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Going for Bold: Meritus employee loses 40 pounds

In late 2023, Sandy Alton realized she had a problem. “My health started declining,” said the community navigator with Meritus Health. “I was gaining a lot of weight. My energy level was bottoming out.” But things became clear to her in the fall when she and her husband, Greg, got photos taken in Williamsport. “When I saw those pictures, it made me hit rock bottom,” she recalled. “Had I really gained that much weight?” Feeling sorry for herself and not knowing what to do, she turned to a program she’d actually been sharing with patients and co-workers: Go for Bold. “Why not use if for myself?” she asked. What is Go for Bold? The Go for Bold initiative was started by Healthy Washington County, a coalition of public and private organizations, including Meritus, with a mission to strengthen the health and wellness of our community and residents. The initiative was sparked after a Community Health Needs Assessment found Washington County residents had high rates of chronic illness, such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, among others. The goal of the initiative is to lose 1 million pounds as a community by 2030 by encouraging activity, healthy diet and accountability. So far, more than 163,000 pounds have been lost, according to the program’s online weight tracker. Hub City Nutrition offers free classes Alton started by clicking on the link for fitness classes, which advertised a free fit camp held twice a week. “It was free, and I thought I didn’t have anything to lose,” she said. “I figured if I don’t like it, I just won’t go back.” Greg Alton, who has had heart surgery himself and needed to get into better shape, agreed to join his wife. It was at the fitness classes where they met Sheriff “Reef” Taiwo and Jetaine “Jet” Hart who operate Hub City Nutrition. The couple partnered with Healthy Washington County to offer the free community workouts about two years ago. “It aligned with our vision of making Hagerstown healthy,” Hart said. “It aligned with our mission and bigger purpose.” Taiwo and Hart left Prince George’s County for Hagerstown with the goal of making the community healthier. Using statistics compiled by the state, they learned that Washington County was at the bottom of most Maryland counties’ lists when it came to health. Hub City Nutrition also provides nutrition and wellness coaching. For example, they have a 21-day challenge that is meant to provide accountability along with nutrition coaching by offering meal guides, prizes and workouts. It all fits in with Go for Bold. ‘She has abs at 60’ Hub City Nutrition recently started hosting monthly wellness workshops. This not only offers meal and workout advice, but participants get on the scale to track their progress. “A lot of people are seeing amazing results,” she said, noting Sandy Alton’s transformation. “She has abs at 60!” When the Altons took their first class in November 2023, they were amazed. “We said, ‘We have no idea what the heck we just did, but it was awesome,’” Sandy Alton said. “I’ve lost 40 pounds and my energy is through the roof. I can’t say enough about the good things it’s done for my life.” To learn more about Go for Bold, visit healthywashingtoncounty.com/goforbold.

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New Meritus plastic surgeon helps cancer patients ‘pick up the pieces’

Dr. Eric Maiorino now seeing patients in Hagerstown HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Breast cancer is a traumatic experience for patients, often leaving them questioning who they are because of scars after treatment. Eric Maiorino, M.D., the new surgeon at Meritus Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery, said he’s there to help those patients get back some semblance of their identity. “It’s a difficult time for patients. They’re always very afraid of looking deformed or not themselves,” Maiorino said. “My goal is to help them be able to pick up the pieces.” Maiorino grew up in Queens, N.Y., about 15 blocks away from where his practice partner, Salvatore DiMercurio, M.D., grew up. They even went to the same elementary and middle schools, albeit years apart. After earning his medical degree in 2012 from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Maiorino did his residency in general surgery at Temple University Hospital, which, among other things, focused on underserved populations. In 2018, Maiorino began a plastic surgery fellowship at the University of Texas in Houston at Hermann Memorial Hospital. “It was my first rodeo,” he joked, saying he’d never been to a rodeo before living in Texas. He also trained at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, part of the University of Texas. There he focused on reconstructive surgery for people dealing with a variety of cancers. “Plastic surgery is so broad,” he said, noting he gets to work with physicians in everything from cardiology to gastroenterology. “When you think of it, you think it’s just face lifts and breast enhancements. Plastic surgery touches so much more than that.” Eventually, Maiorino moved back to the East Coast and set up a practice in Washington, D.C. He was voted Top Doc the past three years by Washingtonian magazine. He became aware of Meritus Health thanks to its commitment to expanding medical education and training the next generation of doctors. The health system has residency programs in family medicine and psychiatry and is planning to add surgery in the near future. It also is set to open the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine, the first medical school to open in Maryland in 100 years, this summer. “I was a high school science teacher before I went to medical school, so this interested me,” he said. At Meritus Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery, Maiorino said he hopes to expand services for breast cancer patients, allowing them to avoid traveling out of the area. And he is looking forward to helping grow Meritus’ educational offerings. “I’m excited to help in making this more of an academic center,” he said. To learn more about Meritus Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery or to make an appointment, visit www.meritushealth.com/plastics or call 301-714-4460 in Hagerstown or 717-261-1620 in Chambersburg. ### Meritus Health, Western Maryland’s largest health care provider, is located at the crossroads of Western Maryland, Southern Pennsylvania and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The mission of Meritus Health is to improve the health of the region by providing the best healthcare, health services and medical education. As an anchor organization for the community, Meritus has 4,000 employees and serves more than 200,000 residents of the tristate region through Meritus Medical Center, Brook Lane Health Services, Meritus Medical Group, Meritus Home Health, Meritus Equipped for Life, and the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine. More information can be found at www.MeritusHealth.com or visit our Facebook page or LinkedIn page.

