Winter 2011 | Volume 3, Issue 1

Ranked in the

99th percentile for ER

patient satisfaction. growNurturing the health of you and your family

Carpal tunnel cure | New health tests | Free cholesterol screening

I N S I D E

New Year. New You.

Team up with these Parker doctors in making 2011 your healthiest year yet. See page 4 to

meet the docs and get their advice.

new surgery that takes just 15 minutes can cure carpal tunnel syndrome—with less than a 5 percent chance of the problem recurring.

The new endoscopic surgery, performed through a tiny incision in the wrist, releases the pinched nerve causing the problem and relieves all symptoms—if it’s done early enough, says In Sok Yi, MD, an orthopaedic hand surgeon who performs this surgery at Parker Adventist Hospital.

This new surgery replaces the traditional “open” procedure that requires a large incision in the palm, which makes it more painful and requires a much longer recovery time. Yi performs this surgery at Parker Hospital due to the availability of a special

camera needed for the procedure. “It is one of the most satisfying surgeries available

because it works so well,” Yi says. “Patients come in for surgery on Friday and are back to work on Monday.”

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs in up to 2 percent of the population. It is caused when the median nerve is pinched as it passes through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. It causes numbness, and sometimes pain, in the palm, thumb and first two fingers. The pain is often so severe that victims cannot sleep at night.

The cause of carpal tunnel syndrome is not known. Doctors do know, however, that it is not caused by repetitive motions, such as computer work, and that it does run in families.

A person whose parent had the problem has a 60 percent chance of also developing it. It is more common in women, probably because of their smaller bone structure. People who develop it in one hand have a 60 percent chance of developing it in the other.

Putting off treatment can make the situation worse, he says. The longer the nerve is pinched, the more likely it is to cause permanent damage that cannot be reversed—even when the pressure is relieved off the nerve.

“Carpal tunnel is curable if taken care of early,” Yi says. To find a hand, orthopaedic or neurosurgeon specialist, go to parkerhospital.org/doctor.

New surgery eases carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel fiction— and facts:Myth 1: It is caused by repetitive motions, especially computer work. The cause is unknown, but it tends to run in families.

Myth 2: Rest will cure it. Unlike tendonitis, it does not get better with rest.

Myth 3: Surgery is painful and is likely to not work. New endoscopic surgery takes 15 minutes and results in a lifelong cure for nearly every patient.

Weight Loss Surgery

Wed, Feb. 16 6:30–8 p.m.

Join Matthew Metz, MD, medical director of bariatrics at Parker Hospital, for a look at the surgical and medical approaches to weight loss. Learn the options, including gastric bypass and lap band

surgeries, and whether you may be a good candidate.

Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy

Thurs, Feb. 17 Noon–1:30 p.m.

Compared with traditional surgery, a laparoscopic hysterectomy

offers many benefits, including a smaller incision, shorter hospital

stay and a quicker return to normal activities. Join OB/GYN Jonathan Franco, MD, to learn about this procedure and if you

are a candidate.

February FREE health seminarsJoin Parker Adventist Hospital for a series of FREE health seminars throughout winter and spring. All seminars will beheld in the Inspiration Room of the NEW Parker Adventist Hospital Conference Center, located on the garden level of the hospital at the west entrance. A light lunch is providedduring daytime programs and light snacks during evening programs. Registration is required by calling 303-777-6877, ext. 1.Guests are encouraged to park on the west side of the hospital.

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Until recently, surgery to relieve carpal tunnel required a large incision through the palm of the hand (left). Surgeons at Parker Hospital now can perform the surgery through a 1/2-inch incision on the wrist.

9395 Crown Crest Blvd., Parker, CO 80138grow is published four times annually by Parker Adventist Hospital as part of our mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ by caring for the ill and nurturing the health of the people in our community. For comments or to unsubscribe to this publication, please email us at grow@centura.org. grow is produced by Clementine Communications, Denver, Colo.

