Spring Virtual Health Talks Tuesdays 1-2 p.m.

Online Registration

Please select one or more of the virtual health talks listed below that you are interested in attending. All health talks are free and are one hour long. You will receive a follow up email and calendar invite for all selections. For further questions or support, contact St. Luke's Center for Community Health at 208-727-8733.

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* 1. Please select the health talks you are interested in.

When a Friend Loses a Loved One: February 8
Lisa Wild, executive director of Hospice and Palliative Care of the Wood River Valley, brings her expertise, compassion, and sensitivity to address this tough issue. How can we help a friend who has suffered a loss, especially when our own grief is a factor? What can we say or do? While there may not be any specific rules to follow, Lisa will offer suggestions on how you can help.

Self-Care and Healing Touch: February 15
Mary Kay Foley, physical therapist, and certified Healing Touch and Feldenkrais practitioner, will demonstrate techniques that you can fit in throughout your day to help replenish your energy, clear your mind and balance your spirit. Take this opportunity to recharge and practice self-care using breath, meditation, and gentle movement and energy exercises.

Rebuilding Social Connection Skills: March 8
Events like the pandemic present challenges for many people in meeting social needs. Without practice, feelings of insecurity, incompetence or anxiety regarding social situations can create additional difficulties. Alison Burpee, a licensed clinical social worker and clinical supervisor at St. Luke’s Wood River Behavioral Health, will address why social connections are important to mental and emotional well-being and offer positive and concrete steps to help relearn social skills, reconnect, engage, and gain back social confidence.

Dental Care as We Age: March 15
Factors that affect dental health as we age are worth noting. Adam Hodges, a doctor of dental surgery and a provider at Family Health Services, will discuss age-related changes such as dry mouth, cavities and nutritional deficits, and considerations such as circulation, medications and lifestyle. He will also offer home-based strategies that can help to preserve dental health.

Anxiety 101 – and Skills to Pass the Test: March 29
Jennie Quaine, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist with St. Luke’s Children’s Center for Neurobehavioral Medicine in Nampa, will provide information and skills, helpful at any age, to address anxiety. While professional mental health providers are essential, self-care strategies and skills are also important. Learning what anxiety is and the many ways it can manifest – and building a strong set of skills to manage symptoms – can be good preparation for when anxiety tests us.

Lifestyle as Medicine: April 5
Achieving good health is about more than fixing problems or treating diseases after they appear. Nancy Taylor, a nurse practitioner with St. Luke’s Lifestyle Medicine, will discuss what evidence shows that we can do – as well as lifestyle choices we can make – to prevent, treat, manage, or even reverse many of the most common chronic diseases.

Action Steps for Helping Yourself or a Loved One With Addiction: April 19
Addiction is a complex health issue with many causes and effects, from mild to devastating. While whole communities and beyond are affected, the person who is addicted and their loved ones are faced with the day-to-day work of managing behaviors, emotions, successes, and motivational shifts. Caitlin Hegwood, MS, an addiction counselor and certified drug and alcohol counselor, will address tell-tale signs, boundaries, treatment options and self-care, and provide tangible steps that may help.

Guidance From the Pharmacist: April 26
Pharmacists can do a lot more for you than dispense prescribed medications. Judd Wright, a doctor of pharmacy with St. Luke’s Wood River, will provide guidance on how your pharmacist may be able to help you. Learn what questions to ask regarding over-the-counter medications, generic versus brand name medications, getting your medications while traveling, medication organization, vaccinations, and more.

When Health Conditions Effect Speech and Communication: May 10
Anita Dromey, a speech and language pathologist with St. Luke’s Wood River, often helps patients experiencing language difficulties due to stroke, traumatic brain injury or neurological disorders. While some communication skills may improve, other challenges can remain that may be frustrating for the patient, as well as their friends and family, and can lead to impaired relationships. Anita will share thoughtful ways we can modify how we communicate with someone facing these challenges to help them get their thoughts out, express their needs and be more clearly understood.

Spring Virtual Health Talks Tuesdays 1-2 p.m.

Online Registration

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* 1. Please select the health talks you are interested in.

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* 2. First Name

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* 3. Last Name

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* 4. Phone Number

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* 5. Email Address

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* 6. Re-Enter Email Address

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* 7. Zip Code