Fatherhood?
No Thanks, Some Men Say Fact checked by Shannon Sparks A growing number of men are saying no to fatherhood. The number of men who don’t want children has doubled over the past two decades, according to a 2022 study. Although the study doesn’t explore the men’s reasoning, Michael Goldstone, a social worker and associate director […]
New Health Laws
Fact checked by Derick Wilder Extra Help with Prescription Costs Effective January 2024 Many seniors on Medicare who need extra help paying for medications, premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and other healthcare costs may now qualify for help under Medicare’s expansion of the Extra Help program. Income limits to qualify are $22,590 for an individual and $30,660 […]
Dental Care on Wheels
Mobile Care Chicago’s Dental Van meets young patients where they are — at school Fact checked by Derick Wilder Mobile Care Chicago is celebrating a milestone this summer: the 10-year anniversary of the Dental Van program. To celebrate, Mobile Care Chicago launched a campaign to expand dental care access, with a goal of adding another dental van […]
Break out of Your Workout Rut
The importance of a balanced exercise routine Fact checked by Derick Wilder Mary Dreiser, 74, of Downers Grove, has been working out regularly for almost 20 years. “I started getting serious when I was about 55,” she says. Her children had grown up and moved out. “I had empty nest syndrome, and I had […]
From Thought to Movement
A bionic leg increases mobility by responding to brain power Fact checked by Shannon Sparks Stephen Littig had to have his left leg amputated above the knee when he was 65. Afterward, he went to the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab for rehabilitation. The goal: to increase his strength enough to use a prosthetic leg — […]
The Vaccine Controversy
Why some still shun one of the most important healthcare advances in the history of the world Fact checked by Shannon Sparks What is the greatest accomplishment in the history of public health? One word, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC): vaccines. Vaccines have eradicated some of the worst diseases on the […]
Promise Out of Reach
New therapies revolutionize sickle cell treatment, but who can afford the price tag? Fact checked by Shannon Sparks When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two milestone treatments for sickle cell disease at the end of 2023, the community rejoiced. As a potential one-time therapy, the treatments might put an end to […]
As the Heart Beats
Chicago’s Rich History of Cardiology Pioneers Fact checked by Shannon Sparks Chicago has a rich and fascinating history of heart-related firsts, from the first open-heart surgery to the invention of gel electrodes used in electrocardiograms. How did these groundbreaking developments come to reality, and where might they lead us next? Whatever the future holds […]
Dr. Ronna Fisher, AuD, CCC-A, FAAA
Hearing Health Center Founder & President “You let me keep doing what I love! Thank you to the Hearing Health Center for making that possible.” –Roger Daltrey, The Who “My father’s hearing problem didn’t just affect him, it impacted our entire family, his work, and his relationships. He missed too much of my life, and it didn’t […]
Women Rising
How Chicagoans have historically shaped, and continue to transform, healthcare Fact checked by Derick Wilder Our story begins 160 years ago, during the Civil War era. Elizabeth Blackwell, MD, the first woman to earn a medical degree in the U.S., had graduated only 15 years earlier, in 1849. Blackwell was exceptional; most institutions at the […]
Do No Harm
Exploring Chicago’s rich history of physician activism Fact checked by Derick Wilder The day that physician residents and fellows at Northwestern Medicine voted 794 to 148 to unionize, some shared their joy on social media. “So proud of the community of residents and fellows who made this happen. Unions increase workers’ democratic voice; raise […]
Preserving Future Children
Fact checked by Derick Wilder As childhood cancer survival rates improve, a common concern crops up for families: the child’s future fertility. Ten years ago, Lurie Children’s Hospital launched a groundbreaking fertility preservation program that gives families a chance to retain that fertility. The team has performed preservations for more than 360 children so far. It […]
Travel Nurse Perks
