Health Story

In the face of traumas how do we find resiliency and healing? Mayer Bellehsen, PhD, director of the Center for Traumatic Stress, Resilience and Recovery (CTSRR), shares what he calls the five domains of coping. Within that framework, he says connection is the most robust protective factor and stresses the importance of family in the recovery process. Dr. Bellehsen also discusses the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on health care providers; pulling from past disasters like 9/11 and the AIDS crisis; and his work with veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and more.

Caring for kids and teens, and adult self-care, are among topics discussed with Victor Fornari, MD, director of child and adolescent psychiatry at Zucker Hillside Hospital. Dr. Fornari describes mental health support programs and tools available to help struggling families "bounce forward" toward a healthier, post-COVID-19 future.

Drawing on personal experiences may calm conflicts, reduce stress, and empower frontline health care workers to maintain effectiveness and build stronger relationships with patients and coworkers. Dr. Joseph Weiner, MD, PhD, is associate clinical professor of psychiatry, medicine, and science education at the Zucker School Medicine. Dr. Weiner discusses emotional triggers and explains how a look back may show a healthy way forward for helpers who need healing.

Signs of progress against the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States are encouraging, yet infection rates continue to surge in some regions of the world, and lack of access to vaccines abroad and vaccine-hesitancy at home raise the risk of virus variants and future infections. The on-going need to remain on-guard includes ready access to mental health services. Manish Sapra, MD, executive director of the Behavioral Health Services at Northwell Health, discusses today's unique mental health challenges, and explains why Telehealth and Telepsychiatry are vital tools in the practitioner's kit.

Social distancing and quarantine can magnify pandemic anxiety. For those who feel isolated, a holistic nurse practitioner provides a guided meditation to build awareness of shared connections.

Focus on everyday purpose and meaning with a parable about work, then find encouragement with a brief meditation created especially for essential workers by a holistic nurse practitioner.

Working from home can work your last nerve while you share limited space with others. Learn a simple way to slow down and calm frustration with a reset that works for any age. Jen Caliendo, from the Northwell Health Center for Wellness and Integrative Medicine, shares her work-from-home experience, and how a brief exercise lowers stress for her and her family.

A mother's concern for her daughter, a critical care nurse, inspired this capsule meditation to calm and encourage health care workers on the frontlines. Holistic nurse practitioner Deborah McElligott, of the Center for Wellness and Integrative Medicine, bears witness to the trying experiences on the frontlines, then leads you through the process of preparing to deliver treatment with compassion for patients and yourself.

Northwell Health’s Peconic Bay Medical Center (PBMC) in Riverhead is the setting for conversations about the demands and rewards of caring for loved ones outside of hospital settings. Volunteers explain how a Caregivers Center at PBMC enables them to share information, encouragement and mutual support in a space designed for and solely-dedicated to serving their needs. It's an idea adopted from the Ken Hamilton Caregivers Center in Westchester. Plans are to expand the program for caregivers throughout the region.

A doctor, hospital administrator and nurse-educators explain how a military-inspired program enlists the entire Northwell Health community to ensure teamwork and patient safety.