Blog

What to do if... you have a cooking burn

Accidents in the kitchen happen to the best of us. Whether it’s a splash of hot oil, a spill of boiling water or contact with a hot surface, burns are a common kitchen injury. Dr. Weera Chainakul, medical director of the Alexander Burn Center at Hillcrest Medical Center, shares what to do, and not to do, if you burn yourself while cooking.

 

What to do:

1. Stay calm and assess the burn to determine how severe it is.

First-degree burns affect the outermost layer of the skin causing only redness and mild swelling (like a sunburn) Second-degree burns affect deeper layers... Read More »

How Diabetes Develops and What You Can Do

More than one in 10 Americans is living with diabetes; that’s more than 38 million people. Brooklyn Gokey, RN, CDCES with the Hillcrest Center for Diabetes, breaks down the basics of diabetes and provides tips on what you can do to live a healthy life. If you want one-on-one coaching and diabetes management with the center, call 918-579-3385. 

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other foods we eat into energy to be used by the body. There are two main... Read More »

SILAS program provides comfort, support to couple after losing twin boys

“It’s not about moving on; it’s learning to live in light of what we lost.”  

Daniela and Alan Kline learned they were expecting twins in early 2023. Daniela was a labor and delivery nurse at the Women’s Health Center at Hillcrest Medical Center (HMC) at the time. She was looking forward to bringing her babies into the world at her workplace, where she was familiar with the staff and processes.   

“I loved working here. It was such a special job to bring life into the world,” said Daniela. “I felt known, and I felt like I had purpose.”  

At 15 weeks, Daniela’s... Read More »

Focused care helps family battle cancer, aphasia

Over the past decade, Sabine Barnes has entered many hospitals’ front doors. Most recently, the caregivers at Hillcrest Medical Center (HMC) and the Kaiser Rehabilitation Center have given her and her family hope for a brighter future.

“We have been to many hospitals and very few of them do it as well as HMC,” said Sabine’s daughter Jenny. “Especially when Mom was having difficulty breathing, everyone acted so quickly and efficiently – it was just great!”

Originally from Germany, the 63-year-old immigrated to the United States and settled in Arab, Alabama. A former smoker,... Read More »

Timely lung screening identifies cancer in longtime smoker

For Lee Pointer, 76, shown above with his wife Dianna, smoking was a habit he nurtured for more than 47 years.

“When I was 12 in 1960, my brother had left for the Navy, so it was just my mother and me,” recalled Pointer. “She was a smoker and sometimes left long cigarette butts in the ashtray. One day I took one outside and puffed on it. Later, I hung out with my friends at our ‘clubhouse’ that was out of public view. I smoked there with one of my buddies.”

Pointer said it was a different era in the early 1960s. “Back then, there was no minimum age to purchase cigarettes. I... Read More »

Cyclist grateful for ‘extraordinary’ cancer care

Like so many survivors before him, Frank Ostrowski's cancer journey turned his life upside down. But with the support of his family and the expert medical care he received, he has a brighter future, 1,400 miles away from where his journey began.

Frank Ostrowski, 69, a retired civil engineer, had lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma since 1978. An avid cyclist for many years, on average, he rode 22-25 miles a day a few times each week.

"Tulsa is just perfect for cyclists," Ostrowski recalled. "There are 100 miles of paved bike trails winding safely through the beautiful park system, so... Read More »

The Kaiser Rehabilitation Center at Hillcrest Medical Center Recognized as America’s Best Physical Rehabilitation Centers 2023

The Kaiser Rehabilitation Center at Hillcrest Medical Center has received recognition as America’s Best Physical Rehabilitation Centers 2023 from Newsweek. This prestigious award is presented by Newsweek and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider.

The rehab team's exceptional achievement not only solidifies Kaiser as a premier rehabilitation center in America but also establishes it as... Read More »

Alesha Thompson preventively lowering her breast cancer risk

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Alesha Thompson is taking control of her health; she is reducing her known risk of breast cancer to nearly zero. The decision to have a double mastectomy at just 29 years old is the result of years of doctor's appointments, screenings and tests that told her she has an 85% chance of developing breast cancer due to a gene mutation.

When she was a teenager, Thompson learned she had two gene mutations. These genes help repress the growth of tumors and when they're mutated or not functioning properly, there is an increased risk of Alesha developing tumors in her thyroid, colon,... Read More »