When Kelly Garrett felt a small lump in her breast, the fear she felt was so intense she couldn’t bring herself to talk about it. For more than a year, she worried in silence, feeling the mass steadily grow. “One day, I felt a little lump. Six months later, it was a little bit bigger. After a year, it felt …

EDGEWOOD, KY – St. Elizabeth Healthcare has reached an impressive milestone in its fight against lung cancer: the 20,000th lung cancer screening. Since the low-dose CT lung cancer screening program began in 2013, the program has grown exponentially. “We screened seven patients in 2013 and more than 6,000 patients in 2021,” says Michael Gieske, MD, Director of the St. Elizabeth …

Mary Leonard learned about St. Elizabeth’s lung cancer screening program from a flyer that arrived in the mail. She thought it was a great idea and proactively scheduled her first appointment. Mary just completed her fourth annual lung cancer screening – as St. Elizabeth’s 20,000th lung cancer screen. As a 71-year-old resident of the Florence-Union area, Mary enjoys staying active. …

Vascular surgery describes surgery on the arteries or veins, which are the “highways” of the body’s circulatory system. When a blockage to an artery or vein occurs, patients may need vascular surgery to repair the obstruction and restore normal blood flow to the area. Vascular surgery frequently involves procedures to address blockages in blood vessels that could occur anywhere throughout …

Uncovering genetic link leads to better treatment Certain types of high cholesterol can have a genetic link. This inherited disorder is called familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). Hypercholesterolemia is the medical term for high cholesterol in the blood. FH is caused primarily by a genetic defect on chromosome 19, which prohibits the body from effectively removing low-density lipoproteins (LDL), sometimes called “bad …

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) affects more than 20% of Americans. GERD causes heartburn, chest pain, inability to eat certain foods and even food regurgitation – symptoms that were a big part of 27-year-old Chelsie Begley’s daily life. As a mom of young kids balancing a 40-hour-a-week job and homeschooling, Chelsie had no energy for anything, thanks to her severe GERD …

St. Elizabeth Healthcare is one of the first in the region to offer a new relief option for patients struggling with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). The most common GERD symptom is acid reflux – that uncomfortable heartburn sensation that many of us have occasionally felt after eating. However, when your acid reflux becomes chronic and severe, it is known as …

Intracept Procedure: Long-Lasting Relief for Lower Back Pain Lower back pain affects more than 31 million Americans each year – and it’s the number one reason why people see their doctor. Most back pain typically goes away with over-the-counter medications, stretching exercises and other at-home remedies. However, if you experience back pain lasting more than six months, an MRI can …

Tips for Maintaining a Diet with Healthy Sodium Limit Do you know if you’re getting too much daily salt in the foods and beverages you enjoy? The truth is, you probably are. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the average American consumes more than 3,400 mg of sodium each day. That’s nearly 50% more than the recommended daily limit …

Giving blood is an essential and meaningful way to give back to the community, but how much do you really know about it? Here are some lesser know facts … 1.  Blood donations are needed daily. According to Alecia Lipton of the Hoxworth Blood Center, area demand calls for collecting at least 300 units a day of whole blood and …