Health

Candy Powell, left, and Marla Renfro, registered nurses and licensed lactation counselors, talks about the new Baby Café.

'Baby cafe' teaches young mothers about breast feeding

PHOTO BY MARK STERKEL

Candy Powell, left, and Marla Renfro, registered nurses and licensed lactation counselors, talks about the new Baby Café that had its grand opening Wednesday at the Medical Center Hospital Center for Women and Infants. Baby Café meets...... Full story

Catholics voice concerns about birth control mandate

BY GABRIELLA LOPEZ

A federal mandate requiring non-profit employers, including some with religious affiliations, to provide contraceptive coverage in their insurance plan is causing concerns among Catholics both locally and across the country.“Our religious...... Full story

Hospital district votes to fund UTPB nursing program

BY GABRIELLA LOPEZ

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin’s impending bachelor of science in nursing program is getting a little help from its friends since the Ector County Hospital District board approved a resolution for an endowment trust Tuesday...... Full story

The Alpine Valley Care Center in Alpine closed due to financial trouble and residents were forced to find new places to live.

Alpine explores nursing home solutions

BY JON VANDERLAAN

A month after informing Alpine Valley Care Center residents the nursing home would close its doors, city leaders are hoping to open a new, community-based home to replace it.Alpine City Attorney Rod Ponton said that while he is not in charge of...... Full story

DR. PONDER: Healthy family helps fight chronic illness

BY DR. STEPHEN PONDER

At the risk of oversimplifying a very complex topic, let’s say that there are two broad categories of health care delivery in the United States: the first is urgent or acute care and the second is long term or chronic disease management. The...... Full story

HEALTH BRIEFS: Feb. 6, 2012

oalife@oaoa.com

To submit a health brief, e-mail submissions to oalife@oaoa.com. Entry deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday for consideration for the following Monday’s edition. Jewelry & Accessory Sale A Masquerade Jewelry & Accessory Sale,...... Full story

STONE: Recognizing 'labor day'

BY LEVI STONE

If you are pregnant and close to term, you and your family may be wondering how to know when it is truly “labor day”. The most common symptoms of false labor are: Contractions are irregular and do not become more frequent or severe....... Full story

Pharmacist Chris White administers a flu shot to Charles Brewer Tuesday at the Walgreens on Eighth Street.

Flu season winds down

BY GABRIELLA LOPEZ

As spring approaches so does the end of an already mild flu season.“We’ve kind of slowed down on our flu shots already,” Walgreens pharmacist Jared Smedley said.After kicking off in October the flu season will wrap up around May,...... Full story

Woman's death spurs malpractice lawsuit

BY JON VANDERLAAN

A “dinner-plate-sized” ulcer that may have led to a 65-year-old woman’s death is the cause of a new lawsuit against Odessa Regional Medical Center.The suit, which accuses ORMC of negligence leading to Faith Bickle’s wrongful...... Full story

Suicide prevention meeting

OA LIFE

The Permian Basin Suicide Coalition has scheduled a meeting 11 a.m. Feb. 9 at the Medical Center Hospital administrative board room.It is the second meeting for the coalition, which formed due to the rise of teen suicides in Midland in late 2011.Lee...... Full story

GUEST COLUMN: Folic acid is key to good health

Levi Stone

Editor’s note: This is the first in new series of columns by Levi Stone, chief nursing officer at Odessa Regional Medical Center. The columns will focus on various health issues including pregnancy and childbirth as well as other topics. If...... Full story

HEALTH BRIEFS: Jan. 30, 2012

OA LIFE

To submit a health brief, e-mail submissions to oalife@oaoa.com. Entry deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday for consideration for the following Monday’s edition. Ronald McDonald Care Mobile schedule Medical Center Health System and the Ronald...... Full story

DR. PONDER: Be prepared for low blood sugar

BY DR. STEPHEN PONDER

Low blood sugar (better known as hypoglycemia) is a down side of having insulin-requiring diabetes. The average person with diabetes, taking insulin or a blood sugar lowering medication, can expect an average of 5,000 episodes of low blood sugar in...... Full story

R.N. Natalie Austin works on completing the transfer of premature twin, Andrew Kjelland, as his parents Khim and Chris Kjelland look on Friday inside the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Medical Center Hospital. Andrew was one of seven infants transferred into the new NICU on Friday.

Babies move to the new NICU

BY GABRIELLA LOPEZ

Surrounded by nurses and an Ector County Hospital District police officer, Medical Center Hospital’s seven smallest patients made the move Friday to the new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Center for Women and Infants.“Some of the...... Full story

From left, Theresa Nordman and Taylor Blankenhorn, both registered nurses at the Center for Women and Infants, give a tour as Pricilla Ojeda, an eight-month pregnant mother, listens with her daughter Keila , 2, Thursday at Medical Center Hospital's new Center for Women and Infants.

Center for Women and Infants opens its doors

BY GABRIELLA LOPEZ

Standing in front of Medical Center Hospital’s new Center for Women and Infants, Desarae Garza and her pregnant sister-in-law Amanda Perkins waited for the facility’s doors to open for the first time Thursday.After having a bad...... Full story