Healthy Aging Podcast

Catch this in-depth interview with Dr. Michael Grossman, Chief of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at Southcoast Health, where he sheds light on various facets of trauma surgery. Dr. Grossman elaborates on the definition of trauma, the spectrum of injuries treated including both traditional and modern cases, the distinctions between trauma surgery and elective surgery, and the critical role of patient outcomes in determining surgical approaches. Additionally, he discusses the evolving landscape of technology in advancing trauma surgery, focusing on areas like blood replacement techniques and the utilization of robotic-assisted surgery. Dr. Grossman reflects on the challenges of maintaining a work-life balance in the high-stress field of trauma surgery and emphasizes the importance of community trauma centers in providing timely and effective care to patients in unexpected emergencies.  Learn more at Southcoast.org.

Keeping your staff healthy and productive is the objective of most companies. However, in the event there is an accident, Dr. Jon Mazur, Medical Director of Occupational Health, is there for treatment and recovery. Dr. Mazur explained how the federal organizations OSHA and NIOSH have standards in place since 1970. Dr. Mazur and his staff abide by these standards when conducting routine assessments, like DOT physicals, and treating injuries. Musculoskeletal injuries are the most common injury Dr. Mazur and his team see. Southcoast Health is his primary patient base, but he sees patients from large companies too. Would it surprise you to learn they also see patients for injury due to repetitive motion at work (like back pain), mismanagement of diabetes, rashes, exposure, chronic cough, bites, and head injuries. And of course they treat patients for the obvious reasons of slips, tips, and falls. Occupational health can treat these injuries as well as create therapeutic exercise programs for treatment. If you are injured at work, you will likely see a provider in occupational health for treatment. Dr. Mazur explained how his parents taught him that a disability doesn’t have to be a handicap. He uses that compassion and positivity on a daily basis. Learn more at Southcoast.org.

Dr. Sush Prusty’s passion for medical care was ignited by his father in India. He watched his father’s patient’s reactions to his father. The reactions were that of sheer gratitude. Dr. Sush Prusty has over 20 years of experience in Urgent Care Services. As the medical director of Southcoast’s Urgent Cares he shared his passion for growing strong teams in safe facilities accredited by Urgent Care Association of America. Dr. Prusty explained that while staff is trained in basic and advanced life support skills, their facilities are low complexity. They see patients with a wide variety of access to medical care due to the point of care they offer. At Southcoast Urgent Cares, they can see patients in need of respiratory illnesses, GI concerns, infectious diseases, orthopedic care, laceration and repair, and EKG or labs. They offer a plethora of services whether or not you have a primary care physician with Southcoast Health. And with “Book It” on the Southcoast App you can save a spot to see a physician. They have great working relationships with the ER and EMS for best patient care in the event the patient needs more advanced medical attention. Catch the full episode to get a better understanding of all the medical concerns and conditions Urgent Care can treat as well as what Southcoast does to ensure the best patient experience. Learn More at Southcoast.org.  

In this episode of Healthy Aging Podcast, learn how technological advances have provided neurosurgeons with the ability to be aided by a computer via stereo tactical navigation, allowing physicians to perform surgery more accurately. Dr. Steven Cobery, a neurosurgeon at Southcoast Health who was born and raised in Fall River, explains the benefits of using a computer to aid in surgery such as patient recovery time being expedited due to smaller incisions made possible by the computer system. He appreciates how the images on the computer provide a realistic view of the anatomy that he is operating on, especially when operating in such narrow spaces and cavities like the spine. This episode was eye-opening in what is going on in the world of Neurosurgery!   Dr. Cobery envisioned working in pediatrics, but his engineering brain and hands steered him towards neurosurgery. After serving our country in the United States Navy, he came home and now gives back to the community that gave him so much! At the end of the day, it is very important to him that he has done his job to translate all the information effectively and to gain the confidence of his patient. He has a “never give up” attitude that he learned in first grade; years later he applied that same attitude allowing him to save the life of the teacher who taught him that value. Learn More at Southcoast.org.  

“When we got back from vacation my symptoms got more intense.” In April 2023, Mia Hardman explained that half of her body couldn’t regulate temperature. Hot felt cold and vice versa! She experienced numbness on the left side of her body, couldn’t lift her arm, and by the time she saw Dr. Joshua Stone, she was dragging her leg to walk. Dr. Stone explained that Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease affecting the nervous system. It can affect your brain and spinal cord. He went on to explain that each MS attack can present differently for each patient.  While the attacks can be dramatic, he strongly recommended not dismissing anything that is going on that is out of the norm for your body. There is no cure for MS right now, but it is highly treatable. Mia was very vulnerable in this episode describing all the emotions she experienced, thinking life was over, and enduring some painful tests. But with the calm demeanor of Dr. Stone and his positivity, she knew she was in good hands. He was able to diagnose Mia and get her on the road to recovery! Mia shared that to help her body, she cut out sugar and is up to running 2-4 miles daily. “A body in motion stays in motion.” That’s Mia’s new motto. Listen to the episode to hear Mia’s full story and all the information Dr. Stone shared about Multiple Sclerosis. Learn More at Southcoast.org.

