When you hear words like abundance and scarcity, you think of food, water and other essentials. For Laura Freebairn-Smith, PhD, author of "Abundance Leaders: Creating Energy, Joy, and Productivity in an Unsettled World," those words apply to styles of leadership. As she explains to host Sandra Lindsay, RN, these concepts can guide you in becoming a better leader, co-worker, partner and person. Listen in as they explore the intersection of leadership and health and reveal how embracing...

Whether you're planning to watch from your backyard or travel, it's important to watch the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse safely. On this episode, you'll hear from two experts on what to expect and how to prepare for the celestial phenomenon of the moon blocking out the sun. Northwell Health ophthalmologist Matthew Gorski, MD, explains the risks of staring into the sun and how solar eclipse glasses can protect your vision no matter where you're watching from. Retired meteorologist Joe Rao...

Opioids are a necessary part of surgery, but they come with many downsides — addiction risk being the most worrisome. So, when Vishal Sarwahi, MD met a young patient with a history of opioid misuse who needed scoliosis surgery, he knew he had to find another way. On this 20-Minute Health Talk, he shares his pioneering efforts to reduce reliance on opioids in pediatric scoliosis surgery, as well as the technical advances he has brought to the operating room that are making it possible —...

Heart disease remains the No. 1 killer of women in America, but many don’t realize that symptoms commonly associated with pregnancy, like shortness of breath, swollen hands and feet, could also be indicators of a serious underlying heart condition. Another startling fact: All women are at risk, according to Evelina Grayver, MD, director of Northwell Health’s Women’s Heart program for the Central region. In this episode, Sandra Lindsay revisits her conversation with Dr. Grayver from 2023,...

You might think that living a full life past 100 is a stretch, but these centenarians say otherwise: They’re active, inspired and full of energy after 100-plus years and counting. They shared their New Year's resolutions in a commercial from Northwell Health, and now they’re revealing their thoughts on healthy aging. From diet and exercise to purpose, pets and stress, these centenarians share their wisdom on a life well lived. And joining us in the 20-Minute Health Talk studio with a...

As 2023 comes to a close, we look back on five exciting medical advances coming from the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research — the research arm of Northwell Health. In the last year alone, investigators published more than 3,000 papers in peer-reviewed journals. In this episode, we spotlight studies that made strides against cancer, knee pain, paralysis, postpartum depression and inflammatory bowel disease.  Read more about these five notable Northwell advances of 2023. Chapters:...

Two years after surviving a high shooting that claimed the lives of four of her fellow students, Kylie Ossege, now 19, is still recovering from the physical and emotional trauma left by the bullet that shattered her clavicle and nearly left her paralyzed. On this episode, Sandra Lindsay, RN, speaks with Kylie about the November 30, 2021 attack, her fight to regain the ability to walk and her recent surgery to stabilize her spine. Led by John Caridi, MD, a spine surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital,...

In recognition of World AIDS Day today, we encourage you to listen to this classic episode of the podcast from early 2022 exploring the injectable form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), the first option to prevent HIV that does not involve taking a daily pill. At the time of this recording (June 28, 2022), the newly approved treatment had begun to hit the market. Our colleague David Reich-Hale sat down with a panel of experts specializing in HIV treatment and prevention at the local, state...

Exposure to the smoke from burn pits — the large open-air fires the military has used to dispose of waste — harmed veterans such as Juan Serrano, Patrick McCaffery and Robert Auletta, who work with Northwell Health's Military Liaison Services. Of the more than 10K U.S. veterans who have already been diagnosed with burn pit damage to their airways, the picture is grim and the reaction, most often, is shock. Conditions range from asthma and COPD, to sleep apnea, to a long list of cancers. On...

On this episode of 20-Minute Health Talk, we take another look at our August 2022 conversation with Anthony Szema, MD. At the time of this episode's recording, the pulmonologist was days removed from a visit to the White House to celebrate the passage of the PACT Act, new legislation that is now helping impacted veterans get treatment. As a leading expert in the health effects of burn pits, he played a key role in making that legislation a reality. Now, He is conducting a trial to collect...

While the flu shot has been around since 1945, 2023 marked the introduction of a new vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) — the first ever — and the latest Covid-19 shot. The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the two new vaccines, and the protection they offer comes just in the nick of time: Health officials say there is a strong likelihood of another "tripledemic" this winter. In addition to the vaccines for Covid, flu and RSV, there is a new protective treatment for...

In recent months the FDA and CDC approved two new drugs that experts say will change how respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is managed. This comes at a critical time, says Mundeep Kainth, DO, MPH, as hospitals prepare for the influx of RSV, flu and Covid cases this fall and winter. The convergence of those three respiratory viruses, termed a "tripledemic," overwhelmed hospitals nationally last winter. Dr. Kainth, a pediatric infectious disease expert at Cohen Children's Medical Center, says...

