Author: St. Elizabeth Healthcare

Mike Eason received the best birthday present ever in January. It was priceless actually. About a week before he turned 63, he received a new kidney. A mental health therapist for St. Elizabeth Physicians, Eason was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2010. It wasn’t until November 2016 that his kidneys declined to the function level required for transplant. Eason was one of the lucky ones. His new kidney came from a living donor –  his niece, Erica Copeland. He never had to go on dialysis. He never had to go on a transplant wait list. Kidney transplants from living…

The popular Netflix series 13 Reasons Why has created a lot of buzz over the last few weeks, forcing the subject of teen suicide into national conversation. The show, which is produced by Selena Gomez and based on a book by Jay Asher, tells the story of a 17-year-old girl’s suicide through cassette tapes listened to by her classmates. The 13-episode series debuted on March 31 for Netflix subscribers. Some mental health experts are concerned about the potential risks posed by the sensationalized treatment of youth suicide. The National Association of School Psychologists issued a warning against viewing the series…

Charlene (Charlie) Gillispie wants to get into the book of Guinness World Records someday. She’s not planning an elaborate stunt and doesn’t own an unusual pet or anything ridiculously large, tall, heavy or small. But she is a 50-year kidney transplant survivor – a feat shared by only a small group of people in the world still living at least 50 years after their first kidney transplant. The 66-year-old St. Elizabeth Healthcare surgical assistant credits attitude and her mother’s good genes with her transplant longevity. “Attitude is half the battle,” she said, “and I’ve got a big one of those.”…

It’s heating up in the Tri-State, which means BBQs and picnics are on the horizon. Pasta salad is a staple at many of these gatherings, but, often, Aunt Deedee’s macaroni salad and cousin Marci’s variation are covered in fattening mayonnaise or salad dressing. In this lightened-up pasta salad, the mayonnaise is replaced with a yummy lemon poppy seed dressing and the vegetables are roasted for added flavor. See the recipe below or click here for a printable version. Roasted Veggie Pasta Salad Ingredients 2 cups cooked penne pasta (or your favorite shape), drained and rinsed 1 medium zucchini…

When Pam Frink left her engineering career in her 40s to study nursing, she had no idea what God had in store for her. Now, looking back, it all makes sense. A seed planted It was 2011 when Frink first considered becoming a living donor. She believes God placed this desire on her heart, much like he did when she decided to become a nurse. Currently a dialysis nurse with St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Frink was working at another hospital at the time in its dialysis unit. Her heart stretched with what she witnessed. “Daily, I saw their pallor and…

When Cathy Hudson sets out this spring with her husband to hit some of the country’s most savory barbecue competitions, she’ll see the world with new eyes – literally. That’s because she recently restored her vision through cornea transplant surgery. “It feels like everything is in high-def now,” Hudson marveled. “It was just tissue donation, but it changed my life.” Hudson’s vision loss was gradual and was caused by Fuchs’ dystrophy, a hereditary disease that causes the corneal lining to deteriorate. She’s certain her father had it, too. “I remember how hard it was for him to lose his vision,”…

Have you ever wondered what the inside of your colon looks like? March is National Colo-Rectal Cancer Month and St. Elizabeth Healthcare recently invited the community to take a tour through a colossal colon (or COCO for short). It shows risks that raise the odds of being diagnosed with colon cancer. COCO is 40-feet long and 4′ tall. It was set up in the lobby at St. Elizabeth Edgewood, where St. Elizabeth’s Cancer Care Center is located. Local 12 News got the chance to walk through it on Wednesday, March 22. Click here to watch the tour. Cancer care specialists…

Athletes and non-athletes alike could all use a little more energy throughout the day and these energy bites are the perfect way to get a quick boost. Packed with peanut butter, honey, coconut and chia seeds, they also provide a nutritional punch. See the recipe below or click here to download a printable version. Easy, No-Bake Energy Bites Ingredients 1/2 cup peanut or almond butter 1/4 cup light tasting oil, such as coconut oil 1/4 cup honey 1 1/2 cups whole rolled oats (chopped lightly in food processor) 1 1/4 cups crispy rice cereal 1/2 cup shredded coconut (sweetened…

Molly Woods, head athletic trainer at Northern Kentucky University (NKU), has an important job keeping the men’s basketball team healthy and prepared for the Norse’s first NCAA Tournament appearance. A No. 15 seed, NKU will face No. 2 Kentucky on Friday, March 17, in Indianapolis. Woods sat down with Healthy Headlines to discuss her role as head athletic trainer, her experiences through transition and expansion, and what the Norse’s first appearance in March Madness means to her. Healthy Headlines: How did your career in athletic training begin? Woods: I went to Thomas More College for my undergraduate degree in…

A recent study published in the  Journal of General Internal Medicine  found that  women who have to go back for more screening after receiving what’s called a “false positive” on a mammogram were more likely to delay getting that test again. According to  Dr. Michael Guenther, in an interview with Local 12, the first thing people should know is that when it comes to these diagnostic images, “The intent is to find something if it’s there.” And, it’s not uncommon for women to be called back after a mammogram for additional screening. In the study, most women delayed several months…