Kirsten Robinson, M.D., Texas Tech Physicians pediatrician, discusses essential preparations for new parents. Dr. Robinson advises starting prenatal care early, optimizing health conditions, and taking prenatal vitamins. Key items for newborns include a safe sleep environment, a car seat, a thermometer, basic care items, and a pediatrician. To prepare siblings and pets, she suggests reading books and gradually introducing them to the new baby. Dr. Robinson emphasizes the importance of safe sleep practices, avoiding overbundling, and recognizing signs of illness. Regular pediatric visits are crucial, with the first at one to two weeks post-birth.

Start the new year with a plan to quit smoking, vaping or dipping and see significant health benefits. The good news is that you don't have to do it alone. Sara Tello, a Texas Tech Physicians nurse practitioner specializing in smoking cessation, explains how she helps smokers quit. Tello emphasizes the importance of a personalized approach to quitting using medications and nicotine replacement therapies. This compassionate, non-judgmental approach to helping smokers quit offers them a chance to significantly improve overall health.

Alan Pang, M.D., a Texas Tech Physicians surgeon burn specializing in wound, trauma and critical care, discusses common burn injuries during the holiday season, emphasizing prevention and treatment. He highlights scald burns from cooking and hot beverage spills and fire risks from Christmas trees.

Safety tips include keeping children away from cooking areas, using covered cups for hot drinks, and ensuring electrical safety. For burn treatment, he advises running burns under cold water to remove heat, avoiding home remedies like butter, and seeking medical help for severe burns, pain, or large burns. He also warns about frostbite risks in cold weather and the importance of keeping extremities warm.

Amy Stark, M.D., an addiction psychiatrist with Texas Tech Physicians, discusses the challenges of maintaining sobriety during the holidays. She emphasizes the importance of non-alcoholic options at parties and suggests strategies for those struggling with addiction, such as bringing their own non-alcoholic drinks and using visual cues like holding a drink to deter pressure. Dr. Stark highlights the impact of alcohol on the brain's decision-making processes and the differences in alcohol tolerance between men and women. She also stresses the importance of community support and professional help for those seeking to quit or cut back on alcohol use, cautioning against abrupt cessation due to potential withdrawal risks.

The holiday season is a challenging time for many of us, especially those who might be caught in toxic family relationships or find ourselves estranged from loved ones. How can we deal with that while protecting ourselves is our topic for this episode. Our guest for this episode is Nicole Noble, Ph.D., a counselor with the School of Health Professions Department of Clinical Counseling and Mental Health. Dr. Noble, who has been on this podcast before, describes the characteristics of a toxic relationship and differences between disagreements and toxic interactions. She also gives us strategies protect ourselves during these types of interactions.

It’s been five years since the first known appearance of SARS-CoV-2, otherwise known as COVID-19. In January of 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Later in March, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. Our experts for this episode graciously shared their experiences not only as frontline workers, educators and scientists, but also as leaders and members of the community trying to best navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to Victor Test, M.D., and Ebtesam Islam, M.D., Ph.D., both Texas Tech Physicians pulmonologists and Ron Cook, D.O., TTUHSC Chief Health Officer.

As we age, our memory begins to fail us, but for many it becomes a significant challenge for them and their caregivers. Jonathan Singer, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and director for the TTUHSC Garrison Institute on Aging Memory Clinic, tells about symptoms to look out for and the importance of early diagnosis.

The TTUHSC Garrison Institute on Aging is holding several events during Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month. All events are free of charge and open to the public.

Having friends at work helps with your mental health and could even help advance your career. How can you go about making friends if you're shy or if you work from home? Here to help us understand why it's important to have friends at work and give us advice on how to make friends are Lynn Jennings, Ph.D., and Nicole Noble, Ph.D. They are both counselors and with the School of Health Professions department of clinical counseling and mental health.

TTUHSC Office of Communications and Marketing student intern Hope Caperton helped co-host this episode.