In The News
New Studies Find it's Possible to Slow, Even Reverse Dementia
Spoiler alert: This column may save your life. If nothing else, it could dramatically improve your quality of life as you march into old age. Unless you are under the age of 45, the time to act is now and I am not kidding. My mom was so worried about losing her marbles she chose … Read More
Hoag Dedicates Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute
The Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute at Hoag Memorial Presbyterian was dedicated May 28. The ceremony honored principal donors Richard “Dick” Pickup and his wife, Donna, in addition to their extended family. The institute is already garnering national attention as a West Coast research and treatment center focusing on the serious medical study of different forms … Read More
Surgeons use Virtual Reality to Fly Through Patients' Brains at Hoag Hospital
Whether navigating a star ship through a meteor storm or lurking through the murky underbelly of a city at midnight, gamers have long used virtual reality technology to make their experiences seem… well, virtually real. Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach recently hosted a tour of its operating rooms that are using the same technology to … Read More
Keeping Kids Healthy And Sane In A Digital World
Smartphones, tablets and video consoles can be addictive. They interfere with sleep. They draw kids into an alternate universe, often distracting them from more productive — and healthier — real-world activities. And they are linked to anxiety and depression, learning disabilities and obesity. That’s according to a growing body of research emphasizing the physical and … Read More
Hoag Shows Off Operating Rooms
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach is showcasing state-of-the art equipment at its two 820-square-foot operating rooms that recently opened. The 3D Surgical Theater, which was designed by former Israeli fighter pilots, takes the image of the patient’s brain and recreates a 3D model so neurosurgeons can “fly” through a patient’s brain to get … Read More
Team Helps Kids ASPIRE Toward High School Graduation At Hoag
The After School Program For Interventions And Resiliency Education offered by the Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute at Hoag, received a three-year accreditation, the group announced Wednesday. Teens who complete the program are eligible to receive up to five WASC-approved semester credit hours to be applied toward their high school graduation. The ASPIRE program at Hoag … Read More
Hoag Debuts New '7D' Surgical Technology
The Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach recently added a “7D” surgical system used in spinal procedures, making it the first West Coast hospital to do so. The system contains the same technology found in self-driving cars, according to a news release, enabling a surgeon to have an “unprecedented level of … Read More
Move Quickly Because Parkinson's Builds Slowly
When a patient comes to me long after he or she suspects that something is amiss, I tell them, “I understand.” I know why they had ignored their tremors for too long. I understand why they had dismissed their balance issues as insignificant. Depictions of Parkinson’s disease in popular culture are grim, and nobody wants … Read More
Parents Today Worry About Social Media As Much As Radio Worried Parents Years Ago
Plain and simple, all parents worry. In the 1930’s, they worried about the affects listening to the radio would have on their children’s priorities. In the 1950’s, it was the accessibility of “adult” content on television. It wasn’t until the 1980s, though, that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) came up with guidelines for how … Read More
After-School Program Seeks to Blunt the Increase in Suicide, Suicidal Ideation Among Depressed Teens
It’s not just someone obsessed by Columbine. Last year, a seemingly normal teen was found dead from suicide in a Corona del Mar park. Just a few weeks ago, a young man walked into a local South County fast food joint, then into the restroom, where he was found hung. Another was found dead on … Read More