Aspirus Health Talk

Losing weight is a challenge for a lot of people. Diets are hard to stick to and it’s difficult to find the time to exercise, but maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most important things you can do for your immediate and long term health.Aspirus understands that an effective weight loss program is about setting goals and changing your lifestyle. We offer different options to help you shed unwanted pounds and keep them off.Whether you just want to lose a few pounds or make a more dramatic change because of health reasons, let us help you find a weight loss program that’s right for you.Here to discuss Aspirus Ideal Weight Solution is Cardiologist Timothy N. Logemann, MD, FACC, ABOM (American Board of Obesity Medicine).

Who would speak for you if you became unable to communicate your own healthcare wishes? An advance directives document enables you to designate someone who will make sure your healthcare wishes are followed if you are unable to speak for yourself.Advance directives are not just for the elderly. Anyone 18 or older should complete one. In addition to ensuring your wishes are followed, advance directives can help avoid disagreements between family members and loved ones. It can also help to avoid the expense of legal guardianship. Many people don't realize that in Wisconsin, family members generally do not automatically have the authority to make your healthcare decisions when you cannot. Wisconsin is not a "family consent" or "next-of-kin" state. Therefore, healthcare decision-making authority typically does not automatically pass on to the closest family member. That is why we recommend all mentally capacitated adults complete a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care.In this very informative segment, Katie

If you have been diagnosed with a cancer of pelvic region, inflammatory bowel disease or other condition that requires you undergo a procedure that results in an ostomy, you might feel that this is the end of life as you knew it. However, with some extra care and help from your health care providers, you can manage your ostomy and come to terms with your "new" normal.In this segment, Patty Cimino, RN, discusses ostomy care and how Aspirus Health System can help you can live a very full and healthy life, even with an ostomy.

One of the most important jobs you have as a parent is keeping your child safe when riding in a vehicle. Each year, thousands of young children are killed or injured in car crashes. Proper use of car seats helps keep children safe. But with so many different seats on the market, many parents may find this overwhelming.Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital and Clinics has a new car seat safety expert dedicated to teaching local parents and caregivers proper car seat installation and use to keep kids safe.Car seat checks are free and available at two locations: Aspirus Keweenaw Laurium Clinic in Laurium and Aspirus Houghton Clinic in Houghton. To schedule an appointment at either location, call Jenn Jenich-Laplander at 906-337-6541.In this segment, Jenn Jenich-Laplander, Certified Passenger Safety Technician, shares everything you need to know about car seats and how you can keep your child safe while riding in the car.

In the United States, low bone mass and brittle bone disease, otherwise known as Osteoporosis, are currently considered major public health threats. Worldwide, osteoporosis causes more than 8.9 million fractures annually, that’s one fracture every 3 seconds! Osteoporosis accounts for more days spent in the hospital than many other diseases, including diabetes and breast cancer for women over 45 years of age. One in five, over the age of 50, will experience an osteoporotic fracture of either the forearm, humerus, hip or spine. Even more concerning --- Hip fractures increase a person’s risk for dying. Mortality rates jump 20-24% in the first year after a hip fracture. Here to explain more on the importance of good bone health is Sandy Hoogland, Family Medicine Certified Physician Assistant at Aspirus.

Is a wound that won't heal keeping you from doing the things you love? Aspirus Riverview Wound & Hyperbarics in Wisconsin Rapids can help. Using their expertise and technology, including two hyperbaric oxygen chambers, they can heal most wounds – even those that haven't responded to conventional treatment.In this segment, Sarah Falkner, RN, Clinical Nurse Manager with Aspirus Riverview Wound & Hyperbarics, located in Aspirus Riverview Hospital in Wisconsin Rapids, discusses wound healing with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. (HBOT)

Breast Reduction is designed to relieve the physical discomfort associated with large breasts while improving overall breast appearance. Elevating the breast and reducing nipple size is an integral portion of this procedure. This procedure is frequently covered by insurance if certain criteria are met.Listen as James H. Kong, MD, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon at Aspirus Health System, discusses breast reduction surgery and how to decide if this procedure is right for you.

Anti-reflux surgery is a treatment for acid reflux or GERD, a problem in which food or stomach acid come back up from your stomach into the esophagus. The esophagus is the tube from your mouth to the stomach.Reflux often occurs if the muscles where the esophagus meets the stomach do not close tightly enough. A hiatal hernia can make GERD symptoms worse. It occurs when the stomach bulges through this opening into your chestSymptoms of reflux or heartburn are burning in the stomach that you may also feel in your throat or chest, burping or gas bubbles, or trouble swallowing food or fluidsListen in as Michael McAllister, DO, General Surgeon, explains the damages of ongoing reflux and how anti-reflux surgery might be the treatment for you.

It takes 21 days to create a habit and 90 days to create a lifestyle. People often say they want to take steps toward becoming healthy, so they often jump in full force, saying they are going to work out 5 days/week and go on a diet of fruits & vegetables and nothing else. That does not usually work. Instead, picking one healthy change at a time and focusing on that, is what helps people stick to a program. It can be as simple as drinking the recommended amount of water each day. Work on doing just that for 21 days to create a habit. Then pick the next habit you want to adopt and work on it for 21 days. A habit can be emotional, physical or food-driven and should be something that you want to get control of.Listen in to this segment with Laura Ching, Fitness Instructor for Aspirus.

