Health Events

All area codes are 850 unless specified

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.

•Diabetes education classes: Jenny Stuckey, registered nurse and certified diabetes educator, will host classes at 5 p.m. Feb. 9 for adults with diabetes who are looking for ways to manage their disease. Pre-registration required and a physician referral is needed to attend.

•Breastfeeding class: Breastfeeding 101 will be held at 6 p.m. Feb. 9 in the education room on the second floor of the Family Birth Place. The cost is $10 per expectant mom. Registration required.

•Baby Weigh Day: For moms with healthy babies under the age of one year at 1 p.m. Feb. 10 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, monthly class will be held at 6 p.m. Feb. 16 in the Family Birth Place education room. Cost is $10. Registration required.

•Breast cancer support group:  Meets at 6 p.m. Feb. 16 in the Olson Women’s Diagnostic Center. Call 278-3980.

•Joint replacement: Bi-weekly education classes at 10 a.m. Feb. 17 in the hospital’s Resource Center Suite 3 conference room. To attend, call Angie Fox at 278-3646.

•Safe Sitter: The nationally recognized program will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 20 in the education classroom at the Family Birth Place. Cost is $25. Registration required.

•Stroke Support Group: All stroke survivors, caregivers and family members are invited to attend this free support group at 3 p.m. Feb. 22 in the Suite 3 conference room.

•Baby blues: A discussion group for new moms at 10 a.m. Feb. 24 in the education classroom in the Family Birth Place. Registration required.

•Super Siblings: Class to help children prepare for the upcoming arrival of their new baby brother or sister at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 24 in the Family Birth Place. Registration required. Children should be accompanied by their parents.

Free digital mammograms

Fort Walton Beach Medical Center and Twin Cities Hospital will offer free digital screening mammograms to the women in our communities. To schedule, call Twin Cities Hospital at 729-9439 or Fort Walton Beach Medical Center at 863-7551. 

Hospital tours

Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast will offer weekly tours of the hospital at 10:30 a.m. every Friday through March 12. The hour-long tour will begin at the welcome desk in the Main Entrance. Space is limited to 12 people per week. Call 278-3072 to reserve your space today.

The hospital also offers weekly tours of the Family Birth Place on Monday evenings at 6 p.m.

Cooking for seniors

The Cooking Under Pressure program, sponsored by Home Instead Senior Care, is based on new research which shows that cooking for seniors with nutritional risks adds to the stress of family caregivers. 

Program resources include a free handbook and a specially designed Web site www.foodsforseniors.com with shopping tips, healthy food suggestions and recipes for a well-balanced senior menu.

Volunteers needed

Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast is seeking community minded volunteers to greet visitors at the main welcome desk during the evening. Volunteer opportunities are available seven days a week from 4 to 7 p.m. and 6:30 to 9 p.m. Contact Sharon Abele, volunteer services manager, at 278-3081 or e-mail sabele@shhpens.org.

Community education classes

Destin Health Care and Rehabilitation Center offers community education the second and third Thursday of the month. Subjects from diabetic management to joint replacement education are free to the public. For more information or to schedule a class, call 654-4588 and ask for receptionist.

Weight management classes

Curves of Destin will offer free weight management classes at noon the first Saturday of each month. Classes include 90-minute start-up class for first time participants; 30-minute phase 3 classes; and 30-minute special topics classes.

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.

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.