This month’s Island Girls Night Out will be a different kind of celebration! While it’s Beaufort Memorial’s first time hosting the monthly event, it’s certainly not their first time hosting a party.

In fact, the hospital’s popular annual Girls Night Out celebration will be back for its fifth year with music, munchies and a whole new lineup of fun activities designed to help women improve their health. The program is being billed as a marquee event of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, offering women their “ticket” to wellness with a focus on breast care, OB-GYN health and an active lifestyle.

[caption id="attachment_19123" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/nurnberg_131017_07224_5355.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-19123" alt="These women, along with hundreds of others, attended last year’s Girls Night Out sponsored by Beaufort Memorial Hospital. This year’s fun event promoting women’s health will be Thursday, Oct. 16." src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/nurnberg_131017_07224_5355-300x200.jpg" width="300" height="200" /></a> These women, along with hundreds of others, attended last year’s Girls Night Out sponsored by Beaufort Memorial Hospital. This year’s fun event promoting women’s health will be Thursday, Oct. 16.[/caption]

The free event will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16 on the second floor of the Beaufort Memorial Medical and Administrative Center on Ribaut Road (directly across the street from the hospital’s main campus).

The event has “sold out” in years past, so registration is recommended by
Oct. 9 in order to guarantee admission.

Visit www.beaufortmemorial.org and click on the “Girls’ Night Out” banner on the homepage to reserve your ticket. (If you do not have web access or need additional information, call 522-5952.)

As they enter the venue, guests will be issued a ticket to all of the interactive displays and demonstrations, along with two beverage tickets for wine or beer.  Participants who visit all three health stations will have the chance to win prizes. The festivities also will include hors d’oeuvres and music.

“We want to provide women with the information they need to make healthy lifestyle choices,” said Emily Harris, who is helping coordinate the event for BMH. “But we’re doing it in atmosphere that’s fun and entertaining.”

At the breast health area, attendees will be invited to play the popular cornhole “Tata Toss.” In this game, participants are asked to answer true or false to questions related to breast care by throwing a pink (of course) bean bag into one of two holes marked “myth” or “fact.”

The area will also include breast models used to teach women how to perform monthly breast self-exams, as well as a display explaining the difference between the new 3-D mammogram and standard mammography. General surgeon Dr. Deanna Mansker and plastic surgeon Dr. Audrey Klenke, as well as the staff of the Women’s Imaging Center, will be on hand to answer questions and provide information about breast health, while radiologist Dr. Christa Catalano will be available to discuss the benefits of the new digital breast mammography, a three-dimensional X-ray that provides a clearer, more accurate view of the breast.

[caption id="attachment_19124" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/GNO-2-10-2.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-19124" alt="Beaufort Memorial gynecologist Patricia Thompson, MD, and breast nurse navigator Amy Hane discuss breast health with guests at last year’s Girls’ Night Out." src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/GNO-2-10-2-300x200.jpg" width="300" height="200" /></a> Beaufort Memorial gynecologist Patricia Thompson, MD, and breast nurse navigator Amy Hane discuss breast health with guests at last year’s Girls’ Night Out.[/caption]

To help women determine if they’re at high risk for breast cancer, the hospital will present a mini seminar on the topic — one of three breakout sessions being offered during the event. The program also will include “Maybe Baby” for women thinking about getting pregnant and “Hot and Flashy,” a discussion on menopause.

In the active lifestyle station, internist Dr. Robert Vyge will join several of the hospital’s nutrition experts to offer advice about making smart food choices, knowing your healthy weight, and the importance of regular exercise and check-ups.

The all-star lineup of medical professionals expected at the event includes members of BMH’s new OB-GYN practice, Drs. Christopher Benson, Gregory Miller and Berniece Redmond. They will be joined by gynecologists Drs. Eve Ashby and Pat Thompson. They will be discussing topics such as minimally invasive hysterectomies, hormones and menopause.

For the first time, pediatricians and anesthesiologists — essential members of Beaufort Memorial’s cohesive Birthing Services team — will be participating. Drs. Faith Polkey, Nicole Broerman and James Simmons or a healthcare professional from his practice will be available to answer questions, as will one or more physicians from Low Country Anesthesia.
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