
New Study Looks at Link Between Estrogen Level and Breast Cancer
Estrogen Level May Help with Decisions About a Treatment to Prevent Breast Cancer Women who are post-menopausal, or past menopause, have varying levels of estrogen. Now, findings from a study co-led by a researcher at Sutter Health showed measuring estrogen levels...

Sutter Health Honored for Safe, Equitable Pregnancy Care
As soon as expectant parents hear the happy words, “you’re pregnant!” they face a slew of choices. What’s the right diet? Which prenatal tests? Which birth center is best? With so many things to consider, parents-to-be naturally seek out pregnancy, childbirth and...

Surgeons Volunteer Time, Skill to Help Patients in Need
By Melissa Fuson, Vitals contributor As the holiday season shifts into high gear, delivery drivers like Amaral Randera work longer hours, lifting and carrying packages large and small from the early morning until well after the sun goes down. For Randera, who lives...
Editor’s Picks
Heart Transplant Recipient to Walk in Rose Parade, Honors Donor
(Left to Right) Dr. Ranjan Ray, Leslie Barratt, Ted Jung, Nancy Jung, Dr. Brett Sheridan at Sutter's CPMC | Nov. 2023 San Francisco resident Ted Jung was admitted to Sutter’s California Pacific Medical Center with heart failure in 2019. Doctors told him he’d need a...
New Hospital Tech Can See Cardiac Changes in a ‘Heartbeat’
A nurse for more than 20 years, Cris Panaligan tells patients that his job is to help them stabilize after surgery, injury or illness. Part of that job is to keep a watchful eye over the healing process and respond to new or worsening symptoms. Thanks to new...
Lung Cancer Caught Early Restores Health for Yuba City Resident
Stefan Walczak, 74, has experienced his fair share of journeys as a volunteer train driver in Yuba City, Calif., about 40 miles north of Sacramento. But nothing could prepare him for the “ride of a lifetime” his seventh decade would bring. Walczak, a former smoker...
Health Center Serves as ‘Unlikely’ Haven for Modesto Mother, Son
by Craig Baize and Liz Madison, Vitals contributors An iconic fictional character once famously professed, “There is no place like home.” That phrase takes on new meaning for the Whitecotton family of Modesto, California. They have found a second home in the most...
Dive Deeper
New Technology May Advance the Future of Stroke Care
Few hospitals in the U.S. have the necessary equipment and expertise to treat large vessel occlusion (LVO) ischemic stroke. This challenges emergency medical services staff who must quickly and accurately identify stroke type to ensure individuals are transported...
Off-Road Racer Goes Extra Mile for Melanoma Research
(L-R) Michael Chinnavaso, Mark Seiler, Sarah Price, Maddy Price | September 2023 By Kathy Engle, Vitals contributor Thanks to generous donations to Ride-On for Melanoma Research, a patient suite has been named in honor of Shawn Price on the cancer unit of the Van...
Sutter Health Hospitals Receive High Marks in Patient Safety
Three Sutter hospitals today received an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit focused on patient safety. An additional eight hospital campuses in Sutter Health’s not-for-profit system earned a “B” grade for prioritizing patient...
S.F. Surgical Team Celebrates Robotic Bronchoscopy Milestone
Just in time for Lung Cancer Awareness Month, an interventional pulmonary team in San Francisco is celebrating its 200th robotic bronchoscopy for the early detection of lung cancer. The minimally invasive procedure is available at Sutter’s California Pacific...