Happy New Year!
As we turn the calendar to 2018, many of us are thinking about living healthier lives. What do we have if we don’t have our health? This was the motivation behind creating My City Wellness; to highlight the abundance of top-level health care organizations in Greater Flint, and to inform our readers about topics of interest – with a local focus.
Our local universities are home to many innovative programs and top educators. Check out the piece on Kettering’s Dr. Patrick Atkinson and his unique “inside the box” approach to teaching pre-med and bioengineering students what it’s like to be a surgeon. One resource for health care in Flint that might be unfamiliar to some is found in our robust art community. We feature the “Healing Through Art” program offered by the Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Flint, and the Flint Institute of Arts. It’s inspiring to see people who rise above personal challenges and share their gifts to help others.
We also like to shine a light on serious topics – always with a local spin. You can read about how Genesee County is following suit with numerous cities and counties to take legal action against pharmaceutical companies accused of misleading the public into a cycle of opioid addiction. According to the Genesee County Board of Commissioners, Genesee County has the state’s 18th highest opioid-related death rate. The stats might surprise you. And, I’m pleased to have McLaren Flint surgeon, Michael Kia, MD writing a series on obesity in America – a disease that affects more than one-third of the U.S. adult population. Finally, we feature Wellness Services, Inc., a group founded three decades ago that is addressing the changing needs of the local population living with AIDS – something that’s fallen out of the spotlight in recent years. Read about the World AIDS Day community art project they created to encourage expression of feelings about stigmas, such as those felt by people living with HIV.
There’s much more, with contributed features on eye health, lung screenings, healthy eating and staying well this winter. Our popular “Inside the O.R.” series continues, as well. I enjoyed the procedures we were invited to observe at Hurley Medical Center with Dr. Jamal Farhan, and at McLaren Flint with Dr. Michael Kia. I hope it’s been as informative for you as it has been exciting for me. Thanks to both facilities for cooperating with our team.
Enjoy this issue – and be well!
