St. Luke's Hospital - Miners Campus, with partership with the Tamaqua YMCA, is offering a series of educational talks on a variety of health topics beginning at the end of January and running through early spring. The speakers will include medical specialists and include the following topics: diabetes, sports medicine, heart disease, emergency medicine, preventive medicine, immunizations for adults, osteoporosis and healthy diets.

The talks will be held at the Tamaqua YMCA, 1201 E. Broad Street, Tamaqua. The talks are free and open to the public - but registration is required through St. Luke's InfoLink at 1-866-STLUKES (1-866-785-8537). Each talk runs from a half hour to an hour and a half, which includes a question and answer session at the end of each lecture.The following health talks are listed in chronological order:Monday, January 28, 12 - 12:30 p.m.Diabetes - Are you at risk?Learn the risk factors of diabetes and how you can prevent this disease.By Lauri Price, RN, St. Luke's Diabetes Educator.Tuesday, January 29, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.Time to Play! An Introduction to Exercise Prescriptions for People with Chronic ConditionsHas your physician recommended you exercise to maintain your health or improve a chronic health condition? Learn how to incorporate exercise into your life for your condition (like diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, etc).By Maheep Vikram, MD, St. Luke's Sports Medicine.Thursday, January 31, 9 - 10 a.m.Cardiovascular Risk Factors (Session 1 of 3)Are you at risk for a heart attack or other heart or vascular event? Learn the risk factors that can lead to heart attack, stroke, blood clots and other life-threatening conditions.By Joseph Paluck, MS, St. Luke's Clinical Exercise Physiologist.Tuesday, February 12, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.The Impact of Exercise on Cardiovascular Risk Factors (Session 2 of 3)Learn how to reduce your risk for heart attack, stroke, blood clots and other heart and vascular conditions through exercise.By Joseph Paluck, MS, St. Luke's Clinical Exercise Physiologist.Monday, February 18, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.Treating Sprains and StrainsLearn what to do when you twist your ankle or strain your back (or other body parts)!By Melanie Turock, DO, St. Luke's Miners Campus Emergency Department.Tuesday, February 19, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.Cancers of the Urinary Tract and Genitals: What you need to knowLearn your risk factors for urinary and genital cancers and how to recognize when to get medical attention.By Jonathan Bingham, MD, St. Luke's Center for Urology.Wednesday, February 27, 5 - 5:30 p.m.Benefits of Diet Modification (Session 3 of 3)Learn how to incorporate healthier foods into your diet to meet your nutritional needs, prevent disease or help manage chronic health conditions.By Joseph Paluck, MS, St. Luke's Clinical Exercise Physiologist.Thursday, February 28, 12 - 12:30 p.m.Emergency Care for Pre-School ChildrenLearn when should you take your pre-school child to the emergency room and what kind of care is available.By Matthew Morgan, PA-C, St. Luke's Miners Emergency Department, "Fast Track" Program.Tuesday, March 5, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.Options for ArthritisLearn about non-surgical and surgical options to treat joint arthritis.By Maheep Vikram, MD, St. Luke's Sports Medicine.Monday, March 11, 5 - 5:30 p.m.Women and Heart DiseaseWomen have different symptoms and additional risk factors for heart disease.By Joseph Paluck, MS, St. Luke's Clinical Exercise Physiologist.Tuesday, March 12, 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.Adult Immunizations: Flu, Pneumonia, Tdap and ShinglesLearn why are these immunizations are important for adults and necessary for those with chronic conditions.By Kathy Matika, BSN, RN, CIC, St. Luke's Miners Infection Prevention.Thursday, March 14, 9:30 - 10 a.m.Preventive MedicineLearn how to stay healthy!By Andrea Ulshaefer, PA-C, St. Luke's Health Centers.Wednesday, March 20, 12 - 12:30 p.m.Benefits of Diet ModificationA few changes to your diet can make a big difference to your waistline, energy level and overall health!By Joseph Paluck, MS, St. Luke's Clinical Exercise Physiologist.Wednesday, March 27, 12 - 12:30 p.m.Immunization for Adults: The Present & FutureAt which ages should you consider adult immunizations? What immunizations are available?As we age, should we get additional immunizations and why?By Mark Kender, MD, St. Luke's Internal Medicine.Tuesday, April 2, 9 - 10 a.m.OsteoporosisWhat is osteoporosis? What are the warning signs? What are the treatments?Includes free Sahara bone density scan for attendees.By Gregory Dobash, MD, St. Luke's Health Centers.