For the Love of Health

Prepare to challenge your understanding of gender-affirming care.In this replay of one of our most popular episodes, Dr. Anna Filip, a primary care physician with ChristianaCare, and Brett Herb, DSW, program manager for the ChristianaCare Gender Wellness Program, deliver critical insights into the complexities of sex and gender, gender dysphoria and gender-affirming hormone therapy, while discussing ChristianaCare’s leading-edge approach to providing care to transgender people.Then we tackle a number of common myths, misconceptions and misunderstandings– from the realities of de-transitioning to how children understand their gender identities.Join us for a conversation that not only educates but also encourages empathy. You’ll come away with a new appreciation for the importance of fostering inclusivity in health care.Dr. Anna Filip is a primary care physician and director of ChristianaCare’s Family Medicine Residency program. Filip has been with ChristianaCare since 2016. She has led work around global health in the academic settings, developed innovative and comprehensive models of gender-affirming care, and is staunchly committed to improving the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the health system.Brett Herb, DSW, is the Program Manager for the Gender Wellness Program at ChristianaCare. Herb has been in clinical practice for over 25 years as a psychotherapist and a clinical and administrative manager for various behavioral health programs. He joined ChristianaCare in 2006. Herb oversees the Gender Wellness Program, which provides gender-affirming diagnostic services and psychotherapy to the transgender and gender diverse population.LINKSChristianaCare Gender Wellness ProgramExploring gender wellness at ChristianaCare (video)Myths and Facts: Battling Disinformation About Transgender RightsThe Experiences, Challenges and Hopes of Transgender and Nonbinary U.S. AdultsThanks for listening and subscribing! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Lengthy emergency department wait times are nothing new. This has been a national issue since the 1980s. It’s a challenge for every health system – a challenge with no easy solutions.ChristianaCare is home to America’s 15th busiest ED, and in this replay of one of our most popular episodes, “The Toughest Questions in Health Care,” Dr. Kert Anzilotti, ChristianaCare Chief Medical Officer, and Ric Cuming, ChristianaCare Chief Operating Officer, deliver insightful answers to the question, “Why can ED wait times be so long?”.Together, we walk the complex maze of healthcare efficiency, examining the intricacies behind long queues. Learn how factors like hospital-wide patient volume, case severity prioritization and the ripple effects of post-acute care facility shortages contribute to a significant bottleneck. And explore a data-driven approach to improving patient flow and emergency department functionality.Finally, we provide guidance on choosing the most suitable venue of care for a variety of medical needs, a major way the public can be part of helping hospitals reduce wait times in the ED.Ric Cuming is chief operating officer of ChristianaCare. In this role, Ric oversees the delivery of efficient and fiscally responsible system operations. He also works with other leaders to ensure high-quality and safe patient care. Ric joined ChristianaCare in 2016 as the system’s first chief nurse executive.Dr. Kert Anzilotti is chief medical officer for ChristianaCare. His work focuses on the optimization of care delivery across the health care system through strategic visioning, network development, clinical technology implementation and leveraging medical informatics.LinksShould I Go To the Emergency Room, Urgent Care or Primary Care?Emergency Care at ChristianaCareER visits are getting longer amid hospital staffing shortagesThe Complexities Of Emergency Medicine And Prolonged ER Wait TimesThanks for listening and subscribing! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

While most cuts and scrapes will heal themselves, some wounds can develop into a more serious situation.In that case, you may need to see wound care specialists. Dr. Jim Ley, Medical Director of the ChristianaCare Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center, and Podiatrist Dr. Scott Reich talk to us about the kinds of wounds they see, the specialized treatments they offer such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and when to know if you might benefit from their care.LinksChristianaCare Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine CenterChristianaCare News - What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?Thanks for listening and subscribing! