Motherhood doesn't always match our expectations. For many new parents, the journey brings unexpected emotional challenges. In fact, CDC research shows that about 1 in 8 women with a recent live birth reported symptoms of postpartum depression. And that's just one of a multitude of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders that can develop during pregnancy and persist for up to three years after delivery.

That's where ChristianaCare's Center for Women's Emotional Wellness comes in. Psychologists Malina Spirito and Spencer Paige Brown join us to share their insights on the number one complication of childbirth, discussing how one parent's mental health can have a ripple effect through the entire family, along with the warning signs that family members should be on alert for.

With early intervention, these issues are highly treatable. Don't wait until things feel "that bad" to seek help. Listen now to take the first step towards reclaiming the joy in your parenting journey.

Malina Spirito, M.Ed., MA, is a licensed psychologist at the ChristianaCare Center for Women’s Emotional Wellness, specializing in support for women before, during, and after pregnancy. Dr. Spirito provides consultations, assessments, and treatment to women and their families regarding perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

Spencer Paige Brown, Psy.D, MS, brings her passion for working with patients from marginalized backgrounds to her role as a dedicated and empathetic licensed psychologist. In her current role as a clinical psychologist at the ChristianaCare Center for Women’s Emotional Wellness, she specializes in treating and supporting adult patients with a range of mental health needs that arise before, during, and after pregnancy.

Links:

• ChristianaCare Center for Women's Emotional Wellness
• ChristianaCare News - Veronica’s Story: The Art of Making Moms a Priority
• Postpartum Support International
• CDC Symptoms of Depression Among Women
• Perinatal Depression - National Institutes of Health

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At ChristianaCare, excellence is at the foundation of our nursing practice, having recently secured a fourth consecutive Magnet® designation - the gold standard and ultimate benchmark for measuring quality of care, administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Magnet designation signifies belonging to an elite group representing just 10% of hospitals nationwide, and ChristianaCare is the first health system in Delaware to achieve a four-peat.

To explain the significance of this milestone, we're joined by Michelle Collins, Vice President of Nursing Professional Excellence at ChristianaCare, and Paige Merring, ChristianaCare Nursing Excellence Manager. Michelle and Paige unpack what makes ChristianaCare unique, including the use of a comprehensive system-wide approach; a transformation to a professional practice model that has led to an increased BSN rate to 83% and an increased certification rate to 65%; and a collaborative spirit that encourages teamwork across all disciplines.

Ready to experience the difference nursing excellence makes? Listen now to discover how ChristianaCare is shaping the future of healthcare through innovation, advanced education, and unwavering commitment to exceptional patient care.

Michelle L. Collins, DNP, APRN, CNS, ACNS-BC, NPD-BC, NEA-BC, LSSBB, leads ChristianaCare's systemwide efforts to support nursing practice innovation and problem-solving. She also has led ChristianaCare to achieve its fourth Magnet designation, a preeminent excellence designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Paige Merring, MSN, RN, CCRN, is the Nursing Excellence Manager at ChristianaCare. In this role, she facilitates strategic planning for nursing, supports professional governance councils to empower nurses, and leads teams to improve patient experience.

Links

• Nursing at ChristianaCare
• ChristianaCare Magnet® Designation
• ChristianaCare News - Four-Peat! ChristianaCare Achieves Magnet®–the Top Recognition for Nursing Excellence–for 4th Time
• American Nurses Credentialing Center

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According to the National Institute of Health, there are more than 500,000 clinical trials happening right now around the world. ChristianaCare has been nationally recognized for contributions to this work, as clinicians and scientists at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute collaborate to turn laboratory discoveries into real world therapies.

On this week's episode of For The Love of Health, we're joined by Dr. Greg Masters, ChristianaCare’s National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) Principal Investigator. Dr. Masters explains how these vital studies work and why they matter - from testing new medications to exploring innovative treatment combinations, each trial represents hope for patients facing difficult diagnoses.

We're also joined by Robert Robinson, a prostate cancer survivor who himself participated in a clinical trial at ChristianaCare. He shares how his clinical trial not only saved his life, but sparked his mission of talking about men's health.

For its excellence in clinical trials, the Delaware/ChristianaCare NCORP in 2024 earned the prestigious Platinum Award for Exceptional Achievement from the NCI/NCORP.

Gregory A. Masters, M.D., has been a ChristianaCare lung cancer specialist since 2003. In addition to his investigative work with NCORP, Dr. Masters serves as an associate professor at Thomas Jefferson University Medical School in Philadelphia, and is a highly published expert and a reviewer for many of the leading oncology clinical publications.

Links

• ChristianaCare Cancer Clinical Trials
• ChristianaCare News - National Leader in Cancer Clinical Trials: ChristianaCare Advances Pioneering Therapies
• National Institute of Health Clinical Trials Database
• Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy or Conventional Radiation Therapy After Surgery in Treating Patients With Prostate Cancer (Robert's clinical trial)
• Robert Robinson's Podcast, The Lions Den

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Have you heard of the term "health care pollution"? It refers to the waste that hospitals produce while providing patient care, as well as hospitals’ carbon emissions.

Nurse Practitioner Deanna Benner and Nursing Professional Development Specialist Ashley Oncay discuss how they found ways to decrease ChristianaCare's carbon footprint. What started as a grassroots initiative has transformed into a $1 million sustainability movement. Through the Medical Supply Donation Program and the Landfill Diversion Project, ChristianaCare is helping the community while reducing waste.

Whether you're a ChristianaCare caregiver or simply someone concerned about the environment, this episode offers practical inspiration showing that one person's trash truly is another's treasure.

