Beekley Medical's Blog

The Dragonfly Tree

by Mary Lang on 12/06/2011 | 0

Beekley Dragonfly Tree - 2012 Festival of Trees

A good corporate citizen is a corporation that accepts the importance of being collectively responsible for its local community and environment as an integral part of their core business. Corporate citizenship is therefore about the contribution a corporation makes to society through its core business activities, its social investment and philanthropy programs and its engagement in public policy.

Although giving back to the community is a year round endeavor at Beekley, the holiday season seems an apt time to highlight the commitment of our Beekley associates. It’s around this time of year we hold food and toy drives for our local United Way and donate the funds raised from our annual golf tournament (towards the building of Bristol Hospital’s new breast health center) and breast cancer awareness month activities (to provide free mammograms for local uninsured women). We also have a small team of dedicated individuals who participate in the Bristol Library Festival of Trees.

2011 marks the 13th year of Beekley’s participation in this event. Each year a theme is chosen, decorations purchased, lunch is forgone to go to the library and decorate the tree on personal time. It is truly a labor of love for these associates.

I wanted to share the write up for this year’s tree as I believe it speaks to two very important qualities that make Beekley a great small company. The first is that in order to be a good corporate citizen you must employ good citizens in the first place. Our Human Assets department does a tremendous job of hiring for fit to our culture. The second is that it reflects on our passion for our customers and our customer’s customers – the patients.

“The Dragonfly Tree”
Beekley Corporation Bristol, CT

Dragonflies are among the most successful animals on earth. Predating dinosaurs, they have survived on this planet for over 300 million years. Their multisensory perception keeps them in constant connection with their environment allowing immediate adaptation and response. With their double paired transparent wings they are unmatched for speed and agility, moving in every direction, hovering, flying backwards, and looping the loop and other aerobatics.

The Beekley Dragonfly tree symbolizes our efforts to bring the qualities of awareness, dexterity and immediacy to our products and world class customer care. The passion and dedication Beekley and its associates exhibit on a daily basis demonstrates how large a footprint even a small company can leave when its associates have a personal commitment to giving back.

Founded in 1934, Beekley Corporation has evolved into the world’s leading supplier of innovative medical products that help imaging, surgical, and radiation therapy professionals save time, improve accuracy, enhance communication and provide a better patient experience.

The growth of Beekley is a direct result of the responsiveness of our team and their connection with our customers and markets. Like the Dragonfly, Beekley associates adapt and respond to the changing environment and needs of our customers, striving to maintain a constant connection with what is important to them.

With that in mind, we’d like to thank our customers and business partners for their part in our success over the years. Our growth is a direct result of your feedback, suggestions and trust in our products and services.

Wishing all of you a very Happy Holiday Seeason and a Prosperous New Year!

Celebrating Medical Imaging

by Mary Lang on 10/27/2011 | 0
Sometimes you forget how amazing radiology really is and about the impact it has made in improving our health and our lives.

This thought struck  me when I was watching a documentary on Chang and Eng - the famous “Siamese twins” who were conjoined by a 6″ band of tissue at the lower part of the sternum.  Although the twins pursued the possibility of separation throughout their lives, the risk was too great as there was no way to determine if they shared vital organs other than surgery.  Chang, who led an unhealthy lifestyle, suffered a fatal stroke at the age of 63 – dooming his twin who died 3 hours later.  The autopsy revealed they did have a vascular connection and it is presumed Eng bled to death through this connection to his brother’s body.

21 years later, on November 8, 1895 – Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovered the X-Ray.

My, how things have changed since then!  Exploratory surgery is a thing of the past and medical imaging plays a critical role in diagnosis and pre-surgcial planning.  I imagine if Chang and Eng were born today, advanced imaging and surgical techniques would allow them to lead separate lives.   Every minute of every day, radiologic technology makes a difference in someone’s life – in many cases, often saving it.  We can detect cancers earlier thanks to screening programs and new even allow us to decode the workings of the brain, helping to find answers behind alzeihmers and autism.  Radiologists can see 3D images of soft tissue structures and even perform minimally invasive procedures under imaging.  It’s amazing to think how far worse we would be without imaging modalities like mammography, ultrasound, MRI, CAT – Scan, PET-Scan, flouroscopy, etc.

The week surrounding the date of the X-ray’s disccovery is celebrated as National Radiologic Technology Week not only to commemorate Roentgen’s discovery, but also to recognize the vital role radiologic technolgists play in patient care. This  year’s celebration is November 6-12.   If you’re having an imaging procedure done – be sure to thank your tech.  They’re more invested in your health and well being than you know!

Happy National Radiologic Technology Week! Thank You!

The Mammography Diaries – a woman’s perspective

by Mary Lang on 09/20/2011 | 0

Let’s face it – women really don’t like getting mammograms.

