According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. It is one of the most impactful and prevalent health challenges facing women today, highlighting the need for quality screening, diagnosis, and treatment. On this episode of For the Love of Health, we're speaking with Dr. Susan Schaffer Whiteman, medical oncologist at ChristianaCare's Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute. Dr. Schaffer Whiteman shares her...

Flu is unpredictable, but your plan doesn't have to be. On this episode of For the Love of Health, we sat down with Dr. Marci Drees, Chief Infection Prevention Officer, and Cynthia Griffin, Chief Nursing Officer of Community Care at ChristianaCare, to map out a smarter way to move through cold and flu season without the stress. From vaccine timing to sick-day decisions, we break down what actually works - and what you can skip - to keep your family safer and your schedule intact. We also intr...

When’s the last time you had a headache? And when it hit, did you just down a cup of coffee or a couple pills to try to get it to pass? Almost everyone gets headaches, but not everyone really understands what that pain is trying to tell them. From simple daily tension headaches to severe and debilitating migraine, every headache tells a story. And it’s a good idea to listen to your body and get to the root cause. On this episode of For the Love of Health ChristianaCare neurologists Dr. Rami A...

According to Delaware Health and Social Services, by 2030 more than 150,000 New Castle County residents will be over 60 years old. A majority of those residents are homeowners who hope to stay in their homes. As Delaware's population ages, physical barriers within their homes threaten their independence and quality of life. When stairs become mountains and bathrooms transform into hazard zones, the consequences extend far beyond inconvenience. Missed medical appointments, preventable falls, i...

According to the American Heart Association, cardiac arrest claims more lives globally than colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, influenza, pneumonia, auto accidents, HIV, firearms, and house fires combined. But if an emergency happens near you where someone needs CPR, would you be prepared? On this episode of For the Love of Health, we’re joined by Jennifer Oldham, cardiovascular quality and innovation nurse program manager at ChristianaCare. Jennifer tells us why CPR is...

Back to school season is already here, and although it is just the first week of August, we know the last days of summer go fast. From sleep schedules to screen time, back to school can be overwhelming. Joining us for some Back to School Tips and Recommendations is Primary Care Provider Dr. Chelsea Hastry. She shares her guidance on how to ease into those transitions and make sure your child has a great first couple weeks back to school. Chelsea Hastry, M.D., is a dedicated and enthusiastic d...

What if the hospital could come to you instead of you going to the hospital? On the first episode of For the Love of Health in 2023, we discussed ChristianaCare's Hospital Care at Home program - an opportunity for patients to receive hospital-level care from the comfort of their own homes. Two years after that first conversation, we're sitting down with physician Dr. Emilia Adah and paramedic Heather Orkis to discover how hospital-level care delivered at home is changing lives across Delaware...

Mental illness isn't always obvious. Someone suffering with anxiety or depression can still wear a smile, crack a joke and be successful. On this episode of For the Love of Health, Dr. Mustafa Mufti, Chair of the ChristianaCare Department of Psychiatry, explains how mental health should be treated the same as physical health. Mustafa Mufti, M.D., is the chair of the ChristianaCare Department of Psychiatry. In this role, Dr. Mufti focuses on fostering and maintaining a vibrant, successfu...

Our eyes are working for us every second we're awake. Yet eye health often falls at the bottom of our wellness priority lists, taken for granted until problems arise. Keeping your eyes healthy doesn't just protect your vision - it can prevent serious health problems down the road. But when you have a question about your eyesight, should you see an ophthalmologist and an optometrist? ChristianaCare ophthalmologists Dr. Benjamin Chaon and Dr. Tomilade Adepoju join us to discuss the difference b...

Summer is officially here, bringing with it backyard pool days, beach trips, and sunshine-filled adventures. But did you know your unprotected skin can be damaged by UV rays in as little as 15 minutes? That tanned complexion many associate with health is actually your body's response to damage! Before you head to the pool, take a moment to consider a few summer safety tips with Dr. Dylan McDivitt from ChristianaCare Primary Care at Woodstown. He shares the latest guidance on what kind of suns...

