The Price We Pay
A snapshot of the United States’ healthcare financials Fact checked by Shannon Sparks Three-fourths of countries worldwide explicitly protect their citizens’ right to health in their constitutions. The United States is not one of them. Not only is healthcare not considered a human right in the U.S., but insurance companies and their shareholders profit off […]
Undoing Debt
As residents stress over unpaid medical bills, Illinois pilot programs pledge to abolish $1 billion of medical debt Fact checked by Jim Lacy Gloria Austin knew she had a problem when a red rash, a line around her stomach, appeared, as pain ramped up. The East Garfield Park resident was 62 at the time. After […]
In the Time of Transplant
Technological developments are changing how we save lives and snub death Fact checked by Jim Lacy By all accounts, Gary Gibbon should be dead. The 67-year-old had been living a full and healthy life in Santa Monica — a pulmonologist, allergist, and immunologist who enjoyed walking along the beach. But in March 2023, he began […]
MD, DO – What Kind of Doctor is This?
Exploring the differences between allopathy and osteopathic medicine Fact checked by Shannon Sparks After ramping up my yoga practice a few years ago, I experienced tremendous pain in my hands. Poses that put pressure on them became intolerable. Even biking was agony; I couldn’t grip the handlebars. Someone recommended a sports medicine doctor to me, […]
Who’s In Charge?
How government agencies influence vaccine policy Fact checked by Derick Wilder Although local health departments set vaccine requirements and schedules, the federal government plays a significant role in vaccine development, approval, and distribution. With Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), that process may change. Kennedy has […]
At the Heart of It All
Chicago Health Cardiology Roundtable Our hearts are the engines that propel us, circulating blood to the farthest reaches of our bodies. But just like any engine, time and usage take their toll. For more than 100 years, heart disease has been the no. 1 cause of death in the U.S. Yet, within that same time […]
Good Grillin’
Setting the table for a healthy grilling experience — from set up to clean up Fact checked by Shannon Sparks Summer and grilling go hand-in-hand. But even though we associate this form of cooking with sun and fun, it isn’t without its risks. Grilling meats for too long directly over an open flame can produce […]
Precision Diets
Optimizing the food on your plate to fuel you, rather than deplete you Fact checked by Jim Lacy Your daily nutrition needs are unique to you — the specific foods that help your body function, the tastes and textures that resonate with you, the time your body clock tells you you’re hungry. But did you […]
Wear Your Weights
Weighted vests help build strength and fitness Cindy Porcaro, of Downers Grove, works as a receptionist and is the mother of three adult children. She also prioritizes fitness. Porcaro enjoys walking, yoga, and weightlifting. Recently, she also started wearing a weighted vest, after hearing about it from a fitness influencer. “She said she lost 10% […]
Positive Screen Time
3 phone apps for neurodivergent support For better or for worse, many people find comfort in having their smartphone within reach. On average, per day, we check our phones 205 times and spend more than five hours on them, according to a reviews.org survey of 1,000 Americans. This may arguably be wasted time, but what […]
Crossing Lines
How abortion bans are reshaping medical training and practices Fact checked by Jim Lacy The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in 2022 paved the way for states to ban abortion. On the day of the June ruling, Wisconsin’s four abortion clinics closed their doors. Yet, it wasn’t only the […]
How to Cut Through the Noise
Where to turn for sound health information Fact checked by Jim Lacy If you think it’s harder these days to discern which information to use to make health decisions, you may be right. Normally, there is alignment between the federal health agencies — such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institutes […]
Calling the Midwives
Fact checked by Jim Lacy Sierra Bartlett wanted a water birth. It was 2021, and she was living in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, 20 weeks pregnant with her first child. She had recently learned that West Suburban Medical Center offered water births with the midwives who attended births there. Hesitant at first, Bartlett, who is […]
Mind, Body, Spirit
How Jewish traditions inform care for adults with disabilities Fact checked by Jim Lacy Shana Erenberg, PhD, listened closely one morning as her friend Baruch Schur shared a concern with her: He needed to move his son Josh out of state due to the lack of disability services in Chicago. Erenberg felt compelled to act. With […]
We Asked…
We asked readers on social media and in our weekly newsletter to share their thoughts about the current state of healthcare in the United States and how it serves them. Here’s what they expressed. How do you feel about healthcare in the United States? “I feel that the privatization of healthcare within such a capitalist […]
Challenging Ableism, Owning My Disability
Fact checked by Jim Lacy I’ve spent most of my life trying not to inconvenience people. After I lost my leg at age 9 due to complications from bone cancer, I began a lifelong mission to “pass.” “Passing” is the act of a minority blending into the majority, either intentionally or not. This could look […]
Cancer’s Younger Scope
More people under age 50 are facing cancer diagnoses, at a stage when they’re just figuring out their lives Fact checked by Jim Lacy A cancer diagnosis at any age is life-altering, but a growing body of evidence reveals a troubling rise in cancer diagnoses among individuals, particularly women, under 50. Women in this age […]
