According to the CDC, more than 73 million American adults have high cholesterol, but less than one-third of them have the condition under control. The good news is that changes in lifestyle, medications, or a combination of both may help you get your cholesterol back to healthy levels. In this #BrighamHealth Hub blog, learn the ins and outs of what your #cholesterol numbers mean and the steps to take to get your cholesterol levels under control. 

When Laticia Goodman learned she was pregnant at 21 years old with her first child, her mind fired off a series of questions: Could she continue her education? What about her career plans? Was she really ready to be a parent? Fortunately, Goodman didn’t have to answer those questions alone thanks in part to the support from a BWH program for young parents like her. Now, Goodman is part of a new cohort of young parents who will serve as peer mentors in a BWH program for other young parents confronting similar questions, challenges, and triumphs. The initiative was announced during the seventh annual STEPS Young Parent Summit, a day-long event hosted by BWH’s Center for Community Health and Health Equity. 

In her early 30s, Race Across America and #TeamBrighamHealth competitor, Neil Withington, was diagnosed with Stage III #BreastCancer. "I was constantly plagued with the recurring thought that I was going to die from my disease. It was overwhelming and began to consume me," she recalls. In this #BrighamHealth Hub blog, she reveals how turning to running and tennis after her diagnosis helped her overcome her fears. 

A Stepping Strong funded project at Gillette Stadium is training all 500 employees how to properly apply a tourniquet in the event of mass casualty or a workplace injury. The hands-on instruction, led by Eric Goralnick, MD, Director of Emergency Preparedness at Brigham and Women's Hospital, is empowering people to gain confidence and coping skills in high-intensity situations. In a special feature from The Boston Globe, learn more about the program and the lasting impact it is making for those attending the course. 

If you live or work in a city, you’re likely used to the everyday sounds of car horns honking, jackhammers drilling, sirens ringing and trains rumbling. As a result, you may have developed the ability to tune out these noises without even knowing it. In 2015, it was discovered that up to 490 unique alarms sounded per patient bed per day in certain units at BWH. That’s roughly 20 alarms per hour. About 75 percent of them were non-critical. So how do we know which sounds we really need to pay attention to? In the newest #BWHSafetyMatters blog post, learn the steps BWH took to reduce the number of audible patient alarms and ensure the alarms which were going off needed to be. 

While the average age of #menopause is 51, menopause can actually happen anytime from the 30s to the mid-50s or later. In this #BrighamHealth Hub blog, Team Brigham Health cyclist, Susan Lynch, explains how she stayed healthy through 20 years of menopausal symptoms. #WomensHealth 

When Ben Coiner isn’t working in the Department of Psychiatry, chances are he’s spending his free time volunteering with several organizations close to his heart, including BWH’s Post-Anesthesia Care Unit. In the early-morning hours before his day job, Coiner welcomes patients preparing for surgery and assists with nonclinical duties. Outside of BWH, he’s a volunteer coach with the Association of Blind Citizens Boston Renegades, a local team of blind and visually impaired athletes who play an adaptive form of baseball called beep baseball. “Volunteering always brightens my day,” said Coiner, a technical research assistant at BWH. “Whether I’m working or volunteering, I love helping others and doing what I can to bring joy into their lives.” 

Brazilian, Jewish, Haitian, Middle Eastern and Puerto Rican – these are just some of the cultures that make up the diverse patient population at BWH. Recently, BWH’s 12 dietetic interns learned how a culture’s unique style of cuisine and dietary guidelines or laws can influence a patient’s nutrition needs and preferences. “As I look at our next generation of dieticians, we are certainly experts in nutrition, but if we can’t connect with the people and the food, we can’t deliver high-quality nutritional care that is both appropriate for our patient’s clinical needs and cultural needs,” said Kathy McManus, MS, RD, Director of the Department of Nutrition.

Headed to the beach or perhaps a day boating out on the lake? Josh Kosowsky, MD, Attending Physician in Emergency Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, speaks with Harvard Health Publications to provide some essential water safety tips that will help ensure your summer fun is both safe and enjoyable. 🚤🏖