Lately, things have felt very rushed. Maybe it’s the after-effects of the pandemic. Maybe I have too many things on my plate. Whatever the reason, I don’t feel as though I have time for genuine, real interactions outside of work. When it comes to healthcare, though, those genuine, real interactions are what build the culture of our practices. Making the patient feel welcome and engaged, regardless of how our day has been, is critical to strengthening the doctor-patient relationship.

A new diagnostic procedure performed with robotic technology allows for accurate diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer much faster than other procedures. Dr. Jason Bailey, a board-certified pulmonologist and critical care intensivist at Northwest Health, recently went on AFMC TV to talk about robotic bronchoscopy and the way it expedites diagnosis so patients can receive treatment more quickly.

It’s no surprise that mental and physical health are connected. Like peanut butter and jelly. The sun and the moon. A pen and a piece of paper. One directly influences the other. What might be surprising, though, is that, despite their obvious connection, mental and behavioral health are often treated in separate clinics by separate providers at separate times. Why not treat patients for both in the same place? Enter integrated behavioral health.

Both structured and flexible play is an important part of a child’s development as they grow into an adult. Whether it’s playing with blocks or throwing a football outside, play has several important benefits on a child’s cognitive development. Dr. Chad Rodgers, AFMC’s Chief Medical Officer, recently went on AFMC TV to discuss the misconceptions behind what play actually means and how beneficial it is to both the child and the parent.

According to the Arkansas Prevention Needs Assessment (APNA) survey, 29.1% of Arkansas high school seniors, 15.2% of eighth graders, and 6.8% of sixth graders have reported trying e-cigarettes at least once. One of the most significant factors that increase youth risk of tobacco and cigarettes is being exposed to tobacco use through parental smoking. Joy Gray, Tobacco Treatment Specialist (TTS) and branch chief of the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program, says that early intervention and education are key to helping youth make informed decisions about tobacco use when they get older.

If you’re like me, you rolled your eyes when you were a teenager, and your parents told you to turn the music down in your earbuds. Now, in my late 20s, the ringing in my ears is a constant reminder that my parents were right. Dr. Mary Chatelain, an audiologist at Pinnacle Hearing in Little Rock, recently went on AFMC TV (it's worth the watch) to discuss the importance of monitoring the noise level of earbuds, noise machines, and other listening devices, especially in babies, teenagers, and children. Doing so will protect them in the long run and save them from hearing loss.