Ocean County women are invited to register for a free osteoporosis screening and assessment which will be held on Thursday, March 11th, from 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Ocean County Health Department (OCHD), 175 Sunset Avenue, Toms River. Ella Boyd, VMD, OCHD Public Health Coordinator, said that appointments must be made for this service by calling 732-341-9700 or 1-800-342-9738, ext. 7604. “Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile or brittle and are more likely to break,” said Dr. Boyd. She added, “If left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks. These broken bones, also known as fractures, occur typically in the hip, spine and wrists. Millions of American women are at risk, as are some men.” Freeholder Gerry P. Little, liaison to the Ocean County Health Department, said, “This is a free and valuable public health service and we encourage Ocean County women to make use of it.” According to Claire Murphy, OCHD Public Health Nursing Supervisor, the screening involves placing a bare heel in the bone density sonometer. The machine, calibrated for a woman’s bone mass, uses ultra-sound technology to generate the client’s results. A nurse from the Health Department then reviews the results, counsels the client and may, if needed, recommend lifestyle changes or a follow-up with a physician.
Sue Linfante
