Better Health In The Borderland

Welcome to a special series addition to our Better Health in the Borderland podcasts. This 10-part series is intended to improve mental health and wellness through meditation and relaxation. Each podcast can be listened to individually by day or, if you prefer, consecutively -- and in any order you like.You are welcome to binge-meditate!Our host for these meditation exercises is Dr. Sofia Reynoso-Crow, a trained psychologist and wellness professional at University Medical Center of El Paso. These meditation and relaxation podcasts are: Day One:  Series Introduction and Body ScanDay Two:  Focus ImprovementDay Three:  GratitudeDay Four:  Healing BodyDay Five:  HeartbreakDay Six:  Letting Go Of The PastDay Seven:  Loving KindnessDay Eight:  Progressive Muscle RelaxationDay Nine:  Self CompassionDay Ten:  SleepPlease remember to Subscribe, Rate and Review! Your support helps us reach more listeners.

Welcome to a special series addition to our Better Health in the Borderland podcasts. This 10-part series is intended to improve mental health and wellness through meditation and relaxation. Each podcast can be listened to individually by day or, if you prefer, consecutively -- and in any order you like.You are welcome to binge-meditate!Our host for these meditation exercises is Dr. Sofia Reynoso-Crow, a trained psychologist and wellness professional at University Medical Center of El Paso. These meditation and relaxation podcasts are: Day One:  Series Introduction and Body ScanDay Two:  Focus ImprovementDay Three:  GratitudeDay Four:  Healing BodyDay Five:  HeartbreakDay Six:  Letting Go Of The PastDay Seven:  Loving KindnessDay Eight:  Progressive Muscle RelaxationDay Nine:  Self CompassionDay Ten:  SleepPlease remember to Subscribe, Rate and Review! Your support helps us reach more listeners.

Welcome to a special series addition to our Better Health in the Borderland podcasts. This 10-part series is intended to improve mental health and wellness through meditation and relaxation. Each podcast can be listened to individually by day or, if you prefer, consecutively -- and in any order you like.You are welcome to binge-meditate!Our host for these meditation exercises is Dr. Sofia Reynoso-Crow, a trained psychologist and wellness professional at University Medical Center of El Paso. These meditation and relaxation podcasts are: Day One:  Series Introduction and Body ScanDay Two:  Focus ImprovementDay Three:  GratitudeDay Four:  Healing BodyDay Five:  HeartbreakDay Six:  Letting Go Of The PastDay Seven:  Loving KindnessDay Eight:  Progressive Muscle RelaxationDay Nine:  Self CompassionDay Ten:  SleepPlease remember to Subscribe, Rate and Review! Your support helps us reach more listeners.

Welcome to a special series addition to our Better Health in the Borderland podcasts. This 10-part series is intended to improve mental health and wellness through meditation and relaxation. Each podcast can be listened to individually by day or, if you prefer, consecutively -- and in any order you like.You are welcome to binge-meditate!Our host for these meditation exercises is Dr. Sofia Reynoso-Crow, a trained psychologist and wellness professional at University Medical Center of El Paso. These meditation and relaxation podcasts are: Day One:  Series Introduction and Body ScanDay Two:  Focus ImprovementDay Three:  GratitudeDay Four:  Healing BodyDay Five:  HeartbreakDay Six:  Letting Go Of The PastDay Seven:  Loving KindnessDay Eight:  Progressive Muscle RelaxationDay Nine:  Self CompassionDay Ten:  SleepPlease remember to Subscribe, Rate and Review! Your support helps us reach more listeners.

Welcome to a special series addition to our Better Health in the Borderland podcasts. This 10-part series is intended to improve mental health and wellness through meditation and relaxation. Each podcast can be listened to individually by day or, if you prefer, consecutively -- and in any order you like.You are welcome to binge-meditate!Our host for these meditation exercises is Dr. Sofia Reynoso-Crow, a trained psychologist and wellness professional at University Medical Center of El Paso. These meditation and relaxation podcasts are: Day One:  Series Introduction and Body ScanDay Two:  Focus ImprovementDay Three:  GratitudeDay Four:  Healing BodyDay Five:  HeartbreakDay Six:  Letting Go Of The PastDay Seven:  Loving KindnessDay Eight:  Progressive Muscle RelaxationDay Nine:  Self CompassionDay Ten:  SleepPlease remember to Subscribe, Rate and Review! Your support helps us reach more listeners.

