Community health events

All area codes are 850 unless specified


Sacred Heart Hospital weekly tours
Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast will offer weekly tours of the hospital every Friday through the month of March. The hour-long tour begins at the welcome desk in the Main Entrance of the hospital at 10:30 a.m.
Space is limited to 12 people per week. Call 278-3072 to
The hospital also offers weekly tours of the Family Birth Place on Monday evenings at 6 p.m. Call 278-3600 or visit www.sacredheartemerald.org for information.

Grief support group
Covenant Hospice will offer a six-week grief support group from 1 to 2 p.m. beginning Jan. 13 at Destin United Methodist Church, Avery Hall, 200 Beach Drive. The group will meet Tuesdays through Feb. 27.
Call Chris Cudahy at 729-1800, Ext. 263.

Blood drive
The Northwest Florida Blood Center will hold a blood drive from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Jan. 13 at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast.

Sacred Heart Hospital
The following classes will be held at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast. To register, call 278-3600 or toll-free (877) 416-1600 unless noted.
•Happiest Baby Class: Learn an extraordinary approach to calm your baby in the Happiest Baby Class at 6 p.m. Jan. 13  in the Family Birth Place classroom at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast. New and expecting parents will learn step-by-step ways to help babies sleep longer and how to soothe fussy infants. Registration required.
•Weight loss surgery: Dr. Jeffrey Lord presents “Weight Loss Surgery: Is It Right for You?” from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13 in Suite 3 of the Resource Center at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast. Reservations recommended.
•Baby Weigh Day: The Family Birth Place invites moms with healthy babies under the age of one year-old to attend a monthly “Baby Weigh Day” from 1 to 2 p.m. Jan. 14 in the education classroom on the second floor of the Family Birth Place. Registration required.
•Baby Basics: To help prepare future parents for the basic handling of their newborn, a monthly Baby Basics class will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 20 in the Family Birth Place education room. Registration required.
•Breast Cancer Support Group: Monthly group will meet at 6 p.m. Jan. 20 in the Olson Women’s Diagnostic Center.
•Healthy Aging: Dr. Jose Jimenez will present a free seminar on Healthy Aging, Longevity and Vitamins at 10 a.m. Jan. 21 in the Suite 3 Resource Center conference room. Registration required.
•Breastfeeding class: Breastfeeding 101 will be held at 10 a.m. Jan. 22 in the education room on the second floor of the Family Birth Place. The cost is $10 per expectant mom. Registration required.
•Joint Pain: Free seminar on joint replacement surgery and joint pain a 2 p.m. Jan. 22 in Suite 3 Resource Center conference room. Registration required.

Stroller Strides program
Destin Commons will offer a new Stroller Strides program from 9 to 10 a.m. every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This is a total fitness program that moms can do with their stroller-aged babies and is taught by certified instructors who are also moms. The first trial class is free. Call (888) 828-7775 or e-mail heidiwong@strollerstrides.net for prices and information.

ADHD seminar
Dr. R. Scott Benson, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, will present a free seminar about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Jan. 20 in the Greenhut Auditorium at Sacred Heart Hospital’s Conference Center on Ninth Avenue in Pensacola. Call 476-1392, Ext. 32.

Sacred Heart Medical Park walk-in services
To better meet the needs of patients who need to see a doctor but cannot wait to make an appointment, Sacred Heart Medical Park in Destin is adding walk-in medical care services for patients with minor illnesses or injuries, including colds, sore throats, earaches, sprains, cuts, minor burns or other minor ailments.
Located on the Okaloosa/Walton county line on U.S. 98, Sacred Heart Medical Park walk-in medical services are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Volunteer opportunities at Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast is currently seeking volunteers interested in working in the hospital’s gift shops, including the main Gift Shop and The Baby Boutique in the new Family Birth Place. Call 278-3081.

American Red Cross training
American Red Cross training is available in Okaloosa and Walton Counties. For information on courses and prices or to register, call (800) 773-7620 or visit www.northwestflorida.redcross.org.

Breastfeeding class
A free class, “Breastfeeding Basics: What to Really Expect after you’ve been expecting,” taught by an accredited La Leche League leader and experienced breastfeeding mom will be held from 6-8 p.m. Thursdays at Suncoast Healthcare Professionals, 128 NE Eglin Parkway in Fort Walton Beach. RSVP at 864-0800.

Bridgeway Center
Bridgeway Center offers classes in social skills, teen issues and adult coping skills as well as classes in parenting, driving, chemical dependency and anger management. Call 833-7400 or 689-7810 for cost and times.

Co-dependency Anonymous
A new Co-dependency Anonymous group meets at 4 p.m. Sundays at 52 Beal Parkway in Fort Walton Beach. Call 240-0384.

Brain disorders support group
A new support group for parents and caregivers of children and adults with from neurobiological brain disorders meets at 7 p.m. Thursdays at the Mental Health Association Building, 571 Mooney Road in Fort Walton Beach. Residents of Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties are invited. Call 936-7924.

Better Breathers Support Group
The American Lung Association of Florida, Northwest Region, announces the Better Breathers Support Group of Okaloosa County will meet from 2-3 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at American Homepatient, 913 N. Beal Parkway, Suite H, in Fort Walton Beach. Call 478-5864.

Weight management support group
The Treasury: A Weight Management Support Group, will meet from 6-7 p.m. Wednesdays at Destin United Methodist Church in Room 602, Avery Hall. Nursery available. Contact Tina Kaple at kaple@cox.net or 865-0791 for information.

Peer-to-peer support group
The Mental Health Association holds a support group for persons with mental-health disorders and disabilities at 3 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 571 Mooney Road in Fort Walton Beach.

Narcotics Anonymous
The 24-hour hotline for Narcotics Anonymous is 496-1673 in Fort Walton Beach.