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Homelessness can impact both physical and mental health, and make accessing medical care difficult. As a result, people experiencing homelessness often face higher rates of poor health outcomes than people with housing.Which leads us to the next question in our Toughest Questions in Health Care series: How can health care impact homelessness? Dr. Ben Golden, Program Director for the ChristianaCare Medical Respite Program at the New Castle County Hope Center, and Dr. Ashley Panichelli, Clinical Director for ChristianaCare Complex Primary Care share details on the difficulties that arise in providing care for patients experiencing homelessness, steps that ChristianaCare is taking to counter those issues, and their hopes for the future in this field of care.Dr. Ben Golden, M.D., completed his medical training at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL where he took an interest in healthcare disparities and care for patients experiencing homelessness. As Program Director for the ChristianaCare Medical Respite Program at the New Castle County Hope Center, he provides complex primary care for the residents of the facility. Dr. Golden also continues to practice Emergency Medicine at all of Christiana’s sites.Dr. Ashley Panichelli, M.D., the clinical director of Complex Primary Care and Community Medicine at ChristianaCare. Dr Panichelli is passionate about teaching, mentoring, and program development, and routinely speaks to the news media about family medicine and the importance of vaccinations. Dr Panichelli’s specific interests include inpatient medicine and safe transitions of care, residency quality and safety, Just Culture, women’s health, and resident simulation curriculums.LinksChristianaCare News - ChristianaCare Rolls Out New Mobile Health Services Vans Supported by BarclaysChristianaCare News - ChristianaCare Talks Community Health With Wilmington, State OfficialsChristianaCare Mobile Health ServicesNew Castle County Hope CenterFriendship HouseFood Bank of DelawareThanks for listening and subscribing! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Tremor is a neurological condition that affects approximately 1% of the population overall, and 5% of adults age 60 and over. It is expected to increasingly impact Delawareans as the state's population ages.A new treatment for people suffering from essential tremor and Parkinson's Disease is a game-changer for ChristianaCare patients. Dr. Justin Martello, Director of the Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Program at ChristianaCare, shares inspiring insights into MR-guided focused ultrasound, including how it works, exciting success stories, and potential uses for this technology for treating other conditions.Justin Martello, M.D., is a board certified neurologist specializing in movement disorders and Parkinson’s Disease at ChristianaCare. As Director of the Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Program at ChristianaCare, he has developed Delaware's first and only comprehensive Parkinson's disease program.LinksChristianaCare News - ChristianaCare Is First in Delaware to Offer MR-Guided Ultrasound for Essential and Parkinson’s TremorChristianaCare Parkinson's and Movement Disorders ProgramMR-Guided Focused UltrasoundHarnessing the Power of Ultrasound to Treat Essential TremorsParkinson's Disease of DelawareThanks for listening and subscribing! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Sometimes hearing medical news and information can be difficult to wrap your head around. But understanding that information can be the difference between a good outcome and a poor outcome.Low health literacy is associated with more hospitalizations, greater use of emergency care, and higher mortality. Greg O'Neill, ChristianaCare's Patient and Family Health Education Director, and Dr. Himani Divatia, ChristianaCare's Associate Designated Institutional Official, join us to discuss the critical need for clear communication in healthcare, share examples of the Teach-Back method of understanding health instructions, and offer advice on how to better receive health information yourself.Greg O'Neill, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, leads the strategic plan for patient education and health literacy initiatives at ChristianCare as Director of Patient & Family Health Education. In this role, O'Neill has developed a team of Nursing Professional Development Specialists who champion health literacy best practices systemwide and support all manner of patient education initiatives and vendor relationships.Himani R. Divatia, DO, is an experienced internist, pediatrician, and hospitalist.  She has been with ChristianaCare since her residency in 2015.LinksChristianaCare Health LibraryChristianaCare News - ChristianaCare Expands Health Literacy Partnership Through Support From Highmark HealthHealth Literacy Council of DelawareThanks for listening and subscribing! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

The world of technology has expanded rapidly over the past few years, from video chatting to generative artificial intelligence. And while it's all become part of our day to day lives, it's also directly influencing how we receive our medical care.For our 8th topic in our Toughest Questions in Health Care series we’re asking – "How is technology changing health care?"  