The journey of motherhood brings countless decisions, with feeding choices among the most significant. Rebecca Rose, an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant at Virginia Baptist Hospital, guides us through the complexities and joys of breastfeeding during this illuminating conversation for National Breastfeeding Awareness Month.

Rebecca's path to becoming a lactation consultant began with her own struggles breastfeeding her oldest child. This personal challenge transformed into a passion that now helps countless mothers in the mother-baby unit, birth center, intensive care nursery and outpatient services. Her mission? Ensuring every mother has the support and knowledge to make informed feeding decisions that work best for their unique situation.

Join our conversation to discover how proper support and education can transform your breastfeeding experience from overwhelming to empowering. 

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While surgical technology is not new to Centra, thanks to generous contribution from the Centra Foundation, the addition of our fifth DaVinci robot has opened doors for surgical care. Join us in the operating room with Jen Drudy, Vice President of Perioperative Services, for an exclusive look at our fifth DaVinci robot and hear how it is changing how healthcare is delivered in our community.

What does this mean for patients? Shorter recovery times, better pain control, and improved outcomes compared to traditional surgical approaches. As we celebrate milestone achievements of our surgeons reaching their 500th robotic procedures, we invite you to discover how this technology is transforming healthcare delivery right here in our community. Follow our journey as we continue to expand access to world-class surgical care through innovation.

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The transition from summer freedom to school structure affects every family differently. Whether you're celebrating the return to routine or mourning the end of family time, this critical period demands special attention to your child's physical, emotional, and social wellbeing.

Dr. Travis Engel joins us to unpack the essential health considerations often overlooked during back-to-school season. We explore why annual check-ups matter so much, even for seemingly healthy children, and how these visits help pediatricians spot developmental concerns parents might miss in day-to-day life.

Have you found creative ways to ease your child's transition back to school? Share your tips in the comments and help other parents make this season smoother and healthier for everyone involved.

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"Your periods shouldn't be unbearably painful. Most women in their 50s will experience dryness. Muscle mass matters more than being thin." These are just some of the straightforward truths nurse midwife Claire McStacy shares in this comprehensive conversation about women's health through the decades.

From establishing care in your twenties to navigating the changes of menopause, this episode cuts through the noise of trending TikTok videos to deliver practical guidance on what's actually happening in your body and what you can do about it. McStacy brings 23 years of experience to address questions many women have but don't know who to ask: When should cervical cancer screening begin? (Age 21.) What does perimenopause actually feel like? (Brain fog, irregular periods, and possibly up to ten years of symptoms.) How do hormones affect your heart health after menopause? (Significantly, women lose estrogen's protective effects, making heart attack risk similar to men's, though symptoms present differently.)

The conversation tackles critical but often overlooked topics, including PCOS (affecting 8% of women), the importance of preconception health, managing fibroids (particularly common among African American women) and the benefits and risks of hormone replacement therapy. Throughout, McStacy emphasizes the importance of establishing and maintaining a relationship with your healthcare provider for personalized guidance.

Perhaps most powerfully, this episode challenges listeners to prioritize self-care at every stage of life. As McStacy notes, "When you have time for yourself, you have time for everybody else." Whether you're concerned about fertility in your twenties, managing work-life balance in your thirties, noticing perimenopausal symptoms in your forties or navigating post-menopausal changes in your fifties, this comprehensive guide helps you understand what's normal, when to seek help and how to advocate for your health.

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Nurse Practitioner Cody Sliger reveals the hidden crisis in men's healthcare through both professional expertise and personal experience. Despite significant advances in medical science, men continue to suffer worse health outcomes than women, largely because they avoid seeking help until it's too late.

The conversation dives deep into why this happens. Harvard research confirms that societal expectations of masculinity directly contribute to higher mortality rates when men eventually reach hospitals with chronic conditions. When seeking help is viewed as weakness, and when work schedules make healthcare appointments financially impossible, men face an impossible choice between immediate family needs and their own wellbeing.

Whether you're concerned about your own health or someone you care about, this episode provides vital insights that could literally save lives. Reach out, speak up, and remember that seeking help isn't weakness—it's the strongest choice you can make.

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Carol Harvey's powerful journey from experienced nurse to breast cancer survivor offers a unique dual perspective that changes everything.