Executive Editor: Rachel Robinson

New surgery eases carpal tunnel syndrome

Resolutions for a Healthier You

Thurs, Feb. 24 Noon–1:30 p.m.

A new year gives you the opportunity for a new you. Join internal medicine

specialist Shauna Gulley, MD, as she discusses the latest tips on heart health, diet, recommended

screenings, supplements and more. This is your opportunity to

get the latest health tips and up-to-date information.

Hearts-a-FlutterTue, Feb. 22 6:30–8 p.m.

Heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias ) are problems that affect

the electrical system of the heart muscle. One type of arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation,

affects millions of Americans. If left untreated, this disorder can lead to

congestive heart failure or stroke. Join cardiac electrophysiologist Christopher

Stees, DO, and learn more about symptoms and treatments.

Hearts-a-Flutter Common heartbeat problem can cause fatigue

n irregular heartbeat could be the cause of your shortness of breath, your fatigue or your inability to exercise for very long.

Atrial fibrillation—the technical term for an irregular heartbeat that occurs in the atrium, or upper portion, of the heart—occurs in 10 percent of American adults, says Christopher Stees, DO, a cardiologist who specializes in electrophysiology at Parker Adventist Hospital. A person’s risk of developing the problem increases with age. Heart disease, obesity and sleep apnea along with the use of dietary stimulants, illicit drugs and alcohol also increase a person’s risk.

Sometimes described as a racing heart, this condition can cause the heart to beat upwards of 100 to 175 beats per minute, compared with the normal 60 to 100 beats per minute. It develops when the electrical connection between the lower and upper chambers of the heart becomes overwhelmed, causing the heart to beat too rapidly or irregularly.

While many people may never feel symptoms, others may experience palpitations, shortness of breath, fainting spells or exercise intolerance. “Although the fast heart rates associated with atrial fibrillation are usually not dangerous, it can affect a person’s quality of life,” Stees says.

Atrial fibrillation is most often treated with medications. If medications don’t work or the patient cannot take the medications, it can be treated with a procedure called catheter ablation. During this procedure, the electrophysiologist maps the electrical pathways of the heart and cauterizes the tissue generating the problematic impulses.

Parker Hospital’s cardiac care program specializes in emergency intervention and nonsurgical treatments for cardiovascular disease. It has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines—Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Silver Performance Achievement Award for excellence in cardiac care. Parker Hospital’s emergency room ranks in the 99th percentile for patient satisfaction.

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FREEcholesterol testDate: Friday, Feb. 18Time: 7–10 a.m.Location: Parker Adventist HospitalInspiration Room, Garden Level Conference Center at West Entrance

Get a complete cholesterol profile, including HDL, LDL and triglyceride levels. Fasting is required. Screenings are limited to the first 500 to register; reservations are REQUIRED and must be made by Feb. 16. For complete information or to register, call 303-777-6877, ext. 1.

$99 heart scansA coronary artery calcium screen is a scan of your heart that can help doctors look for deadly plaque buildup. It is recommended for men over 45 and women over 55 who have other risk factors for heart disease, including family history, being overweight or having diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Parker Adventist Hospital is offering this screening for $99 (normally $333) from Feb. 14 through March 18. A physician’s referral is recommended but not required. Results will be sent to your doctor. To schedule your scan, call 303-269-4500.

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Dr. Christopher Stees

Join us in our NEW conference center located on the garden level at the west entrance for these seminars!

New Year.

NewYou.

Look behind your mammogramLast year the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force increased the recommended age at which women should start annual

mammograms, leaving some women confused and tending to delay this life-

saving test. Most cancer experts, however, continue to recommend that women start annual screenings at age 40—even earlier if they have a family history of this disease.

“Mortality from breast cancer has been cut by as much as 30 percent since we started telling women to get annual mammograms at age 40,” says Christine

Rogness, MD, breast surgeon and medical director of the breast program at Parker

Adventist Hospital. “This decrease in deaths is directly attributed to using mammography as a screening tool. Given that data, I don’t know how we could recommend otherwise.”

