A Failing Heart Cardiology

A Failing Heart

As the body’s pump struggles, problems build Evanston resident Marjorie David has been living with heart failure for more than…

Second Time’s a Charm In The Know

Second Time’s a Charm

For orthopedic surgery, additional opinions can revise the treatment course Adam Chopp was a freshman athlete, playing football for Olivet…

Assuring the We in the Health Mastery of Me Columns

Assuring the We in the Health Mastery of Me

Yep, 2020 was a challenging year. It clarified the imperative that the I of the we — the individual in…

The Support No One Wants (But Everyone Needs) Columns

The Support No One Wants (But Everyone Needs)

This morning, I attended a virtual funeral for Brad Rosner. He was 36. Bile duct cancer. Gone just 36 days…

Screenings Save Lives Gastroenterology

Screenings Save Lives

Intervening early can halt colorectal cancer In 2003, Bronzeville resident Candace Henley, then 35, was experiencing on-and-off symptoms of diarrhea, constipation,…

Facing Terminal Cancer In The Know

Facing Terminal Cancer

Support helps families come to terms with looming loss Last April, Rogers Park resident Aisha Luster got the biggest shock…

Not Safe at Home Features

Not Safe at Home

As Covid-19 stress continues, domestic violence escalates in Chicago Life had been dangerous enough for Elise, whose name has been…

A Beginner’s Guide to Running Fitness

A Beginner’s Guide to Running

Start slowly — you have to walk before you can run Evelyn Cato began her journey as a runner by walking.…

Can Food Fight Cancer? Lifestyle

Can Food Fight Cancer?

Reduce your risk with these healthy eating practices What we eat, as well as how often we exercise, can affect…

Cancer-Fighting Pantry Lifestyle

Cancer-Fighting Pantry

Stock these healthy staples in your kitchen Numerous studies show the link between unhealthy eating and cancer. About 18% of cancers…

Survivor Support Features

Survivor Support

Even though cancer treatment ends, the need for physical and emotional care continues When Marty Hogan found out at age…

The Color of Cancer Features

The Color of Cancer

Local groups counter sub-par cancer care in underserved Chicago communities At 31, Roshanda Randle of Englewood knew she was younger…

Breast Cancer Breakthroughs Features

Breast Cancer Breakthroughs

Better surgeries, less radiation, and new drugs are changing treatments and offering hope In 1811, Nabby Adams, daughter of President…

Joining a Clinical Trial Features

Joining a Clinical Trial

Consider the following when deciding whether to join a trial  Treatment. Usually, patients get either the medication being studied or…

Not Everyone Is Studied Equally Features

Not Everyone Is Studied Equally

Historically, medical research has focused on white men rather than women or people of color, says Nicole Woitowich, PhD, research…

Clinical Trials Features

Clinical Trials

Participating in cancer research can give access to life-saving drugs Alexa DiVenere was 16 in 2011, when she heard news…

Empowering Outreach Charities

Empowering Outreach

Organizations offer breast cancer advocacy and support September 27, 2006. No one forgets their date, Sophia Williams says. She was…

Prostate Problems Family Health

Prostate Problems

Treatments offer men relief for a common uncomfortable condition About 10 years ago, Steven Prosser, of Libertyville, started beating a…

Cancer & Fertility Family Health

Cancer & Fertility

Options preserve hope for pregnancy after treatment When 31-year-old Amy Glomski was planning her perfect wedding, a pandemic wasn’t part…

Connecting Families Family Health

Connecting Families

Nurse home visits address maternal and infant health disparities Nine-year-old Angela Ellison spent Christmas Eve 1969 sitting in a beauty…

Home Sweet Sleep Briefs

Home Sweet Sleep

Our overall health and well-being rely on sleep. Yet, for many people, sleep apnea not only prevents a good night’s…

App Gives Real-Time Updates from the NICU Briefs

App Gives Real-Time Updates from the NICU

Long before the Covid-19 pandemic, Craig Garfield, MD, and Young Lee, PhD, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, developed an app to…

Liquid Biopsies May Help Identify Lung Cancer Uncategorized

Liquid Biopsies May Help Identify Lung Cancer

You may be used to hearing about tissue biopsies, in which doctors snip samples of tissue to see if it’s cancerous.…

Expanded Reach for HPV Vaccine Briefs

Expanded Reach for HPV Vaccine

A vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV) can prevent six types of cancer if given at the right time, according to…

Molecular Breast Imaging for Dense Breasts Briefs

Molecular Breast Imaging for Dense Breasts

Dense breast tissue can mask cancers on standard screening mammograms. “As many as 25% of cancers can be missed,” says Barry…

Using Artificial Intelligence to Assess Breast Cancer Briefs

Using Artificial Intelligence to Assess Breast Cancer

Software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) may help improve breast cancer diagnosis. QuantX, developed in Chicago, uses AI to analyze…

