HealthCetera

Photo by Marcelo Leal on Unsplash New York now has a law for Medical Aid in Dying (MAID), providing people in this state with the option of ending their suffering from a terminal illness through medication to end their life. The law has a number of guardrails in place but there is a lawsuit that has been filed to stop its implementation. HealthCetera host Diana Mason talked about the status of the law and this lawsuit with David Leven, Executive Director Emeritus and Senior Consultant of End of Life Choices NY. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on June 17, 2026. The post Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) appeared first on HealthCetera.

Photo by Mockup Graphics on Unsplash Health professionals often think that the public understands that high blood pressure is dangerous for their health. But many people may not even understand what a blood pressure reading represents, let alone the acute and chronic damage it can do to your body. To explore what a blood pressure reading means and the impact of high blood pressure on our health, HealthCetera producer and host, Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, talks with Dawn Aycock, PhD, RN, the Distinguished University Professor and PhD Program Director for Nursing at Georgia State University. Dr. Aycock is an expert in cardiovascular disease prevention. Along with research funding from the National Institutes for Health, she has been a Fellow in the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators that provided support for her to develop an initiative around preventing strokes, particularly among African Americans between the ages of 20-35 years of age. She calls this initiative SCORRE and talks about its success in helping people to be proactive in addressing high blood pressure. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on July 1, 2026. The post Understanding Blood Pressure Readings appeared first on HealthCetera.

Whether or not one agrees with the science that unequivocally confirms that our planet is becoming warmer and more polluted, we are all seeing the negative impacts of humans on our planet, whether worsening storms, flooding and rising seas, warming of seas, extension of deserts, loss of biodiversity, plastic pollution, and more. Dr. Susan Hassmiller, PhD, RN, and Dr. Katie Huffling, DNP, CNM, RN, know that nurses and other health care workers are key to both reducing the human impact on our fragile planet and to ensuring that we are able to respond to help individuals and communities to be prepared for disasters and public health emergencies and to build resilience in our communities. They have edited a new book on how nurses and others can take action to protect health in a changing climate. It’s titled, Taking Action: Top 10 Priorities for Nurses to Protect Health in a Changing Climate but it’s relevant to all of us. Dr. Katie Huffling is a registered nurse, certified nurse midwife, and Executive Director of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. Dr. Susan Hassmiller is Senior Advisor for Nursing Emerita at the RWJF and Co-CEO of Sulu Coaching and Consulting. HealthCetera producer and host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talked with Huffling and Hassmiller about their new book and its implications for everyone. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on June 17, 2026. The post Taking Action: Top 10 Priorities for Nurses to Protect Health in a Changing Climate appeared first on HealthCetera.

The Reporter is a local newspaper that covers issues in Delaware County, NY, and Catskills towns and villages. Joan Lawrence-Bauer is a reporter for the newspaper and HealthCetera host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talked with her about some of the issues and stories the paper covered in May 2026. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on May 20, 2026. The post The Reporter Newspaper appeared first on HealthCetera.

Photo by Yassine Khalfalli on Unsplash Keeping people out of hospitals depends, in part, on robust ambulatory services, whether primary care or specialty care. Margaretville Hospital, part of the Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley and WMCHealth, is a critical access hospital in the Catskill region of New York State that has been expanding its ambulatory care services. Vicky Misner and April Brimberry are two registered nurses who work in this part of the hospital’s services. They spoke with HealthCetera host Diana Mason, RN, about these services. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on June 10, 2026. The post Expanding Ambulatory Services appeared first on HealthCetera.

As cutbacks in programs and funding for health care and social services escalate at the federal level under the Trump Administration and Congress, the need for local action to support the most vulnerable among us in the Catskills is escalating, whether it be advising people on how to maintain their enrollment in Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or helping with housing assistance. Delaware Opportunities is a lifeline organization that provides such assistance to people in Delaware County. Dr. Shelly Bartow is the Executive Director of Delaware Opportunities and talked with HealthCetera host, Diana Mason, PhD, RN, about what she is seeing in terms of the need for services and the ability to meet these needs. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on June 10, 2026. The post Delaware Opportunities appeared first on HealthCetera.

