NCTV17 Podcasts

With the COVID-19 vaccination, hope seems to be on the horizon. As the rollout moves into phase 1B and beyond, more and more Americans around the country are becoming eligible for receiving the vaccine. While many are anxiously wondering when they might get their shot, others question its effectiveness and some are even hesitant to take it for fear of side effects. Three local experts in the medical field join our hosts to address these concerns about the COVID-19 vaccination and more.

Guests on the Show

Jonathan Pinsky, MD – Medical Director of Infection Control & Prevention, Edward Hospital

Kevin Most, DO – Chief Medical Officer, Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital

Rashmi Chugh, MD, MPH – Medical Officer, DuPage County Health Department

“There have not been any severe adverse reactions to the vaccine,” said Pinsky. He discussed the trials of 30,000 people who took the vaccine and said there had been no deaths and the amount of people who had a anaphylactic (allergic) reaction was about 2.5 people out every one million. For the average person, side effects are minimal. “You hear about people having fevers, feeling a little achy for a day but getting sick enough to miss a day of work, that’s very rare.”

“Any transient side effects, which are expected, you can plan for it or plan to have it on a day where you don’t have too much on your schedule and just let your immune system respond to it,” said Chugh. “But that’s really nothing compared to the tragic impact that this has had on our community.” She explained that there have been more than 67,000 cases in DuPage County, with more than 1,090 deaths.

“For people that are vaccine hesitant, if they’re in that healthy group by the time they are able to receive the vaccination, the vaccine will be in the arms of millions and millions of people,” said Most. “So by the time we get to the summer, weather it’s 100 million or 150 million it will be the largest vaccine study, if not the largest.

There are few things that put a strain on all relationships like a global pandemic.  Many relationships, romantic or otherwise, are in crisis but it is possible to save them by "doing the relationship work."  But what does that mean exactly?   Dana and guests explore the effort and tools that it takes to both maintain a relationship and start anew if it can't be saved in this time of COVID-19.

Guests on the Show

Kate Anthony - Divorce and Discernment Coach, "The Divorce Survival Guide"

Susan Guthrie - Founder and Principal, Divorice in a Better Way, Inc.

Jodi R. Metcalf, MS, LMFT - Clinical Director, Grow Wellness Group

Lindsay Stella - Partner, Mirabella, Kincaid, Frederick & Mirabella, LLC.

Benjamin Heldfond - Co-Author, "Our Happy Divorce"

"There are many relationship that I'm seeing out there where they don't have the skills to work on relationships and then all of a sudden COVID hits and it's just one thing after another," said Guthrie.

Anthony added that for many couples, therapy can help them communicate when tackling problems that COVID has brought to the forefront.  "If it's an otherwise healthy relationship, that stuff will be worked out through communication," she said.

The pandemic has removed many ways people have relieved stress - nights out with friends and sporting events for example - leaving us more time to pause and reflect.  "When all of that is stripped away, people are really aware of the actual state of their relationship," said Metcalf.  "Can we adjust to that or fix this so that we are functioning on a better level?"

About Dana

Dana Davenport is a Naperville resident who is passionate about life.  Originally from the northern suburbs of Chicago, she is now a Naperville resident and a graduate of Spelman College and the University of Chicago Law School.  An attorney and mother, Dana divorced in 2015, unleashing a new lease on life.  She has a live radio show on intellectualradio.com on Wednesdays at 9pm and is excited to bring that show to television audiences on Naperville Community Television each month.

Previously, Dana has appeared on “He Said She Said” with Wanda Bee, “The Drive at 5” with Roman, and “Jaw Jackin” with Bob and T.C., and she was a relationship advisor on the “Gift of Gab Show” with Gabby Smith.

Hosted by Jane Wernette, the latest episode of Spotlight features:

1) Melanie MacBride, Managing Attorney of Metropolitan Family Services

2) Jim Kleinwachter, Conservation@Home Program Manager of The Conservation Foundation

3) Peggy McGuire, Dir. of Child & Family Development of YWCA Metropolitan Chicago’s Project HELP Program

Hosted by Jane Wernette, the latest episode of Spotlight features:

1) John Panarese, Area Director of SCORE Fox Valley

2) Kandice Henning, Founder and CEO of Alive Center

3) Mina Flannery, President of National Charity League of Greater Naperville

Health and fitness are things many of us may take for granted at times but as host Dana Michelle says to open the show, "there's nothing like a pandemic to remind us  all to prioritize our health."  Dana has jumpstarted her own journey to a healthier, more fit lifestyle by joining the UFC Gym in Naperville.  In this episode, she meets with owners of the gym Ricard Lamas and Matt Kuschert to talk about how their experience with mixed martial arts (MMA) lead them to open the local facility.

