
Like-minded Leaders Lift Up Next Generation of LGBTQ+ Folk
By Kathy Engle, Vitals contributor Jerry Enos helped students discover and nurture their talent during his four-decade career teaching theater design in higher education. But perhaps the most important aid he offered young artists was a safe space. By listening and...

How a Cancer Survivor is Championing Genetic Testing
Tara Jasper's breast cancer diagnosis brought clarity about genetic testing as a powerful prevention strategy. She's working with Sutter Health to spread awareness about its no-cost genetic testing & counseling program called GREAT. Knowing your cancer risk can...

Local Dental Clinics Bridge the Gap to Access Oral Health Services
Looking for a kid-friendly explanation for why oral hygiene is important the next time your young one bristles at brushing their teeth? Meet the sugar bug! A “sugar bug” is the common nickname given to bacteria in your mouth that run rampant if you don’t brush your...
Editor’s Picks
Greater Healthcare Access Remains Focus for Amador County
Leaders from across Amador County recently gathered to hear from several healthcare experts about how they are addressing ongoing needs in the community. Participants in the lunchtime panel at Hotel Sutter on May 24 included Kristi Beaufore, operations executive...
Introducing R.O.S.S., the Newest & Most Advanced Surgery Team Member
Robot-assisted Surgery Offers Advanced Care & the Comforts of Home for Local Patients By Lara Azar, Vitals contributor The newest member of the Sutter Davis Hospital surgery team was born an expert—keenly observant, uncommonly adept and coolly collected under...
Test Your Clinical Trial Knowledge
In the mid-1700s, Scottish physician-researcher Dr. James Lind encouraged a group of sailors to join an experiment in which they ate oranges and lemons. Turns out the vitamin C-rich fruit helped prevent the onset of scurvy—an illness caused by severe vitamin C...
Milestone Robotic Surgery Makes Cancer ‘Uneventful’ for Union City Man
At age 52, telecommunications specialist Gary Resurreccion has seen the launch of innovations from smartphones to Siri. “But I didn’t anticipate my sixth decade of life would include one of the world’s most cutting-edge technologies: robotic surgery,” says...
Dive Deeper
Sutter Patient Advocates for MS Research and Clinical Trials
Persistent tingling in her arms and legs, difficulty putting on her shoes and trouble urinating: these were symptoms Sutter patient Pamela Swint began experiencing in 2019. At first, like loose pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, these symptoms seemed indecipherable on...
High-Tech Lab Opens at Novato Community Hospital
Photo: Norio Tajima, a technical specialist, performs a COVID-19 test in Novato Community Hospital's new onsite lab. Novato Community Hospital’s 20-year-old clinical laboratory got a “glow up” this month. The newly opened facility puts efficiency and testing...
Does a NorCal Superbloom Mean Super Allergies? Doc Explains
By Marika Rose, Vitals staff We’ve heard a lot about the California Superbloom recently -- the kaleidoscope of wildflowers carpeting California hillsides and state parks that typically results from years of drought followed by heavy and prolonged rain. This year...
Pediatrician Feels Like a Kid Again, Thanks to Gratitude
The COVID-19 pandemic took Navneet Singh completely out of his comfort zone. As a pediatrician he went to work in personal protective equipment that made him feel like a clumsy Darth Vader. As a dad he stayed home and watched his two daughters slog through virtual...