After the Darién
Venezuelan migrant children and the mental health journey they face This is the story of thousands of families, violently uprooted from their homeland, now struggling to build new lives and opportunities for their children. Schools, community members, and human rights organizations have played a crucial role in addressing their mental health needs and integration. Yet, […]
Ask the Doc
Itchy Privates By Rajal Patel, MD Interview by Stephanie Bouchard Fact checked by Jim Lacy Q: My skin is scaly and itchy in my private areas. What’s going on? A: First things first: If you see something on your vulva, anus, or penis and you don’t know what it is and it’s freaking you out, go see your gynecologist […]
5 Books to Understand the State of American Healthcare
Fact checked by Jim Lacy The state of health and medicine in the United States is complicated, to say the least — from medical professional shortages, to system consolidations; high healthcare costs to rampant misinformation. Americans are experiencing the unsteadiness of this moment in out-of-control medical debt, long waits for appointments, and high levels […]
Understanding U.S. Healthcare Copays
Fact checked by Jim Lacy Copayments, coinsurance, deductibles…. Health insurance could have a dictionary all its own. Copays are out-of-pocket fees that range from a few dollars for routine doctor visits to hundreds or even thousands for prescriptions or specialty care. Copays emerged in the mid-20th century as employer-sponsored health insurance plans gained popularity. Initially, […]
Breakthrough Stroke Therapy Offers Hope
Fact checked by Jim Lacy The effects of stroke, among the top drivers of disability in people over 60, have a new foe in Vivistim. The device stimulates the vagus nerve via a small chip implanted in a person’s chest. The goal: to restore arm function. The therapy is intended for people six months removed […]
New AFib Treatment Slows Its Progression
Fact checked by Jim Lacy OSF Healthcare announced recently that its Electrophysiology Lab now offers people with atrial fibrillation (AFib) a brand-new technology called Farapulse. Within Chicago, only about 10 hospitals offer the radiation-free treatment, including Ascension Resurrection, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and University of Chicago Medicine. Designed by Boston Scientific, Farapulse is an FDA-approved cardiac […]
Mapping the Heart
Fact checked by Jim Lacy If you haven’t yet heard of a cardiac PET-CT stress test, you may soon. More hospitals are investing in this diagnostic tool, which looks like a standard CT machine. The noninvasive procedure enables cardiologists to see whether enough blood is flowing to a patient’s heart. Patients receive a small amount […]
New Health Laws
Cancer Patients’ Bill of Rights Effective January 2025 The Illinois House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution that states all Illinois residents who have cancer — regardless of their financial situation, race, or background — deserve access to timely treatments, clinical trials, and information. About 78,000 Illinois residents were diagnosed with cancer this past year. […]
A Breakthrough in Early Cancer Detection
Fact checked by Jim Lacy Because many cancers have no known biomarkers — molecules found in the body that link to a specific condition — those cancers are often discovered in patients at later stages. But that’s starting to change. Exact Sciences, in Madison, Wisconsin, has identified biomarkers that predict very early-stage cancer, before people […]
Humanity in Healthcare Shouldn’t Be an Oxymoron
Fact checked by Jim Lacy Humanity in healthcare, in the United States at least, feels like an oxymoron. Is that because we expect more honoring and better tending from a field, medicine, focused on keeping humans well? Yet, inherent in doctor visits is threat. Will something be discovered that will devastate me physically, psychologically, familialy, […]
A Big Headache
The insurance assurance Fact checked by Shannon Sparks When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, I felt a wave of relief. “Finally!” I said to anyone willing or close enough to listen, “This is going to expose the massive failures in our healthcare system, and we’ll come out of this better than before.” It really looked that […]
The Vital Vagus
The autonomous nervous system’s longest nerve runs from the brain into the gut, helping the body rest, relax, and digest Fact checked by Jim Lacy Have you heard of the vagus nerve? I certainly hadn’t — until my son, who has a host of food allergies and other health issues, experienced anaphylaxis this past spring. […]
Sleeping Heart
Where cardiology and sleep medicine meet — and how they impact each other Fact checked by Jim Lacy Dana Huelat’s husband and kids noticed something about her sleep last summer: Her snoring and breathing pauses seemed worse. She made an appointment with her primary care physician, who suggested testing for sleep apnea, which causes repeated […]
Destination Zero
The journey to eliminate periprosthetic joint infections Fact checked by Jim Lacy Infections after surgery are always a risk. They can take a toll on the patient’s recovery and quality of life, leading to serious complications if not treated properly. When infections happen in the structures near a joint replacement implant, they can be especially […]
How to Stay Calm in a Stressful News Cycle
Fact checked by Derick Wilder It’s easy to get sucked into the news cycle’s doom and gloom. There’s no shortage of strife: bird flu, upheaval at the major health agencies, measles outbreaks. Just to name a few. There’s also no limit on how we can access the news: newspapers, TV, magazines, podcasts, and the endless […]
