Good thing I brought my camera with me when I went over to visit Charlestown today. Their pumpkin decorating contest was set up in the John Erickson Conference room. I voted on my favorite, but all of the entries were pretty creative.
Winterized Cardinal pumpkin
As some of you know, I work for Erickson Living as a graphic designer for the Erickson Tribune. Every once in awhile we have contests and ask our readers to participate by sending in a comic or a poem. As a member of the Tribune team, I get the opportunity to be a judge and vote on my favorite entries. The last contest we did for the October issue was “Funniest pet photos,” and the winner happens to be an artist! You’re probably thinking, “How can an animal be considered an artist.” As an art blogger, I just had to do a little spotlight on this very talented pooch.
Sophie is a 10-year-old Cairn Terrier. Her paintings resemble abstract expressionist art. She paints using non-toxic acrylic paint and with brushes modified with handles to make them easier to grip.
When I saw this picture for the first time it just melted my heart. What a cute dog!
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I’ve lived in this quaint little town house of mine, in the suburb of Catonsville, for 7 years now. It’s the longest I’ve ever lived in a house other than the one I grew up in. The neighborhood around me has changed, and so have I. I’m ready to move on to a newer, and more open floorplan of space.
I’ve spent the past few weeks staging and decluttering each room of my house in order for it to be ready to go on the market this week! With a low budget, I was still able to do a few minor upgrades to make the space look more inviting. This week, stay tuned for my home improvement blogs! I’ll be writing and taking pictures of projects that I’ve already done or are in the process of doing, in order to boost my chances of selling this house!
So let me just tell you about my day job! I work for Erickson, as a graphic designer, for The Erickson Tribune newspaper. Erickson is a retirement company with 21 communities throughout the country, and counting. The Erickson Tribune has recently started a column in the Neighborhood section that concentrates on tips to assist in the sale of your home. They provide a free service to residents only, who have decided to move into a community and need assistance with staging, decluttering, and selling their home. This service is called Erickson Realty and Moving Services. Even though I can’t use this service, the column has motivated me to apply their tips in order to succeed in selling my house!
Direct cost of non-fatal falls among U.S. 65+ population estimated to be $19 billion in 2000; expected to reach $54 billion by 2020
WASHINGTON, DC – Bonita Lynn Beattie, PT, MPT, MHA, vice president of injury prevention at the National Council on Aging’s Center for Healthy Aging; Matthew Narrett, MD, chief medical officer of the Erickson Health system; and John Parrish, PhD, executive director of The Erickson Foundation will make a joint presentation about falls risk reduction during the sixth annual World Health Care Congress tomorrow. Their talk, “Breaking the $19 Billion Hold on Health Care,” will take place Tuesday, April 14, 2009 from 4:05-4:50 p.m. at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Erickson Health is also releasing a white paper, “Preventing Falls and Fractures: Erickson’s Answers to the $19 Billion Hold on Health Care.” (Note: Reporters interested in receiving a copy of the white paper can contact Kate Newton Schmelyun at 410-402-2025 orkate.newton@erickson.com.)
In 2000, more than one-third of the U.S. population over the age of 65 suffered a fall. One-third of those suffered moderate to severe injuries. The direct cost of those non-fatal falls was estimated to be $19 billion. This will reach $54 billion by 2020.
Beattie, Narrett, and Parrish will offer advice on breaking this cycle, including suggested ways and proven preventions to reduce this enormous financial, physical and emotional cost to people and health care. Their presentation will combine legislative, research and practical medical information with emphasis on interventions that produce a measurable return by integrating providers, research successes, medical home model, electronic records and, even an act of Congress.
JoAnn Caudill, bone health program manager for Erickson Health, will also be at the World Health Care Congress April 14 and 15 offering free heel scans, which test quickly, painlessly, and non-invasively for early signs of osteoporosis.
