Geography is the enemy. That’s what it all comes down to for a woman who lives in a sparsely populated area if she is dealing with a complicated pregnancy.
“It’s the cry — so different from other infants. The cry will pierce your soul because it tells you how much pain these babies are in.” Those are the calm yet impassioned words of Sheri Smith, RN, nursing director for critical care services at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital (ETCH). In the past five years she has seen more newborns than ever before come into the world dependent on drugs — specifically opioids like Suboxone that are used for pain management or addiction recovery. Young mothers take the drug during pregnancy, often with a prescription, not understanding that they are transmitting the drug to their unborn child. “During pregnancy, the baby’s brain is being bathed in opioids,” Smith says. “When the […]
Many Memphis residents attend church to tend to their spiritual needs, but in the fall of 2014, they also went there to learn how to manage their health needs.
David Howell is in a very different place than he was a year ago. “I’m a recovering drug addict, and I was actually in jail this time last year,” he says.
David Howell is in a very different place than he was a year ago. “I’m a recovering drug addict, and I was actually in jail this time last year,” he says.
When it comes to Tennessee’s population health status, we consistently rank as one of the least healthy states in the country. Here’s what we’re doing about it.
When it comes to Tennessee’s population health status, we consistently rank as one of the least healthy states in the country. Here’s what we’re doing about it.