Before making an appointment, take time to decide the best place to be screened, Rogness advises, as you’re likely to return there

year after year. Check that the facility is accredited by the American College of Radiology. Then ask who will read your mammogram. Look for a center with radiologists who are on-site, specially trained in reading mammograms and who

spend at least half their time reading mammograms.

Digital mammography is the most state-of-the-art screening technology and is especially good for younger women who have dense breasts. Because it uses more sensitive imaging, it requires an even higher level of expertise, Rogness says.

The Trio Breast Center at Parker Hospital offers digital mammography

read by board-certified breast radiologists. To schedule an appointment, call 303-269-4150.

A resolution with real resultsCut back on restaurant and processed foods and you’ll start to see your blood pressure drop within weeks, according to research by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Lower blood pressure will reduce your chances of early onset dementia, stroke, heart disease and kidney failure. How’s that for results?

“A lot of the health problems I see are avoidable,” says Oscar Dominguez, MD, a kidney and hypertension specialist at Parker Adventist Hospital. “A large number of folks end up with hypertension because of lifestyle choices, including obesity, a high-sodium diet, heavy alcohol intake and lack of exercise.”

Excessive salt consumption is one of the leading causes of high blood pressure, and nearly all of that salt comes from restaurant and processed foods, according to the CDC. Consider, for example, that even the relatively healthy-sounding miso soup with noodles from Tokyo Joe’s contains a whopping 2,687 mg of salt or Subway’s foot-long ham sandwich contains 2,400 mg of salt. Then consider that your body needs less than 500 mg of sodium each day to survive—and that the Institutes of Medicine recommends no more than 1,500 mg per day. Currently, the average American over the age of 2 consumes nearly 3,500 mg of salt every day.

“If you’re eating out a lot, there’s no way you can avoid a high-sodium diet,” Dominguez says. “The reality is that food does taste better when it’s highly salted, and our palates become accustomed to that.”

Dominguez does not preach that you should never eat out again. Instead, he recommends shooting for an average consumption of 1,500 mg of salt each day over the course of a week. “A lot of my patients eat very healthy during the week and then go out to dinner on the weekend,” he says.

Tips to fuel your resolutions

It’s a new year and that means at least half of you have made a resolution—and it’s probably about your health. Cheers to you! We applaud your efforts to grow a healthier life for you and your family.

To help keep you going, we asked four Parker physicians to give you some advice. We also asked them to share their New Year’s resolutions with you.

Here’s what they had to say.

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Christine Rogness, MDBreast Surgeon

New Year’s Resolution: To exercise five times weekly and add weight training to her running and cycling.

Oscar Dominguez, MDNephrologist

New Year’s Resolution: Take up silat, a Malaysian martial arts practice.

It’s a blessing and a curse. You become so consumed by a sport that you can’t wait to do it over and over again. You get better and

better. You set personal best after personal best.

Then the injury comes. A torn rotator cuff. A blown knee.

It’s not fair, but the fact is that the harder you train at a single sport, the more likely you are to hurt yourself—particularly your joints. Joint injuries are most commonly caused by three culprits: being out-of-shape and overweight; getting old and developing arthritis; or being in

shape but failing to train to protect your joints. It’s that last one that active Coloradans tend

to ignore, says Derek Johnson, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon and medical director of the joint replacement program at Parker Adventist Hospital. “When we find a sport, we tend to stick with it and then we develop muscle imbalances that create pressure on the joints.”

To protect your joints from injury, Johnson recommends three tips: Balance your muscles—If you’re developing strong quadriceps from running or cycling, be sure you’re adding hamstring exercises. Making opposing muscles equally strong prevents undue pressure on a joint, which in this case is the knee.

Train your stabilizers—We tend to concentrate on developing large muscles for strength and speed, while forgetting about the

small muscles. But it’s these small muscles that stabilize the joints while the big muscles tend to pull on the joints. People tend

to concentrate on strengthening their abdominal muscles to strengthen their core, for

instance, but ignore the tiny muscles that surround the spinal column.

