Radiologists Present at Worcester Schools About Tobacco Risks
Maria Barile, Isha Gujrathi, Laurie Sena, Patrick Assoua, and Lacey McIntosh volunteered with Carisa Lozoraitis visited the Worcester Public School system Sept 17 giving two school-wide talks about the risks of tobacco and nicotine use to middle schoolers 10-11am and high schoolers 11am-12pm . They spoke about the different forms of tobacco and nicotine (smoking, vaping/e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco, etc), risks associated with use, benefits of quitting, and holding a question and answer session.
"As radiologists, with the opportunity to see inside patients, we feel uniquely and well-positioned to talk about these issues and share imaging examples of what we see when patients use these substances." Lacey McIntosh.
I wanted to extend a sincere appreciation to all of you for assisting in coordinating this community outreach event. Lacey McIntosh, D.O. Radiologist, Patrick Assoua, MD Radiologist resident (both shown in the images below) and I, Carisa Lozoraitis, Cancer Center Quality Program Manager had a great time attending the Challenge and Reach Academy in Worcester. We found great enjoyment in hearing the feedback from the students and the staff members – Many questions and shocking responses shared by the 7th and 8th grade students. Very engaging conversation. Students were taking in the information and processing what was being told to them. Some students inquired about our jobs; questions included: How much schooling is involved? Do you like your job? How did you accomplish your position? Have you been in an operating room? Remarkable young, smart adolescents – respectful, passionate, eager to learn, enthusiastic about their future – thank you to Scott for sharing his staff and students with us on this day.
Please keep us in mind for other sharing opportunities in the future. Mentorship, informational sharing on vaping, lung cancer, and other cancers, and even career fairs – please keep us in mind. We truly had a remarkable time. Now that we have this presentation, we would be willing to share to another school.
Best,
Carisa
Carisa Lozoraitis, RN, MSN, CPHQ
UMass Memorial Medical Center
Cancer Quality Program Manager
