Better Health Radio

According to the Center for Connected Health Policy, Telehealth is a collection of means or methods for enhancing health care, public health, and health education delivery and support using telecommnications technologies. Virtual visits via phone, video, computer/web, mobile app, or text with health care providers have grown in popularity of the years due to the comfort and convenience of being able to reach a doctor from your home or anywhere with internet connection (and not have to drive over town, spend time in the waiting room, etc.). What are some examples of how telehealth is used?Listen as Dr. David Haseltine explains telehealth, the benefits, and some examples of how it's used.

Medications can relieve symptoms of your condition and improve your quality of life. At Tidelands Health, you’ll benefit from pharmacists who help you get the right dose of the correct medication at the proper time.When you're prescribed medication it's important to follow instructions carefully. If medications are taken improperly, it can cause some some serious issues.What are some ways to avoid common medication mishaps? At Tidelands Health we take your medication safety seriously. That's why we've assigned a clinical pharmacist to every medical service in our hospitals. That means you get safe, effective and cost-efficient medication during your hospital stay. A clinical pharmacist is available around the clock to help your health care team respond immediately if your medical needs change.In this segment, Darrell Willm, Tidelands Health pharmacist shares the most common medication mishaps and how you can avoid them.

Outpatient rehabilitation can help patients recover from injury or illness. Tidelands NextStep Rehabilitation Services offers physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy customized to each patient's individual needs.Speech therapy can help you or a loved one recover from illness or injury. In this segment,  Luann Mezzatesta, Tidelands Health speech therapist, explains that the goal of speech therapy is to help you or a loved one regain control of your voice and communication skills.

There are few things more precious than good health. At every stage of life, better health begins here.Vaccine-preventable diseases can cause significant illness, hospitalization, pain, disability, and death in the United States, particularly when it comes to older adults.Listen as Grady Adkins, MD explains the importance of getting your adult immunization.

Being independent and able to drive is an important part of your well being, but after a illness or injury you might find it difficult to get back behind the wheel.Driver rehab specialist Ian McClure talks today about Tidelands NextStep program and the goal of getting patients back on the road safely.

If your back or neck aches, you're not alone. Spinal pain distracts millions of Americans from the joys of everyday life. Turn to Tidelands Health for relief, so you can focus on your family, work and hobbies again.Listen in as Nick McClary, physical therapist and clinical services manager at Tidelands HealthPoint Center for Health and Fitness, explains that the goal of back and neck rehabilitation is to help you manage disabling pain, return to your highest level of functioning and independence possible, while improving your overall quality of life.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, almost 1 million joint replacements are done each year in the United States. When is it time to consider a joint replacement? Do you have to wait until the pain is unbearable?As you age, joints begin to wear out and cause pain. If physical therapy, medications and other conservative measures haven’t brought lasting relief, joint replacement surgery at Tidelands Health can help you return to the life you love. Listen in as Daniel Single, MD explains that when knee or hip pain severely limits your ability to walk, work or perform even simple activities, it might be time to consider knee or hip replacement surgery.

A hand injury can dramatically impact quality of life. Even routine tasks such as brushing your teeth or writing a note can become difficult, if not impossible.Tidelands NextStep Hand Therapy Center is staffed by certified hand therapists who can help patients who have suffered a hand injury or illness regain functionality and learn adaptive skills to achieve independence with activities.Carrie DeLuca, senior occupational therapist at Tidelands Health, is here to discuss hand therapy, and how it can help you regain mobility and movement in an injured hand.

Hospitalists are physicians whose primary professional focus is the general medical care of hospitalized patients. Their activities include patient care, teaching, research, and leadership related to Hospital Medicine.Dr. James Principe is here to explain that at Tidelands Health you can be assured of great in hospital care from their many qualified hospitalists.

Do you stumble in the morning from pain in your foot? Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain. It involves pain and inflammation of a thick band of tissue, called the plantar fascia, that runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes. It can be incredibly painful and affect the quality of your life.When your bones, joints or muscles hurt, you'll find no better place in the region than Tidelands Health to receive treatment. National health care ratings service Healthgrades has rated Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital in the Top 10 percent of hospitals in the country for overall orthopedic services in 2015.Will Whiteside, MD, is here to discuss Plantar fasciitis and how Tidelands Health is here to help.

At Tidelands Health, we are guided by a Triple Aim – that is, to deliver superior quality and service to our patients, to improve the health status of the communities we serve and to reduce the cost of health care delivery.Ours is a singular commitment: Better health begins here. Together, our more than 2,000 employee and physician partners are working side by side with our patients to transform the health of our region  -- promoting wellness, preventing illness, encouraging recovery and restoring health.Desmond Young, MD is here to insure you that our patients’ health, safety and comfort are our top priorities. We always strive to exceed our customers' expectations.

A new service available at Tidelands Health can help you understand your risk for coronary artery disease and heart attack. Called Heart Scan, the test measures the amount of calcified plaque build-up in coronary vessels, which is an accurate predictor of heart attack risk.Candidates for Heart Scan typically have no known heart disease but do have at least one of the following risk factors: between the ages of 45 and 85, smoke, are living with high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol, have a family history of heart disease, are overweight or obese and are physically inactive.Christopher Daub, MD., is here to explain the benefits of early screening for calcified plaque build-up.

Genetic BRCA testing or a quick, non-invasive HALO® Breast Pap Test can help you determine your odds of developing breast cancer. When your health care providers know your risk, they can tailor a screening and education program that keeps you in the best possible health.Dr. Angela Mislowsky, Tidelands Coastal Carolina Breast Center, is here to help you better understand all your options to help prevent or treat breast cancer.

Typically, when a breast biopsy is recommended for an abnormal mammogram finding, a core needle biopsy may be recommended as opposed to a surgical biopsy. Advanced technology has helped to make minimally invasive breast biopsy methods a possible alternative to surgical biopsy for some women. It might just be the option for you.Listen as Craig Brackett III, MD, the Director of Tidelands Health Breast Health Program, helps you to better understand this minimally invasive breast biopsy.

Sports medicine doctors have special training to restore function to injured patients so they can get moving again as soon as possible. They are also knowledgeable about preventing illness and injury in active people. Although sports medicine doctors do work with professional athletes, they also treat children and teens involved in sports and adults who exercise for personal fitness, as well as people who have physically demanding jobs, like construction workers.Signs of a significant injury include severe pain, swelling, numbness, and an inability to put any weight on the injured area.William Greer, MD, is here to explain how most sports injuries do not require surgery. Treatment for a sports injury can include the use of pain relievers and keeping the injured area immobilized with a cast or sling. In some cases, a surgical procedure may be required to repair torn tissue or realign bones.

Your immune system defends your body from diseases. But sometimes a substance that shouldn’t harm you triggers your immune response – leading to rashes, sneezing, itching, swelling or other allergy symptoms.A specially trained allergist at Tidelands Health can help you ease symptoms of allergies – which often are caused by pet dander, pollen, insect stings and certain foods and medications.James Turek, MD, is here to discuss your options if you struggle with allergies.

Have you ever wondered if what you see on emergency room TV shows is actually how it is?Michael Ratliffe, MD, an emergency room physician at Tidelands Health, is here to explain just how it is in the emergency room.