Many travel nurses opt for temporary assignments because of the autonomy and opportunities − not just the big boost in pay Ivan Gan, University of Houston-Downtown Travel nurses take short-term contracts that can require long commutes or temporarily living away from home. Time and again, they have to get used to new co-workers, new protocols and […]
Online Child Safety Laws Could Help or Hurt – 2 Pediatricians Explain What’s Likely to Work and What Isn’t
Image: Kids need to be protected online. The trick is figuring out how. Justin Lambert Creative/DigitalVision via Getty Images Society has a complicated relationship with adolescents. We want to protect them as children and yet launch them into adulthood. Adolescents face risks from testing out independence, navigating peer relationships, developing an identity and making mistakes […]
Weighted Fitness
Military trainees have practiced rucking — walking with a loaded backpack — for centuries. And now, this intensive technique has turned fitness trend. Certain branches of the military, such as special forces, train for longer and more grueling rucks in a variety of weather, terrain, and operational conditions. After all, what better way to move […]
Measles 101
As measles cases in Chicago remain low and vaccinations increase, here’s what to know about the latest outbreak While her sons played one Sunday evening in early March, Yulia* tried to locate a suitcase. The family was staying at the Pilsen migrant shelter, but they had plans to move north, to reunite with Yulia’s husband, […]
The Kid Question
Authors Meghan Elizabeth Kallman and Josephine Ferorelli explore reproductive choices with climate change at the door On a warm, February afternoon in Chicago (a line that, having grown up here, I never imagined I’d write), I spoke with authors Meghan Elizabeth Kallman, PhD, and Josephine Ferorelli about their new book, The Conceivable Future, which explores […]
Processed Food Nation
How to combat our addiction to ultra-processed eating The Standard American Diet (SAD) is packed with ultra-processed foods. These sugary, salty, and fatty food products make up more than half of the total dietary energy consumed in high-income countries like the U.S., and they were a hot topic at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ […]
Crisis Response
Texas has sent more than 34,000 asylum seekers to Chicago since September 2022. Here’s a look at how local organizations have been responding to migrants’ health needs since the humanitarian crisis began. Anna was 34 weeks pregnant when she arrived in Chicago. She’d boarded a bus in Texas, which dropped her off in the U.S.’s […]
Our Top 10 Stories of 2023
We’re celebrating the new year by taking a look back at our 10 most-read stories of 2023. These stories covered a range of topics — from ADHD to the health benefits of trees. Many came from our Fall/Winter 2023 issue: Where Health and Environment Meet. But our no. 1 story of the year returns us […]
Living and Learning Deaf Culture
No culture is a monolith, including the Deaf community. Most people, however, want to communicate. Humans have an innate drive to understand and be understood. But people with deafness have a history of being cut off and ostracized from the community at large. Here, Karla Giese, EdD, coordinator of training and education at Chicago Hearing […]
Nuisance Noise
Noise pollution takes a toll on heart health. Learn how to keep your ears — and your heart — safe. Road traffic, trains, construction — these all make up Chicago’s soundscape. They are also contributors to noise pollution — the buzz of city that can take a toll on your health. The World Health Organization […]
Trash to Treasure
Local residents are taking recycling into their own hands, protecting their health, the health of the planet, and the city’s budget. Do you ever think about what happens to your gnarled toothbrushes, lifeless water filters, or cruddy plastic bags after they plop into your trash bin? Sherry Skalko did. During the pandemic, Skalko, who lives […]
How Surgeons Can Show Respect for a Patient’s Tattoos
At the Center for Reproductive Care, our mission is to provide you the best opportunity to create the family you dreamed of. Each patient is different and we do our best – using advanced science – to understand the unique circumstances of each patient and develop an individualized treatment plan suited to a patient’s needs.
