Recap: Lawrence doula chats about placenta consumption
Lawrence resident Lilly Mason will be available to discuss natural childbirth and placenta consumption. Mason, 33, has been a doula for 10 years and is becoming a certified midwife. She has been teaching childbirth classes since 2005, and she owns a business called Joyful Choice Birth Services, which offers placenta encapsulation, natural birth preparation classes, fertility cycling awareness classes and midwives assistant services. She also has written “Mothercake: A Guide to Making Placenta Remedies.” It provides detailed instructions for making placenta capsules, tincture and salve, and it is available on blurb.com.
Recap: Lawrence resident discusses recovery from brain injury, new book
Lawrence resident Louise Krug will be available at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 14, to discuss her new book, "Louise: Amended." The book is about a brain bleed she suffered at age 22. It chronicles her life before, during and after a brain surgery that left her with disabilities, including paralysis. The book is available at The Raven bookstore in downtown Lawrence. Krug's now 29 and pursuing a doctorate in creative writing at Kansas University, where she also teaches writing and literature classes part time.
Recap: Just Food director chats about services, hunger in Douglas County
Just Food is the food bank for Douglas County. In 2011, it distributed $676,503 worth of food, or about 880,000 meals, for free to 84,699 people, a 21 percent increase from a year earlier. Farmer has spent 10 years working for churches, nonprofits and being an advocate for the marginalized. Before returning to his hometown of Lawrence, Farmer was director of community awareness at Project Hope Food Bank in Arkansas.
Recap: Health department director chats about services, role in community
Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department Director Dan Partridge discussed the department's role in community health. The department is gathering information from the public about its health concerns through focus groups, an online survey and one-on-one interviews so it can do a better job of providing services. Partridge has spent nearly 20 years in public health and became the director of the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department in 2007. He previously served as director of administrative services for the Reno County Health Department in Hutchinson, where he also served as director of environmental health and as an environmental health sanitarian.
Recap: Lawrence doctor chats about unique practice
Dr. Ryan Neuhofel will be available Feb. 16 to discuss his new family practice in Lawrence. Neuhofel is unique in that he doesn’t accept health insurance or third party plans; instead he charges fees for services. He’s even willing to barter.
Recap: Department on Aging Secretary chats about Medicaid reform
Kansas Department on Aging Secretary Shawn Sullivan will be available Feb. 6 to discuss the state’s plan to privatize the Medicaid program or other policies regarding senior care. Sullivan heads the Department on Aging which is responsible for administration of Older American’s Act programs, distribution of Medicaid long-term care payments, and regulation and survey processes for several different adult care home licensure categories. Sullivan has been involved with aging services for 18 years. Before heading the Department on Aging, he was executive director of Kansas Masonic Home in Wichita, which received a state award for its efforts in culture change and person-centered care.
Recap: Longtime Lawrence cardiologist discusses heart health
Dr. Michael Zabel, of Cardiovascular Specialists of Lawrence, will discuss heart disease — America’s No. 1 killer — in recognition of American Heart Month. Zabel earned his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis in 1988. He completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in cardiology at Duke University Medical Center. Zabel is a clinical associate professor at the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine. He has done a variety of research on heart disease and treatments.
Chat recap: Radiologist discusses book about health care system
Dr. Kipp Van Camp, an interventional radiologist in Topeka, will be available Jan. 11 to discuss his new book, “Misdiagnosis: A Practicing Physician’s Case Study in Health Care Reform." He said the book covers the history of how we got to where we are, identifies what’s wrong and right with the system, provides details about the Affordable Care Act, and provides solutions. Dr. Van Camp owns a radiology company called Critical Imaging Associates in Topeka. He also is owner and medical director of Rejuvenate Medical Spa, providing minimally invasive cosmetic medical procedures. He serves as an adjunct professor at Washburn University and Kansas University. Van Camp is one of two hosts on a medical radio talk show called Doctor’s Orders, which airs on stations in Topeka and Kansas City.
LMH pharmacy director to answer questions about drug shortage, more
Pat Parker, director of Pharmacy and IV Therapy at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, will be available to discuss the national drug shortage and to take other questions. Parker has been director of pharmacy at LMH since 1984 and also directed the oncology unit from 2001 to 2004. He is adjunct clinical professor of pharmacy practice with Kansas University’s School of Pharmacy. He is an active member of the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists and the Kansas Council of Health Systems Pharmacists. He has served on the Kansas Board of Pharmacy. He also has helped organize medical mission trips to impoverished regions of Kenya where AIDS is prevalent.
Orthopedic surgeon to chat about arthritis, joint replacement
Dr. Doug Stull, of OrthoKansas in Lawrence, will answer questions about orthopedics, which involves the care of bones and joints. Typical problems include fractures; dislocations; strains of muscles, ligaments and joints; tendonitis; bursitis; and arthritis. OrthoKansas performs arthroscopic surgery; total joint replacement of hips, knees and shoulders; shoulder reconstruction; complex hand surgery; and other procedures. Stull specializes in the treatment of the shoulder and elbow in all ages and aspects including sports, trauma and reconstruction.
Health department director to participate in live chat
Dan Partridge, director of the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department, will be available Monday to answer questions as part of National Public Health Week. The health department works to protect and serve the community by: • Safeguarding community health and safety through swift response to illness outbreaks. • Identifying urgent and everyday health problems. • Assessing health problems and promoting wellness by fostering community health initiatives. • Collaborating with community partners to protect health and control the costs associated with health problems. Partridge has been director since 2007. Previously, he was associate director with the Reno County Health Department.
LMH cardiologist to chat about heart health
Dr. Roger Dreiling has been a cardiologist since 1984 and joined the Lawrence team in 2008. He specializes in clinical cardiology, interventional cardiology and treatment of acute myocardial infarction (heart attack). Dreiling is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology. Dreiling works in the Heart Center at LMH, which was ranked No. 1 in heart attack care among 949 hospitals by the American College of Cardiology.
Go Red chairwoman to chat about women's heart health
Kirsten Flory is chairwoman of the 2011 Go Red For Women Luncheon & Expo. She can answer questions about the Feb. 11 event as well as tips about how to be more heart healthy. Coeli Baker, development director for the American Heart Association, also will be participating. February is American Heart Month, and the goal is to raise awareness about America's No. 1 killer. Flory received a bachelor's degree in communications from Kansas University and works for KU Credit Union. She is married to Dale Flory, and they live in rural Baldwin City with their two children.
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger chats live with users
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger, of Lawrence, is responsible for regulating all insurance sold in Kansas and overseeing the nearly 1,700 insurance companies and more than 94,000 agents licensed to do business in the state. Praeger was president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) in 2008. She serves as chair of the NAIC Health Insurance and Managed Care Committee, vice chair of the International Insurance Relations Committee, a member of the Executive Committee for International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) and a member of other NAIC Committees and task forces.
Meyer to discuss Lawrence Memorial Hospital, area practices
Lawrence Memorial Hospital CEO and President Gene Meyer will be available Monday to answer questions about the hospital, its area practices, health reform and more. Meyer was named president of LMH in May 1997. During his leadership, LMH has expanded services to an outpatient facility — LMH South — and added interventional cardiology, acute rehabilitation, a wound healing center, and oncology services. Meyer has overseen a $45 million expansion of the LMH campus that includes new emergency and surgical facilities and expansion of the critical care and maternity units. In addition, LMH has expanded its presence regionally with family care clinics in Eudora, Baldwin City, Tonganoxie and McLouth and a specialty clinic in Ottawa. He is active in many organizations, including the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Hospital Association. Meyer teaches in the health services administration program at Webster University in Kansas City.