Welcome to a special series addition to our Better Health in the Borderland podcasts. This 10-part series is intended to improve mental health and wellness through meditation and relaxation. Each podcast can be listened to individually by day or, if you prefer, consecutively -- and in any order you like.You are welcome to binge-meditate!Our host for these meditation exercises is Dr. Sofia Reynoso-Crow, a trained psychologist and wellness professional at University Medical Center of El Paso. These meditation and relaxation podcasts are: Day One:  Series Introduction and Body ScanDay Two:  Focus ImprovementDay Three:  GratitudeDay Four:  Healing BodyDay Five:  HeartbreakDay Six:  Letting Go Of The PastDay Seven:  Loving KindnessDay Eight:  Progressive Muscle RelaxationDay Nine:  Self CompassionDay Ten:  SleepPlease remember to Subscribe, Rate and Review! Your support helps us reach more listeners.

Welcome to a special series addition to our Better Health in the Borderland podcasts. This 10-part series is intended to improve mental health and wellness through meditation and relaxation. Each podcast can be listened to individually by day or, if you prefer, consecutively -- and in any order you like.You are welcome to binge-meditate!Our host for these meditation exercises is Dr. Sofia Reynoso-Crow, a trained psychologist and wellness professional at University Medical Center of El Paso. These meditation and relaxation podcasts are: Day One:  Series Introduction and Body ScanDay Two:  Focus ImprovementDay Three:  GratitudeDay Four:  Healing BodyDay Five:  HeartbreakDay Six:  Letting Go Of The PastDay Seven:  Loving KindnessDay Eight:  Progressive Muscle RelaxationDay Nine:  Self CompassionDay Ten:  SleepPlease remember to Subscribe, Rate and Review! Your support helps us reach more listeners.

Welcome to a special series addition to our Better Health in the Borderland podcasts. This 10-part series is intended to improve mental health and wellness through meditation and relaxation. Each podcast can be listened to individually by day or, if you prefer, consecutively -- and in any order you like.You are welcome to binge-meditate!Our host for these meditation exercises is Dr. Sofia Reynoso-Crow, a trained psychologist and wellness professional at University Medical Center of El Paso. These meditation and relaxation podcasts are: Day One:  Series Introduction and Body ScanDay Two:  Focus ImprovementDay Three:  GratitudeDay Four:  Healing BodyDay Five:  HeartbreakDay Six:  Letting Go Of The PastDay Seven:  Loving KindnessDay Eight:  Progressive Muscle RelaxationDay Nine:  Self CompassionDay Ten:  SleepPlease remember to Subscribe, Rate and Review! Your support helps us reach more listeners.

Welcome to a special series addition to our Better Health in the Borderland podcasts. This 10-part series is intended to improve mental health and wellness through meditation and relaxation. Each podcast can be listened to individually by day or, if you prefer, consecutively -- and in any order you like.You are welcome to binge-meditate!Our host for these meditation exercises is Dr. Sofia Reynoso-Crow, a trained psychologist and wellness professional at University Medical Center of El Paso. These meditation and relaxation podcasts are: Day One:  Series Introduction and Body ScanDay Two:  Focus ImprovementDay Three:  GratitudeDay Four:  Healing BodyDay Five:  HeartbreakDay Six:  Letting Go Of The PastDay Seven:  Loving KindnessDay Eight:  Progressive Muscle RelaxationDay Nine:  Self CompassionDay Ten:  SleepPlease remember to Subscribe, Rate and Review! Your support helps us reach more listeners.

Welcome to a special series addition to our Better Health in the Borderland podcasts. This 10-part series is intended to improve mental health and wellness through meditation and relaxation. Each podcast can be listened to individually by day or, if you prefer, consecutively -- and in any order you like.You are welcome to binge-meditate!Our host for these meditation exercises is Dr. Sofia Reynoso-Crow, a trained psychologist and wellness professional at University Medical Center of El Paso. These meditation and relaxation podcasts are: Day One:  Series Introduction and Body ScanDay Two:  Focus ImprovementDay Three:  GratitudeDay Four:  Healing BodyDay Five:  HeartbreakDay Six:  Letting Go Of The PastDay Seven:  Loving KindnessDay Eight:  Progressive Muscle RelaxationDay Nine:  Self CompassionDay Ten:  SleepPlease remember to Subscribe, Rate and Review! Your support helps us reach more listeners.

