Medical Moments | Northside Hospital Podcast

Kelli Ledford: Nine weeks early meant “she was going to be a fighter.”

Natalie Hudson and her husband will celebrate their first Christmas this year with a child, their 10-month-old daughter, Evelyn.

Natalie Hudson and her husband will celebrate their first Christmas this year with a child, their 10-month-old daughter, Evelyn.

Cardio-obstetrics may be the most important medical practice that women thinking about having children have never heard of.

As a healthy mother of two, active golfer and part-time real estate agent, Betsy Gentry was never one to run to the doctor. So, it was extraordinary for her to go to the ER one Friday with acute stomach pain and a dull back ache that had persisted for months.

Many of us want to display poise in the face of peril. Find purpose in our lives. And make the people we meet smile. Not all of us, though, do all that during a global pandemic. But Don Eubanks and Esther Rothstein do.

Chances are, you’ve canceled a doctor’s appointment, procedure or elective surgery because of COVID-19. But now’s the time for a safe return to everyday healthcare as officials have eased some restrictions designed to quell the global outbreak of coronavirus.

Across the U.S. and across the world, more people are avoiding hospital emergency rooms. Patients are fearful - and so are some physicians - of catching COVID-19. New York, Boston and Detroit are among the metropolitan areas reporting a sharp upturn in deaths at home.

COVID-19 has robbed us of daily stability. Peace of mind. And our good night’s sleep. Anxiety is making us more restless. Many people have shared on social media that they’re having vivid dreams during this global period of lockdown and isolation.

COVID-19 has affected our lives, especially our mental wellbeing. We’re stressed by working too much or not working at all. We’ve been told to keep our distance from friends, neighbors and family so we can all stay well. The curve measuring the rate of infection is flattening in some places – but the new normal takes a mental toll.

Food is a daily requirement, and it’s more precious during this time of social distancing and limited travel caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that households maintain a two-week supply of food with a long shelf life.

Handwashing has never had it so good. Sure, your mom has told you since you were a tot to wash your hands before you eat. And chances are, you ignored her and handled your food, fork and glass with your filthy hands, probably right after you wiped your nose and ears. But now – with the threat of coronavirus, flu and other infectious diseases looming around the world – handwashing now basks in the glow of global interest.

Sports psychology helps athletes develop concentration, composure, competence and consistency. Those hallmarks of elite performance are highlighted throughout 2020 as the Tokyo Olympic Games draw near.

Today’s dads have fears. How do I raise a child, change a diaper, keep my career, give love, get love? Rinse and repeat. There’s a training for that: Daddy Boot Camp.

The third annual Fan Fit Festival at SunTrust Park convened to give fans of the Atlanta Braves and people who want more knowledge about fitness a chance to exercise and share what they know about staying active.

A 911 call signals trouble. When the trouble is a heart attack – especially one known as a STEMI – the situation could be life-threatening. Some STEMIs earn the grim nickname “the widow maker.” EMS, emergency rooms and cath labs must coordinate in real-time to keep a STEMI from living up to its nickname. Northside Hospital Atlanta works in partnership with EMS providers who provide ambulance service. That collaboration starts with an EMS call from the field into the emergency department, which in turn alerts the cardiac cath lab team. Listen as everyone responds to a 911 call that sets everything into motion. To learn more about emergency services and heart and vascular care throughout the Northside Hospital Healthcare System, go to northside.com.

Measles is a childhood disease once thought vanquished in the US. The key has been a highly effective vaccine program. But measles is making a comeback as a small but growing number of parents decline vaccinations for their children. It’s known as “vaccine hesitancy.” Hospital emergency rooms are on alert after measles outbreaks Georgia, Washington, New York and at least 16 other states.

Medical moments are about milestones we all face. The start of life. The end of life. And the moments in between.

Opioids misuse is a well-documented epidemic in the US and Georgia. The CDC has monitored a 30 percent increase in overdose treatments related to opioids in emergency rooms. The opportunity for Northside Hospital, and ERs across the country, is to serve as a connector of recovery services for patients. Northside ER Dr. Whitney Deal and Northside ER staff nurse Andi Gish discuss how Northside is shifting the medical culture when it comes to the treatment of opioid misuse.

Pilot episode of Medical Moments