Health Is the Key

Each year, more than 1 million women in the U.S. will experience menopause. And four out of five of those women will complain of symptoms that range from hot flashes and night sweats to sexual problems and sleep disturbances. In the not-so-distant past, menopause wasn’t taken seriously, and women were hard-pressed to find answers to their questions. Thankfully, that’s changing. To learn more about this unique aspect of women’s heal...

In our September episode, Mount Sinai’s Dr. Michael Kisicki explored with us the mental health crisis affecting so many teens in the U.S. In this month’s Key Note, Dr. Kisicki looks at just one of the many factors impacting teens’ mental health – social media – and shares strategies families can use to help them navigate the online world safely.   

The Takeaway  

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With the start of the school year, we are dedicating this month’s episode to the teen mental health crisis in the U.S. According to a recent survey, nearly one in five teenagers has a diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition – leaving parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends – searching for ways to support the mental health of the teens in their lives. Fortunately, we are joined by Dr. Michael Kisicki, an Associate Prof...

In our August episode, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Danielle Sobieski answered some common questions about vitamins and supplements. In this month’s Key Note, Danielle explains what you can expect on your first visit to a nutritionist and how they will work with you to support you on your healthy eating journey.

The Takeaway

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A nutritious, balanced diet is key to maintaining our health, but getting the alphabet list of nutrients we need to fuel our body can be a challenge. If you’re taking vitamins or supplements to fill in the gaps, you probably have questions. So for our August episode, we asked Danielle Sobieski, a registered dietitian nutritionist in private practice, to help us find answers. Danielle discusses the benefits and risks of taking vitam...

In our July replay episode, Dr. Karinn Glover, an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, explored burnout, the unique stressors that healthcare workers face and resources that can help. In our July Key Note, Dr. Glover discusses the role empathy plays – tuning into others’ feelings as well as our own – in building supportive relationships that are key to battling burnout. 

The Takeaway 

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Listen as we talk about recognizing burnout with Dr. Karinn Glover, a board-certified physician and psychiatrist and clinician with Montefiore Health System. Dr. Glover helps us examine the unique stressors that healthcare workers face, the symptoms of burnout and when to ask for help. She offers insights and strategies for getting the support you need, from DIY remedies like self-care to professional care and how to find it. Dr. G...

In our June episode, Dr. Martin Karpeh from Northwell Health helped us kick off Men’s Health Awareness Month, examining the unique challenges men face and sharing simple steps they can take to take charge of their health. In this month’s Key Note, Dr. Karpeh talks about his participation in a panel discussion that explored the impact that prostate cancer has on Black men. To view the video, visit The Unspoken Truth: A Dialogue on P...

June is Men’s Health Awareness Month, so this month’s episode focuses on the unique health challenges that men face. Men are less likely than women to have regular checkups and have higher rates of chronic conditions. To explore the reasons behind men’s reluctance to seek care—and to offer support—we are pleased to be joined by Dr. Martin Karpeh, director of surgical oncology for Northwell Health Eastern Region and chairman of surg...

In our May episode, we marked Hypertension Awareness Month with Dr. Robert Ostfeld, a cardiologist at Montefiore Medical Center. Dr. Ostfeld shared how his patients naturally lowered their blood pressure by adopting a plant-based diet and offered tips for eating more plant-based foods. In this month’s Key Note, he explains how getting proper sleep can reduce stress hormones that contribute to high blood pressure.

The Takeaway

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For Hypertension Awareness Month, we are fortunate to have Dr. Robert Ostfeld, a cardiologist at Montefiore Medical Center, join us to talk about lifestyle approaches for treating – and preventing – high blood pressure. In this episode, Dr. Ostfeld explains the numbers, the symptoms – or lack of symptoms – and the associated risks. A self-confessed “reformed cardiologist,” he talks about how he saw his patients who adopted a plant-...

In our April episode, Integrative Registered Dietitian Janet Lau introduced us to mindful eating, a practice that focuses on the what, when, how and why of eating. Janet shared her own experience of how mindful eating promoted healthier food choices and boosted her overall quality of life. In this month’s Key Note, Janet explains the tools she uses to support someone getting started on a mindful eating journey of their own. 

The ...

For Integrative Registered Dietitian Janet Lau, mindful eating is a way of life. Focusing on the what, when, how and why of eating helped Janet overcome years of unhealthy food choices and improve her overall quality of life. In this episode, Janet explains the basics of mindful eating, shares her own journey and offers some simple tips on how to enjoy all the health benefits that mindful eating can bring to your healthy living jou...

In our March episode, we marked Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month with Dr. Renee Williams, a Gastroenterologist and Associate Professor of Medicine at NYU Langone. Dr. Williams talked about the importance of preventive screening for colorectal cancer and walked us through the colonoscopy procedure. In this month’s Key Note, she explains what happens if polyps are found during a colonoscopy, what they are and how they’re treated.

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Let’s face it, no one says, “I can’t wait to have a colonoscopy!” But with advances in the procedure and easier prep solutions – as well as less-invasive options – there really is no reason to wait to schedule this screening. To mark Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, we are joined by Dr. Renee Williams, a Gastroenterologist and Associate Professor of Medicine at NYU Langone, who wants everyone to know that colon cancer is preventa...

In our February episode, we marked American Heart Month with Dr. Shivani Verma, an interventional cardiologist at Maimonides Medical Center. In this month’s Key Note, Dr. Verma explains “broken heart syndrome,” a rare condition that can affect the heart muscle after an emotional shock or a sudden stressor. The good news: most people make a complete recovery.

The Takeaway

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In our February episode, we mark American Heart Month with Dr. Shivani Verma, an interventional cardiologist at Maimonides Medical Center. In our conversation, Dr. Verma shares information on what heart health looks like, symptoms to watch for and how early prevention can help ensure better health outcomes.

The Takeaway

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In our January episode, we got to know Dr. Lela Mayers, the Benefit Funds’ new Deputy Chief Medical Officer. In this month’s Key Note, Dr. Mayers discusses the wide range of wellness resources members can take advantage of to support them on their health journeys.  

The Takeaway

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In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Lela Mayers, the Benefit Funds’ Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO). Dr. Mayers recently joined us to work alongside Chief Medical Officer Dr. Van Dunn in supporting our members’ health journeys. In our conversation, we get to know more about our new DCMO, who began her career as a family medicine physician. Among other things, we learn what she loved about family medicine, why she made the tra...