Pine Trees or COVID?

Posted September 2nd, 2020

Last weekend, I stayed in a tiny cabin at a campground near the beach. I knew I would be able to socially distance myself from others, while enjoying the outdoors and the late August weather. I knew the area well, and I took precautions, cleaned my living area, brought my own hand soap and utensils, […]

Returning to Dental Care

Posted August 24th, 2020

Most dental healthcare facilities have opened for elective procedures.  The re-opening of dental practices has come after many weeks of preparations and with guidance from local and state officials yet there is still controversy over whether it is safe to return to routine dental care.  The American Dental Association’s (ADA’s) Advisory Task Force on Dental […]

COVID-19 Testing: What you need to know.

Posted August 19th, 2020

Five months into the COVID-19 pandemic and we have learned a lot. It is clear that the keys to getting control of the virus, until a vaccine is available, is a combination of personal actions (hand washing, social distancing, wearing a mask), and public health interventions like testing, contract tracing and isolating positive cases. Testing […]

How to Plan a ‘Safecation’

Posted August 17th, 2020

Summer vacation is looking a lot different due to new travel restrictions.  Traveling during a pandemic requires planning ahead, lots of advanced research, willingness to play-it-by-ear and adapting to new rules. You may be asking yourself… Is it safe to go on vacation? Where should I go? Should I drive or fly? Can I vacation […]

How to Spend Time with Friends and Family Now that COVID Restrictions are Being Relaxed

Posted August 13th, 2020

Being away from friends and family for the past 5 months has not been easy. In the beginning of the pandemic we were staying connected through video chats, drive by car visits, virtual happy hours, zoom chats, etc. Now it seems reasonable to want to spend time with friends and family in-person, at a safe […]

Got the COVID Blues?

Posted August 12th, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the fabric of our lives the world over. Many have lost their jobs and their livelihoods. Frankly, it’s a dark time. On the bright side, we’re learning more about the coronavirus every day, and the promise of a vaccine brings us hope. An end to our quarantined lives.   Many […]

Droplet Transmission vs. Airborne… What’s the difference?

Posted August 10th, 2020

We have all seen in the news that there is still lots of discussion about how COVID-19 is really transmitted from person to person. Is it transmitted by droplet or by airborne transmission? The current stance is that it is transmitted through droplets, but researchers are not fully convinced that this is the only way […]

Cancer, COVID-19, and Competing Threats to Indigenous Health

Posted July 20th, 2020

The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is reminding us of the deep societal inequities that make certain populations more vulnerable to harm and illness than others. Today, we are seeing this play out as two Indigenous tribal nations, White Mountain Apache and Navajo Nation, lead the United States (U.S.) in COVID-19 cases. Though COVID-19 is […]

Let’s Talk About Bubbles

Posted July 16th, 2020

Over the past five months (hard to believe we are five months in to life with COVID), we have had to adapt our way of life completely. From going grocery shopping, to having friends over to visit, to planning family vacations, we have a new set of steps we must go through BEFORE we do […]

The Doctor Will See You Now…On the Screen

Posted July 2nd, 2020

On March 10, 2020, my workday as a pediatric radiation oncologist felt very normal – I saw patients and discussed complicated cases with my trusted colleagues in friendly meetings and in close quarters. Three days later, my professional world as I knew it came to a halt.  The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) had been working its […]