May is National Stroke Awareness Month. What is a stroke? A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain has been interrupted, depriving the brain cells of oxygen. This results in the death of brain cells which causes various symptoms dependent on that area of the brain that was affected. Two Types of Stroke Ischemic…

Until the mid-1980s, little attention was given to studying heart attacks among the female population. Middle-age and older men have them, right? Not 42-year-old women. That’s how old Jayme Prenger was when she suffered what’s referred to as the “widowmaker,” on August 13, 2022. Even that terminology is indicative of a male bias. The widowmaker…

A Boone Hospital Foundation scholarship supports future Boone Health nurses. The Boone Hospital Foundation Boone Health Nursing Scholarship’s goal is to help current Boone Health employees achieve their goal of becoming a nurse. Those chosen are eligible for awards up to $5,000 toward tuition and fees. Criteria for receiving the award includes a commitment to…

Two members of the Boone Health family discover a deeper connection. There’s a saying that “Sisters are different flowers from the same garden.” But if you can’t see other flowers in the garden for the weeds, you’ll have to start pulling. Just ask Brandi Chick and Holly Wheatley. Brandi has two half-brothers, but she had…

The vital importance of learning CPR. In the realm of emergency response, few skills are as universally crucial as Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, or CPR. CPR serves as a beacon of hope in dire situations when a person’s heart ceases to beat or their breathing stops. The ability to administer CPR can mean the difference between life…

The InterStim™ system allows Shannon to finally have freedom from her bladder. Shannon Atkins has never felt more rested, and it’s thanks to an implant that helps her control her bladder. “Before getting this device, I was waking up to go to the bathroom all night long. I couldn’t get any sleep at all,” says…

Missouri is one of five states accounting for over 60% of the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, or RMSF, cases in the US.(1) It’s one of four states accounting for over 50% of ehrlichiosis cases.(2) Other tickborne diseases, such as Lyme disease, can affect children, but RMSF and ehrlichiosis are the only two that children are…

Vascular and Interventional Radiology; Diagnostic Radiology, Boone Health Radiology I grew up in Lakewood, Nj – “down the Shore” – then lived in Boston for most of my education. I graduated Brandeis University with Honors in Biology and Research, then Tufts University Medical School before completing electives in plastic surgery at Stanford, hepatobiliary surgery at…

Wound & Ostomy Specialist I grew up in Oklahoma where I obtained both my associate’s degree in nursing and my bachelor’s degree. I currently live here in Columbia with my husband and two children. Why did you get into the health care field? I was inspired to become a nurse by my grandmother Christine, who…