Healthy Aging Podcast

Catch this in-depth interview with Dr. Michael Grossman, Chief of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at Southcoast Health, where he sheds light on various facets of trauma surgery. Dr. Grossman elaborates on the definition of trauma, the spectrum of injuries treated including both traditional and modern cases, the distinctions between trauma surgery and elective surgery, and the critical role of patient outcomes in determining surgical approaches. Additionally, he discusses the evolving landscape of technology in advancing trauma surgery, focusing on areas like blood replacement techniques and the utilization of robotic-assisted surgery. Dr. Grossman reflects on the challenges of maintaining a work-life balance in the high-stress field of trauma surgery and emphasizes the importance of community trauma centers in providing timely and effective care to patients in unexpected emergencies. Learn more at Southcoast.org.

Dr. Sush Prusty’s passion for medical care was ignited by his father in India. He watched his father’s patient’s reactions to his father. The reactions were that of sheer gratitude. Dr. Sush Prusty has over 20 years of experience in Urgent Care Services. As the medical director of Southcoast’s Urgent Cares he shared his passion for growing strong teams in safe facilities accredited by Urgent Care Association of America. Dr. Prusty explained that while staff is trained in basic and advanced life support skills, their facilities are low complexity. They see patients with a wide variety of access to medical care due to the point of care they offer. At Southcoast Urgent Cares, they can see patients in need of respiratory illnesses, GI concerns, infectious diseases, orthopedic care, laceration and repair, and EKG or labs. They offer a plethora of services whether or not you have a primary care physician with Southcoast Health. And with “Book It” on the Southcoast App you can save a spot to see a physician. They have great working relationships with the ER and EMS for best patient care in the event the patient needs more advanced medical attention. Catch the full episode to get a better understanding of all the medical concerns and conditions Urgent Care can treat as well as what Southcoast does to ensure the best patient experience. Learn More at Southcoast.org.

“When we got back from vacation my symptoms got more intense.” In April 2023, Mia Hardman explained that half of her body couldn’t regulate temperature. Hot felt cold and vice versa! She experienced numbness on the left side of her body, couldn’t lift her arm, and by the time she saw Dr. Joshua Stone, she was dragging her leg to walk. Dr. Stone explained that Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease affecting the nervous system. It can affect your brain and spinal cord. He went on to explain that each MS attack can present differently for each patient. While the attacks can be dramatic, he strongly recommended not dismissing anything that is going on that is out of the norm for your body. There is no cure for MS right now, but it is highly treatable. Mia was very vulnerable in this episode describing all the emotions she experienced, thinking life was over, and enduring some painful tests. But with the calm demeanor of Dr. Stone and his positivity, she knew she was in good hands. He was able to diagnose Mia and get her on the road to recovery! Mia shared that to help her body, she cut out sugar and is up to running 2-4 miles daily. “A body in motion stays in motion.” That’s Mia’s new motto. Listen to the episode to hear Mia’s full story and all the information Dr. Stone shared about Multiple Sclerosis. Learn More at Southcoast.org.

From heartburn to GERD to colon cancer, Dr. Charles Shana’s the expert! His objective is to diagnose and then choose an appropriate course of treatment. He treats the full digestive tract and works hand in hand with the internists and primary care physicians. A primary care physician is the first stop in seeking treatment, and from there they can refer you to a gastroenterologist for more complex symptoms. For heartburn and GERD he can offer treatment by starting with weight loss by looking at a patient’s diet and their exercise routine. Dr. Shana offered some foods to avoid that are common culprits of acid. When those treatments don’t work, he may have to use surgical measures to provide the patient relief. He explained at what point those surgeries may be recommended. Dr. Shana can use a LINX surgery that is cutting edge and he described how that surgery is performed along with a couple other options. There is great reward to performing colonoscopies for Dr. Shana too. He can literally prevent a patient from getting colon cancer and he expressed how good that feels to report to the patient. And while colonoscopies are the gold standard for detecting colon cancer he did discuss other alternatives that have proven to be fairly effective in detection. Learn more at Gastroenterology | Southcoast Health.

After surgery, after injury…you can get back into action with a little physical therapy. Physical therapy focuses on movements of larger muscle groups and uses multiple modalities for recovery. Jeremy Ponte, physical therapist at Southcoast, has helped his patient Rick Kidder to recover multiple times after surgery. Rick joked that they must have psychology training too. He was referring the the support and encouragement he has received, when in pain, as he was being pushed to heal his body. Jeremy added that they, as trained professionals, know the pain limits to accomplish the goal of healing. Jeremy and his co-therapists have a comprehensive goal of recovery for their patients which lots of times includes homework to keep revisiting long after leaving the office. Jeremy and Rick agree the patient has to assume responsibility and motivation to recover but Jeremy and his team work cohesively to make that happen! Learn More at Southcoast.org.

Christine Cernak, RN, BBA, MPH She received her Diploma in Nursing from the Christ Hospital School of Nursing, a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business and a Master of Public Health from the University of Massachusetts School of Public Health & Health Sciences in Amherst. Professionally Christine has practiced Medical-Surgical and Hematology-Oncology nursing in the Acute Care setting, home infusion therapy nursing and chronic disease self-management support and education. Christine enjoys leading complex health and social needs care management teams within Southcoast Provider Group, Hospital Group and Health Network. She also focuses on the integration of a variety of community organization services and supports for people receiving care within Southcoast Health System. Learn More at Southcoast.org.