Like a rising wave, mental health problems related to social media are growing and affecting millions of people. It's a problem that rests firmly in our hands. Our phones entertain us. They inform us and help us quickly share and obtain information, even laughter. How we interact with each other -- and our phones -- has improved and at the same time injured our relationships, our work performance, our reputations, even our wellbeing. Dr. Sofia Reynoso-Crow, a trained psychologist at the University Medical Center of El Paso, says our phones and social media are contributing to our anxiety and overall mental health in a way we've not seen before. Research indicates that teen suicide rates have risen, in tandem, with the rise of social media. However, for every problem, there's a solution and in many ways users are already finding ways to deal with the fabricated reality of social media.Production Team:Writer and host: Ryan Mielke, Director of Public Affairs, University Medical Center of El PasoAudio engineer: Diego Muniz, Manager of Video and Audio Production, University Medical Center of El PasoPlease remember to Subscribe, Rate and Review! Your support helps us reach more listeners.

According to national statistics, more than 250,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year alone, These El Paso women decided to have their mammogram accomplished. Some of them had it done when they were 40 -- while others had it done a little later; but what they all have in common is that they now have peace of mind -- that  their first mammogram is behind them . Starla Warren is another El Paso woman who put off getting her mammogram. She's a third-degree black belt -- but she's in for the fight of her life. She has stage four cancer and it is throughout  her body.Production Team:Writer and host: Ryan Mielke, Director of Public Affairs, University Medical Center of El PasoAudio engineer: Diego Muniz, Manager of Video and Audio Production, University Medical Center of El Paso

The radio in Patricia's Sanchez's car is tuned to her favorite hip-hop station. It's loud and the bass is booming. And that's intentional. She says it gets her ready to hit the trauma center floor running, from the first minute. It's early Saturday night. Throughout the city, couples are readying for dates. Friends are agreeing which bar or club they're meeting at later that night. For Patricia, it's another Saturday night of trauma at the region's only Level 1 trauma center at University Medical Center of El Paso. Some of the many people making plans won't finish their nights at home but instead will become trauma patients, wanting to make it to the next day alive, with the help of surgeons, nurses, medical techs and so many more providers at UMC.  The medical team at UMC's trauma department has, collectively, centuries of experience caring for trauma victims. They will build on that experience in the late hours of Saturday night. They also know that every  case is unique, every patient, with their own story, their own dreams yet realized and a hope that when Sunday arrives, things will be better. (Note: Music at the beginning of this episode is exclusive content for Better Health In The Borderland. Authentic EMS calls in this episode are from a non-UMC hospital to protect UMC patient privacy. )Production Team:Writer and host: Ryan Mielke, Director of Public Affairs, University Medical Center of El PasoAudio engineer: Diego Muniz, Manager of Video and Audio Production, University Medical Center of El Paso

Working atop an oil rig in Texas can be intense, difficult and sometimes dangerous. David Jacobs, a 29-year-old from Corpus Christi , was in his third week on the rig, near Odessa, when he found out just how dangerous working on an oil rig can be. On this mild day in February, just like the day before, David donned his work boots, hardhat and pulled on his leather gloves. Later that day, David's name was added to a long list of oil field injuries. His gloves were removed from his hands but inside one of the gloves was David's right thumb, sheared from his hand at the base of his palm. David and his thumb (which was packed in ice) were soon flown to University Medical Center of El Paso.  Within minutes of his arrival, David headed into incredibly complex surgery to bring life back to his thumb, where it belonged, back on David's hand. Production Team:Writer and host: Ryan Mielke, Director of Public Affairs, University Medical Center of El PasoAudio engineer: Diego Muniz, Manager of Video and Audio Production, University Medical Center of El Paso

There's a pretty good chance, at one time or another, we have all experienced stress or anxiety in the workplace. Hundreds of professions seem to have an abundance of stress and anxiety-producing events every day of the workweek. From healthcare to law enforcement to retail sales & marketing to being in the military, stress and anxiety in the workplace can have wide-ranging effects on your emotional and physical wellbeing. Organizations in both the public and private sectors are taking steps to help their workers better understand stress and anxiety while finding creative ways to cope through counselling. One such way is hiring trained psychologists and counselors who can be a confidential resource to the workforce. Dr. Sofia Reynoso-Crow is one such resource. As an experienced professional counselor supporting the workforce at University Medical Center of El Paso, she has a message for all workers in high-stress professions: You can get help and you can help yourself.  All of this and more in this edition of "Better Health In The Borderland."Production Team:Writer and narrator: Ryan Mielke, Director of Public Affairs, University Medical Center of El PasoAudio engineer: Diego Muniz, Manager of Video and Audio Production, UMC

