As summer draws near, health care providers remind us to be aware of our exposure to mosquitoes. This is a common concern for the season, but this year a new focus has emerged: the Zika virus. Utica Park Clinic recently explored Zika and how it can be transmitted on their blog. In addition to being…

For expectant mothers who have high risk babies, several have to stay in the hospital for weeks or even months prior to their baby’s due date. When AuraBelle “Belle” Laskey was told by her doctor she had a 50 percent chance of losing her twin babies after 24 weeks, she knew there was no choice…

It is hard to imagine that you or someone you know could go through an experience that would require the services of a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE), but knowing the first steps to take after you or a loved one is a victim of rape or domestic violence is vital. The nurses involved with…

When you ask Tulsa artist Chris Mantle, who has become known for his stunningly beautiful paintings of buffaloes, “Why do you paint the buffalo?” the simple question is not followed by a simple answer. “Have you heard unicorns mentioned in the Bible?” Chris replies with a question. Ponder that for a minute. If you are…

Freddie Burson, 86, remembers the day in 2012 when she was getting ready to exercise with her friend. “When I got on the machine, I began to feel kind of strange,” she recalls. Freddie had maintained a regular exercise regime, even in her 80s. When she noticed something out of the norm, she paid close…

When you work in health care, you always have patients you will never forget. For Hope Robertson, MSW, a social worker in case management on the oncology floor at Hillcrest Medical Center, it was a patient who said, “Here she comes again, Little Miss Sunshine.” Exasperated by her diagnosis and hospitalization, the patient was understandably…

If you are familiar with the signs of a stroke – one side of the face drooping, weakness in the arms and difficulty speaking – then you know it is important to seek immediate medical attention. When patients arrive at emergency departments exhibiting these symptoms, patients, family and emergency medical personnel think of stroke first…

Losing weight is many times much easier said than done. There are more questions than answers it seems. What changes should you make to your diet? How often do you need to exercise? What type of exercise is best? What if a current medical condition is an obstacle you don’t know how to overcome? We…

The reality is harsh for women who suffer a stroke. First, stroke is the third leading cause of death for women. It is the fifth leading cause of death for men. Second, women who suffer a stroke are more likely to live alone when they have a stroke, resulting in more women living in long-term…