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As a not-for-profit hospital, Valley Health System is committed to giving back to the community. One of the many ways we do this is by providing healthcare education to community groups from our Speaker’s Bureau.

The Speaker’s Bureau features knowledgeable, highly qualified staff who give presentations on a variety of health topics. Our speakers are available for schools, churches, senior groups and other community organizations in Bergen, Passaic and Rockland counties. 

A Wealth of Health Topics

Health experts from Valley’s Speaker’s Bureau have given presentations on: 

Education for Parents

  • Know the Signs of Drug Addiction: Is it possible that you or someone you care about is addicted to prescription drugs? Roughly 20 percent of the population have used these drugs for non-medical reasons, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Find out more about this rising health concern and how to help yourself and others to tackle this serious issue.
  • Children’s Immunizations: Learn the facts and fiction surrounding immunizations along with the latest recommendations for children.
  • Promoting Healthy Eating Habits in Infants and Toddlers: You have a captive audience in your young children to lay down a foundation of healthy eating. Learn how to introduce your children to real food for a lifetime of good habits.
  • Sleep and Brain Health: Whenever a child is not sleeping, it can impact growth, daytime behavior, school performance, and self-confidence. Learn about the various types of sleep disorders and treatment options as well as tips and tricks to help your children get a goodnight’s rest!
  • Tackling Diabetes in Children: This program covers what every parent needs to know about diabetes and children. Learn about the importance of medical care and self-care to enhance the quality of life.
  • Getting a Handle on ADHD: Learn about diagnosis and treatment, as well as home, school, and social issues your child may face.
  • Teens and Stress:  More and more teens are experiencing emotional and physical symptoms of stress. Studies have shown that American millennials (ages 18 –30) were the most-stressed generation in the country. Learn ways to lower your child’s level of stress.
  • Kids on the Move: It can be a challenge to get kids moving and lay down the foundation for healthy exercise habits. Learn how to get your child to start an exercise program and stay motivated.
  • Healthy School Lunches: Learn tips and suggestions for packing a healthy lunch that your children/grandchildren will want to eat. Recipes will be provided.
  • The Truth About Vaping: Join us for this informative presentation to learn the truth about what vaping is, what we know and don’t know, and how it is impacting the health of our children and families.
  • Just for Girls: Parents and daughters (9 – 12 years old). Learn about the exciting changes in a young girl’s body while going through puberty.
  • Just for Boys: Parents and sons (9 – 12 years old). Learn about the exciting changes in a young boy’s body while going through puberty.

Nutrition and Fitness

  • Clean Eating: This lecture will talk about the specifics of clean eating and why it is important. Learn how to start eating and living a clean, healthy life.
  • Immune Boosting Foods: It is more important than ever to stay healthy, and certain foods may increase the chances of helping you do just that. Learn about immunity-boosting foods and how they can help you stay strong.
  • Fad Diets and Nutrition Trends: There are many diets and food plans out there, but which are healthy and effective? Learn more about common diet plans so you can start making healthy decisions about the nutrition plan that will fit best with your lifestyle.
  • Food and Inflammation: Whenever a child is not sleeping, it can impact growth, daytime behavior, school performance, and self-confidence. Learn about the various types of sleep disorders and treatment options as well as tips and tricks to help your children get a goodnight’s rest!
  • Great Grains: Learn about the health benefits of ancient grains and how to purchase and utilize them in everyday cooking.
  • Healthy Snacking: Learn how to clean up your snack time with healthier alternatives to sweets and chips.
  • The Mediterranean Diet: Find out why this lifestyle is linked with longevity and reduced incidence of chronic conditions and how to incorporate this into your lifestyle.
  • Understanding Food Labels: Reading food labels can be complicated. Learn about what the nutrition facts mean on the latest Nutrition Facts Panel.
  • Sugar Shock: Experts believe that sugar consumption is a major cause of obesity and diabetes, as well as several other chronic diseases. Find out more about sugar and ways to decrease this ingredient in your diet.
  • Vitamins and Supplements –⁠ What We Really Need: Many people believe supplements can improve health, protect against disease, and do no harm. However, this might not be true. We will discuss the reasons for taking vitamins and supplements and answer questions to see if you really need them to live a healthier life.
  • Healthy Weeknight Dinners: Tired of eating out? Learn ways to have a healthier lifestyle by preparing easy and simple meals at home. 
  • Weight Loss Strategies: Learn the right way to manage your weight. Easy, practical tips will be discussed to enhance nutrition without losing taste or depriving yourself. Focus on a lifestyle, not a diet.
  • Prescribing Exercise for Health: Healthcare providers are encouraging physical activity as standard parts of disease prevention and medical treatment. Regular exercise is one of the pillars of healthy living. It improves cardiovascular health and protects against a variety of diseases. Learn ways to design your own exercise routine.