The night had grown late and dark when two off-duty police officers experienced engine failure in their private airplane, flying thousands of feet above Lordsburg, New Mexico. It was a night that ended at University Medical Center of El Paso.One of the officers, the pilot, had been flying since he was 11 years old and was calm as the plane glided silently without power toward the hills near Lordsburg. He trained for this. But he knew impact with the ground was inevitable as the plane rushed to meet the rocky terrain below.Rescued hours later by US Border Patrol and transported by helicopter to UMC's Scherr Legate Level 1 Trauma Center (the only Level 1 Trauma Center in the region), the pilot said he knew he was in bad shape as he was being transported from the helicopter into the hospital. He had heard the same words spoken by emergency medical teams for medical cases he previously worked on. He suffered extensive injuries that required immediate care by UMC's trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons, rehabilitation team, and many others. The harrowing details of the crash, a discussion with the surgeons about the medical procedures and actions taken, as well as a feature on the pilot's life in this edition of Better Health In The Borderland.

Getting and staying healthy is not easy. Yet, during the current pandemic, it is on the minds of millions of people. How to stay healthy. How to eat right. How to get much needed exercise. Prior to the pandemic, gyms were filled to capacity daily. Today, gym memberships are a fraction of what they once were. Unfortunately, getting exercise can be risky for people willing to go back to the gym. For the rest, it means trying to stay healthy at home, exercising and eating right. Now more than ever, getting healthy can determine whether some people successfully overcome COVID-19. Making the choices that affect your health through the Pandemic, and long after, can greatly affect your physical and emotional health for the rest of your life. During this episode, we’re going to talk with one of the more familiar names in El Paso’s news media, KVIA ABC-7’s Stephanie Valle, who knows the importance of a healthy diet and the struggle to stay fit. Stephanie's struggles to stay healthy are mirrored by people everywhere.We will also hear from a University Medical Center nutrition expert and a major sporting goods supplier who share their experiences and advice during this pandemic. Production Team:Writer and narrator: Ryan Mielke, Director of Public Affairs, University Medical Center of El PasoAudio engineer: Diego Muniz, Manager of Video and Audio Production, UMC

This episode of Better Health In The Borderland examines the experience of a woman named Christine, with a fairly rare condition (known as Trigeminal Neuralgia) at the back of her brain that caused excruciating pain throughout her head and face for more than a decade. She had planned to have a surgeon in New York conduct her operation. Then, the 2020 Pandemic hit. Unlike the thousands of offices and business that closed down for the Pandemic in New York and across the eastern seaboard, Christine's pain was not taking a break. After being introduced to Dr. Akshay Gupte, a neurosurgeon at University Medical Center of El Paso's Neck and Spine Center (Neurosurgery Department), the crippling and traumatic waves of pain that Christine had come to know were finally, blissfully over. In this episode, you will hear Christine tell of her experience dealing with her pain. You will also hear from one of the nation's rising stars in neurosurgery, Dr. Akshay Gupte, as he describes the innovative and advanced work he did for Christine at UMC. Production Team:Writer and narrator: Ryan Mielke, Director of Public Affairs, University Medical Center of El PasoAudio engineer: Diego Muniz, Manager of Video and Audio Production, UMC

This episode of Better Health In The Borderland examines the mass shooting that took place just after 10:30 a.m., Aug. 3, 2019, in a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas. Afterward, 23 El Pasoans are dead as a result of the shots fired that day from a gunman who traveled 600 miles across Texas to bring terror to one of the nation's safest cities. Dozens of others were wounded, many of whom are still undergoing medical care and rehabilitation. This episode relives that day with a woman who was shot multiple times, believing her life had come to a sudden and tragic end -- and the trauma surgeons who made sure she would survive. Production Team:Writer and narrator: Ryan Mielke, Director of Public Affairs, University Medical Center of El PasoAudio engineer: Diego Muniz, Manager of Video and Audio Production, UMC

In this episode of Better Health In The Borderland, we get a glimpse of the lives affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). It is a story about Bertha and Raul, their lives & marriage of 57 years -- and the virus that ended their time together in their home in northeast El Paso, Texas. Production Team:Writer and narrator: Ryan Mielke, Director of Public Affairs, University Medical Center of El PasoAudio engineer: Diego Muniz, Manager of Video and Audio Production, UMC