Margaretville Hospital has been a cornerstone of Eastern Delaware County for 95 years. During this time when rural hospitals are closing at an accelerating rate across the country, the hospital has new leadership and its parent organizations, Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley and WMCHealth, are standing behind this critical access hospital, expanding services and being engaged with the community. And the community remains key to the hospital’s success in various ways, including supporting its fundraising efforts. For several years, the hospital has held an art auction that has raised significant funds for special projects, this year to support 2026. HealthCetera host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talked with Michael Hochman, Executive Director of the hospital, and Emilie Adams, a doula and Chair of the Board of Directors of the hospital, about the hospital’s expanded services and the community’s support of the hospital through a recent art auction. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on May 27, 2026. The post Margaretville Hospital appeared first on HealthCetera.

Photo by Ashley Walker on Unsplash Sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, is the unexplained death of a healthy baby, usually before their first birthday, that often occurs during sleep. It’s also been called crib death, and is a leading cause of death in infants. One of the strategies that the United States has used to try to reduce these deaths is to tell new mothers not to sleep with their babies, under the assumption that the baby could be unintentionally smothered by the mother during sleep. This has been the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics for some years now, but one nurse scientist is challenging this recommendation. Dr. Lauren Covington, PhD, RN, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Delaware School of Nursing, a sleep health equity researcher and a practicing pediatric ICU nurse with over 15 years of experience. She has received numerous national and local awards for her research on improving sleep and health outcomes in socioeconomically disadvantaged families. She spoke with HealthCetera host, Diana Mason, PhD, RN, about SIDS and her work on this important health issue. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on May 27, 2026. The post Reducing Crib Death appeared first on HealthCetera.

Photo by Dominik Lange on Unsplash Being a family caregiver for a loved one  who is ill or frail or disabled may come from a place of love but it can also be a very stressful responsibility, sometimes jeopardizing the physical, emotional, and financial health of the caregiver. There are 53 million U.S. family caregivers who provide critical daily unpaid assistance to loved ones, including to the more than 18 million people who have cancer. They often provide what can be quite complex care with little to no support or training from health professionals. Nicholas Odom, PhD, RN, is a registered nurse and nurse scientist who is very concerned about this situation. Dr. Odom is an associate professor of nursing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is a Fellow in the University of California at Davis’s Betty Irene Moore Nurse Innovators and Leaders Fellowship. HealthCetera host Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, talked with Dr. Odom about his research and its implications for family caregivers. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on June 3, 2026. The post Being a Family Caregiver appeared first on HealthCetera.

Photo by Dose Juice on Unsplash HR1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, was enacted on July 4th of 2025. The law includes cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, that have already resulted in over 3 million people losing this important benefit. On June 1st, the federal government issued the regulations that operationalize the law’s requirement that people between the ages of 18 and 64 who do not live with a child under the age of 14 and who receive SNAP benefits–and/or Medicaid–either work 80 hours a month, do that time in community service or volunteer work, or be enrolled at least half time in an educational program. The law also limits eligibility for certain lawfully present immigrants. This is at a time when the cost of food is rising and is expected to continue to rise until the conflict in the Middle East has ended and the Strait of Hormuz is reopened. Approximately one in 10 households in Delaware County participates in the SNAP program. To discuss what has already unfolded with the SNAP program in the Catskill region, HealthCetera host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talked with  Commissioner of Social Services for Delaware County, Keith Weaver and local farmer and operator of Kimchi Harvest Madalyn Warren. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on June 3, 2026. The post SNAP appeared first on HealthCetera.

