Louisiana Health

How a Louisiana medical leader elevates 'access to care' at Baton Rouge children's hospital

By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer
Nov 4, 2024

Jonathan Brouk, the President of Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital in Baton Rouge, leverages his personal experience with his his children in specialized care and his health care law de…

Over 1 in 3 children in Louisiana are considered obese or overweight. See national data.

By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer
Nov 3, 2024

Louisiana ranks 46th in youth obesity with 35.6% of children in the state between the of ages 10 and 17 who have obesity or are overweight for their age based on reported height and weight, ac…

Reset and recharge: Prioritizing sleep as daylight saving time ends

BY MOLLY KIMBALL - RD, CSSD
Nov 3, 2024

Moving our clocks back an hour — marking the end of daylight saving time this weekend — is one of those good news/bad news things. Sure, we may ‘gain’ an hour of sleep, but the shift in time c…

Mobility is Medicine: Louisiana hospitals work with national study to get patients moving

By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer
Nov 1, 2024

A hospital stay is often needed when dealing with a medical problem or healing from surgery. During a stay, doctors now recommend doing some kind of physical activity or movement each day.

'A labor of love:' New Orleans therapist inspired to write recovery book for stroke survivors

By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer
Oct 31, 2024

Sarah Stollberg got her start in physical therapy at a rural nursing home in Mississippi. She saw it all: post-op care, hip fractures and stroke patients.

African American breast cancer survivors embrace the 'journey' in Baton Rouge support group

By GABBY JIMENEZ and QUINN COFFMAN | Staff writers
Oct 30, 2024

In 2004, Wanda Washington was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was 52.

This common condition increases breast cancer risk, makes mammograms harder to analyze

By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer
Oct 28, 2024

Dense breasts can make it harder for mammograms to detect tumors, and women with dense breasts have an increased risk of breast cancer.

New report shows increase in cancer rates among Millennials and Gen Z

By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer
Oct 27, 2024

Compared to previous generations, younger individuals — including Millennials and Gen Z patients — have increased incidence rates in 17 different types of cancers, according to a new report fr…

Ultra-processed food: What is it and how bad is it?

By EMILY WOODRUFF | Staff writer
Oct 27, 2024

Food is closely intertwined with culture in Louisiana, where Mondays are marked by red beans and rice, “gumbo weather” is synonymous with fall, and king cake consumption is tightly determined …

Ghoulishly good: Tricks and tweaks for healthier Halloween celebrations

BY MOLLY KIMBALL - RD, CSSD
Oct 27, 2024

Halloween is almost here, and whether you're hosting a gathering or preparing for trick-or-treaters, you might be surprised how much people appreciate having healthier options in the mix. It’s…

Breast cancer rates in Louisiana are higher than the national average. See parish-specific data.

By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer
Oct 23, 2024

Louisiana averaged 130.4 cases of breast cancer per 100,000 people, including all stages from 2017 to 2021.

Louisiana doctor pioneers obesity research, developed Amazon tech to track muscle mass

By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer
Oct 22, 2024

Dr. Steven Heymsfield, originally from New York City, has lived in Baton Rouge since 2010 when he was recruited to be the executive director of Pennington Biomedical Research Center. He held t…

'Nobody should get cervical cancer.' Louisiana doctors look to implement self-test for HPV

By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer
Oct 20, 2024

The human papillomavirus is a common sexually transmitted disease that has the capacity to grow into warts and, sometimes, different types of cancers, according to the Centers for Disease Cont…

Family-based rehab in Scott gives mothers a better chance at beating substance abuse

By ALENA MASCHKE | Staff writer
Oct 20, 2024

Experts say keeping mothers and their children together as they move through substance abuse treatment improves their chances of lasting recovery.

From soldier to cancer thriver: Louisiana veteran ready to support others after overcoming surprise Stage 4 diagnosis

BY AMANDA MCELFRESH | BRANDED CONTENT SPECIALIST
Oct 20, 2024

Taysha Gibbs had a lot going on in her life in December 2020. Her career in the Louisiana National Guard kept her busy, as did being a mother to her two sons. Her husband Josh, also a Guardsma…

Breast cancer and nutrition: What to know about lowering your risk

BY MOLLY KIMBALL - RD, CSSD
Oct 20, 2024

Breast cancer is a topic that stirs up a range of emotions—fear, vulnerability, uncertainty. While much about a breast cancer diagnosis is beyond our immediate control, like environment and ge…

Louisiana children have second-highest rate of ADD/ADHD in country. See data over the years.

By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer
Oct 15, 2024

Attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder is one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders in childhood, marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and hyperactive behavior.

'A dancing city:' Louisiana Parkinson's patients dance to ease symptoms, create community

By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer
Oct 14, 2024

At 10:30 a.m. every Wednesday, in a large room at the Jewish Community Center in Uptown New Orleans, regulars and many first-timers meet and mingle.

Sedentary life? Louisiana ranks among the worst in physical inactivity. See national data.

By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer
Oct 13, 2024

Many adults spend much of their lives being sedentary — getting out of bed in the morning only to go to an office desk chair for eight hours, followed with TV time (or some scrolling) on the c…

95-year-old Louisiana Diabetes Association founder raises awareness for rare skin disease

By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer
Oct 13, 2024

Sam Gallo, a 95-year-old Baton Rouge resident, was born in Schenectady, New York.

Don't call them boosters: Here's what to know about the flu and COVID vaccines this fall

By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer
Oct 13, 2024

Don't call them boosters.

Medical mobile unit will serve north Baton Rouge, provide patient care. Here's how it works.

By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer
Oct 13, 2024

Baton Rouge General has taken its show on the road.

Understanding personality: The Enneagram assessment as a roadmap to wellbeing

BY MOLLY KIMBALL - RD, CSSD
Oct 13, 2024

How well do you know yourself? Most of us think we understand our own personalities, recognizing if we're outgoing or reserved, proactive or more laid-back. But how deeply do we understand how…

New study says Louisiana is the second most unhealthy state. See national data.

By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer
Oct 6, 2024

A new study produced by Wagner Reese looked at state rankings in five categories in order to determine the most healthy and least healthy states.

Protein bars: How to choose, five to try

BY MOLLY KIMBALL - RD, CSSD
Oct 6, 2024

Keeping healthy snacks on hand is key for maximizing energy and curbing cravings. And while fresh food snacks are delicious with practically limitless options — Greek yogurt with fresh berries…

Lafayette clinic partners with Catholic Charities to bridge the gap in homeless health

By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer
Oct 3, 2024

Homelessness affects both physical and mental health and makes accessing health care difficult. As a result, people experiencing homelessness often face higher rates of poor health outcomes th…

Who is 'Doc Griggs'? New Orleans TV, radio personality works to build public trust on health

By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer
Oct 2, 2024

Dr. Eric Griggs almost gave up on medicine. After graduating from Tulane medical school in 1996, and starting his residency in community medicine, Griggs found that health care was changing — …

Baton Rouge-led research develops groundbreaking test for sepsis, a leading cause of death

By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer
Oct 1, 2024

Louisianans know about heart disease. They know about strokes. They know about smoking and cancer and all the rest. But, the most likely killer for patients in American hospitals comes from an…