Better You Blog

By: Dante Beretta, MD May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, a crucial time to remind ourselves about the importance of protecting our skin and being vigilant about potential changes. As your physician, Dr. Dante Beretta, I want to share some essential tips to help you...

By: Scott Maanum, MD Spring has sprung, and with it comes the joy of spending time outdoors. Hiking, gardening, camping – the possibilities are endless! But with the warmer weather also comes the return of a less welcome guest: the woodtick, also known as the American...

Spring is a time for blooming flowers, warmer weather, and enjoying the great outdoors. But for many, it's also a season of relentless sneezing, itchy eyes, and a general feeling of misery. If you're one of the millions suffering from spring allergies, you don't have...

An ACL tear is a common yet devastating injury for athletes. For Ava Welk, a senior at Walker-Hackensack-Akeley High School in Walker, Minnesota, it happened during a Junior Olympics volleyball tournament on Mother's Day, May 12, 2024.  While blocking, Ava landed on...

Marlee Morrison, PHN, CHI St. Joseph’s Community Health Director The resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases has raised concerns throughout the United States. In Hubbard County, childhood immunization rates have fallen. The percentage of children vaccinated for...

As we navigate the journey of life, it's crucial to ensure our healthcare wishes are known and respected, especially during challenging times. One of the most profound gifts we can give our loved ones is clarity about our end-of-life decisions. This is where advanced...

One second you’re fine. The next you’re on the ground, unable to control your body and struggling to breathe.  That’s how the nightmare of a stroke started for Jana Epema and her family.  Six months later, Jana is thankful to be alive, talking and walking. While she’s...

Symptoms of breast cancer are different for each person, and in some cases, even invisible or nonexistent. Some common warning signs (pain, swelling, lumps) are not always noticeable to the touch or naked eye, making mammograms the most effective way to detect breast...

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the medical term for the sudden loss of heart function. It’s different from a heart attack and often occurs without warning. However, experts now say that sudden cardiac arrest may not be so sudden or subtle after all. In...

Lung cancer claims more lives than colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. Historically, lung cancer has been more common in older adults and diagnosed at an advanced stage. Younger women, however, are getting lung cancer at higher rates than men younger than...