Compiled by Debra Scherban. Please send items to dscherban@gazettenet.com.
Dr. Karen Kuhn Ballen will give a talk on acute leukemia Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Dakin Conference Room at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton.
Acute leukemias are some of the most aggressive cancers and can be rapidly fatal without treatment, according to a prepared statement from the hospital. In fact, the cure of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is one of the major advances in oncology, the statement says..
Ballen will review new drugs and treatments for adults with acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphoid leukemia. She will also discuss the progress that researchers are making toward a cure.
Dr. Sean Mullally, medical director of the Mass General Cancer Center at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, will introduce Ballen.
The physicians will discuss the partnership between the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center in Boston and the Mass General Cancer Center at Cooley Dickinson Hospital as well as how the collaboration between the two organizations benefits local patients.
Ballen is the clinical director of the Center for Leukemia at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center.
Her career has focused on the care of patients with leukemia and patients undergoing bone marrow or stem cell transplants. She has a particular interest in patients who do not have a matched donor and may be interested in transplants using umbilical cord blood
The lecture, part of an ongoing series offered by Mass General and Cooley Dickinson, is free and open to all but registration is required. Visit cooley-dickinson.org/classes or call 888-554-4CDH (4234).
In celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month, Cooley Dickinson Health Care and The Western Massachusetts Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI-WM) will host a Mental Health Awareness Fair, Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, in the Cafeteria at Cooley Dickinson Hospital on Locust Street in Northampton.
Cooley Dickinson president and chief executive officer Joanne Marqusee will welcome guests and offer opening remarks; a proclamation from Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz will be read.
Other activities include a panel discussion, Mental Health Emergencies, What Should You Do/What Should You Expect, which will be moderated by Bruce Bradley-Gilbert, coordinator of counseling and group programs, Cooley Dickinson.
Panelists include Lieutenant Craig Kirouac, Northampton Police Department; Adam Lau, MD, chief of psychiatry, Cooley Dickinson; and Ryn Gluckman, nurse manager, Cooley Dickinson Emergency Department.
Breakout sessions, “Mental Health 101” and “Supporting Families and Friends, The Role of Support Groups,” also will be offered. Entertainment and a mental health resources table will be available.
This event is free and open to all.
Karen Michaels, a licensed massage therapist and owner of Bodywork Beyond Massage and developer of Dynamic Balanced Movement in Sunderland, will give a free talk on back pain Saturday from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. at the Sunderland Public Library.
A follow-up six-session class, Dynamic Balanced Movement: Back Pain, will be offered in South Deerfield through June and in Hadley through July. There is a fee for the classes.
The first class is an individual session, and must occur before the group series begins.
For more information call 665-4977 or visit www.bodyworkbeyondmassage.massageplanet.com
Area blood drives
To learn more about blood donation opportunities or to schedule an appointment download the Red Cross donor app, visit redcorssblood.org or call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) Walk-ins are welcome.
Friday, 1 to 6 p.m., Our Lady of the Valley Parish 33 Adams St. Easthampton
Monday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Cooley Dickinson Hospital, 30 Locust St., Northampton
Monday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., South Hadley Public Library, 2 Canal St., South Hadley