Parkinson's support group offers coping tips

The Sturgis Parkinson's Group will meet at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, at Sturgis Community Center. As part of February's Heart Healthy Month, the group will explore healthy habits that contribute to the ability to cope with chronic symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The public is welcome. For more information, call Cindy Edison at 347 6364 or e-mail cindye@rushmore.com.

Winter Wellness Screenings begin Tuesday

The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy will host its free Winter Wellness Screening from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, at the Rapid City YMCA on 815 Kansas City St. No appointment is necessary for the free blood glucose and blood pressure screenings.

Thousand free colon cancer screenings available

The South Dakota Screening Initiative is offering 1,000 free screenings to uninsured and underinsured patients in central and eastern South Dakota. From the South Dakota Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, participating locations include: Gettysburg Clinic, Gettysburg; Highmore Clinic, Highmore; Onida Clinic, Onida; Oahe Valley Community Health Center, Fort Pierre; Stanley Jones Memorial Clinic, Presho; Murdo/Jones County Clinic, Murdo; and Falls Community Health Center, Sioux Falls.

After a positive test result, Rapid City Regional/Endoscopy Center, Rapid City, and Avera McKennan and Sanford Health, Sioux Falls, will donate several free follow-up colonoscopies.

People wanting to get tested should contact a participating clinic and call for an appointment.

Five things about colon cancer everyone should know, according to the American Cancer Society:

* Many people, 50 years and older, do not know they are at risk for colon cancer. To find out the cancer screenings you need based on age, family history and lifestyle, a free online assessment is available at www.cancer.org/healthcheck.

* Smart strategies to reduce the risk of colon cancer include exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and limiting alcohol intake.

* Of the estimated 52,000 people who will die from colon cancer nationwide this year, testing could save more than half.

* If colon cancer is found and treated at its earliest stage, the 5-year survival rate is 90 percent, which is why regular screenings are so important.

* Blacks are at increased risk for colon cancer.

For more information about colon cancer, screening or treatment options, visit the American Cancer Society Web site at www.cancer.org. To learn more about the South Dakota Comprehensive Cancer Control Program or to become a member, contact Linda Rae Placek at info@cancersd.com or call 224-3595.

All health-related announcements must be received no later than noon Thursday to appear in the next Monday's edition. Send announcements to Health Briefs, the Rapid City Journal, P.O. Box 450, Rapid City, SD 57709, fax them to 394-8463 or e-mail to features@rapidcityjournal.com. Items will appear once and as space permits. For information, call 394-8418.