Foot and Ankle Care: The Podiatrist Is In!

About Health–KPFA.org–94.1FM 6/5/23

When all is well, we go about our day without thinking about how important our feet are. We walk, hike, run, play sports, or go shopping with ease. But when something is wrong and we have pain in our feet or ankles, it’s all we can think about. How are your feet doing? And what questions do you have? Do you experience Plantar Fasciitis, Metatarsalgia, Arthritis, Neuropathy, or Bunions? Do you wonder what shoes to wear or if your ankle swelling is normal? Maybe you’ve broken your ankle and are still healing from a fall.

** Listen Now  https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=401811 

Guest:

Dr. Sireesha Battula, DPM, is a board-certified podiatrist and foot and ankle surgeon at Bay Area Foot and Ankle Center in Albany California. She provides quality care and advanced treatments for men, women, and teens. Her 16 years of experience have given Dr. Battula the skills and knowledge to provide superior service to patients who have foot or ankle problems. She has expertise in treating complex disorders and injuries like gait abnormalities, complex fractures, and diabetic foot problems, as well as the more common conditions like hammertoe, bunions, and toenail fungus, as well as heel pain from plantar fasciitis.

You can learn more about her practice at https://www.bayareafootandanklecenter.com.

Responding To Emergencies

We never know when an accident or emergency will happen. Are you prepared?

Listen now to About Health on KPFA.org—94.1FM

* https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=399706 *

We discussed topics such as child safety, poisoning, drowning, CPR, choking, bleeding, and what to put in a first aid kit. This is a good time to think about safety and be prepared so you can stay as calm as possible if an accident or emergency occurs.

Guest:

Anna Griffin is an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) with more than 20 years’ experience teaching CPR and First Aid classes. She is an instructor certified by the American Red Cross and the Health & Safety Institute (HSI) and teaches CPR and First Aid to undergraduates at Cal State East Bay. She worked for many years at Washington Hospital in Fremont, recertifying the staff in BLS (Basic Life Support) and has also taught community classes in Baby and Child CPR at hospitals in San Francisco, Daly City, and Berkeley. Bilingual in English and Spanish, she currently offers classes for parent and neighborhood groups, school teachers, office workers and non-profits. Learn more at www.annagriffincpr.com

Is That Me Yelling? Interview on KPFA

I was so pleased to be a guest on KPFA’s About Health hosted by David B. Feldman on 3/13/23.

If you want to listen to the interview it’s here: https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=398180

It was really fun to talk about how I became a radio show host, understanding temperament, raising kids, and the hard job of being a parent and grandparent.

My book “Is That Me Yelling?” is now only available in the US on Kindle, but it continues to be a best seller in China. Some day I just might do a second edition.

The Importance Of Good Oral Health

Listen now to About Health

94.1FM—KPFA.org (3/20/23) 

https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=397467

In 2000, in his Oral Health in America report, then-U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher declared that poor dental health was “A silent epidemic promoting the onset of life-threatening diseases, which are responsible for the deaths of millions of Americans each year.” Since then a mounting body of evidence has been connecting the inflammatory processes that cause gum disease with other medical conditions. Some of the major health conditions related to oral health include heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer. And tooth decay is one of the most common chronic childhood diseases in the United States. Even the tiniest teeth can get cavities. Its never too late to change your habits for good oral health and reduce your risk of disease.

Unfortunately there are too many people who can’t afford dental care and don’t have access to affordable insurance. 

Guest

Dr. Jolie Goodman-Leibof is a general dentist, practicing in Oakland, CA. She completed her Doctorate of Dental Surgery at  the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry, and a 1-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Goodman-Leibof is very active in the dental community; she is a recent past president of the Alameda County Dental Society (ACDS),  she currently serves on the ACDS Board of Directors, and is the community outreach chair for ACDS. Having started her path in dentistry volunteering at the Berkeley Free Clinic, Dr. Goodman-Leibof is committed to addressing access to oral health care. As an advocate for access to oral health care, she volunteers regularly and has been recognized both locally and nationally for engagement in serving the community. Outside of dentistry, she has 2 children, and a very supportive husband.

The Declining Health Of America: Lessons From Covid-19

Listen now https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=394205

February 13, 2023 on KPFA.org, 94.1FM

My guest was Dr. Stephen Bezruchka. He discussed his new book, Inequality Kills Us All: COVID-19’s Health Lessons for the World

The US had the most covid deaths of any country.  Why is that, and what can we learn about the declining health of our country? Income inequality is a major factor related to increased deaths in the pandemic. There are many lessons to learn in order to avoid future tragic deaths.

Guest:

Dr. Stephen Bezruchka is a graduate of Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Stanford universities. He teaches courses in the Departments of Health Systems and Population Health and of Global Health as faculty in the School of Public Health at the University of Washington. He worked clinically as a doctor for 35 years including three decades as an emergency physician. He spent over 11 years in Nepal, writing the first trekking guide to that country, running a community health project a week’s walk from the road, training Nepali doctors in a remote district hospital and advancing concepts of population health. He created the Population Health Forum in 1997.  He serves on the board of directors of the Washington Physicians For Social Responsibility and works with its Economic Inequity Health Task Force. His book:  Inequality Kills Us All: COVID-19’s Health Lessons for the World was published this year. For more information check out https://stephenbezruchka.com/inequality-kills-us-all

Building Resilience When Anxious, Worried, or Sad

Join me and my guest Dr. Michael A. Tompkins to discuss the current mental health crisis that teens and adults are facing, and ways to build resilience and experience greater well being.  

**Listen now: https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=393133 **

KPFA.org—94.1FM 1/23/23

During these last few years stressors such as isolation, fear of infection, poor sleep, grief, change in routine, and financial worries have all been factors in increased anxiety and depression. Before the pandemic there were many people who weren’t being treated for their mental health challenges, and now even larger numbers of people across the country remain unable to get the care they need for both pre-existing and newly developed mental health concerns.

If you are experiencing depression and anxiety you are certainly not alone!

Research from Boston University School of Public Health revealed that the elevated rate of depression (in 2021) climbed to 32.8% affecting 1 in every 3 American adults.

Guest:

Michael A. Tompkins, PhD, ABPP is a licensed psychologist and board certified in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. He is the co-director of the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy and a faculty member for theBeck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy.He is the author of numerous articles and chapters on cognitive-behavior therapy and related topics, as well as 15 books, including his best-selling book for teens, My Anxious Mind: A Teen’s Guide to Managing Anxiety and Panic (Magination Press, 2010), which is included in the Reading Well for Young People initiative sponsored by the Wellcome Trust, London, United Kingdom. His newest books for teens are, The Anxiety and Depression Workbook for Teens: Simple CBT Skills to Help You to Deal with Anxiety, Worry, and Sadness (New Harbinger Publications, and Stress Less: A Teen’s Guide to Live a Calm Chill Life. (Magination Press, 2023).

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