Kids and concussions: How to play it safe | Jan. 31, 2022
Every year, hundreds of thousands of school-aged children get concussions, a mild form of traumatic brain injury. But while concussions are common, the health impacts can be serious. Two concussion experts, Drs. Sondra Marshall and Viviane Ugalde, share information about concussions—what they are, how they happen and how local health care providers and schools are teaming up to better identify and treat children who experience one.
Prostate Cancer | Nov. 15, 2021
November is “Movember,” a month when global fundraisers focus on the important issue of men’s health, including prostate cancer. In this latest video, Dr. Cora Calomeni and Dr. Michael Wahl discuss the latest research and advancements in the treatment of prostate cancer. Learn more about the importance of screening and early detection, and lifestyle changes that can lower your risk of disease.
COVID-19 Variants and Vaccines | Sept. 20, 2021
The Delta variant is tearing through Oregon, fueling a record-breaking number of positive cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Join St. Charles Health System’s leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Cynthia Maree, to learn more about what distinguishes the Delta variant from its predecessor, why more breakthrough cases are occurring and what vaccine developments could lie ahead.
Originally from Corvallis, Ore., Dr. Maree is a graduate of the University of Oregon and the Stanford University School of Medicine. She has more than 15 years of experience in infectious diseases with special interests in hospital medicine and transplantation. She is a member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
Where there's fire, there's smoke | May 17, 2021
In Oregon, a single lightning strike can spell disaster, setting ablaze thousands of acres of forest and choking nearby communities with thick blankets of smoke.
When the smoke rolls in, what does it mean for your health? And what steps can you take to protect yourself?
St. Charles Pulmonology Clinic nurse practitioner Kathleen Prussian and critical care physician, Dr. Mark Bradford, explore the potential health effects of smoke and air quality, especially if you have a history of lung or heart disorders. They explain terminology used by the federal government to describe air quality and will show you how to access the air quality forecast online. They also spend time reviewing strategies for how to protect yourself—both at home and in the car—when there are changes in air quality.
Every second counts: Stroke care in Central Oregon and beyond | May 17, 2021
In the United States, someone has a stroke every 40 seconds. Every four minutes, someone dies of stroke.
Steven Goins, MD, a board-certified neurologist and co-founder of Stroke Awareness Oregon (SAO) covers the visible signs that a person is having a stroke, how to spot them using the F.A.S.T. method, and how to respond to give the person their best chance at a positive outcome. Dr. Goins also shares improvements to stroke care in Oregon, including increased advancements in medication, 24/7 interventional stroke care coverage at St. Charles Bend, cutting-edge technology that's saving lives and a new outreach program that's extending high-quality stroke care to people in rural areas throughout the region.
Breast cancer in 2021: Diagnosis to survivorship | March 29, 2021
If you’re a woman, you have a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer in your lifetime.
So, how do you know your risk for breast cancer and how often should you be screened?
Dr. Kelly Hewitt, Central Oregon’s only fellowship-trained breast surgeon, answers your questions about what has become the most common cancer globally. Among the topics she addresses is how breast cancer is diagnosed, advancements in treatments and options for surgical management.
Hope on the Horizon: COVID-19 Vaccine | Jan. 11, 2021
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world’s scientific community raced to develop an effective vaccine in record time. In just a matter of months, most people should be able to get it. St. Charles Health System’s leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Cynthia Maree, teaches us more about the vaccine—how it works, who will receive it first and what you can expect if you get it.
Why me? Cancer risk factors, prevention and the "bad luck theory" | Nov. 16, 2020
Confronted with a cancer diagnosis, every patient faces the "why me?" question. In this talk, Dr. Christina Fitzmaurice, a St. Charles Cancer Center hematologist and oncologist, explores the great knowns and unknowns of cancer risk and prevention strategies. She explains well-known common risk factors, but also explores exciting new insights into less-known determinants of cancer risks like the human microbiome.
Have you had the talk? | Sept. 22, 2020
It’s not fun to talk about health care choices at the end of life, but in this time of COVID-19, it may be more important than ever. The talk can help you know your loved one's wishes before you have to make a difficult decision. Dr. Laura Mavity, clinical director of St. Charles’ Advanced Illness Management program, teaches you how to start a conversation and why it matters.
Nothing to sneeze at! | July 22, 2020
A conversation about pelvic floor dysfunction
Everyone has a pelvic floor. As many as one in five – including a third of women – also experience pelvic floor dysfunction, or the inability to correctly relax and coordinate the muscles that support the bladder and rectum, the uterus and vagina in women, and the prostate in men. Symptoms include constipation, urine or stool leakage and frequent need to pee.
St. Charles OB-GYN, Sarah Hellmann, DO, helps remove the stigma around discussing PFD and gives you advice on what can be done about it.
The sugar poisoning of America | May 18, 2020
Understanding the link between your diet and your health
Board-certified cardiologist Dr. David Guarraia help you better understand our troubling consumption of sweetened food and learn more about the steps you can take to prevent chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease, and improve your overall health. Dr. Guarraia is the director of cardiac rehabilitation at the St. Charles Heart and Lung Center. Guarraia joined St. Charles Health System in November 2018. He is currently the principle investigator of a low-carb diet study at St. Charles Bend.
The Vape Unknown | Jan. 13, 2020
What we do (and don't) know about vaping
Dr. Ryan Nelson, a St. Charles pulmonologist, explains what is currently known about vaping-associated pulmonary illness (VAPI) and its potential health consequences.
A University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine-trained physician, Dr. Nelson spent a full year doing research on lung disease. At St. Charles Bend, Dr. Nelson splits his clinical time between the pulmonary clinic and Intensive Care Unit, allowing him to diagnose and treat vaping-associated pulmonary illnesses along the entire spectrum of severity.