Photo by Robina Weermeijer on Unsplash When older adults talk with their peers of the same age group, they often talk about whether their forgetfulness is a sign of dementia. None of us wants that diagnosis for ourselves or those we love. Most of us know people who have been caregivers for people with dementia and have witnessed the emotional toll it takes on family and friends, as well as the person who has dementia. Shandaken, New York, is a rural community that aspires to be a “dementia-friendly community” and received a grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation through the Pine Hill Community Center to support this work.  HealthCetera host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talked about this important initiative with Dr. Patricia Ruane, president of Catskill Neighbors, Inc., and Mark Wagner, a new member of the board for Catskill Neighbors whose wife suffered from dementia. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on May 20, 2026. The post Forgetfulness or Dementia appeared first on HealthCetera.

Photo by Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition on Unsplash In June of 2022 in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court overruled Roe v.Wade on the basis that access to abortion is a state issue. Since that decision, some states have passed laws restricting or banning altogether women’s access to abortion. But the Food and Drug Administration approved the distribution of Mifepristone for medical abortions without an in-person visit as a safe practice. Louisiana filed a lawsuit against the FDA for this action and at the end of April 2026, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Louisiana, restricting women’s access to the drug in states that have banned abortions. On May 4th, the Supreme Court ordered a halt to stopping access to the drug until May 11th so that both sides could respond and the court could consider the issue more fully. HealthCetera host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, FAAN, discussed the case of Louisiana v. the FDA and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal’s ruling with Anna Beernstein, principal federal policy advisor for the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights worldwide. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on May 6, 2026. The post The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals & Women’s Health appeared first on HealthCetera.

Photo by Sergiu Vălenaș on Unsplash Wars and other life circumstances can result in children being orphaned and neglected. Around the world, including in our own community, grandparents are becoming caregivers for their grandchildren, but often with little support. Someone who has been studying this issue is Dr. Schola Matovu, a gerontological nurse scientist, Assistant Professor and Director of Global Learning and Engagement at the University of Utah College of Nursing, where she also serves as the Principal Investigator for the Matovu Research Lab. She is a Fellow in the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators. HealthCetera host Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, talked with Dr. Matovu about her work on grandparents as caregivers for their grandchildren. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on April 29, 2026. The post Grandparents Becoming Caregivers appeared first on HealthCetera.

Photo by Igor Omilaev on Unsplash Artificial intelligence (AI) is already upending our world. It’s being used in health care in a variety of ways, including for interpreting x-rays and other imaging, flagging potential concerns that a clinician may overlook, and supporting diagnostic decision-making. There have been suggestions that robots and AI could even replace nurses. Needless to say, there are a lot of concerns within the nursing community about how AI is used in health care. In recognition of these concerns, the American Academy of Nursing issued a position statement on Artificial Intelligence in Health Care. HealthCetera host Diana J. Mason, RN, PhD, FAAN, discussed this position statement with  Debra Barksdale, RN, PhD, FAAN, president of the Academy and Dean of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro School of Nursing. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOC Radio on April 15, 2026. The post AI and Healthcare appeared first on HealthCetera.

Photo by Meg Sanchez on Unsplash Summer is upon us and, even in spring, people are enjoying the outdoors after a rough winter. But the sunny days are not innocuous. Public health nurse and HealthCetera Correspondent Barbara Glickstein, MPH, RN, FAAN, who worked for a time in a dermatologist’s office many years ago and continues to pay attention to issues related to skin cancer, talked with HealthCetera host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, FAAN, about this important topic, including the Trump Administration’s Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s removal of a proposal that would have banned the use of indoor tanning beds by children. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on May 13, 2026. The post The Importance of Skin Cancer Awareness appeared first on HealthCetera.

