Methodist Health System Blog

The desire to belong and feel a sense of security and connection with others is a fundamental human need. If it wasn’t so important, we would all be living solitary lives. Instead, it is integral to how we organize ourselves: creating communities, families, groups, and organizations where people feel connected. There are three terms that come to mind when we think about the va ...

When we face a difficult problem, stress, or boredom, many of us turn to food. Food cravings can hit us when we’re at our weakest emotional points. If food is your comfort zone, you may struggle with your weight. The good news is that if you’re prone to stress eating, there are steps that you can take to get back on track. The mood-food-weight cycle Emotional eating is eating ...

When I’m asked what healthcare should look like today and in the future, I think of my wife, Stacey Sheffield, MSN, APRN, AG-ACNP-BC, CEN. I know what she believes about how care should be delivered. I have been there with her when she was a patient and have had the honor of working with her at the bedside for almost 25 years. The idea of patient-centered care resonates with he ...

Have you ever had a good night’s sleep only to wake up still feeling exhausted? You see, sleep and rest are not the same thing. We tend to think that if we had a good night of sleep, then we’re well rested. The fact is, we are a population of chronically tired people, averaging 6.8 hours of sleep per night when adults actually need seven to eight hours per night. Because we lac ...

Your family health history may not be the go-to topic during family gatherings or calls with loved ones, but being aware of the health conditions that have affected those related to you can make it easier for you and your physician to monitor your own health. If one or more of your close family members has a chronic condition, you may want to discuss this with your healthcare p ...

  Did you know that Americans spend on average about 90 percent of their time indoors? To put that number in perspective, by the time we are 40, most of us will have spent 36 years of our lives indoors. That’s a lot of time, especially when there’s a great, big, beautiful world outside. And being indoors all the time has a downside: lack of room to play, move around, and expl ...

It's no secret that the Mediterranean diet boasts a variety of benefits. Eating a Mediterranean diet is associated with longevity, gut health, and even improved mood. And according to research published in “Experimental Gerontology,” there’s another benefit to consider — better cognitive function as we age. The thinker’s diet A team of researchers from the University of Edinb ...

Many of us are hardwired to be independent minded and want to figure out solutions to difficult situations on our own. From finding someone to help you manage your kids tackling virtual school to coping with anxiety, grief, or depression, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the forefront the uncomfortable need to ask for help. We often feel uneasy requesting help, and there ar ...

  Ah, February, the month of Groundhog Day, Presidents Day, Mardi Gras, Asian New Year, Black History Month, and Valentine’s Day. February is a time of love and fun — two words you don’t usually associate with caregiving. For many, caregiving is a job that just happened. You’re going about your daily life when an emergency occurs and changes everything. You are quickly thrust ...

’Twas the season. The holidays have come and gone, at least for Christians. Epiphany (January 6) marked the 12th and last day of Christmas, the day commemorating the Magi’s visit to the Christ child. Other faith traditions also celebrate holy days in December and January — Jewish, Buddhist, African, Sikh, Hindu, and more. Themes of faith, hope, love, and joy resound in a variet ...

Jolyn Angus, BSN, MBA, comes to her new role poised to position Methodist Health System as a leader in nursing clinical excellence, patient safety, clinical effectiveness, and resource stewardship as well as continue our system-wide Magnet journey.  Jolyn holds a Bachelor of Science in nursing, a Master of Business Administration, and will complete her Doctor of Nursing Practi ...

I’ve always been fascinated with space. It is both terrifying and beautiful to consider that beyond the complex web of diversity that makes up our own world is a universe so vast and untapped that the potential discoveries are literally innumerable. Nothing generates a sacred feeling of awe like the realization that of all the atoms in the universe, mine have coalesced into me, ...

As the Midlothian area continues to grow, the city is gaining its first full-service acute care hospital. Methodist Midlothian Medical Center, located on a 67-acre campus near U.S. Highway 287, features a 190,000-square-foot medical center and 45,000-square-foot medical office building. The hospital is now actively hiring respiratory therapists, staff nurses — especially ICU nu ...

Methodist Health System announced today that it has earned the 2021 Military Friendly® Employer, Silver award level. Institutions earning the Military Friendly® Employer designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Hundreds of companies participated in the Military Friendly® Employers portion of the 2021 Military Friendly® C ...

It’s a fact — social distancing lessens your risk of catching COVID-19. But some of us define social distancing as social isolation. “Physical distance” is more accurate. Even at a distance, we can be social. Samuel Cullison, MD, vice president of Graduate Medical Education at Methodist Health System, explains that humans are social creatures; our connection to others helps u ...

Methodist Health System announced plans today to break ground on a major three-story addition to Methodist Charlton Medical Center. A new 40,000 square foot Emergency Department (ED) located at Wheatland Road and Bolton Boone Drive will almost double the size of the current ED and increase the number of beds from 45 to 70. Fran Laukaitis, President of Methodist Charlton Medica ...

I have had the privilege of working and mentoring Jessica Pena and Katherine “Katie” Cacioppo for the last six months on 6 Medical. These two young women are unique to Methodist Richardson Medical Center because their story began in the year 2000, when they first met in kindergarten. Katie was shy and reluctant to go into the classroom. But the outgoing Jessica invited her to c ...

As COVID-19 affects every aspect of our lives, it’s more important than ever to focus on enhancing our physical and mental health. Staying well not only improves your immunity but also keeps you mentally sound during times of uncertainty and stress. Like now. In honor of Employee Health and Fitness Month, I encourage you to ask yourself what you can do to stay healthy during t ...

Methodist Health System, as the name implies, has its roots in the United Methodist Church. The idea for the first Methodist hospital, in fact, came out of a Sunday school class nearly a century ago. So Methodist’s healing mission is the direct result of its founders’ faith. These days, the chaplains at Methodist hospitals are busy assuaging the fears and anxieties of our staf ...

On the wall in my office hangs a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.” This quote reminds me that our character and integrity are best determined when life’s circumstances go against our normal way of functioning and not when ...