Healthy Aging

  • Can You Hear Me Now?: Hearing decreases as we age. What are your options? Learn the latest advances in audiology and learn ways you can slow down hearing loss.
  • Fall Prevention and Balance: A fall can be frightening; especially knowing that many falls can lead to additional medical issues, such as fractures. Learn who is at risk and ways you can reduce and prevent your risk of falling.
  • The Aging Eye: Cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration are signs of aging eyes. Learn about the aging eye and the latest advancements and treatments available.
  • Improving Your Memory: This program is designed to provide you with an understanding of what is “normal” memory impairment as compared to a progressive memory loss due to a disease process. Causes of memory loss, as well as ways to keep memory intact, will be discussed.
  • The Latest in Joint Replacement: This informative presentation reviews the newest and latest trends in available treatment options for aging joints, including robotic surgery.
  • Improving Sleep as We Age: When you learn something new, the best way to remember it is to sleep on it. This program will cover the relationship between sleep and memory and how it might benefit you.  Also, techniques on how to get a better night’s sleep will be discussed.
  • Bone Health: Osteoporosis is a disease common in older women; however, it can affect anyone. The disease makes your bones more frail and likely to break. Learn about osteoporosis and up-to-date treatment options.
  • Your Medicine Cabinet: We are adding more and more to our medicine cabinets. Learn about generics, common interactions, and possible side effects of medications.
  • Blues vs. Depression: Feeling the blues for too long, along with feeling exhausted and worthless, may be signs of depression. Join us to find out more about when to seek help so you can feel your best!
  • Adult Immunizations: The Needles You Need: Many infectious diseases can be prevented by following vaccine guidelines. Learn the newest recommendations as you age to protect yourself and your loved ones. Discussion will include flu and the new super-flu vaccine, shingles, whooping cough, pneumonia, COVID-19, and hepatitis A and B.
  • Exploring Options with Arthritis: This program is designed to help you take charge of arthritis by identifying the symptoms, understanding the causes, seeking early diagnosis, and exploring current effective treatment options.
  • Smooth Transitions – How to Begin the Downsizing Process: The housing options for mature adults have grown substantially over the past decade from retirement and assisted living communities to senior apartment buildings and more. Preparing to make changes in your living arrangements can be overwhelming. Learn which options may be right for you and how to make this process more manageable.
  • Grandparents Class 101: This class provides information on the most current childbirth practices, child development, and childcare while fostering a better understanding between parents and grandparents.
  • Embracing Active Living as an Older Adult: It’s never too late to begin an exercise routine no matter what age! Learn how to start an exercise routine with one of our exercise physiologists.

Caregiving and Mental Health

  • The Basics of Caregiving: Caregiving is the act of providing assistance and support to family members or acquaintances who have physical, psychological, or developmental needs. Learn what caregiving is and how to do so effectively. 
  • Healthy Versus Unhealthy Relationships: Some relationships are clearly toxic and unhealthy, and others deteriorate over time in a very subtle way. Age, culture, and family patterns are just a few factors that affect how we relate and form relationships with others. This presentation will provide insight to evaluate and improve relationships in all facets of life.
  • Healing Your Life Through Challenging Times: A guide to learning how to better cope with grief, stress, anger, and even happiness that trigger unhealthy behaviors.
  • The Friend Connection: Whether it’s a ride or die, Sex in the City, Golden Girls, or Will and Grace type of friendship, the importance of bonding and friendships can make or break us.  Join us in looking at the importance of friendships, how to make new friends, and treasure the friends we have.

Just for Men

  • Prostate Health—What Every Man Should Know: Prostate cancer is the second leading cancer in men in the United States. Learn the importance of screening and early detection and treatment options, including minimally invasive robotic surgery.
  • Men’s Health- Taking Good Care of Yourself: Do you get regular checks on your health? Learn what you can do to stay healthy and enjoy life!
  • This is Not Your Father’s Heart Disease: Increased life expectancy has changed the game with heart disease. While there are risk factors you can’t control, there are changes you can make to lessen your risk for heart disease or stroke. Learn lifestyle adjustments you can make and important symptoms to watch for. 
  • Erectile Dysfunction: This common situation can not only be annoying and embarrassing but it can also be related to serious health problems. Learn the facts about diagnosis and treatments beyond what is promised in all those commercials.