Photo by Patty Brito on Unsplash The U.S. healthcare system is in crisis.  COVID strained health care organizations and stressed healthcare workers; and it seems that we’ve not yet recovered from that nightmare. We’re unlikely to see the system recover in the short term and it may take a lot longer, as the Trump Administration and Congress make cuts to tax credits for health insurance, Medicaid, and other health programs. The leaders of healthcare organizations are focused on the bottom line to survive but some exceptional healthcare administrators are also focused on supporting their staff, particularly nurses who provide the bulk of care. They know that you can’t have quality healthcare with good outcomes if you don’t address employee satisfaction. But what does this work look like? How do healthcare organizations such as hospitals ensure that nurses and other healthcare workers are provided with the support they need to be able to do their jobs well and feel joy in their practice? The American Nurses Credentialing Center has looked at this for nurses and has an initiative called Pathway to Excellence that focuses on how organizations can create positive practice environments that empower and engage staff, and recognizes the organizations that do create such environments. HealthCetera host Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, talked about this work with Christine Pabico, RN, PhD, FAAN, Senior Director of the Pathway to Excellence Program for the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on April 29, 2026. The post Providing Nurses & Other Healthcare Workers with Support appeared first on HealthCetera.

Brian Maher is the Assemblyman for NY’s 101st Assembly district that includes parts of Orange, Ulster, Sullivan, and Delaware Counties. Assemblyman Maher is in the Navy reserves and was activated and deployed last year. He remains deployed and his chief of staff, Meghan Hurlburt, is carrying forth with representing him and his positions in the Assembly and the communities he represents. HealthCetera host Diana Mason, RN, PhD, FAAN, talked with Hurlburt about Assemblyman Maher’s positions on several issues that are before the New York State legislature in the 2026 session. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on May 6, 2026. The post Interviewing Meghan Hurlburt about Assemblyman Brian Maher appeared first on HealthCetera.

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash In 2018, NY State passed a law requiring that nurses who graduated with a diploma or associate degree in nursing get a baccalaureate degree within 10 years of becoming licensed in the state if they want to continue to practice as a registered nurse. The NYS Education Department recently issued regulations to implement this law and the regulations were approved by the Board of Regents. HealthCetera host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talked about this law and the regulations with Ann Harrington, MPA, RN, the Executive Director of the New York Organization of Nurse Leaders, including why the public should care about the issue. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on May 13, 2026. The post Nursing Education New Regulation Law appeared first on HealthCetera.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash Pediatric providers — whether a pediatrician or pediatric nurse practitioner—are in short supply not just here but across the country. One pediatric nurse practitioner is sounding the alarm about this issue and HealthCetera producer and host, Diana Mason, RN, PhD, talked with this nurse, Dr. Rajashree Koppolu, about the shortage, its impact on access to care for children and their families, and what can be done to address the issue. Dr. Koppolu serves as Manager of Advanced Practice Professional Development for Stanford Medicine Children’s Health and has held advanced clinical roles in pediatric general surgery and cardiology as a pediatric nurse practitioner. She is a past president of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She’s also a Senior Fellow at the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at the GWU School of Nursing. In February 2026, she published an article for Medscape titled “Growing Shortage of Pediatric Healthcare Workforce.” This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on April 15, 2026. The post Pediatric Provider Shortage appeared first on HealthCetera.

Photo by Vitalii Pavlyshynets on Unsplash Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., continues to push forward his Make America Healthy Again or MAHA agenda that has been both hailed for its attention to things like nutrition and chemical exposures, and criticized for what some see as its inadequacies in being evidence based and detracting from the importance of protecting the public against infectious diseases. On April 15, 2026, MedPage Today published a commentary on whether Kennedy’s approach to MAHA is more political marketing than evidence-based health guidance. The commentary was written by Adam Brown, MD, Contributing Writer to MedPage Today, a board-certified emergency medicine and lifestyle medicine physician, and founder of ABIG Health that advises healthcare organizations on strategy and innovation. He is a past President of Emergency Medicine at Envision Healthcare and currently a professor at UNC Chapel Hill at Kenan-Flagler Business School and a visiting professor of business at ESCP Business School in London and Paris. HealthCetera producer and host Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, talked with Dr. Brown about his views on MAHA and its promotion by Kennedy. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on April 22, 20026. The post A Commentary on Make America Healthy Again appeared first on HealthCetera.