Lourdes Health Talk

If you have joint pain, or an acute injury, you want to know whats causing that pain without having to go through many tests and procedures to find out. Lourdes Health System is now offering a new imaging device that can give patients realt time answers for joint injuries right in the comfort of the doctors office. The innovative device uses a needle with an integrated camera and light source to perform a diagnostic arthroscopy in the doctor's office—enabling patients to learn the cause of their orthopedic pain immediately rather than having to wait for the results of an MRI. Lourdes is first in New Jersey to offer the device. In this segment, Dr. Sean McMillan, chair of Orthopedics at Lourdes Health System, discusses the mi-eye™ system for faster results on the cause of your pain.

Coronary artery disease — blockage of the small vessels on the outside of the heart that provide blood to the muscle of the heart wall — is one of the most prevalent, serious progressive conditions in the population. It is the basis for many heart attacks and heart disease.In this segment, Interventional Cardiologist, Dr. Adam Levine discusses Coronary Artery disease and the lifestyle modifications you can take to to help lower your risk for heart attack or worsening heart disease.

More than 3.5 million Americans have chronic hepatitis C (HCV), but many live with the disease unaware that they are infected. People can live for decades without symptoms. Since approximately 75 percent of those infected with HCV were born from 1945-1965, the CDC recommends that everyone born during this time, often called baby boomers, get tested for hepatitis C.A diagnosis of hepatitis should always be taken seriously. Chronic, untreated hepatitis can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer or death. The "Lourdes Hepatitis C Clinic" is dedicated to the comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis and treatment for patients with all phases of hepatitis C infection.In this segment, Hisham ElGenaidi, M.D., Associate Director of Transplant Hepatology, explains how they evaluate, treat medically and, where appropriate, list patients with severe cirrhosis for liver transplant, and how the staff provides education and compassionate support, as the treatment for hepatitis C can be rigorous.

When you have an loved one growing older, it can be a challenging process to figure out what’s best for their living situation, and who will help take care of them. LIFE (Living Independently For Elders) at Lourdes is the newest healthcare choice for elders living in Southern New Jersey. Lourdes offers Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), a unique program that can assist elders to live safely at home while being helped by a team of healthcare experts.Listen in as the Medical Director of Life Saint Francis, Dr. Pam Fenstemacher shares the services that are provided as well as who is eligible, the goal of the program, and why PACE is a great option for your loved one.

When your loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, often times it is the caregivers that need a little extra help. It can be overwhelming to take care of a loved one full time, but too much stress can be harmful to both of you.Listen as G. Peter Gliebus, MD discusses coping strategies for caregivers so that they can get the support that they need.

Diabetes is a metabolic disease which causes high blood glucose (blood sugar) either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body's cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both.An estimated 29 million Americans have diabetes and 382 million people have it worldwide. Diabetes has become one the nation's top chronic health conditions.Listen as Dr. Parveen Verma explains the latest advances in Diabetes care.

Each year more than six million Americans are diagnosed with a neurological disorder. Many of these with be diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. This number is expected to rise as our population ages.Listen as Dr. G Peter Gliebus, Neurologist with Lourdes Health System, discusses the most important information to be aware of if your loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.

According to the CDC, approximately five million adults in the United States suffer from heart failure. Lourdes new program in LVADs offers hope for patients with severely debilitated hearts.LVADs are implantable mechanical pumps that enhance the output of the heart. LVADs help to extend the lives of end-stage heart disease patients, temporarily supplement the pumping capacity of hearts recovering from surgery or support the patient waiting for heart transplantation.Listen as Robert Mohapatra, MD explains how Lourdes new program in LVADs offers hope for patients with severely debilitated hearts.

Each year more than six million Americans are diagnosed with a neurological disorder. In fact more than 144 million Americans will experience a neurological disorder, and this number is expected to rise as our population ages.Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex disorder of the brain. PD is primarily diagnosed clinically, which means your doctor figures out if you have Parkinson’s by watching you move and asking you about your experience.Listen as Dr. Jill Giordano Farmer, neurologist with Lourdes Health System as well as Drexel Neurosciences Institute, where she is director of Drexel's Movement Disorder and Parkinson's Disease Program, discusses what to know if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Parkinson's.

The “Patient’s Bill of Rights” gives the American people the stability and flexibility they need to make informed choices about their health. However, if you do not understand the terminology you see on your paperwork, you might be missing out on a chance to audit your own medical bills. Healthcare terminology can be complex, that’s why Robin Stockton , Director of the Center for Family Services, a community partner and special guest of Lourdes Health System, is here to explain the terminology and why it is an important part of your health advocacy.

