Long before “convenience” became a buzzword in health-care marketing, Willis-Knighton Health System was focusing on it. Opening the first satellite hospital in Louisiana in 1983, the health system took health care into the suburbs in southwest Shreveport.

The new initiative, Women of Impact, honors women change makers, dedicated to their communities and raising awareness of women’s No. 1 health risk, heart disease For decades, every February, communities across America join together to bring awareness to our nation’s number one killer: heart disease.

By now, the acronym COVID, which stands for coronavirus disease, is a seemingly normal part of daily conversation of almost anyone that has any connection to the modern world. However, few seem to really know much about one of the most critical healthcare professionals on the front lines of fighting the pandemic.

However, while difficult to navigate, the year offered many opportunities for innovation and growth. As disruptive as the impact of Covid-19 has been, LSUS saw record enrollment in the spring and fall, and the university is now the fastestgrowing higher education institution in Louisiana over the last five years.

And now it is magnified by a coronavirus, the cause of a worldwide pandemic. A steady influx of patients arrives for treatment. Staff in the emergency department often feel overwhelmed. They are taxed physically and mentally. Assessing and treating patients takes more time because there is a process for nurses to protect themselves.

The frontlines of the pandemic look different now, 10 months into the COVID-19 battle. In this season of giving and joy, there’s comfort in knowing that a glimmer of returning to some sort of normalcy is so close. For months, the question of when a vaccine will be ready riddled conversations.

Taking care of our mental health is so important during the holidays. Although it is a time of joy and celebration, it can be a time of stress, depression and anxiety. Unknowingly, we set our expectations high and try to soak in all the fun and excitement these events bring.

One of the more promising additions to this region of late has been the entrance of the Ochsner Health System into north Louisiana.

One thing we have all learned through the COVID-19 pandemic is that baseline physical health is critical to survival; not only from a viral threat, but other risks to our well-being. If you do not already have a physical therapist (PT) on your healthcare team, wait no longer.