- Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogLuminis Health partners with the Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) system, providing healthcare learning opportunities and career counseling to students as they train for their future careers. Both the Center of Applied Technology (CAT) North in Severn and CAT South in Edgewater are part of AACPS and prepare students for career pathways by offering experiential learning, post-secondary credits and industry certifications. In addition to providing CAT students with opportunities to practice clinical skills, Luminis Health hires them as interns and both temporary and permanent team members. Bennett Chateauneuf shares how he has benefited from this partnership. Bennett Chateauneuf is a senior who recently graduated from Broadneck High School in Annapolis. He worked a summer job at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center (LHAAMC) in 2022 in Food and Nutrition where his role included delivering meals to patients throughout the hospital, returning used dinnerware to the kitchen and washing and sanitizing dishes. “My job in Food and Nutrition helped me come out of my shell a little bit,” Bennett says. “I became more comfortable with introducing myself to patients and making sure they knew who I was.” His summer position with LHAAMC’s Food and Nutrition team helped him ease his way into the next step he had mapped out for his future: a degree as a certified nursing assistant (CNA). In this role, he would have the opportunity to provide basic bedside patient care—such as checking vitals — and other patient-centered tasks under the supervision of licensed nursing staff. Bennett applied and was accepted into CAT South’s Academy of Health Profession, a 2-year program offered to 11th and 12th grade students. This program empowers students to become multi-skilled health care providers. “I have always loved talking to people, helping them and being in an environment where I’m communicating with a team,” Bennett says. Luminis Health’s partnership with CAT South means that Bennett and his classmates were able to complete 20 hours of hands-on clinical training at LHAAMC. Having worked in Food and Nutrition the previous summer, Bennett felt right at home—his classmates relied on his familiarity with the facility to help them navigate. “I knew my way around the entire hospital and my peers were able to rely on me for directions,” he recalls. “I knew where everything was.” After graduation, Bennett knew that he wanted to apply the skills he had learned as a student at CAT South to a job as a CNA at LHAAMC: “The people who work at LHAAMC are super nice,” he says. “It’s a great community and it’s the largest hospital in the Annapolis area, so they’ve got cool high-tech equipment that you just don’t see at other facilities. There’s nothing else like Luminis Health in Maryland.” Bennett’s dedication and focus paid off when he was hired as a CNA at LHAAMC. He officially started his role at the hospital this month. For Bennett, this is just the beginning of a well-considered career plan: his ultimate goal is medical school, where he would like to earn a degree in anesthesiology. CAT South and Luminis Health’s collaboration has played an important role in helping him achieve his dream of helping others through a healthcare career. AACPS students can get involved in this program by speaking with their instructors about the CAT Academy of Health. Beyond this partnership, Luminis Health has a variety of job shadow, student volunteer and internship opportunities for any student who may be interested in the healthcare field.