Who is the appropriate patient to entertain Gastric Bypass or a sleeve Gastronomy? Dr. Huaco joined us to explain the appropriate patients that he would recommend this surgery to. One of the most obvious reasons is if you are obese. But Dr. Huaco broke down what obesity means and at what point could this be an option. He’s very careful to point out that this is not just because someone eats too much. there are many factors that play into how we gain weight like hormones, environmental factors, and genes. He does warn there’s work to be done after the surgery like Maintain Diet restrictions Protein, low sugar, low carbs Exercise Adequate hydration His patient Darlene Boutin shared her experience from 2019. She was transparent that it has been work but she’s so thankful to have had the surgery. She also helps bariatric patients pre- and post-op! She loves the success stories and they both love supporting struggling patients because they know the impact the weight loss has on someone's life. Darlene takes advantage of all the support and encourages patients to… Go the nurse education workshops Attend follow-up appointments Go to nutritional appointments Get labs done when needed And join the support groups And nowadays the surgery is done laparoscopically, led by Dr. Huaco’s knowledge. This makes post-op recovery quick without the large scars of the past. If you have considered this procedure in the past, it may be time to listen in and get all the details of what to expect. Learn more at Southcoast.org.

Is there a cure? No, but Dr. Chung shares very encouraging insights that one day we can view this more as a disease than breast cancer. It's highly detectable and treatable these days. Doctors now have computers that assist and calculate and the field is looking into AI to help them more quickly detect and pinpoint treatment for breast cancer. Susan Nordest, a patient of Dr. Chungs, shares her experience. When Susan got the call back on her mammogram, she expected the best-case scenario. Susan was surprised to find out it was breast cancer. She was given her options and took action. Dr. Chung prides herself in communication and letting patients know what to expect beforehand, and Susan agrees that is the care she received. Hear how Susan is doing now and what’s ahead for Breast Cancer. Learn More at Southcoast.org.

A stroke, in its simplest explanation, is impaired blood flow to the brain. A heart attack is impaired blood flow to the heart. Did you know there are three types of strokes? In this episode, Dr. Sacchetti sat down and explained all aspects of stroke, the 5th most common cause of death in the U.S. and 2nd worldwide. Dr. Sacchetti explained modifiable aspects of our lives, that we control, to help us reduce the risk of stroke. He went on to share signs of a stroke, the biggest one being an "all the sudden" change be it slurred speech, impaired vision on one side of the field of vision, difficulty walking or balancing, or tingling sensations. Dr. Sacchetti stressed the importance of getting to the hospital in time to receive therapies available as they have limited windows in which they are effective. That being said there are encouraging studies coming out with neuroprotective agents that will lengthen those windows allowing care. Learn More at Southcoast.org

Everything you need to know about diabetes was covered in this episode with Dr. Eil and his patient, whom he's treated for 20+ years, John McGlynn. Dr. Eli pointed out the difference between type I diabetes, being a deficiency in insulin, and type II where the body is still making insulin just not enough and not using it effectively. Dr. Eil & John discussed symptoms and the diagnosis options. While Dr. Eil pointed out there is no cure for Type I diabetes, there is research being done and he explained multiple options to manage diabetes. He explained the different types of insulin and methods of getting it into the body. There is encouraging news with Type II in that diet and weight loss can really help even reverse Type II diabetes! The newest thing, he talked about was the bionic pancreas! It was so cool to hear how it works! Dr. Eil also explained the first three things he does with his patients to set up a management plan. While John admits he's not the perfect patient when it comes to diet, he enjoys being treated by Dr. Eil. He has learned to go brown with rice and bread and to enjoy a sweet potato here and there. And when his prescription prices skyrocketed, Dr. Eil was able to offer a less expensive options. If you or someone you know has diabetes then this is an episode you don't want to miss! Learn More at Southcoast.org

When you think of plastic surgery do you see dollar sign and think it's just for vanity's sake? Dr. Bormes and Sofia Cabral-Murras, PA dispelled those myths and spoke about their patient-centric care practices. Sofia walked us through the steps of pre and post-operation. You can tell she cares about her patients and wants them to have a safe and pleasant experience with no surprises. BUT, if you do want to try filler for some signs of aging, Sofia is happy to help with that too! Dr. Bormes makes sure each patient is a good candidate for reconstructive OR cosmetic surgery! He stressed that if you are going to go on the web and scope things out, go to the American Society of Plastic Surgery and be careful to not go down any rabbit trails on any other "connected" sites. This is an easy mistake and he cares about patients getting accurate information. At the end of the day, his goal is to restore form to provide function! Learn More at Southcoast.org

One could only hope to marry a Cardiovascular doctor when you have all the risk factors for a heart attack. That's what happened to Judy when she married Dr. Peter Cohn. She gently guided him to go into cardiovascular when he was deciding what area of medicine he wanted to focus on. His wife, Judy Cohn, has had a lot of loss in her family due to heart attacks. She wants to live a long full life with Dr. Cohn, and so together, they enjoy healthy food and activity, the advice Dr. Cohn gives to his patients. Judy has even gotten off of a medication! Dr. Cohn explained why Southcoast Health's Charlton Memorial Hospital really is the place you want to be in the case of heart issues. He lights up when he talks about helping his patients and all the latest technology to aid him. He shared a rare solution for a young patient he recently treated. Listen now to hear more! Learn more at Southcoast.org.

If you have had persistent pain and it’s not getting better, there’s no better time than the present to seek medical advice. In a partnership with Dr. Luc, Martha Dorney has found relief! Martha shared her experience under Dr. Luc’s care. Dr. Luc provided information about arthritis and everyday advice for living with Arthritis from your diet to new activities to explore. Learn More at Southcoast.org