Dundalk Chamber Announces Business Award Winners

Awards will be presented at the annual Snowball Gala at Sparrows Point Country Club.

The Dundalk Chamber of Commerce has announced its annual Dundalk Business Award winners, and a familiar name sits atop the list. State Senator Norman Stone, who last year celebrated 50 years in public service, will receive the organization's Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual Snowball Gala on March 2. Other award winners are MedStar Franklin Square Hospital (Foundation Award); Stephanie Jameson State Farm Insurance Agency (Service Award); Enhanced Computing Solutions (Image Award); Kids First Swim School (Innovation Award); and Squire's Restaurant (President's Award). Tickets to the black tie optional event at Sparrows Point Country Club cost  $70 (tables of eight are available). The event includes an open bar, appetizers, dinner and…

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Franklin Square Planning Larger Unit For Littlest Patients

Fundraising efforts are underway for a new NICU unit at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center in Essex.

The hospital wing is small, but so are its patients. The 1,850-square-foot Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center currently cares for around 20 tiny newborns—many attached to feeding tubes and heart monitors and resting in plastic bassinets. Only curtains divide each infant and care area. There are no private rooms and no access to natural light. Despite its size, Franklin Square's NICU has developed a reputation for quality specialized care. It is the only facility in northeastern Maryland to maintain Level III-B status, which allows the hospital to care for babies under 1 pound. It has also been honored for family-centered care by the March of Dimes.  On Tuesday, the hospital kicked off a campaign to …

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Centered on Your Health

Weighing in on Childhood Obesity

Franklin Square Hospital Center pediatrician Dr. Harsha Bhagtani offers advice on raising healthy, fit children.

Childhood obesity has received a lot of media attention lately. The spotlight has been focused on First Lady Michelle Obama’s efforts to fight the epidemic, the recent announcement that several fast food chains have agreed to offer healthier items on their kids’ menus, and the idea proposed by one physician, who compared childhood obesity to child abuse and stated in some cases, obese children should be taken from their parents. Most recently, McDonald’s announced an overhaul to their Happy Meals to make them healthier. Childhood obesity is inarguably a growing problem for our nation. It is, without a doubt, a serious health concern. Extra weight puts kids at higher risk for Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, arthritis, reflux, sleep apnea…

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Summertime in Baltimore County

As temperatures start to warm up, area residents flock to pools or boats, or enjoy a snowball to cool off.

June started off hot, with temperatures reaching the high 90s, prompting Baltimore County schools to close three hours early on Tuesday and Wednesday. This left parents and students looking for something to do. Local residents took to the pool, their boats and to area snowball stands as they looked for ways to stay cool and enjoy the warm weather. At the same time, local doctors warn to take the proper precautions when outside as too much sun exposure can lead to burns, dehydration and heat exhaustion. Dr. Gaurav Kumar, a pediatrician with Franklin Square Hospital Center, offers the following sun safety tips: As the summer heat continues, observe these tips to maximize fun in the sun.

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