Carol shares her unexpected triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis in September 2020 during the height of COVID restrictions when family couldn't accompany her to treatments. With 35 years of nursing experience and a role teaching future nurses at Liberty University, Carol brought professional knowledge to her patient experience that provided both advantages and surprising challenges.

Her decision to join a clinical trial stands as perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this conversation. Despite her medical background, Carol experienced the vulnerability all patients feel when considering experimental treatments. The outcome? Extraordinary monitoring that included multiple echocardiograms, rapid tumor response, and a comprehensive team approach that left her feeling exceptionally well-cared for. "If I were to go through the whole thing again, I would jump into a clinical trial again, 100%," she reflects.

Through chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and even cognitive therapy for "chemo brain," Carol's journey spans numerous departments within Centra Health. Now three years post-treatment with regular follow-ups, she finds herself transformed. "I am such a better person on this side of cancer than I was beforehand," she reveals, describing a deeper faith, greater empathy, and profound perspective shift that turns even "bad hair days" into moments of gratitude. Her powerful closing message resonates for anyone facing difficult circumstances: "I can do hard things." Listen now to experience this remarkable story of professional insight meeting personal transformation.

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What happens when we focus on strengths instead of limitations? R'Kel Mosely takes us on an unforgettable journey through his experience with Project Search, a program that's transformed his outlook on life, work, and his own capabilities.

From the moment R'Kel began sharing his story, his wisdom shines through. "Even if I can do it all myself, I can't do it alone," he reflects, capturing the essence of why supportive communities matter. Through Project Search, he has discovered how to manage his anxiety, pace himself, and build confidence about his future—all while exploring his passion for graphic design and art.

"People saying disabilities can't do nothing or they're just hopeless—they're all wrong," R'Kel declares with conviction. "We're not mutants, we're just humans who live in society." His message to others with disabilities resonates with hope: "Don't give up who you are. Be you." Through R'Kel's eyes, we see how meaningful employment opportunities don't just build careers—they build lives filled with purpose, connection, and self-determination. Listen now and be inspired by what's possible when talent meets opportunity.

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Mental health needs have consistently topped community health assessments in our health system's area for years, reaching critical levels that demand immediate attention. Ismael Gama, Vice President of Centra's Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Service Line, shares how Centra is responding with a strategy that creates multiple pathways to care.

The cornerstone of Centra's approach is meeting patients wherever they enter the system. "Come to whatever door and we will get you to the right place," explains Gama, highlighting how this philosophy removes barriers for those in crisis. From the Psychiatric Adult Urgent Care seeing 20-25 patients weekly to the groundbreaking EMPATH unit that has treated 1,500 patients in two years with an impressive 85% being discharged home rather than admitted, these innovative models are transforming mental health delivery.

Whether you're seeking care for yourself or a loved one, this episode provides information about accessing mental health services throughout the region, including addiction treatment options, telehealth availability and how to navigate the system through primary care or urgent care. 

Learn more at Centrahealth.com/mentalhealth

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Crystal Collette and Jennifer Watson Jamison share their journey to achieving Autism Commission on Quality accreditation for Centra's Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy program and explain how modern ABA helps children with autism through individualized, evidence-based approaches.

What exactly is ABA therapy? As Jennifer explains, it's fundamentally "the science of learning" that addresses everything from communication and social skills to emotional regulation and self-help abilities. Modern approaches have moved away from older error-based methods to "errorless teaching," where children are shown the correct response from the beginning, resulting in faster learning and less frustration.

For parents feeling overwhelmed by an autism diagnosis, the team offers this reassurance: "Take a breath... We're in this together. We will figure it out." Visit Centra's website to learn more about autism services and take that first step toward understanding if ABA might be right for your child.

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What wisdom would you choose to leave behind for your children if you suddenly weren't there to guide them? After losing his wife Johanna to  breast cancer in August 2023, Daryl Calfee found himself confronting this profound question—leading him to write "Skip the Bull: Lessons from Your Dad After Your Mom Died."

"Skip the Bull" emerged from Daryl's realization that the hard-fought wisdom and funny farm stories accumulated through twenty years of marriage might be lost if something happened to him too. The book preserves these conversations—from practical advice about money and work to deeper reflections on faith and death—creating a legacy his children can revisit throughout their lives, finding new meaning in his words as they grow.

Have you considered what wisdom you'd want to preserve for those who matter most to you? Explore Daryl's book at bluehatpublishing.com, where pre-orders are available now before the wider Amazon release in June.

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