Motherhood doesn't always match our expectations. For many new parents, the journey brings unexpected emotional challenges. In fact, CDC research shows that about 1 in 8 women with a recent live birth reported symptoms of postpartum depression. And that's just one of a multitude of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders that can develop during pregnancy and persist for up to three years after delivery. That's where ChristianaCare's Center for Women's Emotional Wellness comes in. Psychologists M...

At ChristianaCare, excellence is at the foundation of our nursing practice, having recently secured a fourth consecutive Magnet® designation - the gold standard and ultimate benchmark for measuring quality of care, administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Magnet designation signifies belonging to an elite group representing just 10% of hospitals nationwide, and ChristianaCare is the first health system in Delaware to achieve a four-peat. To explain the significance of ...

According to the National Institute of Health, there are more than 500,000 clinical trials happening right now around the world. ChristianaCare has been nationally recognized for contributions to this work, as clinicians and scientists at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute collaborate to turn laboratory discoveries into real world therapies. On this week's episode of For The Love of Health, we're joined by Dr. Greg Masters, ChristianaCare’s National Cancer Institute Comm...

Have you heard of the term "health care pollution"? It refers to the waste that hospitals produce while providing patient care, as well as hospitals’ carbon emissions. Nurse Practitioner Deanna Benner and Nursing Professional Development Specialist Ashley Oncay discuss how they found ways to decrease ChristianaCare's carbon footprint. What started as a grassroots initiative has transformed into a $1 million sustainability movement. Through the Medical Supply Donation Program and the Landfill ...

Improving quality of life is a goal in both healthcare and policing. ChristianaCare and the New Castle County Division of Police are working together to change lives in our community. The collaboration is called the Behavioral Health Unit, a groundbreaking partnership that pairs officers with social workers to transform crisis response. When 911 calls with mental health components come in, these specialized teams respond together. Officers ensure safety while social workers conduc...

According to the Alzheimer's Association, nearly 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's. By 2050, that number is expected to grow to 13 million.As Delaware's aging population is expected to grow, the need for memory care is also increasing. On this episode, Dr. Steven Huege endowed chair of ChristianaCare's Swank Center for Memory Care reveals how a multidisciplinary approach makes all the difference for patients and their families. You'll hear about the different conditions addresse...

ChristianaCare's Delaware Medicaid Partners Accountable Care Organization - also known as an ACO - has set the standard for innovative, high-quality care at lower costs. On this week's episode of For the Love of Health, Dr. Christine Donohue-Henry, ChristianaCare Chief Population Health Officer, and Dr. Rose Kakoza, Senior Medical Director for ChristianaCare's Medicaid ACO, share how this value-based care is changing the lives of Delaware's Medicaid population and highlight how a fundamental ...

Chronic hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, can be life-threatening for pregnant women. According to the National Institutes of Health, the prevalence of chronic hypertension in pregnancy in the United States doubled between 2007 and 2021. Research being done at ChristianaCare could change the lives of women around the world. Leading that research is Dr. Matthew Hoffman, the Marie E. Pinizzotto, M.D., Endowed Chair of Obstetrics & Gynecology at ChristianaCare, who joins us t...

'Tis the season... to be sick. And as we say goodbye to 2024, we want to avoid saying hello to respiratory illness. On this episode of For the Love of Health, ChristianaCare Chief Infection Prevention Officer Dr. Marci Drees gives us tips on how to keep the uninvited germs away from your holiday gatherings. Marci Drees, M.D., MS, is the Chief Infection Prevention Officer and hospital epidemiologist for ChristianaCare. Dr. Drees serves as a councilor on the Board of Trustees of the Society f...

The donation of an organ or tissue is perhaps the greatest gift of life and health a person can give. More than 100,000 men, women, and children are on the national transplant waiting list right now. ChristianaCare has earned the highest level of national recognition from the US Health Resources and Services Administration for its outstanding support of organ and tissue donation. ChristianaCare's Kidney Transplant Program is the only adult transplant center in Delaware. Lead Transplant Socia...