Maintain ideal body weight—Every pound of body weight adds up to six pounds of pressure

on your joints, so even five extra pounds results in 30 pounds of pressure if you’re jumping or running.

Take the pressure off

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Derek Johnson, MDOrthopaedic Surgeon

New Year’s Resolution: Build a home gym to focus on adding plyometrics to his running routine to help balance his muscles.

Matthew Metz, MDBariatric Surgeon

New Year’s Resolution: To bring lunch to work. “Although we have healthy options in our cafeteria, I find myself making unhealthy choices when I’m really busy.”

Make lean proteins your first choice and the first thing you eat.

Exercise can rev your appetiteCould exercise be hurting your efforts to lose weight? Absolutely, says Matthew Metz, MD, a bariatric surgeon and expert in weight loss.

Exercise is essential to good health and to weight loss maintenance. But it can sabotage efforts to lose weight by causing the body to produce certain hormones that increase the appetite. This effect is greater in women than men, Metz says.

“Exercise doesn’t cause you to gain weight, but it can lead you to eat more,” says Metz, medical director of The Bariatric & Metabolic Center at Parker Adventist

Hospital. “Losing weight is a straightforward math calculation: Your caloric expenditure has to be greater than your caloric intake.”

In other words, 30 minutes on the treadmill may burn up 250 calories, but you can easily undo that by stopping on your way home to get a flavored latte. Even if you’re aware of calories, you might find that exercise is making it more difficult to stick to your New Year’s resolution—especially if you’re a woman.

Studies have shown that exercise—even moderate walking—causes women’s bodies to produce more acylated ghrelin. This hormone tells the body to consume more calories. This effect is not seen as consistently in men.

“From an evolutionary standpoint, women’s bodies are designed to maintain body fat better,” Metz says. “It takes immense willpower for a woman to lose weight.”

This is not to say that you should not exercise. In fact, repeated studies have shown that in order to maintain weight loss—or even maintain your current weight as you age—exercise is mandatory. Just be aware of the number of calories you’re consuming and be sure those don’t creep up as a result of exercise.

Other tips Metz gives his bariatric patients apply to anyone trying to lose weight:Don’t drink excessive amounts of fluids while eating.

Eat only at a table with no distractions and leave the table within 20 minutes.

Talk with these docs and more at free health seminars. See pages 2 and 8.

Photos, including cover shot, by ellen Jaskol.

To learn more about weight loss surgery, go to bariatriccenterco.com.

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ith new medical studies completed almost daily, health screening recommendations are continually updated, revised, deleted or added.

To stay informed of the latest recommendations, you should schedule an annual exam and talk with your doctor.

Stephanie Kraft, MD, an internal medicine physician at Parker Adventist Hospital who also has a master’s degree in public health, discusses some of the latest news on screenings.

Lung Cancer Screening: While there is currently no screening for lung cancer, a promising study by the National Cancer Institute reported late last year that low-dose CT scans detected lung cancers at relatively early stages and reduced deaths from lung cancer by as much as 20 percent. Although the data is still being analyzed, keep a watch for recommendations soon—particularly if you have ever smoked.

Cholesterol: Total cholesterol under 200 has been the mantra for years, but cholesterol guidelines are expected to get a major revamping this year. Look for recommendations on getting your cholesterol measured with highly sensitive screenings, such as the Berkeley HeartLab or VAP, that break down cholesterol into dozens of various particles. A genetic screening also is available, with ongoing research regarding its use.

Sleep Disorders: The incidence of sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea,

is on the rise. Anyone who feels tired after a good night’s sleep, snores or experiences periods of not breathing while sleeping should discuss a sleep screening with a doctor. For more information on sleep disorders and to take a free sleep quiz, go to parkerhospital.org/sleep.