Just for Women

  • Sex After Menopause: Learn to have a better understanding of what your body goes through during and after menopause.  Feel more confident that you can still enjoy the basic of life and sexual health after menopause.
  • Bladder and Urinary Tract Disorders: Involuntary loss (urinary incontinence) is very common and can happen when you sneeze, cough, exercise, or laugh. Learn about the various types of incontinence, including overactive bladder disease, causes, and up-to-date treatments. UTI’s will also be discussed, including ways to prevent them.
  • A Woman’s Heart: Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women. The good news is that with proper education, prevention, and treatment, many women do not have to become a statistic. Find out more about the unique heart symptoms women experience and how to prevent and treat heart disease.
  • Fine Tuning Your Thyroid: Experiencing unexplained fatigue or weight gain or suffering from sleep issues, hair loss, or menstrual irregularities? Your thyroid could be to blame. This regulator of body and mind can sometimes go haywire causing a variety of symptoms. Recognition and proper treatment is the key to feeling better.
  • Breast Health: Learn about the latest treatments in breast health and screening, breast cancer prevention, genetic cancer risk and lifestyle changes, including the role of nutrition and exercise in breast cancer prevention.

Heart Health

  • Latest Innovations in Treating Heart Disease: This program covers a general overview of common cardiac conditions. Topics covered include blood pressure, cholesterol, and congestive heart failure.
  • Atrial Fibrillation-Get Your Beat Back: Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common irregular or abnormal heart rhythm disorder affecting over 3 million Americans today. Learn about AFib and the latest treatment options available.
  • Cholesterol—The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: High cholesterol affects approximately 42 million Americans and can lead to heart disease, stroke, and arteriosclerosis. Learn more about high cholesterol and the latest options that are proven to treat it.
  • Be Stroke Smart: Knowing the signs and symptoms of stroke can save your life and reduce your risk of disability. Learn the risks, signs, and symptoms of stroke and information on the future of stroke treatment.
  • Heart Health Jeopardy: Join us for a fun and interactive activity to help you learn about heart disease and stroke, risk factors, and prevention tips for your heart.
  • Keeping the Pressure Low: High blood pressure is known as the “silent killer” because often there are no symptoms. What we do know is high blood pressure is the No. 1 cause of stroke and heart disease. Learn about the latest guidelines used to treat high blood pressure so you don’t become one of the statistics!
  • A Holistic Approach to a Healthy Heart: Explore holistic and complementary approaches to heart health, emphasizing the beneficial effects of holistic therapies related to exercise and fitness, nutrition, stress management, and much more.
  • What’s New in Cardiac Surgery: Learn the latest in cardiac surgery by one of Valley’s cardiac experts. The discussion will include leading-edge techniques for various types of heart disease.

Oncology

  • Screenings – Why They Matter: Getting preventive care is one of the most important steps you can take to manage your health. When a condition is diagnosed early, through screenings, it is usually easier to treat. Find out about the screening guidelines for healthy adults.
  • Protecting Your Skin: Everyone has their own skin care routine, but what is best for your skin? Join us to learn about how to keep your skin healthy all year round and how to detect and prevent skin cancer.
  • Facts on Colon Cancer: Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Learn what colon cancer is, as well as the diagnosis and treatment options available.
  • Breast Cancer Treatment and Beyond: New advances in breast cancer treatment have brought about positive outcomes, as well as the improvement of the quality of life of patients and survivors. Join us to hear about the latest treatment options for breast cancer and what is new in cancer services at Valley.

General Health Education

  • The Irritable Gut! IBS vs. IBD: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are two very different gastrointestinal disorders that require very different treatments. Learn about the differences between IBS and IBD and the treatment options to alleviate gut issues.
  • Treatment Options for Heartburn: If you struggle with chronic heartburn or acid reflux, a new breakthrough minimally invasive procedure may improve the quality of your life and possibly free you from long-term medication use.
  • Nutrition and Diabetes: Learn how to live with diabetes through diet. Maintain good blood glucose control with the best food choices.
  • Sleep Well, Feel Well: Proper sleep is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. Join us to discuss healthy sleep habits and the benefits of giving your brain and body that rest.
  • Taking Control of Your Pain: Don’t let chronic pain take over your life! Join us to discover effective and safe options to treat pain.
  • POLST and Advance Directives – Having the Conversation: Learn the difference between physician orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLST) and advanced directives and how to have the conversation with your personal doctor.
  • What a Blood Test Can Provide: This educational lecture focuses on terminology used in blood work, what different tests are used for, and how to put yourself at ease when a blood test is ordered.
  • The “New” Valley Hospital: When The Valley Hospital opens its doors in Paramus, it will provide access to outstanding healthcare to our entire community. Learn about the new hospital and the services it will provide.
  • Pre-Diabetes – Lowering Your A1C: Do you have a high A1C? Learn how to bring your numbers down through diet and exercise.

Request a Speaker

Please fill out the form below for more information about having a Valley expert speak at your next event. 

(Please note: All requests must be made at least four weeks prior to the meeting date. Multiple requests from one particular group may be limited. Submitting this form is not a guarantee that Valley can provide a speaker.)