Whether you are looking to prevent heart disease or are trying to prevent any further damage following a heart attack, your cholesterol levels play an important role in your health and the ability of your body to help fight disease.Listen as Dr. Vivek Sailam, Cardiologist with Lourdes Health System, explains what your cholesterol numbers mean and how you can lower bad cholesterol to help prevent heart disease.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) affects 15 million people in the United States and remains a leading cause of death worldwide despite decades of therapeutic advances. The Absorb device is a major advance in the treatment of CAD. At Lourdes Health System, we are proud to offer this first-of-its-kind technology to patients. We are committed to providing patients with leading-edge treatments. Bioresorbable stents represent the future of treating heart disease.Listen is as Dr. Vijay Verma describes the latest advances in stent procedures including the world’s first FDA-approved dissolving heart stent.

Dialysis and kidney transplantation offer patients with end-stage kidney disease treatment options that can give them an improved quality of life. Lourdes has been providing exceptional care for chronic kidney disease patients throughout southern NJ for nearly 50 years.Arijit Chakravarty, MD joins the show to discuss end stage kidney disease options for patients that might need dialysis or kidney transplantation.

Since it took effect in 2010, the health reform law, otherwise known as the Affordable Care Act or ACA, has made important changes to the way health care coverage works for children and families.It may seem confusing, and it is. The ACA has many moving parts and pieces that make up the Act as a whole. But you can make sense of it with a little help.Listen in as Robin E. Stockton, M.Ed., comes on to share with you a comprehensive list of key things you should know about this open enrollment option, and what it means for you and your loved ones.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, almost 1 million joint replacements are done each year in the United States. When is it time to consider a joint replacement? Do you have to wait until the pain is unbearable? Listen in as Efrain Paz, DO explains that when knee or hip pain severely limits your ability to walk, work or perform even simple activities, it might be time to consider knee or hip replacement.

Kidney function is essential for life and health. Without it, blood and all its critical contents don't get purged, refreshed, balanced and restored. According to the National Kidney foundation up to 26 million American adults have chronic kidney disease and millions of others are at increased risk. Early detection can help prevent the progression of kidney disease to kidney failure.Nephrologists at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center are skilled at helping patients with all types of kidney disorders, including persons who are in need of dialysis. Using the latest medical guidelines, Lourdes nephrologists are working hard to help keep at-risk individuals from needing dialysis. This proactive approach allows patients to gain control of medical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, which contribute to kidney disease (also known as kidney insufficiency).Arijit Chakravarty, MD is here to explain how patients with chronic kidney disease can get the help they need from Lourdes Health System to manage

The Liver Disease Program at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center is staffed by hepatologists, liver transplant surgeons and interventional radiologists, who work collaboratively in a comprehensive program. As part of The Center for Organ Transplantation, these specialists are focused on diagnosing and treating all kinds of liver disease.Listen in as Dr. El Genaidi strongly urges those at-risk for liver disease to get tested for the hepatitis C virus, and to practice a healthy lifestyle to keep a healthy liver.

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery has become the next major stage of advancement for a range of operations. The field of surgery has long worked to improve skills and tools to minimize the invasiveness of operations and to overcome the limitations of human surgical dexterity and access.It has done so while dealing with the challenges of visualizing internal structures and controlling the variability inherent in even the best human hand-eye-brain decisions and coordination. Robotic surgery is helping to surmount these factors.Listen in as Dr. Louis Fares explains that since launching its robotics program, Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center has gained a depth of experience in delivering robotic surgery.

Lourdes Health System is committed to bringing patients the best in conventional and complementary medicine. This combination of services is called integrative medicine which has been offered at Lourdes since 1979 when the Lourdes Wellness Center opened in Collingswod, New Jersey. This was something that few health facilities offered at the time and therefore, Lourdes was well ahead of its peers in the healthcare field in recognizing the importance of preventive health and the benefits of non-traditional forms of therapy.Acupuncture serves as an established mode of treatment in modern healthcare worldwide,and is usually best used as an addition to conventional medical treatment, so that it serves as a complement to other standard care.Accomplished Lourdes Wellness Center acupuncture practitioner Sheri McLellan-Kraus, LAc, MAc, explains the critical roles for these ancient forms of care, as well as the ways in which these therapys illustrate the tenants of traditional Chinese medicine.

When you or a loved one has to go to the hospital you want to it to be a comfortable experience. If it's your first time staying overnight at a hospital you may not know what to expect. When you choose Lourdes Health System hospitals, be assured that our mission is to ensure you have the safest and most comfortable experience possible. When you arrive, you should receive a copy of our patient handbook that will guide you and your loved ones around our hospitals, and familiarize you with all of our services.Listen in as Fran Hogan, RN explains that respect and dignity are values of utmost importance to all of us here at Lourdes.