Diabetes: One out of every three Americans with diabetes is walking around undiagnosed. Untreated diabetes causes severe damage to a person’s organs, including kidneys, heart and eyes. Every person should be screened annually beginning at age 45. There is discussion over the best screening for diabetes, but the current standard is the fasting glucose test. That may be changed to hemoglobin A1c, a blood test that can measure glucose without fasting. Parker Hospital offers pre-diabetes and diabetes education classes. To learn more, go to parkerhospital.org/diabetes.

Thyroid: Every person over the age of 65 should be tested, and postpartum women should discuss testing with their physician, particularly if they are feeling depressed or anxious. Vitamin D: While the use of sunscreen helps prevent skin cancer, it also blocks the production of Vitamin D, which is essential for bone health. Vitamin D also plays a key role in regulating moods and energy and is believed to help prevent some cancers. Most doctors have started screening all patients annually.

Vitamin B12: This vitamin, obtained through animal protein, is essential for metabolism, the formation of red blood cells and maintenance of the central nervous system. Anyone over 65 should have this screened at least once.

HIV: As Americans live longer and healthier lives, they are staying sexually active much later in life. Doctors are now recommending that sexually active adults of any age be screened for sexually transmitted diseases, particularly HIV, which is on the rise in people over 65.

LeArN MOreParker Adventist Hospital offers a number of free screenings and health programs to help you stay healthy. See page 3 for details on the upcoming FREE cholesterol screeningand health programs.

Protective MedicineUpdated screening guidelines help guard your health

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Customize Your Screening recommendationsScreening guidelines are just that—guidelines. It’s important to develop a customized screening plan for yourself by overlaying your family history on the general guidelines. If, for instance, your mother had breast cancer at the age of 40, you would need to start getting annual mammograms at age 30, not 40 as suggested for the general population. If you have a family history of early heart attacks, you may benefit from advanced screenings, such as coronary calcium scans, that others your age do not need.

To help track your family history, go online to familyhistory.hhs.gov. Print out your results and discuss implications with your physician.

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Is whooping cough back?Older children and adults need vaccine boosters

Answer: At this time of year, pediatricians’ offices are filled with kids suffering from the flu, colds, ear infection and coughs. Unfortunately, we’re seeing the return of a disease we thought was conquered—pertussis, otherwise known as whooping cough.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports that the incidence of pertussis cases nationwide in the first six months of 2010 had quadrupled over 2009—the highest level of cases in 50 years.

Although we think of pertussis as a childhood disease, it actually is highly

contagious and can be contracted by adults as easily as children. In fact, adults and older children are at higher risk because many have lost the immunity of their original vaccines.

The pertussis vaccine is given to infants in five doses between the ages of

2 months and 6 years. The immunity provided by the vaccine generally wears off within 10 years. So children who are vaccinated by kindergarten

are no longer safe by the time they hit high school unless they have received a booster shot. The same goes for adults, who should be revaccinated every 10 years. The vaccine is safe for pregnant women and they can get it at any time.

The pertussis vaccine is combined with vaccines for tetanus and diphtheria, which are very good vaccines themselves to keep updated.

Pertussis generally starts off as a cough and runny nose, followed by weeks or even months of severe coughing fits. Because it is often confused with a cold, people who are contagious continue interacting with others and spread the disease. That is why it is so important that everyone be regularly vaccinated.

Linda Tetor, MDFamily Medicine, Parker Adventist Hospital

Q&A

New parents offered vaccineBeginning Feb. 1, Parker Adventist Hospital will begin offering the pertussis vaccine to new parents who deliver their babies at The BirthPlace. To learn more about The BirthPlace, go online to parkerhospital.org/birthplace.

