Local doctor gives tips on how to avoid acne, breathing difficulties caused by masks
BLACKSBURG, Va. – We’ve been wearing masks for nearly a year. Bowman said even though masks cover the majority of the face, people still want to put their best face forward. Another common complaint about wearing masks Dr. There are also nasal dilators, breathe right strips and nasal sprays you can get online or over the counter to help open your nostrils. Bowman recommended nasal sprays like Flonase, Nasacort, Nasonex, antihistamines Claritin, Zyrtec and Allegra.
Colon cancer: Who is at risk and why?
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, also known as colon cancer or rectal cancer depending on where it starts. According to Dr. Brian Van Der Linden, a gastroenterologist at LewisGale Physicians, colon cancer is the third most common cause of cancer deaths in men and women in the U.S. Take a look at this list of risk factors:Risk factors for colon cancer (Copyright 2021 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.) Hollywood actor Chadwick Boseman died at 43 of colon cancer in 2020. “They’re having a diagnosis of colon cancer at a later stage and they’re dying from colon cancer at a higher rate because of that and so it’s very important for us to make sure all people are getting screened,” Van Der Linden said.
Salvation Army of Roanoke, LewisGale hosts free health fair
ROANOKE, Va. – The Salvation Army of Roanoke and LewisGale Family and Community Medicine residency program have a new partnership and their first project is a free community health fair. The fair is Saturday, Feb. 27 noon to 2 p.m. in the Salvation Army’s gym located at 724 Dale Avenue SE. Once inside, there will be a variety of socially distanced stations with residents from LewisGale psychiatric, family medicine and internal medicine departments. During a time where stress and anxiety are at an all-time high, Price-Clarke felt it was critical the event included mental health too. We want to make sure that they’re given the proper information to take care of their physical and mental health and mental health right now is something we really do need to focus on,” said Price-Clarke.
LewisGale Medical Center concerned over drop in ER patients during the pandemic
In most circumstances, a slow emergency room would be considered a good thing — but LewisGale Medical Center’s director of emergency services is concerned. Michael Henson, emergency services director at LewisGale Medical Center, said that when comparing the daily number of patients going to the ER before the pandemic to now, the hospital has seen a 30% drop. COVID -19 patients are separated from the rest of the patients, screenings are done at entrances, staff members wear masks and face shields and patients are only allowed one visitor. Henson did mention more people were going to the LewisGale free-standing emergency room near Tanglewood than the hospital in Salem. LewisGale Medical Center isn’t the only local hospital that saw a decline.
Henrietta Lacks: How a Roanoke-native coined ‘mother of modern medicine’
“It started a whole new phase in medicine which was investigative; able to create vaccines, able to address cancer, able to study cancer. They used her cells in different areas, even in space, even in the atomic bomb to see the effect of the cells,” Quiroz said. The Lacks family found out nearly 25 years later. Dr. Quiroz says the industry has learned from it and that Lark’s title of “Mother of Modern Medicine” is not just because of her cells. AdSome, like Dr. Reed, believe not enough is being done to address the unjust done to Lacks and her family.
Coronavirus vaccines arrive at hospitals across Southwest, Central Virginia
ROANOKE, Va. – The coronavirus vaccine has officially made it to some hospitals in Southwest Virginia. Nearly 3,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine are now stored in ultra-cold freezers at Lynchburg General Hospital, ready to be administered. The first shots are expected to start Wednesday at Centra, Carilion and LewisGale, prioritizing health care workers in closest contact with COVID-19 patients. It’s a decent start,” Lewis said. The health department said that by the end of the month, Virginia should have enough doses to reach all health care workers and long-term care facility residents who make up the first priority group.
Local health experts discuss vaccine distribution, latest COVID-19 numbers
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Health officials in the Southwest Region, including Carilion, Centra, LewisGale, and Sovah, report 280 patients are hospitalized with the coronavirus, 61 are in the ICU and 30 are on ventilators. At Centra Health, officials are unsure when they’ll get the vaccine or how. “They do likely have some amount of immunity to it, unclear of how much and for how long. We still don’t still know is that enough immunity to protect them for a good enough while that we’d say, ‘well, let’s not vaccine,” said Dr. Christopher Lewis of Centra Health. Centra officials say they’re not going to mandate it for caregivers but strongly encourage it.
Health officials prepare for coronavirus vaccine’s arrival in the New River Valley
MONTGOMERY COUNTY Va – Health officials in the New River Valley are gearing up for COVID-19 vaccine distribution. New River Health Director Dr. Noelle Bissell said that while they still don’t know when they will get their first shipment of the vaccine, it will likely be a limited amount. Ralph Northam lays out state’s three-phased coronavirus vaccine distribution plan]She also said that both major health systems in the New River Valley have the proper equipment to store it once it is available. They have vaccine plans in place to be able to inoculate their staff and they have done their own prioritization,” explained Bissell. Bissell also wants to warn the community that once the COVID-19 vaccine is taken, there will likely be side effects.
Lewis Gale OR staff receive Food for Frontline donations on National Nurse Appreciation Day
SALEM, Va. – Wednesday marked the eighth Food for Frontline delivery and appropriately it went to the OR staff at Lewis Gale Medical Center. Wednesday is National Nurse Appreciation Day and they’re grateful to get food while one local business is thankful to make it. This order from the Food for Frontline initiative is going a long way for this small business. The complimentary meal is showing up at the perfect time - on a national day thanking our nurses. They are the heart of our institutions, the heart of Lewis Gale in what we do every day and for our patients and community here,” Lee said.
LewisGale Hospital Alleghany temporarily suspending ICU services
ALLEGHANY COUTNY, Va. – LewisGale Hospital Alleghany is temporarily suspending its ICU services amid the COVID-19 outbreak. In an email that LewisGale shared with its community partners in the Alleghany Highlands on Friday, hospital leaders cite “consolidation and conservation of resources” as a strategy they’re using to combat the health care crisis. The move allows LewisGale to shift employees and personal protective equipment (PPE) to other facilities, according to the letter. All other services at LewisGale Hospital Alleghany will stay open. Hospital leaders did not say when the ICU will reopen.