"Me being a fighter, I can't fight til I'm 65 , though I'd like to if I could.  Father time just won't allow that to happen," says Lamas.  "The next step is using the brand recognition that I've created and the sport of MMA and transfer that into a business that can help sustain my family and Matt's family from here on out."

Hosted by Jane Wernette, the latest episode of Spotlight features:

1) Kimberly White, Executive Director | Career & Networking Center

2) Nancy Wiersum, Executive Vice President, Advancement | Loaves & Fishes Community Services

3) April Redzic, President & CEO | DuPagePads

On this episode of Spotlight we’re talking about how the ongoing pandemic is impacting Food, Housing, and Employment Hardships right here in Naperville.

Hosted by Liz Spencer, this episode of Business Connection features Sachin Gandhi with BG Advisors CPA, Gabriel Chavez a Private Wealth Advisor with NorthStar Wealth Group, and Ian Holzhauer, Partner at Nagle, Obarski & Holzhauer P.C.

Hosted by Jane Wernette, the latest episode of Spotlight features:

1) Cristin Taylor, Public Relations Officer of the Naperville Hurling & Camogie Club

2) Kristin Chmiel, Executive Director of the DuPage Symphony Orchestra

3) Geri Kerger, Executive Director of NAMI DuPage

Finding common ground during the holidays is more important than ever. Because the holidays arrive after a contentious election, and schools debating their status during the pandemic, and COVID-19 positivity rates on the rise, people are even more on edge. On this episode, Rebecca and Dana discuss the best way to navigate the holidays while maintaining your mental health.

Therapist Lisa Pishas suggests, “Maybe this is the year where we can think about ‘good enough.’ Maybe we don’t look at Pinterest this year to make the perfect craft or meal. Maybe we stay away from things like that… “

Because both in-person and virtual gatherings can be stressful, Dilara Sayeed suggests stepping back. “My sister and I are planning a family event,” said Sayeed. “And started with stopping for a moment and not starting the planning. Let’s start with what do we feel comfortable with? We haven’t seen one another for a while. We don’t even know what’s typical in our lives right now. What do we feel comfortable with?”

Open Our Ears And Listen

Can we find common ground during the holidays in our own homes? And can we ever find common ground when discussing the state of our community? And when it comes to politics–on the local level or the national level–is it better to simply step away in an act of self-preservation? Or do we confront our worries and stand strong in our beliefs? Reverend Mark Winters thinks we may be going into these situations with the wrong idea:

‘The purpose of dialogue is not agreement. It’s understanding,” says Winters. “What I see happen is folks get dug on a particular issue and their mouth opens and their ears close, and we need to do the opposite. We need to open our ears and listen for understanding we may not always agree with each other on something. That’s OK.”

Guests on the Show

Joshua Bedwell – Partner at Mirabella, Kincaid, Frederick & Mirabella

Karli Johnson – Founder Stories Speak Education

Venu Gupta – Director of Development, Midwest at Mother Jones

Lisa Pisha, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and founder of Grow Therapy Boutique

Dilara Sayeed – Illinois Muslim Civic Coalition

Reverend Mark Winters, Pastor at First Congregational United Church of Christ of Naperville

About the Show

Finding Common Ground focuses on important current events and how they impact our diverse population. We are many voices of one community, often with strong opinions on every side of an issue. Here, through courageous conversation, and in the interest of discovering collaborative solutions, we hope to find our common ground.

Guests and viewers are invited to acknowledge the four agreements to courageous conversations:

Stay Engaged

Speak Your Truth

Experience Discomfort

Expect and Accept Non-Closure

Hosted by Jane Wernette, the latest episode of Spotlight features:

1) Judie Caribeaux, CEO of 360 Youth Services

2) Jenny Dawley, Naperville Township representative to the Naperville-Lisle Triad

3) Dr. Scott Mitchell, President & CEO of SamaraCare Counseling