Articles

Hoag was named one of the top 50 cardiovascular hospitals by IBM Watson Health, according to a news release. Watson Health’s annual study included risk-adjusted inpatient mortality, risk-adjusted complications, percentage of coronary bypass patients with internal mammary artery use, 30-day mortality rates, 30-day readmission rates and severity-adjusted average length of stay, according to a news … Read More

Richard “Dick” Pickup’s $15-million donation to the Neurosciences Institute at Hoag Hospital is the largest single gift ever from his Pickup Family Foundation. It’s also personal. The gift will enable the newly renamed Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute to investigate cutting-edge treatments for disorders and conditions ranging from stroke, epilepsy and addiction to paralysis and dementia. … Read More

Screening mammograms save lives. There is no controversy there. But how often to screen and at what age? This is where the varying opinions lie. Two years ago, the American Cancer Society changed mammography recommendations, ruling that for average-risk women, yearly mammograms should start at age 45, not 40, and transition to every other year … Read More

October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but what we need more than passive awareness is proactive prevention. By virtue of their sex, all women are at risk of developing breast cancer. Knowing your individual risk can help you minimize the likelihood of developing the disease. For example, we know that having a mother, sister or … Read More

As women grow older, their risk of breast cancer goes up, too. But regardless of age, experts say the earlier it's detected, the better the outcome. One Orange County program is making early detection their mission. It was unseen on a mammogram and difficult to discern on an ultrasound, but trained eyes detected the unthinkable … Read More

As the daughter and great-granddaughter of breast cancer survivors, I knew I was at increased risk of developing breast cancer. My Ashkenazi Jewish heritage also increased the likelihood I would develop cancer in my lifetime. But I had heard once breast cancer “skips” a generation, and I clung to that falsehood desperately. Still, when my … Read More

For more than a decade, we’ve known that prostate cancer is over-diagnosed and over-treated, putting men at risk of incontinence and sexual dysfunction to remove what might have been a slow-growing, non-lethal cancer. When active surveillance of prostate cancer was first proposed over a decade ago, men weren’t racing to be the first to try … Read More

Hoag recently became the first hospital in Orange County, Calif., to install the Siemens Somatom Force computed tomography (CT) scanner. The Somatom Force allows radiologists to obtain higher-quality images faster, more efficiently and with less radiation than older-generation CT scanners. “This technology definitely raises the bar when it comes to performing detailed, high-resolution non-invasive cardiac … Read More

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common conditions that I see in my patients: children, teens and adults.But what I find interesting is that many parents don’t know how to determine if their child has an anxiety disorder. Parents typically interpret anxious behaviors as nervousness or stress. When worry begins to interfere with one’s … Read More

Hoag Health Center Irvine will host its annual health and wellness fair Sept. 16, featuring a variety of activities as well as free flu shots and health screenings. The event is open to the public for free at Hoag’s campus on Sand Canyon Avenue, north of Alton Parkway. Hoag affiliated physicians and technicians will offer … Read More