Living Healthy Together

Infectious disease physician and researcher Peter Hyson, MD, is looking for new treatments to one of the fastest-growing tick-borne diseases in the northeast: babesiosis.  Caused by a parasite that infects red blood cells, babesiosis shares similarities with malaria and is becoming increasingly common across Vermont and northern New York.   Dr. Hyson explains why cases are rising, how ch...

Could a tick bite make you allergic to red meat?  Lyme disease is just one of several tick-borne health threats emerging across the Northeast. Continue the conversation as Natalie Kwit and Patti Casey take a closer look at the diseases ticks carry and the growing public health challenges they present.   Natalie and Patti explore Lyme disease, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, alpha-gal syndrome...

Ticks are a growing public health concern across Vermont and the Northeast, but many don’t understand how they live, spread and transmit disease.  Natalie Kwit, Vermont Public Health Veterinarian, and Patti Casey, Vermont Agency of Agriculture Environmental Surveillance Program Director, explain the fascinating and often misunderstood world of ticks. From their unique life cycle and feeding b...

E-bikes are changing the way people get around: offering new opportunities for transportation, recreation and independence. But as their popularity grows, so do questions about safety, especially for children and teenagers.  Living Healthy Together sits down with pediatric critical care physician Dr. Rebecca Bell, MD, MPH, and injury prevention specialist Stephanie Busch, AEMT, CPSTI, to expl...

What happens when your body’s built-in cooling system can’t keep up?  Emergency medicine physician Dr. Robert Inglis joins Living Healthy Together to explain how the human body regulates temperature, why extreme heat can become dangerous, and what happens when that delicate balance begins to fail. From dehydration and heat exhaustion to serious cardiovascular stress, heat-related illness affe...

Wildfire smoke is no longer just a problem for the western United States.  Join University of Vermont researcher Christina Barsky and Moms Clean Air Force public health manager Elizabeth Bechard as they explore the growing impacts of wildfire smoke on our region and discuss the heightened risks facing children, pregnant people, older adults, outdoor workers and individuals with chronic condit...

Heat isn’t just uncomfortable. It can be dangerous.  Join University of Vermont researcher Elizabeth Doran to explore how heat and humidity affect communities and daily life across Vermont and the Northeast. From heat stress and heat stroke to the challenges faced by older adults, renters, outdoor workers and people with chronic health conditions, we examine why the emergence of extreme heat...

Migraine affects far more than your head.  In the third part of our migraine series, headache specialist Adam Sprouse-Blum, MD, and Katie MacDonald, executive director of Miles for Migraine, explore what life is like with migraine and how treatment has evolved dramatically in recent years.   From brain fog, sensory overload, nausea, facial pain and aura to the invisible burden of chronic...

What happens when a disorder often dismissed as “just a bad headache” begins to shape every aspect of your life?  In part two of our series on migraine, we sit down with Katie MacDonald, executive director of Miles for Migraine and a longtime migraine patient, to explore the realities of living with a chronic neurovascular disorder.   Diagnosed as a teenager, Katie shares how migraine pr...

Migraine affects more than one billion people worldwide, yet it remains one of the most misunderstood neurological disorders in medicine. Migraine is often dismissed as “just a headache,” but it is a complex brain disease that can impact vision, thinking, sensory processing, daily functioning and quality of life.  Neurologist and headache specialist Rebecca Burch, MD, explains what migraine r...

Can music improve your health? Decades of research suggests the answer is ‘Yes’.  Explore the growing field of music therapy and the remarkable ways music is being used as a clinical tool to support healing, reduce anxiety, manage pain and improve quality of life. Board-certified music therapists Maggie Connors, MT-BC , and Danica Cunningham, MT-BC, of Golisano Children’s Hospital at UVM Heal...

What does it take to remain grateful during a lifetime of hardship?  We sit down with Francisco Herrera of University of Vermont Medical Center as he shares his remarkable life’s journey defined by perseverance, family, and gratitude: From growing up in the Dominican Republic, helping to support his family as a child and surviving life-threatening challenges to building a career as a firefigh...