Cultural Cancer Care
Northwestern Medicine’s new breast cancer clinic focuses on Hispanic women Erika Aleman, of Berwyn, was diagnosed in 2022 with triple negative breast cancer — a particularly aggressive form of the disease. She received care at the Lurie Cancer Center at Northwestern Medicine, where Spanish-speaking nurses and doctors helped her better understand the treatment process. Aleman […]
Painting a Pandemic
Pulmonary critical care physician finds solace through art during the Covid-19 pandemic In the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, Justin Fiala, MD, was feeling whiplash. He split his time between quarantine at home and seven-day stretches in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. As a pulmonary, critical care, and sleep […]
How have environmental changes in the Great Lakes region impacted your health?
We asked readers to share on social media and in our weekly newsletter: In what ways have environmental changes in the Great Lakes region impacted your health? Thank you to all who responded. Here’s what you said…. I am not sure how it impacts my health. I would say maybe mentally because the seasons […]
Reaping Rewards
How environmental volunteer opportunities take people outside of themselves Eriko Kojima readily admits that she used to be a couch potato. “I was an indoorsy person. I didn’t like to exercise, and I had bouts of depression,” she says. Then, one July day in 2015, she went on a hike and learned that the Forest Preserves […]
Medical Mission
One Chicago doctor takes his compassion and skills south of the border In his desk at Shriners Children’s Hospital Chicago, Peter Smith, MD, keeps a drawing that a child in Colombia made for him. The drawing shows a doctor in scrubs with angel wings on his back. The drawing humbles Smith and reminds him of why […]
Smart Tracking
5 ways to use your smartphone (or smartwatch) to track your health When a woman on a cross-country flight fell ill recently, the pilots focused on staying calm and getting her safely to medical attention on the ground. They radioed the airport where they would land, and a physician there walked them through what to […]
Natural High
Why getting outside does wonders for your health Do you find yourself stuck inside, reluctant to emerge from your cocoon? Here’s a reason to force yourself through the door: Older adults who spent just 15 minutes outdoors reported feeling more grateful and more optimistic afterwards, according to a recent study. Other research has found that […]
Here’s the Beef
Cutting back on red meat has an outsized impact on the environment Katherine Tellock was in no rush to give up meat. But when the Chicago resident learned that removing meat from her diet could reduce her carbon footprint even more than switching to a hybrid vehicle, she cut down her meat consumption overall and […]
Eating for Earth
Environmental nutrition offers an eating approach for your health and the planet’s Healthy eating isn’t just good for you; it can also benefit society and the planet. That’s the goal of environmental nutrition. “Environmental nutrition focuses on nourishing our population while balancing our earth’s resources,” says Beth Gordon, registered dietitian nutritionist at Northwestern Medicine. “A […]
How To Start Your Own Native Garden
Illinois looks nothing like it did 150 years ago and beyond. Only .01% of the Prairie State’s prairies remain. People, however, can reclaim some of that prairie land — and the insects and wildlife that rely on it — in their yard. “They can be these little repositories to our shrinking natural areas,” says Mary […]
Oh, Naturale!
