In The News
Annual mammograms after age 40 remains a good protocol
Despite new recommendations, the facts remain clear: breast cancer kills and screening saves lives. Self breast exams, clinical breast exams and yearly mammograms — for many women these tests are a mainstay of their breast care. These long-standing recommendations are now threatened, leaving many women wondering how to be proactive about their breast health. The … Read More
Coming Soon to A Hospital Near You: Fewer Cesarean Sections
California is preparing to launch an ambitious plan to reduce C-sections rates. If successful, that reduction will save taxpayer money and keep both mothers and babies healthier. Kicking off in early 2016, the plan funded by the Oakland-based California HealthCare Foundation is meant to financially reward hospitals for vaginal births and reduce the pressure on … Read More
Make a resolution to care for your mental health too
New Year's resolutions tend to center around our waistlines. While our physical health is important, this year I hope more of us will resolve to take better care of our mental health too. Mental health issues can sometimes be easy to conceal, but they have wide-ranging implications for our health. That is why I hope … Read More
Proposed breast screenings may put women at risk
There is much we know about breast cancer. We know that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with the disease in her lifetime. We know that mammograms can detect cancer in its earliest stages and that this is key to effective treatment and survival. Early intervention saves the lives of thousands of women in … Read More
643 babies set a one-month birth records in July at Hoag
In July, the labor and delivery unit of Newport Beach’s Hoag Hospital was a busy place. It was so packed, in fact, that Hoag officials say last month broke a record for babies born in a one-month period: 643. The milestone far surpasses the previous one, set in September, of 583 births. “This was a … Read More
Saving women from breast cancer is paramount, so let's talk about better tools
Over half a century after the introduction of modern-day mammography, the screening controversy seems stronger than ever. Heated debates are centered on determining the effects of mammograms on breast cancer mortality, largely based on data that is decades old. As I watch these debates, I can’t help but feel that we have lost our way. … Read More
How One Hospital Brought Its C-Section Rate Down Fast
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, one of the largest and most respected facilities in Orange County, needed to move quickly. A big insurer had warned that its maternity costs were too high and it might be cut from the plan’s network. The reason? Too many cesarean sections. “We were under intense scrutiny,” said Dr. Allyson Brooks, … Read More
Hoag Women's Health Institute Recognized
The National Consortium of Breast Centers recognized Hoag Hospital’s Women’s Health Institute last month as the only Certified Quality Breast Center of Excellence in Orange County for the second consecutive year.
Program makes it easier to discuss female health issues
For women experiencing painful intercourse, incontinence or other pelvic floor disorders, physical rehabilitation can be life-changing. But few women feel comfortable discussing intimate issues in the same physical therapy setting as patients recovering from strokes or car accidents. With a sole focus on these sensitive conditions, Womanology, a well-respected pelvic-floor specialty clinic, has provided integrated, … Read More
Commentary: Embracing child birth as 'part of nature'
Early in my career as an obstetrician, I was rigid in my thinking about the “right” way to deliver a baby. Over the years, my view has evolved. While I still believe the hospital is the best and safest place to deliver a baby, I understand the appeal of birthing centers and home birth. In … Read More