New Doctors

Heidi Renee Aasheim, MD • AnesthesiologyKathleen Marie Adelgais, MD • PediatricsBenjamin Alderfer, MD • PsychiatryJustin Hubbard Arbuckle, MD • Pediatrics,

OphthalmologyJohn Richard Batiuchok, MD • PsychiatryNicholas John Behrendt, MD • Obstetrics &

Gynecology (OB/GYN)Jack Howard Betts, MD • AnesthesiologyAsmeen Bhatt, MD • HospitalistSandeep Bhatt, MD • HospitalistJonathan Edward Blacker, MD • Otolaryngology

(ENT)Ryan Andrew Caltagirone, MD • PediatricsKevin Patrick Carney, MD • PediatricsDeborah Chen-Becker, MD • PediatricsClaudia Lou Clopton, MD • PsychiatryMaureen Ann Cunningham, MD • PediatricsAruna Dash, MD • PathologyBradley James Davis, MD • NeurologyJeffrey Todd Domingue, DPM • Podiatry, Foot and

Ankle SurgeryMeghan Ann Donnelly, MD • Obstetrics &

Gynecology (OB/GYN)

Stephanie Dunn, MD • PediatricsRonald D Edelman, DPM • PodiatryAnna-Lisa Farmar, MD • PediatricsDebra Jeanne Faulk, MD • AnesthesiologyJulian Hart Fisher, MD • NeurologyMark Shepherd Fitzgerald, MD • Orthopaedic SurgeryJonathan Edward Franco, MD • Obstetrics &

Gynecology (OB/GYN)Tracy Funk, MD • PediatricsCrea Lynn Fusco, MD • General SurgeryJoel Daniel Gardner, DO • AnesthesiologyRaymond E Garrett, MD • NephrologyMark Douglas Getzoff, MD • PediatricsScott Andrew Glasser, MD • RadiologyAmanda Elizabeth Greene, MD • PediatricsRobert James Greenhow, MD • Orthopaedic SurgeryAmy Randal Grover, MD • PediatricsDaniel Richard Hamman, MD • Orthopaedic SurgeryJennifer A Hardy, MD • PediatricsMichael Aaron Heller, MD • AnesthesiologyGary Robert Hensley, MD • HospitalistJessica Leigh Herzog, DPM • PodiatryWindsong Emily Hollis, MD • PsychiatryLisa Marie Hunsicker, MD • Plastic Surgery

Jessica Melloney Kentish, MD • AnesthesiologyRobert Bruce Keyser, MD • OphthalmologyKaylyn Gresh Krummen, MD • AnesthesiologyJay Adam Kutnick, MD • PsychiatryErik Earl Lindseth, MD • PediatricsBruce Allen Lockwood, MD • Physical Medicine &

RehabilitationDavid Craig Loucks, MD • Orthopedic SurgeryVijay Maggio, MD • NeurologyJudith O Margolis, MD, MPH • AnesthesiologyJoseph William Markey, MD • NeurologySara Powers Merrill, MD • AnesthesiologyDonald Michael Merrill, MD • AnesthesiologyIrene Monica Minkoff, MD • Hematology/OncologyArvind Mohanram, MD • Anesthesiology, PediatricRupa Narra, MD • PediatricsKelly Newgent, MD • PediatricsChristopher William Nichols, MD • NeurologyJames Kilty OBrien, MD • Critical CareCristina Maria Pagett, MD • HospitalistSandra Lynn Peterson, MD • PsychiatryJustin Jedidiah Petrolla, MD • Physical Medicine &

RehabilitationDavid Lee Priebe, MD • Family Medicine

Jonathan Bisram Ramharack, MD • HospitalistMelissa Gale Reynolds, MD • PediatricsMichelle Patterson Rhodes, MD • PediatricsSharon M Sagel, MD • PediatricsStephen Michael Santangelo, MD • AnesthesiologyJohn Joseph Santos, MD • PediatricsMonali Sarkar, MD • HospitalistSara Jane Scherrer, MD • HospitalistAndrew William Smith, MD • AnesthesiologySteven Howard Spillers, MD • NeurologyKelly Fitzgerald Stees, MD • Anesthesiology, PediatricTimothy Richard Stidham, MD • PediatricsSarah Hinkel Sullivan, MD • PediatricsJoseph Scott Turner, MD • HospitalistClay C Watson, MD • Infectious DiseasesKeith Michael Weisz, MD • Pediatrics,