- Behavioral HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogCue the shocking emoji: A staggering 90 percent of teens aged 13 to 17 are using social media. When used correctly, there are benefits to social media, but the negative impacts are contributing to this country’s historic mental health crisis. Excessive use can lead to cyberbullying, low self-esteem, addictive behavior, peer pressure and unrealistic expectations of how their body should look. Dr. Rakesh Goyal—a psychiatrist at Luminis Health—estimates that nearly 70 percent of his young patients have experienced a negative impact to their mental health because of social media. It’s become such a problem several Maryland school districts are now suing social media companies alleging their addictive platforms are contributing to mental health problems among teens. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy even issued a warning recently, calling the impacts of social media on children an “urgent crisis.” It should be a wake-up call for all of us. That’s why we’re here to help. Pros of Youth Social Media Use Let’s first begin with the positive aspects of social media. Teens can stay connected with friends, meet new ones with shared interests, find a sense of community and feel more accepted, as well as explore and express themselves. Of course, each child is different, and you know your child better than anyone. It’s important to realize the impacts of social media can depend on what they do and see online, their preexisting strengths or vulnerabilities, and their living environment. Those between the ages of 10 to 15 years old are especially vulnerable to the influence of social media because their brains and emotions are still developing. Growing Brains and Evolving Emotions The brains of preteens, typically between the ages of 10 to 12 years, undergo changes that make social rewards start to feel much more satisfying. Receptors for oxytocin and dopamine—our “happy hormones”—increase, making young teens extra sensitive to attention and admiration from others. At the same time, adolescents are passing through a stage of psychological development in which they give a lot of importance to acceptance and validation from their peers. The number of views, likes and shares are often important to social media users. It can cause small bursts of dopamine in our brains. Young people especially crave more and more of the “happy hormone” release. At the same time, a hurtful comment or being ignored by others can cause negative self-esteem and extreme sadness. Protecting Your Child There are steps you can take with your child to encourage responsible use of social media and limit some of its negative effects. Consider these tips: Delay the age at which your child can use social media to 13 and above. Educate your child about the risks, pitfalls and red flags of social media use, especially about sharing personal information online. Monitor your child’s social media accounts and let them know beforehand that you’ll be doing so. You can mute accounts that are inappropriate. Set reasonable limits on how much time your child can spend on social media each day; include parameters about what time of day they are allowed to use it. Remind them to treat others on social media the same way they would treat others in person. If they wouldn’t say something out loud, they shouldn’t say it online. Be an example of healthy social media use for your child and report problematic content. Social media is here to stay. But we must ensure teenagers enjoy the its benefits while protecting their mental health. If your teen is feeling depressed and needs immediate help, Luminis Health has a dedicated Behavioral Health Urgent Walk-In Care at our Lanham campus. It’s open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. No appointment necessary. Learn more about our services here. Author Rakesh Goyal, MD, is a psychiatrist at Luminis Health specializing in children and adolescents.
- Weight LossGeneral Page Tier 3BlogLosing weight can be tough for most of us. You’ve seen the buzz about weight loss drugs, especially the constant speculation that some of the world’s most rich and famous are using them to drop large amounts of weight fast. But are weight loss drugs right for you or is this just another craze? And how do these drugs compare to weight-loss surgery in terms of effectiveness and safety? Can the two be used together? Here’s what you need to know: Weight Loss Drugs A weight-loss drug called Ozempic has been receiving the bulk of hype in the news and on social media. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved Ozempic as a medication for treating diabetes in 2017. Ozempic’s active ingredient is semaglutide, which the FDA approved in 2021 to treat obesity. Similar new medications are expected soon. Semaglutide works by mimicking the hormone that is responsible for sending signals to our brains that say, “I’m full.” This allows you to burn calories and fat without feeling hungry. It also reduces the speed at which food passes through your digestive system, helping maintain a feeling of fullness longer. Semaglutide is designed to be injected once a week under the skin of the stomach, thigh or upper arm. Semaglutide is not a miracle drug and it’s not for everyone. You should consult your doctor first, beware buying the drug online, and be mindful that it might not be covered by insurance for losing weight. Side effects can include nausea, stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea and vomiting. Because these drugs are fairly new, there are still a lot of unanswered questions, such as: When people come off weight-loss drugs after a set number of months, will they maintain their weight? Or will they have to take the medications for the rest of their life? Weight Loss Surgery Here in the United States, weight loss—also known as bariatric—surgery continues to be a popular option to help people lose weight and manage conditions related to obesity. There are various surgical procedures for weight loss, and all of them help you lose weight by limiting how much food you can eat and working on a hormonal level to assist with sensitivity to sugars and feeling full. Weight-loss surgery has been around for a long time with established and proven success.After weight-loss surgery, eating habits must be adjusted, with smaller portion sizes and a focus on protein since it is a building block of all cells in our bodies. In addition, fruits, vegetables and whole grains can be eaten, with the goal of avoiding added sugars. Combining the Two If you are preparing for weight-loss surgery, it’s common to take weight-loss medications beforehand. Whether taking these medications for Type 2 diabetes or specifically for weight loss makes no difference: Losing extra pounds before surgery will help make the surgery safer. Weight-loss drugs may also help patients lose weight if they’ve gained a few pounds after weight-loss surgery. Final Thoughts Both weight-loss surgery and weight-loss drugs are only part of an overall treatment plan you should create with your healthcare provider. An effective weight-loss plan will also include nutrition, exercise and mental health care. It can be challenging at times, but we are here to help you achieve your weight-loss goals. Remember, there are no quick fixes, obesity is a chronic disease that must be monitored and managed for the rest of your life. To learn more about weight loss surgery, visit Luminis Health’s website or call 443-481-6699. We also have free webinars scheduled in July and August to start your weight loss journey. Click here to register. Authors Jilian Nicholas, DO, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained bariatric surgeon at Luminis Health. Nowreen Haq, MD, is an endocrinologist at Luminis Health who focuses on cardio metabolic outcomes, complex diabetes, obesity and transgender endocrinology.
