This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Leonardo Bonilha about how the human brain processes language and produces speech. Dr. Bonilha is a neurologist, epilepsy specialist and brain and language researcher at MUSC.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 16,000 South Carolinians lived in nursing homes in 2015.

Some nursing home residents can still be mostly independent, while others require constant care. Dr. Russ Blackwelder, the associate medical director at The Village at Summerville, says his patients will do better if they stay in their home environment and avoid the hospital whenever they can.

One of the goals for telehealth is to bring care directly to patients in a more convenient way – especially in underserved communities. As rural hospitals close nationwide, the expansion of telehealth services can be a crucial addition to addressing needs in those communities.
 
Since the South Carolina state legislature voted to support the South Carolina Telehealth Alliance (SCTA) with state funding, information technology has been a critical part of their strategic plan in service expansion statewide.
 

June is PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month.  The mental health problem can develop after a person has been exposed to one or more traumatic events. For members of the military, PTSD can develop because of combat and missions where soldiers were exposed to horrible and life-threatening experiences. According to the health clinic at the WJB Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia, 22,000 veterans are seen for mental services in general, many of them are referred for PTSD therapy.

Each year, Palmetto Care Connections hosts an Annual Telehealth Summit of South Carolina.  2018 marks the sixth annual summit. The summit brings together providers, payers, and policy makers. During the summit, major players in healthcare recognize wins and discuss telehealth on both a national and local level.

This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Lee Lewis about anxiety in childhood and anxiety disorders.   Dr. Lewis is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at MUSC.

Imagine having to walk over 120 miles before you could receive health care. Once you get there, you are told there is no doctor available. This would seem highly improbable for someone living in the United States, but it is quite common in places like Uganda.

A comedy. About cancer. From award-winning solo performer David Lee Nelson (Elephant in My Closet) brings Stages to Piccolo Spoleto - a new play about finding hope in the most unlikely of places. Nelson talks with Jeanette Guinn about life with cancer, the play, and his plans for the future. The play runs through Saturday evening at Chapel Theatre on Calhoun St. in Charleston, SC.

This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Kevin Gray about the potential misuse and diversion of ADHD prescription medicine during the teenage years. Dr. Gray is a Professor and Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at MUSC.

David Straus, MD,  Palmetto Health-USC Neurosurgery, answers some basic questions about a complicated condition.