Dr. Soares is in high demand due to her expertise in Menopause but was able to take a few minutes to discuss Menopause with us. She explained the clinical definition of menopause, the symptoms you may experience, and what causes those symptoms. She addressed the ups and downs of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) being prescribed over the years. This episode may just change your mind about HRT. Dr.s have really learned a lot over the years about HRT. Dr. Soares really took an interest in Menopause when she was not able to access HRT due to the discouragement of HRT when she was experiencing symptoms. She really wants to help women during this transition of their bodies. And she shared exciting news about a new non-hormonal drug, called Veozah, for all women but especially exciting for women who are not a candidate for HRT. You lose bone density during menopause too so she explained the importance of getting a Dexa scan. And of course, she offered advice on how to stay healthy during Menopause. Learn More at Southcoast.org.

From heartburn to GERD to colon cancer, Dr. Charles Shana’s the expert! His objective is to diagnose and then choose an appropriate course of treatment. He treats the full digestive tract and works hand in hand with the internists and primary care physicians. A primary care physician is the first stop in seeking treatment, and from there they can refer you to a gastroenterologist for more complex symptoms. For heartburn and GERD he can offer treatment by starting with weight loss by looking at a patient’s diet and their exercise routine. Dr. Shana offered some foods to avoid that are common culprits of acid. When those treatments don’t work, he may have to use surgical measures to provide the patient relief. He explained at what point those surgeries may be recommended. Dr. Shana can use a LINX surgery that is cutting edge and he described how that surgery is performed along with a couple other options. There is great reward to performing colonoscopies for Dr. Shana too. He can literally prevent a patient from getting colon cancer and he expressed how good that feels to report to the patient. And while colonoscopies are the gold standard for detecting colon cancer he did discuss other alternatives that have proven to be fairly effective in detection. Learn more at Gastroenterology | Southcoast Health.

Top three contributing factors to lung cancer? Smoking, Radon, and Asbestos! Screening is always key in detecting diseases and cancer. Dr. Tammy Gleeson, DO in Thoracics, joined us in this episode and it became very apparent how early detection is important to the success rate of surviving the disease AND life after. Dr. Gleeson really explained stages 1,2, and 3 of lung cancer. She also shared how those stages change your surgery, recovery, and life after lung cancer. Dr. Gleeson is no stranger to small-cell lung cancer. Unfortunately, she has lost many loved ones, including her father to this cancer. She originally thought she wanted to attend dental school but Thoracics pulled on her heartstrings due to family history. Dr. Gleeson can remember those experiences and extend grace to those patients, in a similar way, how she wanted to be treated. She talked a little bit about robotics and SBRT (stereotactic body radiation therapy). Dr. Gleeson also shared encouraging news about treatment in the future. Learn More at Southcoast.org.

After surgery, after injury…you can get back into action with a little physical therapy. Physical therapy focuses on movements of larger muscle groups and uses multiple modalities for recovery. Jeremy Ponte, physical therapist at Southcoast, has helped his patient Rick Kidder to recover multiple times after surgery. Rick joked that they must have psychology training too. He was referring the the support and encouragement he has received, when in pain, as he was being pushed to heal his body. Jeremy added that they, as trained professionals, know the pain limits to accomplish the goal of healing. Jeremy and his co-therapists have a comprehensive goal of recovery for their patients which lots of times includes homework to keep revisiting long after leaving the office. Jeremy and Rick agree the patient has to assume responsibility and motivation to recover but Jeremy and his team work cohesively to make that happen! Learn More at Southcoast.org.

When you grow up watching your dad be a radiology oncologist, and then your big brother, of course, you want to be one too. That was not what Dr. Patrick Gagnon thought initially. But after first-hand exposure to in rotations, he fell in love with this field. Dr. Gagnon candidly shared how he loves the hope and quality of life he can offer his patients. Did you know radiation can alleviate pain due to cancer or remove obstructions? Radiation is not always to cure but rather to offer quality of life. He stressed the importance of early detection. Once terminal diseases, they are now very curable in their early stages. Get your annual screenings done! The most common cancers are breast, prostate, and colorectal. You can treat cancer with chemotherapy (internally), radiation (external intense radiation), or a combination. Dr. Gagnon uses Stereotactic Radiation to pinpoint treat cancer more effectively, than in his dad’s days of practice, and in less time. At Southcoast, they also practice image-guided radiation therapy. He was so good at explaining both treatment modalities. Cancer treatment has grown in leaps and bounds since then and is now in use at Southcoast Health. Learn More at Southcoast.org.