Apple a Day

Today we get to meet the newest provider at Lake Region Healthcare, Jordana Miller, NP. She is joining Dr. Chesley Johnson in the Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Department to help Dr. Johnson’s patients post-op and to provide aesthetic services including botox and laser treatments. She shares her background, her care philosophy, and a health tip based on her wound care experience in this quick “get-to-know-you” interview.

May is High Blood Pressure Education month and Dr. Dustin Sperr, primary care physician in our Elbow Lake and Evansville clinics joins us today to talk about the importance of understanding and managing blood pressure. We discuss knowing your numbers as well as the significant health risks associated with uncontrolled high blood pressure, such as heart disease, stroke, and dementia. You’ll also hear about management strategies, starting with foundational lifestyle changes like diet and exercise, and when medication becomes a necessary intervention. Dr. Sperr also shares some tips for proper technique to get the most accurate blood pressure readings as well as the value of home monitoring.

Laura Knopp, a licensed mental health therapist with the LRH Senior Life Solutions program joins us to discuss the critical importance of mental health, particularly for older adults, in observance of Mental Health Awareness Month. Laura debunks some common myths about aging and mental health and describes the strong connection between mental and physical wellbeing. She also offers practical, accessible tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), such as managing negative thoughts, using the cognitive triangle, identifying thinking mistakes, and understanding emotions with the feelings wheel.