- Graduate Medical EducationGeneral Page Tier 3BlogLuminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center (LHAAMC) is practically a branch on Liz Hahn’s family tree. Her grandfather, Richard N. Peeler, M.D., F.A.C.P., joined the medical staff of what was then called Anne Arundel General Hospital in 1957. He served the Annapolis community for over 45 years as an internal medicine specialist with an emphasis on infectious diseases. In addition, her uncle—Dr. Mark Peeler, a vascular surgeon—and aunt—Dr. Susan Peeler, OB/GYN—are both current practitioners at LHAAMC. “I remember being at a ribbon cutting ceremony at the big hospital opening with my grandfather and my family,” Liz says. “And I remember growing up, how patients’ family members would stop my grandfather on the street and say, ‘You treated my mom and helped her — thank you.’” For Liz, these interactions with grateful patients were what first garnered her interested in medicine: “I started to really want to be part of the medical community in Annapolis—specifically, serving the people who I grew up with, the families that I knew,” she recalls. “It is such a tight knit community and being part of that community is so special.” One of the first steps in her journey toward a career in healthcare came in 2010 when the Annapolis High School sophomore began shadowing LHAAMC’s Dr. Savitha Chengappa, infectious disease specialist. Then, in 2011, Liz’s junior year of high school, she began volunteering as a research intern at LHAAMC’s Outpatient Infusion Center under the supervision of Lynn Graze, RN. The summer after her senior year of high school, Liz participated in a summer internship program at LHAAMC for high school students who were considering careers in medicine. It was through this program that she became acquainted with Dr. Barry Meisenberg, LHAAMC’s Department of Medicine chair who later became an important mentor to her. After graduating from Clemson University in May 2016 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Language and International Health, Liz returned to LHAAMC to take a job in the Health Outcomes Research Division where she researched ways to improve medical care for the populations served. She worked in this position for a year before enrolling in Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she graduated in May 2019 with a master’s degree in public health with a concentration in global disease epidemiology and control. After receiving her master’s degree from Johns Hopkins, Liz made the decision to apply to medical school. She was accepted at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Greenville and started in the fall of 2019. The problem? Knowing what area to specialize in! It was difficult to choose an area of specialty after having been influenced by so many talented mentors who each practiced in distinctly different areas of medicine. Ultimately, she settled on surgery. “It’s such a privilege that each surgical patient puts their life in your hands,” Liz says. “There is no greater honor than to have someone put that level of trust in you; it’s something that is very dear to me and important to remember in patient care.” Liz’s grandfather played an important role in this viewpoint. When he graduated from medical school at Johns Hopkins University in 1951, one of the speakers at his graduation ceremony spoke about how patients bare their souls to their doctors, putting trust in them each day. The young Dr. Richard Peeler was so moved by these words that he asked the speaker to send him the speech, which he kept with him his entire career. “When my uncle graduated from medical school, my grandfather printed and framed copies of the speech for him and his closest medical school friends,” Liz shares. “In turn, my uncle gave it to me when I was accepted to medical school. It has been on my desk for the last four years—a reminder every day when I’m studying that each patient’s trust and vulnerability is a privilege that I’m earning.” Liz felt a true sense of homecoming when she found out that she matched with LHAAMC for her surgical residency. She will be the third generation of her family to practice medicine at LHAAMC. On May 5, 2023, Liz graduated with a degree in medicine from the University of South Carolina, and on June 19 she will officially start her first year of residency beside some of the same people at LHAAMC who have played such integral roles in shaping her future. “I will be learning how to remove gallbladders in the same place where I had mine removed when I was 23!” Liz reflects. “What better way for me to give back to the community that has made me the person who I am today than to come back and someday be the mentor for a future high school student who is interested in a career in medicine.”