What if your health choices aren’t really your own?  Join us as we explore the powerful ways for-profit interests work to shape what we eat, drink and believe through product design, marketing and public policy influence. From tobacco to ultra-processed foods, industries have long leveraged science, psychology and messaging to drive consumption and decision-making, often at the expense of pub...

How far can your body and mind really go?  Explore the world of extreme endurance running with clinical dieticians Amanda Gibbs of University of Vermont – Alice Hyde Medical Center and Joni Gerken , RD, of Adirondack Health.  Lifelong runners and endurance athletes, Amanda and Joni share their journey from traditional races to ultramarathons, events that push athletes far beyond the 26.2...

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects millions of people. Managing it takes more than monitoring your blood pressure readings. Clinical care, nutrition, lifestyle changes and every day challenges all play a role.  Alison Hobart, FNP , a primary care provider, and Rachel Lorek, RD , a clinical nutritionist and director of Food and Nutrition Services at Central Vermont Medica...

Hospice Care is often misunderstood, feared or delayed – and the cost of waiting is measured in missed moments. In this episode of Living Healthy Together, explore hospice through the deeply personal stories of families and caregivers, and the insights of professionals who guide families and individuals through some of life’s most intimate and ubiquitous experiences.  Leendert Huisman , whose...

A stroke is a medical emergency in which every second matters. This week on Living Healthy Together, we explore how awareness, rapid treatment and coordinated care and clinical support can change everything.  Genie Denton of Central Vermont Medical Center shares her powerful personal experience surviving multiple strokes, joined by her husband, Steven Harnois, a firefighter and longtime EMT....

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is unpredictable, often invisible and lifelong. For those living with this spectrum of conditions, every day can be shaped by pain, uncertainty and the need to constantly adapt.  We explore the realities of IBD through the decades-long medical journey of Joshua Peets, a North Country resident and Crohn’s d...

What does it take to build a medical practice that lasts not just decades, but generations? Join us as we visit Green Mountain Family Practice in Northfield, Vermont, and explore the human connections and experiences that form the core of family medicine for the Sullivan family, over the course of a hundred years.  Craig Sullivan , MD, began caring for families in Nor...

Health information is everywhere: online resources, third-party apps on your smartphone, artificial intelligence-driven chatbots; even the patient portal to your electronic health record.  So why does understanding and using health information remain a challenge for millions of Americans? And how does communication, trust and misinfo...

Preventing child maltreatment is complex, and everyone has a role to play. Child abuse and neglect affect every community. In this episode of Living Healthy Together, we mark Child Abuse Awareness Month by bringing together medical experts, foster parents, forensic specialists and community leaders to explore how we can keep children safe and how p...

Occupational Therapy helps people do the everyday things that make life meaningful, from getting dressing and preparing meals to returning to work, driving and caring for family.  On this episode of Living Healthy Together, we celebrate the impact occupational therapists have on lives across our region, and explore how this collaborative, relationship-focused approach...

Alcohol is deeply woven into American culture and its health risks often go unrecognized or minimized. Join us as we explore alcohol use disorder as a major public health issue impacting our region.  You’ll hear from clinicians, public health experts, recovery professionals and a Vermonter who shares his lived experience on how alcohol af...

Bone issues and injuries affect millions of Americans, often without warning. Join us as Living Health Together hosts a wide-ranging conversation about osteoporosis, low bone mass, and why bone health is a critical but often overlooked part of lifelong wellness.  Hear from experts in orthopedics, physical therapy, nutrition, primary care and  gynecolocy  about ho...

What happens when personal loss sparks not just grief, but the desire to ensure no one dies alone? In this episode of Living Healthy Together, sit down with Louella Richer, manager of palliative care support services at University of Vermont Health - Porter Medical Center, and explore her deeply personal journey through caregiving, grief and healing.  After caring for...