In The News
Woman Lost, Bloodhound Found
A bloodhound can sniff out the dead skin cells that tumble off a typical human body like so much talcum powder, at the rate of about 30,000 cells per hour. A bloodhound’s floppy ears rustle dust up from the ground and make it swirl around its nose to make the sniffing easier. A bloodhound’s olfactory … Read More
Special-needs Students Take a STEP Toward Independence with Job Skills Training
Vicki Ann Martini always knew special-needs students had the potential to be independent and part of society. All they needed was support. A group of Martini’s colleagues in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, where she was a job coach, had similar feelings, so they drafted a proposal for a program to help special-needs students after … Read More
Newport Beach Neurosurgeon Volunteers in Palestine, Changes Lives Forever
It is Thanksgiving morning and Dr. Burak Ozgur, a Newport Beach neurosurgeon, walks ancient streets to perform 21st-century medical miracles. In moments, Ozgur will enter a hospital on the West Bank. He is armed with medical supplies that he’s brought from the United States. Soon, he will do exactly what he’s done for the past … Read More
Alzheimer's Disease: What You Can Do to Prevent Holiday Memories from Vanishing
Forgetting grandchildren’s names at Thanksgiving. Misplacing keys in an odd location at Christmas. Repeating a story for the second time in an hour at New Year’s Eve. We all wonder, “Is Grandpa just getting old or is something wrong with him?” These noticeable memory lapses may come with old age, but often lead to the … Read More
'Sleep education' must play a role in discussion about school start times
Do teenagers know how to sleep? If you’re the parent of a teen, you might be laughing to yourself. That’s all they know how to do. In truth, teens (and their parents) might not know enough about how to sleep, when to sleep and why. California is considering a bill that would require secondary schools … Read More
Retired NFL Player Keeps Tabs on Their Health Through Intensive Program at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach
JJ Birden nearly didn’t play in the National Football League. A track and field star at the University of Oregon, Birden qualified for the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials in long jump. Admittedly, track and field was Birden’s first love. Ironically, it was an injury that swung Birden to professional football, and ultimately ended his track … Read More
This year I am giving thanks for our brave firefighters
As fires continue to rage to the north and smolder to the east, I, like many people, marvel at the heroism of firefighters and first responders. We all want to do our part to thank these men and women who risk their lives for others. I am in a unique position to do so. Over … Read More
Hoag Named Top Cardiovascular Hospital
Hoag was named one of the top 50 cardiovascular hospitals by IBM Watson Health, according to a news release. Watson Health’s annual study included risk-adjusted inpatient mortality, risk-adjusted complications, percentage of coronary bypass patients with internal mammary artery use, 30-day mortality rates, 30-day readmission rates and severity-adjusted average length of stay, according to a news … Read More
Pickup Family Foundation gives $15 million for neuroscience research at Hoag
Richard “Dick” Pickup’s $15-million donation to the Neurosciences Institute at Hoag Hospital is the largest single gift ever from his Pickup Family Foundation. It’s also personal. The gift will enable the newly renamed Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute to investigate cutting-edge treatments for disorders and conditions ranging from stroke, epilepsy and addiction to paralysis and dementia. … Read More
Breast Cancer Screening Controversy: What You Need to Know
Screening mammograms save lives. There is no controversy there. But how often to screen and at what age? This is where the varying opinions lie. Two years ago, the American Cancer Society changed mammography recommendations, ruling that for average-risk women, yearly mammograms should start at age 45, not 40, and transition to every other year … Read More