On today’s episode, we revisit a conversation we had with two pioneers of the mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines, Katalin Karikó, PhD, and Drew Weissman, MD. The two were just awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their groundbreaking research in messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. When we spoke with Dr. Kariko and Weissman in June 2022, they had just received the Ross Prize in Molecular Medicine. The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research grants this honor to recognize...

On the third and final episode in our series on child suicide prevention, we discuss the spike in suicidality among our LGBTQIA+ youth, as reported in 2023 by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, as well as The Trevor Project. David Rosenthal, DO, PhD, and Helena Roderick, PhD, highlight the many challenges negatively impacting LGBTQ kids, including minority stress, discrimination and unconscious bias, and how each contributes to this horrifying trend. They share what individuals...

On this episode of 20-Minute Health Talk, host Sandra Lindsay, DHSc, MBA, MSN, RN, speaks with Sharon Feldstein, co-founder and CEO of YourMomCares, along with one of the group’s ”power moms,” Robin Paul, about their newest endeavor with Northwell, who has partnered with area schools to expand resources for students in need of behavioral health support. A primary effort — school-based Behavioral Health Centers — is keeping kids out of the emergency room and connecting them with clinicians...

With suicidal thoughts and behaviors on the rise in the U.S., Vera Feuer, MD, director of Emergency Psychiatry Services at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, joins Sandra Lindsay, RN, on the podcast to explain the warning signs and helpful resources for caretakers, including what language to use — as well as what to avoid — when talking to children struggling with suicidality. This is Part 1 of our series examining child suicidality, a term that may be new to some. It is defined as suicidal...

Murray Bocian, 76, was prone to spilling things: His hands were so shaky that he had to begin using a child's sippy cup. Murray was battling a condition called essential tremor, and it was impacting many aspects of his daily life. A nervous system disorder, essential tremor starts in the brain and triggers shakiness in the extremities, most often the hands. For most of the 10 million Americans living with essential tremor, lifestyle changes and medications can help manage symptoms. But when...

The field of sports medicine isn’t just for serious athletes: The Nicholas Institute for Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma (NISMAT), Northwell’s sports injury clinic, has made sports medicine better, more accessible, and grounded in research. On this episode, the 20-Minute Health Talk team pays a visit to NISMAT, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, to talk to Tak Fukunaga, DPT, ATC, CSCS, sports physical therapist and NISMAT’s Manager of Rehabilitation Services, and Michael...

While cancer deaths are in decline in the United States, there is one glaring exception: Prostate cancer. Over the last decade, the number of prostate cancer deaths has risen by 3%. Our guest today, Ardeshir Rastinehad, DO, has made it his mission to turn that number around. In addition to his leading role in developing a safer, more accurate approach to prostate biopsies, the former National Institutes of Health researcher is now part of the team at Northwell Health implementing a new...

Within a three-block radius of P.S. 175 in Harlem, there are 55 fast-food restaurants, 29 pharmacies and not one affordable food option, something Tony Hillery noticed while volunteering at the school more than a decade ago. He also saw an opportunity to help, which is why he launched Harlem Grown. Starting with one abandoned lot across the street from the school, Tony and the kids have built it into a network of 13 urban farms that harvest 6 tons (that's 3,000 lbs) of fresh, organically...

The lack of consistent access to quality food, or food insecurity, can have a devastating impact on people's health and well-being. In the wealthiest nation in the world, 34 million people, including 9 million children, are food insecure — a silent crisis that our guest, Debbie Salas-Lopez, MD, MPH, says is only getting worse. She explains how food insecurity impacts health at every age and what Northwell Health is doing to support these communities. This is Part 2 of our three-part series...

Hospital food has a reputation for being bland and inedible — something that’s no longer true at Northwell’s 21 hospitals. Over the last seven years, our guests — Sven Gierlinger and Chef Bruno Tison — have transformed hospital meals by ditching frozen food and sugary drinks for fresh meats, fruits and vegetables. They’ve ensured that hospital kitchens prioritize fresh ingredients and cater to the patient population, and now chefs are able to deliver meals that look, smell and taste better —...

Pregnancy is like a stress test on the body. Most women adapt just fine, but for some, the strain can dramatically raise the risk of heart disease — even in young women. Worse, that risk can remain elevated for years and even decades. On this episode, host Sandra Lindsay, DHS-c, RN, speaks with Evelina Grayver, MD, about how to prevent heart-related problems before, during and after pregnancy. Because heart disease continues to be the No. 1 cause of maternal mortality in the US, Dr. Grayver...

Knowing what you want to be when you grow up can be tricky, but the New York City's Department of Education internship program, FutureReadyNYC, is designed to help. The program provides high school students with exposure to professional careers; Northwell is the program's first healthcare partner. Lenox Hill Hospital on Manhattan's Upper East Side, LIJ Forest Hills Hospital in Queens, and Lenox Health Greenwich Village in lower Manhattan gave students a sense of what a career in medicine...