Four Ways to Celebrate the 4th More Safely
By Anita Creamer and Monique Binkley Smith, Vitals contributors The Fourth of July holiday often means gathering with friends and family for a barbecue or picnic before the main event: the fireworks. And that's not good news for everyone. Because while for many...
COVID Vax for ‘The Littles’ Is Here; What Parents Should Know
The time has arrived for the United States’ arguably cutest cohorts – “the littles” ages 6 months to 4 years – to get vaccinated against COVID-19. As our nation’s final eligible group to receive the go-ahead, the announcement comes as a relief for many parents and...
Close to Home: Docs Begin Residency at Newest Teaching Hospital
Dr. Zachary Visinoni, originally from Paradise, Calif., is one of nearly two-dozen newly graduated physicians comprising the inaugural group of residents at Northern California’s newest teaching hospital: Sutter Roseville Medical Center. For Dr. Visinoni, it’s been an...
Editor’s Picks
Storing Sunscreen in Your Car? Think Again
When I moved out West, I had no idea that sunburns would be one of my most memorable souvenirs from weekends spent exploring Northern California. After putting my skin through the ringer, I was determined to have good sun protection while on the go. I opted to keep...
A Path Toward Sobriety: Woman Overcomes Opioid Use Disorder
Loss, grief and other struggles that life brings can challenge us all. But for individuals with substance use disorders, these bumps in the road may prompt severe relapse causing additional harm and potentially serious health concerns. Last year, nearly 50,000...
Depression Treatment Uses Electric Currents to Bring Relief
By Meg Walker, Vitals contributor Anne* has dealt with depression for much of her life. As a young woman, she was hospitalized a few times for depressive episodes, and once she took an overdose of medication. Anne remembers that fortunately she was able to...
How a Wrestling Dummy Helped Boy Name New Surgical Robot
William Bramhill, 11, likes to wrestle and named his practice wrestling dummy T.O.D. “T.O.D. means ‘The Other Dude,’ like, ‘You should have seen The Other Dude,’ “ he explains. So, when Sutter Surgical Hospital in Yuba City held a contest at schools throughout the...
Dive Deeper
Emergency Doctor Gives Back to Community Where He Works
Dr. Ted Muller says physicians are like “modern-day superheroes.” But rather than fly or show indomitable physical strength, their superpower is the ability to help people heal and make them feel safer. “There are situations where people come in and you can...
Needed: More Rural Docs; New Residents Part of Solution
The first two physicians in the federally-supported Family Medicine Rural Residency Program in Amador County are beginning their two-year residencies this week at the Sutter Family Medicine Continuity Clinic in Jackson, along with rotations at Sutter Amador...
Nursing Dads: Couple Wed One Week, Become Fathers the Next
Jonathan Judy-del Rosario of Alameda always wanted to be a father, but as a gay man he didn’t think it would be possible. Then he met Kurt del Rosario, and he wanted kids, too. “We listed with an adoption agency in August 2012 and started our journey,” Jonathan...
ALS Clinical Trial Gives Enrollee Purpose
Happenstance can take many shapes. But for 46 year-old Sutter patient Vashti Ross, who was found to have a rare genetic mutation that caused Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (or “ALS”, sometimes called Lou Gehrig’s disease), the diagnosis provided her the unique...