Links

• ChristianaCare News - Environmental Sustainability Initiatives Keep 7.7 Tons of Medical Supplies Out of Landfills
• ChristianaCare News - ChristianaCare Team Wins Environmental Excellence Gold Award
• Environmental effects of surgical procedures and strategies for sustainable surgery
• Project CURE
• Habitat for Humanity ReStore Goods Donations

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Improving quality of life is a goal in both healthcare and policing. ChristianaCare and the New Castle County Division of Police are working together to change lives in our community.

The collaboration is called the Behavioral Health Unit, a groundbreaking partnership that pairs officers with social workers to transform crisis response. When 911 calls with mental health components come in, these specialized teams respond together. Officers ensure safety while social workers conduct comprehensive assessments to determine appropriate care possibilities beyond the limited options of jail or emergency rooms.

On this episode of For the Love of Health, New Castle County Division of Police Corporal Colleen Kearns and ChristianaCare Social Worker Delilah Colon describe the issues that led to the formation of the Unit, share facts and statistics about the people and families the program has impacted, and look forward to how this partnership is serving as a template for the future of policing around the state.

Links

• Hero Help – New Castle County Division of Police Addiction & Behavioral Health Unit
• Wilmington Police Partners in Care Program
• Newark Police Department Behavioral Health Unit
• Delaware Public Media, 2020: ChristianaCare to staff New Castle Co. Police Behavioral Health Unit

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According to the Alzheimer's Association, nearly 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's. By 2050, that number is expected to grow to 13 million.As Delaware's aging population is expected to grow, the need for memory care is also increasing.

On this episode, Dr. Steven Huege endowed chair of ChristianaCare's Swank Center for Memory Care reveals how a multidisciplinary approach makes all the difference for patients and their families. You'll hear about the different conditions addressed by the Swank Center, their participation in the innovative GUIDE Program to assist caregivers, and what the future holds for memory care in terms of medications and cutting-edge treatments. If you're concerned about memory changes in yourself or a loved one, this is an episode not to be missed.

Steven Huege, M.D., MSEd is The Swank Foundation Endowed Chair in Memory Care and Geriatrics at ChristianaCare. He brings over two decades of experience to his clinical practice as a compassionate, dedicated board-certified geriatric psychiatrist. Dr. Huege sees older adults with behavioral and psychiatric symptoms related to neurocognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy Body Dementia, and FTD.

Links

• ChristianaCare Swank Center for Memory Care
• ChristianaCare News: Swank Center for Memory Care Will Test Groundbreaking Dementia Care Model
• Alzheimer's Association Facts and Figures
• Alzheimer's Association Delaware Statistics

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ChristianaCare's Delaware Medicaid Partners Accountable Care Organization - also known as an ACO - has set the standard for innovative, high-quality care at lower costs.

On this week's episode of For the Love of Health, Dr. Christine Donohue-Henry, ChristianaCare Chief Population Health Officer, and Dr. Rose Kakoza, Senior Medical Director for ChristianaCare's Medicaid ACO, share how this value-based care is changing the lives of Delaware's Medicaid population and highlight how a fundamental shift from illness treatment to disease prevention is helping to drive down costs and keeping communities healthier.

Christine Donohue-Henry, M.D., MBA is the Chief Population Health Officer at ChristianaCare and the President of eBrightHealth ACO and the ChristianaCare Clinical Alliance. Dr. Donohue-Henry is responsible for value-based care within the health system and the clinically integrated network, driving clinical quality and reducing the total cost of care.

Rose Kakoza, M.D., MPH serves as Senior Clinical Network Director for Population Health and Medical Director for ChristianaCare's Medicaid Accountable Care Organization (Delaware Medicaid Quality Partners). Dr. Kakoza also oversees CareVio, Population Health's case management organization supporting approximately 100,000 risk lives across the clinical network.

Links

• ChristianaCare News - ChristianaCare Reduces Health Care Costs by $6.2 Million While Improving Care for Medicaid Patients
• ChristianaCare News - ChristianaCare Announces $1.6M Investment in 25 Nonprofits to Improve Community Health
• For the Love of Health - Why Is the Cost of Health Care So Expensive?
• ChristianaCare Community Health
• Delaware Medicaid Partners ACO
• CareVio Care Management Program
• Delaware Health and Social Services Medicaid Resources

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For most high school students, field trips are an excuse to just get out of the classroom. But thanks to ChristianaCare's Gene Editing Institute, some students in our region are getting an opportunity to edit their futures.

On this week's episode of For the Love of Health, Education Program Manager Amanda Hewes and Education Program Coordinator Sarah LaTorre take a deep dive into the Gene Editing Institute's Learning Lab and the CRISPR in a Box educational kit to share how they are inspiring students and promoting equity in science education.

Amanda Hewes, M.S., is responsible for designing and creating an outreach program surrounding the Gene Editing 360 platform. The platform is designed to engage people in STEM from various levels of education including high school, college, and the public. Being one of the founders of the in vitro gene editing reaction, which is the basis for the CRISPR in a Box™ educational kit, she can provide expertise to those using the kit with a focus on helping others understand the important concepts surrounding gene editing and CRISPR technology.

Sarah LaTorre is an alumna of Wilmington University, where she pursued her B.S in Biology in 2024. After participating in the Gene Editing 360TM Learning Lab, she joined the Education & Outreach team during Summer of 2023. Sarah has a background in biodiversity and conservation research.

Links

• ChristianaCare's Gene Editing Institute
• Gene Editing 360™: Tools for a Journey of Discovery
• For the Love of Health - Patient-Centered Gene Editing with Eric Kmiec, Ph.D.
• ChristianaCare News - The Scientist Names CRISPR in a Box™ Among the Top 10 Innovations for 2024
• ChristianaCare News - Gene Editing Institute Partners With Carolina Biological Supply Company to Launch CRISPR in a Box™ Kits for High School Science Labs

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