About Erickson Health: The Erickson Health system’s integrated network of physicians, services, technology, and research empower people to live even better, no matter what their health. Erickson Health utilizes a fully implemented electronic medical record system as well as a health portal for residents. Also available is a unique residents-only health insurance plan (a Medicare Advantage plan) with lower premiums and co-pays that focuses on prevention. Erickson Health is part of Erickson Retirement Communities.
About Erickson Retirement Communities: Erickson Retirement Communities is one of the leading national developers of full-service retirement communities. Headquartered near Baltimore, Md., Erickson has built an innovative network of communities that combine a maintenance-free active lifestyle with a host of amenities, social activities, and wellness and medical centers, proven to improve both physical and mental health. Erickson was named by FORTUNE as being one of the Top 100 “Best Companies to Work For®” in 2008 and 2009. The Erickson enterprise also encompasses the Retirement Living TV network; NorthBay environmental education center; the Erickson Health system; Erickson Advantage health plan; Renaissance Gardens assisted living, long-term nursing care, and short-term rehabilitation residences; The Erickson School at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC); The Erickson Foundation; and Point Lookout conference center.
For more information about this story, please contact Nancy Belle at 410-402-2106 or Kate Newton Schmelyun at 410-402-2025.
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CATONSVILLE, MD – Bel Air resident Diane Flanders has been named among Maryland’s Top 100 Women for 2009 by the Daily Record. Since 1996, the Daily Record has annually recognized high-achieving Maryland women who are making an impact through their leadership, community service, and mentoring.
Flanders is vice president of benefits and compensation for Catonsville-based Erickson Retirement Communities, the developer and manager of Charlestown and Oak Crest in Baltimore County and 20 other retirement communities across the U.S.
Flanders has been promoted six times during her 11-year tenure with Erickson. She and her team have won two Erickson Innovation Awards, most recently for the onsite Employee Health and Wellness Centers that provide low-cost onsite healthcare for all employees, regardless of their insurance status or how long they have worked for the company. In 2008, she was asked to speak at a Congressional briefing and delivered a presentation about the economic value of employee health and wellness programs. The employee-friendly programs that Flanders has developed and implemented contributed to Erickson being recognized by FORTUNE magazine as one of the Top 100 “Best Companies to Work For®” in 2008 and 2009. In addition, she is committed to helping other professional women in Maryland grow and be successful in their careers. To that end, she is currently mentoring three women.
Flanders will be honored along with the other 2009 Top 100 Women at a May 11 awards ceremony at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore. Honorees hail from across the state and more than 60 are first-time winners. The Top 100 Women are recognized for their professional achievement, leadership in their community and a demonstrated commitment to mentoring. Sixteen of this year’s honorees are women who have been named for the third and final time and will be inducted into the Circle of Excellence in recognition of their sustained achievement.
A magazine will be published in conjunction with the Maryland’s Top 100 Women program and will be distributed at the May 11 event and inserted in the May 15 issue of The Daily Record. This is the 14th year The Daily Record, a statewide business and legal newspaper, has produced the Maryland’s Top 100 Women program. The full list of the 2009 Top 100 Women is attached or can be viewed atwww.mddailyrecord.com/events.cfm.
About Erickson Retirement Communities: Erickson Retirement Communities is one of the leading national developers of full-service retirement communities. Headquartered near Baltimore, Md., Erickson has built an innovative network of communities that combine a maintenance-free active lifestyle with a host of amenities, social activities, and wellness and medical centers, proven to improve both physical and mental health. Erickson was named by FORTUNE as being one of the Top 100 “Best Companies to Work For®” in 2008 and 2009. The Erickson enterprise also encompasses the Retirement Living TV network; NorthBay environmental education center; the Erickson Health system; Erickson Advantage health plan; Renaissance Gardens assisted living, long-term nursing care, and short-term rehabilitation residences; The Erickson School at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC); The Erickson Foundation; and Point Lookout conference center.
For more information about this story, please contact Kate Newton Schmelyun at 410-402-2025.
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