Every two weeks, a small group of Boston University employees attend health lectures about topics not usually covered in Student Health Services.
At the 21 lessons held throughout the year at the Occupational Health Center, the older crowd at BU may learn causes, treatments and misunderstandings about diseases small and large.
“Employees should be informed about what’s out there, what [information] is correct and what is totally useless,” said Occupational Medical Director Dr. Cheryl Barbanel. “Our highly talented department heads . . . speak in a way employees understand.”
Barbanel developed the program 11 years ago when the Center first opened.
Topics range from basic issues, such as “Nutrition and Exercise,” to diseases featured during medical months, such as breast cancer, said Helen Williams, the Center’s manager. Sixteen employees attended last night’s lesson — “Treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Extinguishing ‘the Fire Inside,'” commonly known as heartburn.
“These events help assist BU employees by educating them [about] health and disease,” Williams said. “[They learn to] help themselves or to know when to call a physician.”
Employees fill out an evaluation form after each lecture, Williams said. Many employees follow up with physicians at BUOHC, which accomplishes the goal of encouraging employees to use its free services, she said.
“I use some of the doctors who do the lectures,” said retired programmer analyst consultant John Cusson. “It makes you think a little more about your health and makes things a little better for you.”
In addition to the lectures, BUOHC encourages employees to ask questions to the doctors about their health and their families’ health, Williams said.
Emails and flyers help spread the word about events, and employees who attend the lectures say they gain a better understanding of a disease they or their relatives have. At last night’s lecture, presented by gastroenterology chief Dr. M. Michael Wolfe, many professors said they could relate to the topics about the reflux disease.
“There’s a lot of misunderstanding about [GERD],” Wolfe said. “Reflux disease is extremely common with serious complications.”
University Information Systems analyst Robert Hurkett said he attends the reflux lecture every year because he has reflux issues, and “the more you know, the better.”
Although lectures attract regulars like Hurkett, there are new employees who show up for each topic, Williams said. Andy Campolieto, a College of Arts and Sciences economics program administrator, said he attended his first event last night because he was recently diagnosed with acid reflux.
“[The events] never applied to me before, but this one affects my daily life,” Campolieto said.
While the lectures are only for employees, Barbanel said she would like to offer a similar program for students, but Wolfe said most topics are not relevant to young people.
“We feel strongly about the BU community, student and employees alike,” Wolfe said. “When they come in, we see them right away. They get VIP treatment.”
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
