Health Beat

* Dr. Hannah Ortiz, a board-certified gynecologic oncologist, will speak at a free women’s health seminar commemorating Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month at the East End Hotel Indigo in Riverhead from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30. The program is being presented by the East End Health Alliance, which includes Eastern Long Island Hospital, Peconic Bay Medical Center and Southampton Hospital. Call 477-5184.

* The New York Blood Center — serving people on Long Island and in New York City, the Hudson Valley and New Jersey — has issued a call for O-negative and B-negative blood. All donors are welcome, but those two blood types are needed immediately. O-negative donors are universal donors whose blood can be transfused to people with any blood type. To find a blood center near you, call 1-800-933-2566 or visit nybloodcenter.org.

* San Simeon by the Sound will hold an educational seminar on Medicare and long-term health insurance at its Greenport headquarters on Tuesday, Sept. 28, at 6:30 p.m. in the adult day health care center. Attorney Melissa Negrin-Wiener, a partner at Genser Dubow Genser and Cona LLP and co-chair of the Suffolk County Women’s Bar Association Elder Law Committee, will speak. Call 477-2110 or 323-3523.

San Simeon has hired Merry Retus of Orient Point on its food service staff. She will function as assistant to the food services director.

Tai McKenzie of Greenport is San Simeon’s employee of the month for September. Ms. McKenzie works in the recreation department and can often be found, even on her days off, singing and playing volleyball with patients. She’s a Greenport High School graduate who will be in a certified nurse assistant training program this fall.

* The ongoing educational series at the Southold Town Senior Services Center in Mattituck will feature a discussion about coping with griefand loss on Friday, Oct. 1, from 11 a.m. to noon. The program is sponsored by the town and Eastern Long Island Hospital in conjunction with The Mental Health Association in Suffolk County. Call 298-4460.

* Eastern Long Island Hospital’s Dream Green Extravaganza continues through Sunday, Sept. 26, when one lucky person will win $50,000 and others will take home smaller cash prizes. Tickets are $100 and are available at the hospital’s gift shop or by calling 477-5463. The winners will be selected at the Greenport Maritime Festival at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 26.