As your due date approaches, you might be wondering what the medical and natural options for pain relief are best for you and your baby. In recent years using nitrous oxide during pregnancy has grown in popularity.According to the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), research has supported the reasonable efficacy, safety and unique beneficial qualities of nitrous oxide as an analgesic for labor. Christiann Rosemurgy CNM, WHNP-BC discusses nitrous oxide as an alternative comfort option for labor, and the many benefits nitrous oxide has for women in labor.

After pregnancy, child bearing, and breast feeding; many women are dissatisfied with the appearance of their body and seek surgical options to change troubled areas. The most popular surgical options include tummy tucks, breast enhancement, and liposuction. How do you know if this type of makeover is right for you? Jennifer Cameron, MD, MPH shares what you should know about mommy makeovers and what to expect after surgery.

There are a multitude of vitamins and minerals that help your body grow and stay healthy.However, humans must regularly consume 13 essential vitamins, anywhere from 20-29+ essential minerals, two essential fatty acids and nine essential amino acids to survive. It's best to try to get these through your diet first, and supplement when needed.Aspirus Pharmacist, Trigg Thielke shares three vitamins that are difficult to obtain in optimal amounts even with a well-balanced diet. In this segment he provides education and insight into these vitamins that include: Vitamin D3; Vitamin K2 MK-7 and Magnesium.

Health care has evolved, especially in terms of the patient’s role in decision making. Patients come to their doctor with a diagnosis already in mind, and with many pages of information printed from the Internet. Is this a good thing?Listen as Margaret Anderson, MD discusses why she likes to see her patients engaged in their own health care and how you can be your own best health advocate.

In September 2016, Aspirus Heart & Vascular became the first program in the area to begin performing the WATCHMAN procedure. This offers an alternative for people with atrial fibrillation (AFib) that have difficulty with blood-thinning medication. People with AFib often face lifelong use of blood thinners to reduce their risk of stroke.Listen as Kevin E. Rist, MD, PhD explains that the one-time WATCHMAN™ procedure offers an effective alternative for those that are at high risk of bleeding complications or have had difficulties tolerating blood thinners.

Hospitals have always been considered a “community benefit,” that’s why they are tax-exempt entities. But today, Aspirus hospitals are taking their role as a community resource further than simply providing 24-hour access to care for anyone who needs it. They are actively developing community partnerships and programs with a broad range of entities, seeking new ways to improve the health of those we serve – beyond the walls of our buildings. The concept of “collective impact” asserts that we can accomplish much more by working across industries and specialties than we ever could by working separately.Listen as Tara Draeger discusses some of the initiatives that seek to improve the quality of life in the community – often in ways few people would associate with health care.

According to the CDC, immunizations have had an enormous impact on improving the health of children in the United States. Most parents today have never seen first-hand the devastating consequences that vaccine-preventable diseases have on a child, a family, or community.Some diseases that are prevented by vaccines, like pertussis (whooping cough) and chickenpox, remain common in the United States. On the other hand, other potentially deadly diseases are no longer common in this country because of vaccines.In this segment,  Jason Chan, MD discusses the importance of getting your children the vaccinations they need to avoid certain life threatening illnesses.

When one member of the family gets sick, it seems as if all the members of the family get sick. It doesn't necessarily have to be that way. Some easy to follow guidelines can help you to avoid all the dreaded coughs and sniffles everyone seems to have. In this segment,  Anna Marciniak & Nikki Mueller, infection preventionists with Aspirus Wausau Hospital, discuss how we can protect ourselves from illnesses that are going around with a few simple healthy habits.

According to the COPD Foundation, COPD affects an estimated 30 million individuals in the U.S., and over half of them have symptoms of COPD and do not know it. Early screening can identify COPD before major loss of lung function occurs. Listen today as David M. Warren, the Director of Cardiopulmonary Services Aspirus Medford Hospital and Clinics, discusses COPD and ways to prevent it.

Being pregnant can be such an amazing time in a womens life. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle throughout your pregnancy is key for both baby and mother. Important steps to a healthy pregnancy include eating a balanced diet; gaining the right amount of weight; and keeping physically active.You’re eating for two now; does that mean double the portions? There are foods that should to be avoided and others that are important for mom and baby. And then there are the cravings!Listen as Stacie Leahy, RD gives great advice about what to eat so mom and baby can stay healthy throughout the pregnancy.

You might know a child who is oversensitive, clumsy, and out of sync. That child may have Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), a common but misunderstood problem that affects children’s behavior and can affect the way they learn, move, relate to others, and feel about themselves.Aspirus Outpatient Therapy Services provides comprehensive pediatric occupational, physical and speech therapy services.Our therapists provide evaluation and treatment services for infants, children and adolescents (up to age 14) who are not achieving their physical, functional and/or communicative potential.Listen as Annika Zallek, OTR/L explains sensory disorders and learning disabilities.