There’s the normal day-to-day fleeting anxieties that affect everyone—from meeting someone for a first date to the anticipation of giving a big presentation. Then, there’s anxiety that feels ever-present. Moments of anxiety are normal. Long-term anxiety affecting your quality of life isn’t and coping with it isn't something anyone has to do alone. In this episode, meet adult psychiatrist Dr. Tal Weinberger, who both normalizes the anxiety we all feel from to time and explains when it might be time to start an anti-anxiety medication. Tune in for everything you need to know, from who to discuss anxiety and medication with, what lifestyle changes may happen when starting medication and how long people typically stay on these medications.

For more stories on supporting mental health, visit TheHealthNexus.org:

- Recognizing Signs of Depression and When It May Be Time to Start Medication

- How to Recognize and Support Someone Who Feels Hopeless

- Red Flags a Therapist Isn’t Right for You

- How to Find a Culturally Competent Therapist

- What to Expect Your First Session with a Therapist

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Infectious diseases expert Dr. John Zurlo joins The Health Nexus Podcast once again to provide the latest information on COVID-19, including how he would time getting the Omicron BA.5 bivalent vaccine and the flu shot if you’re trying to avoid feeling potentially crummy. Also on the docket of topics: masking recommendations this flu season, whether we’ll see a surge this fall/winter and much more on that new bivalent vaccine.

We also get an update on the monkeypox virus affecting our region and Dr. Zurlo breaks down the recent polio outbreak. A top recommendation? Be sure your vaccine records are up to date.

Is COVID-19 over? –  01:13

Update on outbreak affecting the region – 15:26

Dr. Zurlo on the recent polio outbreak and what caused it – 20:18

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, prejudice, xenophobia and racism toward Asian American and Pacific Islander communities has surged.

In this conversation, meet Dr. Xiao Chi Zhang, an emergency medicine physician and Chinese American, who shares the hateful words that people have yelled out to him on the street, and what happened when one day words escalated to physical assault. He talks about the confusion of being targeted because of what he looks like and shares how his scrubs sometimes felt like a shield that could protect him from this violence.

[Editor’s Note: To read Dr. Zhang’s essay “Wearing Scrubs Like a Shield,” click here. Don’t miss the audio player at the top of the essay if you’d like to hear Dr. Zhang read it in his own voice.]

Sara Campbell also joins the conversation. She is the Associate Vice President of the Presidential & Leadership Advisory Councils at Jefferson’s Office of Institutional Advancement and shares her unique experience as a Korean American woman who was adopted by a white family with her two brothers when she was eight years old. Campbell explains in what ways she gave up her Korean identity to better fit into a predominately white community and how she’s still finding and reconnecting with her ethnic roots today.

To better understand the trauma of racism, especially during the stress of the pandemic, Dr. Deanna Nobleza, a psychiatrist at Jefferson, joins the episode. She validates the unique experiences of the AAPI community—she herself is Filipino American—and stresses the importance of finding safe sources of support and practicing self-care, now more than ever.

Resources:

• NAMI | National Alliance on Mental Illness

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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease may be a disease you may not know about, or even know you have, and it is predicted to be the number one indicator of the need for liver transplant in the next few years. In this episode, we connect with transplant hepatologist Dr. Dina Halegoua-DeMarzio, dedicated to trying to prevent patients from needing a liver transplant because of fatty liver disease. She breaks down what causes it, symptoms (or sometimes lack of symptoms), risk factors and what makes this disease so complicated to diagnose. We also connect with her patient, Karl Burrows, who shares his personal journey after being diagnosed with fatty liver disease in the 1980s. He shares how he was able to keep the disease at bay for more than 20 years before his health took a turn in 2018 and how he’s working with Dr. Halegoua-DeMarzio to stay well through lifestyle choices. 

For more from Dr. Dina Halegoua-DeMarzio and Burrows, click here.

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It’s been over a month since Russian invaded Ukraine. For Dr. Alex Hajduczok, a first year cardiologist fellow at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, the war felt at first inconceivable and then it felt impossible to follow from the sidelines. In this episode, he tells us about traveling to Medyka, Poland, a town just on the Polish/Ukrainian border, to provide medical care to the thousands of Ukrainian refugees arriving there each day. The nine days he spent at the pop-up medical tent changed his life and will forever impact his life’s work as a cardiologist.

To read more about Dr. Hajduczok’s trip, plus see photos and videos, visit TheHealthNexus.org

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The Health Nexus Podcast is powered by Jefferson Health. Jessica Lopez and Carly Williams are our co-hosts and producers. Our team includes Dan Bernstein and Barbara Henderson. Additional support for this episode provided by Patrick Monaghan.

When it comes to COVID, we’ve seen our fair share of progress and set-backs over the last two years. This episode, we hear from Chief of Infectious Disease, Dr. John Zurlo on the what life will look like from here. He comments on recent changes to masking restrictions, timelines for vaccinations for young children, the challenges we face in declaring an “end” to the pandemic.

For more on COVID and other articles for maintaining a healthy life, visit TheHealthNexus.org

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The nation is experiencing a shortage of blood products. There’s been decline in the number of people donating blood and a drop in blood drives. The result is doctors being forced to make tough decisions about who receives transfusions and who will need to wait until more products are available.

Experts from Jefferson and the American Red Cross address myths behind donating blood, explain how blood is used regularly in the hospital setting, and detail what you can do to help in this time of crisis.

To schedule a donation through Jefferson call 215-955-7791 or click here.

To schedule a donation through the American Red Cross, click here.

Visit The Health Nexus for more information from our experts. 

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Bariatric surgeon Dr. Candice Chipman notes that 60 percent of the country is obese, yet only 2 percent are seeking help from a bariatric surgeon when other weight loss methods fail. A misconception about the reason to seek bariatric surgery could be the culprit. She explains the various benefits to this type of surgery and why it isn’t simply about physical appearance.

Then, registered dietician Alexandra Agasar offers tips that you can implement into your life today to manage a healthy weight year round.

Read more on The Health Nexus about how you can manage your weight during holidays, celebrations and year round and snack on a dietician’s tips on how to create long-lasting resolutions for a healthier you.

Looking to connect with the Jefferson Health Comprehensive Weight Management Center? Learn more here

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The Omicron variant is by far the most dominant of the COVID virus strains in our region at this time. Dr. John Zurlo, Chief of Infectious Diseases updates us on what we’re seeing in the hospitals, new monoclonal antibody therapies Sotrovimab and Evusheld, and the accuracy of at-home tests. Plus, he addresses whether the United States will follow in the footsteps of Germany and Israel and expedite an additional booster.

Be sure to check out The Health Nexus for additional content on COVID like an update on boosters, floosters, and the omicron variant.

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Coming out and living authentically is an important part of life, but it isn't always easy. Falling into unhealthy coping mechanisms is a risk as there is worry of family and friends not being supportive of the LGBTQ+ lifestyle.

Behavior Health Specialist Christopher Huff, LCSW, LCDAC and dietitian Sarah Spinner, RDN, discuss how you can manage the stressors associated with coming out to your loved ones. They discuss how to address negative comments, how to maintain a healthy diet to reduce stress, and how to be an ally to others. 

For the full article with more from Huff and Spinner, visit TheHealthNexus.org

Be sure to check out The Health Nexus for additional content for the LGBTQ+ community like Four Jefferson Coming Out Stories and Tips and Tools for Supporting LGBTQ+ Family and Friends.

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