A journey through a woman's mammogram

Despite all the advances in technology that enable earlier diagnoses, it’s still an uncomfortable exam and you basically go to find out whether or not you have cancer lurking in your breasts.  Not exactly  something to look forward to.

It didn’t take much for many women to seize upon the USPTF revised guidelines as an excuse not to go for this important exam regardless of all the studies emphasizing the benefits of annual mammograms starting at age 40.

The hard truths are these:

  • 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime

  • Younger women (age 50 and below) are at lesser risk for developing breast cancer, but are at higher risk for more aggressive forms of cancer.

  • Early detection increases odds of long term survival

So of course we all know how important getting a mammogram is, but yet we still drag our feet making that appointment. Why?

And what can we, as medical professionals, do to help make this experience more pleasant for our customers so that they not only come to us for  their mammogram, but keep coming back to us regularly as their partner in breast health?

The Mammography Diaries

Earlier this year, Beekley Medical initiated a research project called The Mammography Diaries. This was a grassroots project that enlisted friends & relatives to fill out a short survey on what they liked and did not like about their mammogram experiences. They were then encouraged to share the survey with their friends and relatives via email or social media. So far 179 women have shared their stories.

As part of our Breast Cancer Awareness Month effort, we compiled the most common themes in two booklets – one for patients and one for technologists.  Each booklet contains diaries that represent a good cross section of the experiences shared in the survey and offer helpful tips on how to have/provide a more pleasant mammogram experience.

Beekley Medical is pleased to share these stories with you and invite you to share your own stories on the Mammography Diaries Discussion topic on our
Facebook page.

To read the original Mammography Diaries – please click on one of the
images shown

  • The image above (a journey through a women’s mammogram) links to the real life experiences of 6 women underscoring the importance of regular mammograms and offers tips for patients to help take the “scary”
    out of the exam.

  • The image to the right links 10 voices from the mammography suite – candid recollections voicing women’s various mammogram experiences and offers
    suggestions to breast imaging centers for creating a better patient experience.
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Carolyn’s Story – a tale of cancer, anxiety, and hope

by Mary Lang on 07/22/2011 | 1

Carolyn Dockery is the sixth child born in a family of 8 children with a strong family history of cancer. Her mother and eldest sister lost their battle against lymphoma and an older sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. Carolyn is also a two year lymphoma survivor.

Beekley Medical got to know Carolyn through an experience she had with one of our products. Where a first blog post would probably focus on our history and story, I decided to share Carolyn’s story with you because ultimately, it reveals so much more about who we are and why we do what we do.

Below is Carolyn’s email to one of our Sales Specialists about her experience:

“The fear of contracting cancer dominates so much of my mental space. During my initial battle with cancer my doctor said if I could remain cancer free for two years it would increase my percentages of the cancer not returning. I was happy when I got the news a few weeks ago that I was still cancer free. I celebrated the two year anniversary, which was short lived. I received a call shortly after having a mammogram done in which my doctor was concerned about a place on my left breast. He wanted me to take a MRI in order to have a closer look. The MRI was scheduled for June 13, 2011.

One of the many side effects from the chemo I received while being treated for cancer was feeling anxious about so many areas of my life. When I arrived I was extremely nervous about the procedure. The technician was very nice and reassuring. Her comforting bedside manner did nothing for my anxieties. She instructed me how to position myself on the table, explained everything that would happen, and advised me to remain very still for the best results. As she begins to back me into the MRI machine and before I was even shoulder level into the machine, I started to have the feeling of being in a tunnel and panicked and asked her to please bring me back out. At that point I was in tears and very emotional and did not think I could continue.

She said I have something that may help you and she left the room. I waited in suspense; even anxious about what is she going to give me. My mind was racing, thinking is she going to give me a shot or a pill, because I really did not want to take any more medicine. She returns with a patch and said this should help relax you. She peeled off the backing and placed in on my left shoulder. Immediately I could smell the aroma from the patch and I felt a wonderful calm come over me. I thought to myself ‘I don’t know what is on this patch but I am so glad she had one!’ I was able to complete my MRI and remain calm during the entire 45 minute procedure and for the remainder of the day.

Once I returned home, I began the work of researching the miracle patch and how I could get some to help me with the anxieties that have held me hostage for the past two years. I first contacted the place that performed the MRI (Baptist Memorial Hospital; Memphis, TN) to see what the name of the patch was, so I could have my doctor prescribe them for me. I spoke to Linda, the MRI technician, and she informed me that it was not a prescribed medication but an aroma therapy patch called AromaTabs by Beekley Medical. In addition she gave me the name of the sales rep and a number to reach her. I called Tina at Beekley Medical and told her my story. I am so grateful to Linda, Tina and Beekley Medical for these life altering patches. I look forward to being free from anxieties without having to take another pill.”

Carolyn Dockery, Anxiety Survivor

We’ve kept in touch with Carolyn and are happy to report that her MRI results were negative and that AromaTabs continue to help her anxiety.