Summer means a break from everything school-related — from bedtimes to bullies. But all things school should be addressed well before Labor Day to smooth the transition for children, said Abraham Bartell, MD, Chief of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth). “Children need a week or two to ...

Every free chance they have, siblings Ryan and Ryley White look to get on the water. That's why when 18-year-old Ryley, her brother and their significant others trailered their family jet skis to Greenwood Lake on the New York-New Jersey border, they expected nothing but good times and another enjoyable day on the water.Despite the gray skies and rough water that afternoon, they decided ...

“The first thing I tell people is to start thinking about potential health issues as soon as you book your flight,” said Dr. Rajiv Narula, MD, travel-medicine expert and internal medicine physician at MidHudson Regional Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network. “Most people look up restaurants or resorts, and only realize they need vaccinations at the last ...

“The ketogenic [keto] diet is high in fat, low in carbohydrates and moderate in protein – a combination that mimics a state of fasting,” said Lauren Brown-Brandel, clinical dietician at Westchester Medical Center, the flagship of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network. “When the body can’t use carbs for energy, it begins to convert fat into energy instead. The byproducts of this ...

A licensed pilot and experienced skydiver, Brian Moriarty is no stranger to taking a leap. “It’s the exhilaration, adrenaline, knowledge and skill necessary to take something so inherently dangerous and make it routine,” said Moriarty, who works as a paramedic. He describes skydiving as a meditative experience “where you are forced to focus on what is taking place in the moment and be ...

Riding her bike to school one day, Jordan Duffy experienced an accident that would change her life forever. Not wearing a helmet, she and a friend pulled out of her family's driveway and began to pedal away. Suddenly, an approaching car veered towards the teens, causing her to collide head-on, flip head over heels and land on her head.A neighbor witnessed the impact and the seizure that ...

When Kevin Berean didn't feel like himself late in the summer of 2017, he knew it was more than just seasonal blues.“I was feeling a great deal of anxiety, and yet I was in a completely detached state,” he said. “It’s hard to describe. I felt like I was on Earth, yet in a totally different world. I just didn’t feel like myself.” Berean cannot precisely recall the duration of his ...

The short answer is: it doesn’t matter -- as long as you wear sunscreen in some form, said Arlene Cohen, oncology nurse at HealthAlliance Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth).Cohen recommends creams for drier skin and the face, gels for hairy areas like the scalp or male chest and sticks for the sensitive area around the eyes. Overall, she ...

Dr. Rajiv Narula has never been one to wait for the world to come to him. Combining his love of adventure with his medical training, the area doctor has found himself providing care off the beaten path in communities across the globe.Narula is an internist at MidHudson Regional Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network. He also provides travel-medicine services ...

Born just under two pounds after 23 weeks of gestation, Joshua Latouche knows how to put up a fight. Despite his strength though, immediately after birth he was intubated and placed on oxygen to support his underdeveloped body.“He just needed a little help breathing,” said Rhonda Richardson, Joshua's mother. “His lungs were always strong, but every time they tried to wean him off the ...