While I admit that I don’t understand every article, Wired magazine is one of my favorite reads for its provocative topics, cutting-edge creativity and smart writing. In the March issue’s cover article, “The Forgetting Pill,” author Jonah Lehrer explores emerging research that indicates someday a person with a traumatic memory – a deadly car accident, an act of violence, war – will be able to take a drug that targets that memory and “erases” it, relieving the person of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Posted in DMU Wellness, Health News, Healthy Cooking, Research | Leave a Comment

Coordinated medical care, with fewer hand-offs, more efficiency and lower costs, is a goal for many organizations. Consumers/patients seem to want it, and health care payers – including Medicare under the auspices of the Accountable Care Organization policies of health care reform – are increasingly changing their payment methodologies to favor those who can produce it. The demand for more coordinated care continues to push medical care providers toward greater “integration.”

But what exactly does coordinated care look like? And how do physicians, hospitals and other components of the health care delivery system get there?

Posted in Des Moines Events, DMU Events, Health Care Administration, Health News, Life in Des Moines | Leave a Comment

If campus seems bare today it’s because our employees and students have been given a unique and exciting opportunity to volunteer. Over 125 people from the DMU community are in downtown Des Moines at Wells Fargo Arena taking part in the First Lady, Michelle Obama’s, 2^nd anniversary of her ‘Let’s Move’ initiative.

Let’s Move is a campaign started by Mrs. Obama two years ago to promote healthy living amongst our nation’s kids. It is a program that was made to solve the problem of childhood obesity. The Let’s Move campaign has ‘provided children with healthier food and greater opportunities for physical activity in schools and communities, helped get families the information they need to make healthier decisions, supported a healthy start in early childhood, and have worked to ensure more people have access to healthy, affordable food.’

Posted in Community Service, Current Students, Des Moines Events, Health News, Public Health | Leave a Comment

This year’s Mini Medical School begins this evening and runs for the five consecutive Tuesdays following. (February 7 – March 6, 2012)

The theme this year is all about becoming the healthiest you possible. You will learn how to do this through the five keys to living a happier, healthier life.

1. The 10 Pillars of Healthy Aging
2. Stress Management Techniques
3. Improve Your Physical Health
4. Enhance Your Emotional Well-Being
5. Establish Good Nutrition Habits

Register online or you can just sign up and purchase your tickets tonight before the talk.

Posted in Current Students, Des Moines Events, DMU Alumni, DMU Events, Health News, Public Health | Leave a Comment

Truth be told, we’ve actually had a rather mild winter here in Iowa this year, but within the last week it has started to look a little more familiar. With more snow in the forecast and lower temps ahead, some of you may start to feel the effects of the winter blues, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Here are some ways to keep the dark days of winter from dragging you down:

Let there be light! Getting exposure to sunlight can be a powerful way to boost your mood.

Posted in Current Students, Health News, Public Health | Leave a Comment

One day as my focus faded from studying, I thought about how much I had been sitting that day, and how many hours I spend sitting every day. After logging in eight hours of sleep (if I am lucky), I am left with 16 waking-hours. On average, I can tally nine of these hours in a chair, whether sitting in class, studying or eating. Even when you size-up my 30-minute workouts and lighter daily activities, the majority of my days are spent motionless. We all experience this excessive sitting, and I challenge you to think about it as more than a necessary act – or lack thereof. As I’ll share below, excessive sitting is now being considered a major risk factor for the development of chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Posted in Current Students, DMU Wellness, Global Health, Health News, Public Health, Student Bloggers | Leave a Comment