Emergency MedicineJason Charles Wells, MD • Pulmonary/Critical CareJoel E Wilson, MD • AnesthesiologyMegan Elizabeth Woodman, MD • Obstetrics &

Gynecology (OB/GYN)Kristin Truell Woodward, MD • AnesthesiologyAdel Kabir Younoszai, MD • Pediatrics, CardiologyJason Peter Zamkoff, MD • Pediatrics

The following physicians have recently joined the growing team of experts at Parker Adventist Hospital. For more information on these doctors and to see a complete list of all physicians practicing at Parker Hospital, go online to parkerhospital.org/doctor.

If you have a health question, email us at grow@centura.org. If we publish your question, we’ll send you a $25 gift card to a local merchant. Questions can be on any topic and will remain anonymous.?ASK THE ExPERTS

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strength compassion hope innovation expertise

Baby BluesGiving birth is a joyful experience, but it can make a new mom feel overwhelmed, stressed and even sad. About three-quarters of women will experience the “baby blues” within the first few days after delivery, but those feelings typically disappear within four weeks,

says Susan Lee, MD, an obstetrician with Parker Adventist Hospital.

Postpartum depression, which affects about 10 percent of new moms, can last much longer—up to a year—and produce more severe symptoms. Symptoms can include: Guilt or feelings of worthlessness Fatigue, lack of interest in normal activities,

sleeping too much or too little Lack of interest—or over-concern—for the baby

“Women produce lots of hormones during pregnancy, including hormones that create euphoria, so when those stop being produced, a woman’s body reacts and can cause depression,” Lee says

Postpartum depression is not typically a lifelong condition, Lee says, but it does require treatment, which may include medications and/or counseling.

The BirthPlace at Parker Hospital rates in the top 99th percentile for mom satisfaction!Learn more, take a virtual tour or schedule an in-person tour at parkerhospital.org/birthplace.

Dr. Susan Lee

Centura Health complies with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and no person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination in the provision of any care or service on the grounds of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, sexual preference, ancestry, age, familial status, disability or handicap.

1 in 10 moms feels postpartum depression

SUPPORT GROUP: Mental Health

America of Colorado offers a free support

group for mom

s with postpartum depression.

Call 720-208-2220.

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March Health SeminarsMake an appointment with the experts at Parker Adventist Hospital to become more body-wise. All seminars are FREE but require registration by calling 303-777-6877, ext. 1. All seminars will be held in the Inspiration Room at the NEW Parker Adventist Hospital Conference Center, located on the garden level of the hospital at the west entrance. A light lunch is provided for noon seminars and light snacks for evening programs.

Joint ReplacementWed, March 9 // 6:30–8 p.m. Learn about the latest in joint replacement—completely customized joints made just for your body. Join orthopaedic surgeon Derek Johnson, MD, to discuss these new joints as well as the latest in pain relief techniques.

Weight Loss SurgeryWed, March 16 // 6:30–8 p.m.Join Matthew Metz, MD, medical director of bariatrics at Parker Hospital, for a look at the surgical and medical approaches to weight loss. Learn the options, including gastric bypass and lap band surgeries, and whether you may be a good candidate.

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDDenver, CO

Permit No. 47739395 Crown Crest Blvd.

Parker, CO 80138

Portercare Adventist Health System

Colorectal Cancer: From Prevention to TreatmentThurs, March 24 // Noon–1:30 p.m.Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths, yet among the most treatable of all cancers if caught early. Join colon and rectal surgeon John Sun, MD, to learn how to reduce your risk and how a simple but rarely used test can save your life.

Preventing and Treating StrokesThurs, March 31 // Noon–1:30 p.m.Did you know that 80 percent of strokes can be prevented? Join neurologist Ravi Shah, MD, to learn stroke prevention, the warning signs of a stroke and treatment. Learn why getting help F.A.S.T. is critical.