliance Carolina Heart and Vascular Center. Attendees will learn about cardiovascular services and hear first-hand from a patient.

“I’m honored to work in a facility that offers advanced cardiac programs to our community, not to mention with an extremely skilled team,” says Dr. Mills. “Our team is dedicated to getting patients feeling better and back to living their best lives.”

The Heart Series is free to attend, and breakfast will be provided. Those interested in attending the Heart Series must register in advance by visiting aikenregional.com/heartseries. Space is limited.