Chicago explores the role of trees in human health and heat mitigation This is not a joke. Ready? What mitigates major chronic diseases, all while cleaning and cooling the air, decreasing stress, and beautifying neighborhoods? Trees. “If trees were a vitamin, everyone would be lining up to take it. The benefits are enormous,” says Raed […]
CAR-T Cell Therapy
A promising therapy for people with certain cancers is now available in Chicago’s northern suburbs at the community hospital level. NorthShore University HealthSystem began treating patients with CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor) cell therapy in March 2023. Since 2017, the revolutionary treatment has primarily been available at academic medical centers. David L. Grinblatt, MD, hematologist at NorthShore University […]
Ask the Doc
Am I Losing My Hair? By Victoria Barbosa, MD Q: I don’t want to seem vain, but I’m losing my hair, and I’m freaked out. Is there anything I can do about it? A: Hair loss — also called alopecia — is intensely personal for people. It has a psychological impact on their self-confidence and overall well-being. […]
Why We Forget Mass Shootings
The Highland Park 4th of July parade shooting may have faded from the national consciousness, but it hovers like a fog in this North Shore community A year and a half after the mass shooting in Highland Park, the aftermath still permeates the community. Conversation around the tragedy pierces the chatter of school hallways and downtown […]
Healing Highland Park
18 months after a mass shooting at a 4th of July parade, a community continues to mend More than a year after the 4th of July parade shooting in Highland Park, where seven people lost their lives and 48 others were wounded, Marcy Kamen, MD, family practice physician at NorthShore Medical Group, is helping people […]
Recycling is Complicated and Controversial…
But When It’s Done Right, It’s Good for Everyone When a Groot recycling facility in Plainfield burned down in 2021 due to a battery fire, no one could blame Davide Pezzini for it. Like an estimated 20% of people, Pezzini, a 46-year-old Chicago resident and professional bass player, is fastidious about recycling. He grew up in […]
Rising Concerns
Where flooding and sewage treatment meet — and how both impact people’s health Flush your toilet or rinse your kitchen sink, and you probably don’t spend a ton of time thinking about where that water goes next. Yet, wastewater treatment ranks as one of the most vital public health innovations in human history, due to the advances […]
How To Green Your Routine
Scientists expect climate change to cause about 250,000 additional deaths each year between 2030 and 2050, according to the World Health Organization. Heat stress will be one of the main reasons, so prioritizing exercise will also prime your body to handle the heat. “The heat itself will affect our ability to breathe. We get dehydrated quicker. […]
Sleep Right
Stress and environmental factors conspire against sleep, but help can make a lifetime of difference Since buying his-and-hers CPAP machines, North Park residents Wendy McClure and Chris Sienko have saved a lot of money — on soundproofing. “I used to buy these huge containers of earplugs every month,” says McClure, a 52-year-old book editor. Before […]
When Bystanders Take Action
Early intervention in a medical emergency can make all the difference. Know the steps to take. Winnetka resident John Lafferty was going through a routine examination with his physician, Robert Magrisso, MD, at his doctor’s office in town. Everything seemed normal at first, but in a matter of seconds things started to go wrong — […]
Unseen Threat
How environmental contaminants affect heart health From asthma to cancer risk, environmental contaminants affect human health in major ways. And research suggests that pollution also poses a significant threat to heart health specifically, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Pollution (including noise pollution), chemical exposure, and the weather all affect the heart in different ways. “The […]
Allergies Getting Worse?
Climate change may be the culprit As the long Chicago winter turned to spring, Lizzie Goodman threw open the windows to her home and, within a couple of days, she and her two young daughters were dealing with sneezes, stuffy noses, itchy eyes, and scratchy throats. Goodman worried they might have Covid-19, but tests came back […]
Forever Chemicals and Cancer Risk
Researchers in Chicago are studying how PFAS affect health and where people might be exposed Ken Lumb, managing partner at Chicago-based law firm Corboy and Demetrio, started getting calls from firefighters last year: men and women with kidney, prostate, and bladder cancers. They were interested in filing lawsuits based on their health issues. The very […]
Attention Dysregulation
More women than ever are being diagnosed with ADHD — what’s behind the increase? During her childhood years, writer, educator, and content creator Laura Danger, 34, of Chicago, often felt anxious, trying hard in school to overcome her challenges. At the time, she didn’t exhibit physical hyperactivity or impulsivity — two classically known symptoms of […]
Worried About Your Teenager?
Making room for adolescents’ healthy risks As anyone who has ever been a teenager or known a teenager is well aware, they sometimes take irresponsible, even dangerous risks. But some of that risk-taking is healthy, teaching them how to become independent, responsible adults. Student journalists Jubriel Chaparro, recently 20, and Jermaine Jackson, 18, take risks […]
Considering the Dangers of Breathing
On one of those first gorgeous spring days when Chicago reminds us why we live here, my eldest son, Harry, and I were driving home from school. The windows were down, and we were blasting his favorite song: Queen’s “We Will Rock You.” At a red light, a box truck pulled up next to us, […]