Randy Gaboriault, ChristianaCare's Chief Digital and Information Officer, and Dr. Tim Shiuh, ChristianaCare's Chief Health Information Officer discuss what it takes to utilize new and innovative technologies that positively impact patient care while also simplifying the work of those providing care.Randy Gaboriault, MS, MBA, has been dubbed an “exceedingly rare, triple threat CIO” by media. IT initiatives that Randy has spearheaded have garnered numerous distinctions, which include Information Week’s “Twenty Great Ideas To Steal,” Computerworld’s “Premier 100 IT Leaders,” a four-time awardee of CIO Magazine’s “CIO 100,” and one of Becker’s Healthcare 20 Chief Digital Officers to Know. Timothy Shiuh, M.D., MHCDS, FACEP, leads the development and implementation of a comprehensive enterprise digital health and clinical information strategy that facilitates effective, value-based, “high tech-high touch” health care delivery across the continuum of care and promotes digitally-led clinical transformation.LinksHealth & Technology Innovation Center at ChristianaCareTransformational Leadership Awards Honors ChristianaCare for "Trailblazing" InnovationIntroducing Digital Forms, Appointment Reminders and Check-In   Thanks for listening and subscribing! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Did you know that in 1796, Dr. Edward Jenner created the world's first successful vaccine? Since then, vaccines have greatly reduced diseases that once harmed or killed babies, children, and adults. But people all over the world still become seriously ill or even die from diseases that vaccines can help prevent. Which is why it's important to stay up-to-date on vaccinations.On this episode of For the Love of Health, ChristianaCare Chief Infection Prevention Officer, Dr. Marci Drees, and Associate Infection Prevention Officer, Dr. Stephen Eppes join us to explain the necessity of continuing to discuss vaccinations as a whole, especially outside of outbreaks and pandemics.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 for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), and previously served as SHEA's liaison to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). She is board certified in internal medicine and infectious diseases.Stephen Eppes, M.D., is the Associate Infection Prevention Officer and Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist at ChristianaCare. Dr. Eppes is also Co-Chair of the Immunization Coalition of Delaware.LinksChild Immunizations & ScreeningsChristianaCare News - How Vaccines Can Save Your LifeChristianaCare News - Think Vaccines Are Just for Kids? Think Again!CDC - Immunization Schedule By Age (Adult)CDC - Immunization Schedule By Age (Child & Adolescent)CDC - Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)Immunize.org - National Center for Immunization and Respiratory DiseasesImmunization Coalition of DelawareThanks for listening and subscribing! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the U.S. population age 65 and over grew nearly five times faster than the total population over the 100 years from 1920 to 2020. As the population ages, more people are worried about aging in place – and being safe, well and independent in their own homes. Since 1922, ChristianaCare HomeHealth has helped neighbors in Delaware live independently and get the care they need. On this episode of For the Love of Health, Ann Painter, President of ChristinaCare HomeHealth and Pam Szczerba, Director of Quality, Education and Risk Management for ChristianaCare HomeHealth offer valuable insights into this evolving field. Learn about the significant shift towards home-based care and the range of services ChristianaCare Home Health has perfected over a century of dedicated service, from skilled nursing to physical therapy and medical social work. Ann Painter has more than 25 years of experience in the home health care industry and has demonstrated exceptional skills as a transformational leader. Pam Szczerba is director of Quality & Risk Mangement at for ChristianaCare HomeHealth. In this role, she leads the Quality & Safety and Education departments.LinksWhy Choose ChristianaCare HomeHealth?Request a HomeHealth AppointmentChristianaCare News - The Healing Power of Home ChristianaCare News - ChristianaCare Builds One of the First Alexa Skills in the U.S. Exclusively for Home Health PatientsThanks for listening and subscribing! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

High quality and safe care are two things you’d expect from any health care experience. ChristianaCare has achieved national recognitions, awards and accreditations for quality and safety. Recently, U.S. News & World Report ranked Maryland as No. 1 and Delaware as No. 2 in the nation for hospital quality. What does it all mean? For our 7th topic in our Toughest Questions in Health Care series we’re asking – 'Why are quality and safety so important in health care?'  Dr. Kert Anzilotti, ChristianaCare’s System Chief Medical Officer and Interim President of the Medical Group, and Tim Bowers, Vice President of Clinical Effectiveness at ChristianaCare discuss the organization-wide commitment to positively impact the quality and safety of care delivered by ChristianaCare caregivers to patients and the community. Kert Anzilotti, M.D., MBA  focuses on the optimization of care delivery across the health care system through strategic visioning, network development, clinical technology implementation and leveraging medical informatics.Tim Bowers, MS, CIC, CPHQ is the vice president of Clinical Effectiveness at ChristianaCare, where he is responsible for overseeing programs within ChristianaCare dedicated to patient safety, including the logistics of preventing infections in patients.LinksChristianaCare 2024 Quality & Safety ReportU.S. News Best Hospitals - Quality Thanks for listening and subscribing! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.