Why Covid-19 Affects Kids’ Mental Health — and How You Can Help Latest News

Why Covid-19 Affects Kids’ Mental Health — and How You Can Help

While adults have been the hardest hit by Covid-19 infections, children of all ages remain vulnerable to the pandemic’s many…

Community Helpers Charities

Community Helpers

Providing food, hope, and care during Covid-19 The fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic has created profound economic and health uncertainties…

Covid-19’s Toll on Mental Health Features

Covid-19’s Toll on Mental Health

The coronavirus pandemic, with all of its stressors, has triggered anxiety, depression, and other disorders When Covid-19 caused businesses to…

Vulnerable Adults Aging

Vulnerable Adults

These 4 risk factors make older people more prone to Covid-19 complications Shortly after a visit to New York in…

Pregnancy in a Pandemic Family Health

Pregnancy in a Pandemic

What to expect when you’re expecting during the coronavirus outbreak Melanie Chervinko was nearing the end of her pregnancy in…

Chicago’s Healthcare Heroes Features

Chicago’s Healthcare Heroes

A salute to the inspiring individuals who’ve made a difference during the Covid-19 pandemic Covid-19 may have initially shut down…

Briefs: Book Beat Briefs

Briefs: Book Beat

We asked local physicians for their health-related book recommendations. Here’s what they said. The Curious Incident of the Dog in…

Briefs: Healing Through a Sri Lankan Feast Briefs

Briefs: Healing Through a Sri Lankan Feast

When Oak Park resident Mary Anne Mohanraj was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, she felt the urge to tell…

Disrupted Progress Family Health

Disrupted Progress

When Covid-19 shuttered schools and services, children with special needs were left behind With interruptions to school and socialization, the…

Briefs: Prescription Video Game for ADHD Briefs

Briefs: Prescription Video Game for ADHD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects about 4 million children ages 6 to 11, according to the Centers for Disease Control and…

Briefs: Mushrooms with Benefits Briefs

Briefs: Mushrooms with Benefits

Traditionally used in a side dish or in sauces, mushrooms are due for a promotion to main course. High in…

Briefs: Does Vitamin D Impact Covid-19 Death Rates? Briefs

Briefs: Does Vitamin D Impact Covid-19 Death Rates?

Patients from countries with high Covid-19 death rates have lower levels of vitamin D compared to patients in lower-risk countries,…

Briefs: Circles of Peace During Covid-19 Briefs

Briefs: Circles of Peace During Covid-19

After Covid-19 hit Chicago, the staff at the Union League Boys & Girls Club saw youth mourning life as they…

Gasping for Air Lungs

Gasping for Air

With a cascade of effects, Covid-19 can cause lasting lung damage The phone call came Monday morning, but by then,…

Cancer and Covid-19 Cancer

Cancer and Covid-19

While individuals are at greater risk, treatment and screening must continue Robyn Hawkins is not an anxious person. “But this…

The Great Unequalizer Features

The Great Unequalizer

Chicago faced severe health inequities long before Covid-19. Whose job is it to solve the problem? It was probably the…

Chaplain Hero: Rev. René Brandt Features

Chaplain Hero: Rev. René Brandt

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital To be in the presence of Rev. René Brandt is to find calm in a storm.…

Mental Health Hero: Kim Nowak Features

Mental Health Hero: Kim Nowak

Rogers Behavioral Health After experiencing postpartum anxiety following the birth of her second child, Kim Nowak pursued a career in…

Skilled Nursing Hero: Apsara Rosario Uncategorized

Skilled Nursing Hero: Apsara Rosario

Alden Terrace of McHenry Apsara Rosario, assistant director of nursing at Alden Terrace of McHenry, which provides short-term rehab and skilled…

Patient Hero: Paul Richard Uncategorized

Patient Hero: Paul Richard

Advocate Trinity Hospital  Paul Richard had such a hard time breathing in April that he felt like he had an elephant…

Emergency Room Hero: Scott Samlan, MD Uncategorized

Emergency Room Hero: Scott Samlan, MD

Mount Sinai Hospital “I deal with gunshots every day, trauma, and crazy stuff, and this is the only thing that…

Research Hero: Richard Novak, MD Uncategorized

Research Hero: Richard Novak, MD

University of Illinois at Chicago Covid-19 is not the first pandemic go-around for Richard Novak, MD. For more than 30…

Nurse Heroes: Linda Michna, RN, and the Old Dolls Uncategorized

Nurse Heroes: Linda Michna, RN, and the Old Dolls

Northwestern Memorial Hospital Three decades ago, a group of nurses at Northwestern Memorial Hospital became known as the Old Dolls,…

Testing Hero: Greg Bowman, RN Uncategorized

Testing Hero: Greg Bowman, RN

Rush University Medical Center In the early days of the pandemic, Covid-19 testing was sparse in Chicago. When Rush University…