Blog

At Hillcrest, changing lives is not limited to our patients and healthcare providers. Our more than 525 volunteers are also changing lives: changing the spirits of a patient, the day of an employee and the life of a hospital - all by simply being there. With every smile, every conversation they begin, directions they give, paperwork they file, baby booties they knit, patient they transport, flower arrangement they design, and mail they deliver—our volunteers are leaving a unique imprint upon the life of our hospitals and the lives of the people they encounter.

February is National Heart Month – the time we are reminded heart disease is the number one killer of both women and men. But when do we think about our own heart health? Do we wait until we hear the words, “You’ve had a heart attack.” Or do we begin to think about making lifestyle changes when we can’t get our blood pressure and cholesterol numbers under control, even with medication?

Most people think osteoarthritis strikes later in life and any knee pain or discomfort when you are young and active is something that will go away on its own. If you are not getting relief from chronic knee pain following rest and anti-inflammatory medication, it could be the onset of osteoarthritis. Brought on by genetics, obesity, strenuous exercise, or injury, experts say osteoarthritis is developing earlier in life – around the age of 56 versus 72 in the 1990s.