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An emergency room employees’ headache took a scary turn, and the Boone Health team was there to help. Chris Duncan started his medical career as an EMT- paramedic in Kansas City in 1985. He then joined the U.S. Navy and served for four years as a hospital corpsman during peacetime. After the Navy, he attended…

Advancing patient care in the emergency department. Historically, placing a peripheral IV involved using a tourniquet, identifying veins by touch and doing a blind stick. While many of our emergency department nurses are highly skilled at this, certain patient populations present significant challenges. In cases where patients have been sick for extended periods of time,…

Adrian learned the effectiveness of bystander CPR and how important it can be when he had to use it to save his father’s life. The morning of April 27, 2025, seemed to be just a run-of-the-mill, ordinary day in Adrian Tovar-Yampara’s house. The Rock Bridge High School Senior was talking to his mother, Helen, about…

Making a better emergency department visit: Boone Health is making important changes to how patients are evaluated when they come to the Emergency Department (ED). The changes include the establishment of a “Rapid Care Path,” where we are evaluating patients who are in stable condition when they arrive and do not need to be in…

Chest pain. Abdominal pain. Back pain. Weakness. These are the most common reasons people visit the Emergency Department at Boone Health, according to Dr. H. Orlando Heredia, MD, MPH, Chief and Facility Medical Director of Emergency Medicine. While these symptoms can sometimes point to serious conditions, they are often treatable — and even manageable with…

Sometimes the weight of your head can just feel like too much for the column of bone, muscle and important vasculature, airway, and other structures that make up your neck. If you feel like your neck needs some TLC, try these exercises. If you are having numbness and tingling down one or both arms along…

Eating certain foods can significantly support brain health by providing essential nutrients that enhance cognitive function, memory, and emotional well-being. Fatty fish, such as salmon, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial for building brain cell membranes and reducing inflammation. Antioxidant-rich foods like blueberries and dark chocolate help protect the brain from oxidative…

Neurosurgery I’m originally from New Florence, Mo., a small town that really taught me the value of community. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. My family is my biggest support system. I married my wonderful husband Tyler in 2019, and we have two daughters — Octavia, 5,…