By now, most of us have fallen into some sort of routine and are doing our best to protect ourselves, our families and community from COVID-19. We wash our hands, we wear a mask in public, and we physically distance. Even though we know the CDC guidelines, it can be difficult to know when and how to apply those guidelines to our everyday lives. Two Dignity Health Medical Group physicians, Zachary Brewer, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon and Syama Varudu, MD, an Internal Medicine physician with Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, share the best practices that they use every day.

Halloween will look a bit different for many families this year as parents and kids navigate how to have a fun, safe Halloween amid the ongoing pandemic. As a pediatrician at Dignity Health Medical Group - Dominican, Komal Afzal, DO, understands there is a healthy balance we must achieve to ensure children’s safety while fostering their continued development.

With Halloween around the corner, she urges parents to continue the conversation around safety and encourages open dialogue about how the holidays will look different while finding ways to still make them special. Usual traditions such as costume parties and door-to-door trick or treating may not be happening, but there are certainly still many ways to celebrate Halloween this year.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to increase education and awareness around a disease that affects women of all ages and ethnicities. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the U.S., second only to skin cancer. Close to 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. 

Joelle Jakobsen, MD, FACS, a general surgeon and breast cancer specialist with Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group in Folsom, and Carmichael Calif. and Daniel Herron, MD, director of Women’s Imaging at Dignity Health Advanced Imaging, shared helpful information on breast cancer and mammograms.

The flu virus infects millions of people and hospitalizes hundreds of thousands each year. And with the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s even more important to protect against the flu. It is possible to contract both COVID-19 and the flu simultaneously, and recent studies show that up to 20% of people who test positive for coronavirus, also have the flu or other respiratory illnesses. The flu shot decreases the likelihood of getting these viruses together.

Sudershan Singh, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Woodland Clinic shared some insightful tips on the symptoms you should know, and preventative measures you can take to protect you and your family this flu season.

One in five women in California will experience distressing emotions, anxiety or depression during their pregnancy or up to a year after giving birth. This time can be difficult for the entire family. Early identification and treatment are vital to the health of not only the mother, but also her infant, partner and family. The pandemic has only increased new parents’ need for support.