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Meritus Urology honored again by U.S. News & World Report

Outpatient surgery earns ‘High Performing’ rating HAGERSTOWN, Md. — For the second year in a row, the surgical services at Meritus Urology received top ranking from U.S. News & World Report. Meritus Urology’s outpatient surgery earned a “High Performing” rating for ambulatory surgery centers from the pro-consumer media company. It was one of only 708 same-day surgical centers to earn this rating out of nearly 4,400 centers that U.S. News evaluated. "It is a great privilege to be honored two years in a row by U.S. News & World Report," said Dr. Kevin Hackett, Meritus Urology medical director. "I think it shows the commitment to quality care by our staff with the goal of improving the health of our patients." Procedures typically take less than an hour, with just another hour required in recovery. Care can include everything from an enlarged prostate to kidney stone removal. The practice also treats bladder, kidney, prostate and testicular cancers. Services are available for men and women, children and adults. “Because ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) have become an increasingly large part of the U.S. patient experience, U.S. News set out to help consumers, in consultation with their healthcare professionals, identify high quality ASCs,” the publication said in its methodology report. To learn more about Meritus Urology, visit www.MeritusHealth.com/Urology or call 301-733-0022. ### Meritus Health, Western Maryland’s largest health care provider, is located at the crossroads of Western Maryland, Southern Pennsylvania and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The mission of Meritus Health is to improve the health of the region by providing the best healthcare, health services and medical education. As an anchor organization for the community, Meritus has 4,000 employees and serves more than 200,000 residents of the tristate region through Meritus Medical Center, Brook Lane Health Services, Meritus Medical Group, Meritus Home Health, Meritus Equipped for Life, and the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine. More information can be found at www.MeritusHealth.com or visit our Facebook page or LinkedIn page.

Mediterranean Diet could be the answer to your health problems

March is Nutrition Awareness Month, a time when Americans are encouraged to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthy eating habits. Adopting the Mediterranean Diet has become a popular option among those healthy eating habits. The diet was first publicized by American biologist Ancel Keys and his wife, chemist Margaret Keys, after studies found that certain cultures around the Mediterranean had lower incidents of some chronic illnesses and obesity. “It’s been shown to improve lot of disease states — cardiovascular disease, diabetes, weight loss and other things,” said, Hannah Dinterman, R.D., L.D.N., a bariatric dietitian with Meritus Bariatric Surgical Specialists. “It can also increase longevity.” The Mediterranean Diet is a whole foods diet that focuses on lots of fruits and vegetables, healthy fat sources such as seeds, nuts, fish and lean meats, and plant-based proteins such as chickpeas. A key ingredient in the diet is food containing fiber, Dinterman said. “A diet rich in whole food sources leaves less room for processed foods,” she said. “Fiber helps you feel full. It’s also good for your colon and helps improve cholesterol levels. High-fiber foods in general are usually very health-promoting.” Another factor is that whole foods, especially fruit, contain natural sugars. Not all sugar is a bad thing, Dinterman said. But sugar found in processed food — “stuff that comes in a box” — often has added chemicals and preservatives and is not accompanied by natural fiber and nutrients of foods like fruit. All of this can “affect how the food works to make you feel full,” she said. Even fruit juices, some of which contain good vitamins and minerals, often lack the fiber of their whole beginning fruit. When it comes to planning out your meals under the Mediterranean Diet, Dinterman said there are some basic guidelines. Have fruits and vegetables with most meals, a couple servings per day, she said. Olive oil, whole-grain bread, pasta, rice or couscous and other unprocessed grains should also be included, along with water. At least one meal a day should include olives, nuts or seeds, along with herbs, spices, garlic or onions. Low-fat dairy should be part of one meal per day, too. White meat, like chicken or turkey, along with fish or seafood, can be meals a couple times per week. Eggs should be eaten two to four times a week. Heavy starches like potatoes are OK three times per week. Red or processed meat, like bologna, should be eaten only once a week, if at all, Dinterman said. And save the desserts for only a couple times per week. Dinterman cautioned that the Mediterranean diet, while very healthy, is not always the best option, especially if a person is looking to lose weight. “When we’re looking at diet, we want to look at the patient’s physical and health goals,” she said. “Is it controlling their blood sugar, getting their weight down, reducing risk of colon cancer?” In other words, talk to your primary care provider before embarking on a diet. “You can modify the Mediterranean Diet toward whatever you’re working towards,” she said. Meritus Bariatric Surgical Specialists have a program designed to help patients lose weight through surgery, but sometimes diet and lifestyle modification can do the trick. To learn more, visit meritushealth.com/Weightloss.

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