- Graduate Medical Education, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogOn June 12, 1996, the Rebecca M. Clatanoff Pavilion — Anne Arundel Medical Center’s brand-new maternity services center — was getting its finishing touches. Also on that day in the new birth center, a six pound, one ounce baby boy took his first breaths upon entering the world. His parents named him Andrew Lawrence Broda. Twenty years later, Andrew, who goes by Drew, was a sophomore in college studying engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center (LHAAMC) was near his house, and the medical center had a summer research internship available at its simulation center. As a budding engineer, Drew was interested in the opportunity because it involved designing and building medical devices. He returned to the summer research project each year until he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in bioengineering in the spring of 2018. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, Drew became a student volunteer at LHAAMC’s James and Sylvia Earl Simulation to Advance Innovation and Learning (SAIL) Center. At the SAIL Center, he helped surgeons get their medical research published and mentored high school and undergraduate students in their research projects. This time spent immersed in surgical research at LHAAMC shifted Drew’s focus from a career path in engineering to one in medicine. He was hooked. “I found a lot of parallels between engineering and surgery,” he says. “I enjoyed the immediate satisfaction of finding solutions for patients and helping people get better. It was more satisfying than working at a computer all day.” Drew spent an average of three days a week at the SAIL Center, earning the Outstanding Student Volunteer Award at the end of 2019 for over 200 hours of volunteer service. In August 2019, Drew headed to medical school in Orlando at the University of Central Florida. During his time there, he continued collaborating with research fellows at the SAIL Center, publishing medical research with Anne Arundel while simultaneously studying to become a doctor. After graduating from medical school, surgeons complete a five-to-seven-year residency at a hospital, practicing under the supervision of attending surgeons who have completed their residencies and are board-certified in their roles. Drew knew that he wanted to return to LHAAMC for his residency — it was the place where he first became interested in medicine and where he could train under the surgeons who first mentored and guided him. “I wanted to be a part of the program that nourished me and helped get me to where I am,” he says. “The surgical department at LHAAMC has always been a home for me—there is a real sense of community.” Match Day at medical school is the day when the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) releases the results of all the applicants who have applied for residency or fellowship training positions in the U.S. It’s when graduating medical students find out which hospital they’ve been “matched” with for their residency. At noon on March 17, 2023, Drew was elated to learn that he had been matched with LHAAMC. Within 30 minutes of receiving this big news, he received multiple phone calls from current LHAAMC residents and attending physicians to say they were so happy to have him. On June 19, 2023, Drew Broda, M.D. — one of the first babies born at LHAAMC’s Rebecca M. Clatanoff Pavilion in 1996 — returned home to the very place where he took his first breaths to begin yet another journey: that of a five-year surgical residency. “I’m coming home to the place where I’ll be working,” Drew says. “I consider many of the attending surgeons and a lot of the residents a part of my family after spending so much time at LHAAMC prior to my residency. I will be in an environment where I can learn and thrive, and I know that, because of this, I will be a great surgeon and a better person after completing my residency.”
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