This issue is special in so many ways. We have usually focused on women’s health in October and November because October is breast cancer awareness month, but this year we did it up big! When I first moved here, I looked for a nurse practitioner for my annual exam, and was thrilled to find Corinne Hiser. She was one of only two at the time. Today, there are so many more women doctors, practitioners, and other kinds of health providers in the Twin Lakes Area. We put their names and businesses in one place for you in our first annual Women in Medicine directory. Since it is our first, we have likely unwittingly left people out. If you are one of them, my apologies. Please send your info to deb@marvmag.com, and we’ll include you next year.
There are providers of women’s health care that don’t yet have women doctors or practitioners on staff, and we want you to know about them, too, so we have included a special advertising section in this issue that was open to all businesses that help women stay healthy. Keep them in mind when you’re choosing a provider.
All of our stories in this issue have a health component: Dr. Julia Gist explored several avenues in the women’s health field, and discovered she could make the biggest difference as an educator. She’s the dean of health sciences at ASUMH. Christy Keirn wrote her story.
We lost an icon in our community this month when Dr. Mary Wren passed. She was a passionate advocate of women’s health, and I know many of you were her patients. She was there when many of you delivered babies. The Schliemann Center for Women’s Health Education was her vision. We will feel the loss of her for a very long time. Hugs to those of you who knew and loved her.
Kelly Householder-Giuliano, our Marvelous! style guru, has occasionally skipped her mammograms in the past because they were so painful. She writes about her experiences with thermography, a prescreening option for some women. I expect that this story may rankle a few people. Read Kelly’s story carefully. Thermography is one of many tools available to us.
We wanted to feature the home of a woman in medicine for this issue and were thrilled when Jessica Brown said yes. She has a doctorate in physical therapy, is working on becoming an entrepreneur in the health care field, and wakes up every morning to a magnificent view of the White River valley in Cotter. I have always believed that a walk in nature is one of the best ways to nurture your spirit. Jessica wakes up every morning immersed in nature’s beauty.
Lindsey Hardin, our local certified Food for Life expert, wrote the Marvelous! Voices essay on the last page. She’s got five tips that will help you be your healthiest self. Even if you try only one, you’ve made a step toward a healthier future. It’s always about choices, isn’t it?
For 10 years, Donna McMullen has been the voice of the medical community here. We celebrate her as our Marvelous! Woman and cover girl. There are many ways to be involved in promoting health. As the director of marketing at BRMC, Donna’s job is to get the word out about the many resources available to you in our community. If you haven’t paid attention. start today. She’s out there, trying her best to help you be healthy. You’ll see a more personal side of Donna in this issue, something that was especially fun for me.
For those of you who flip to Bella’s Table first, you’ll be thrilled to find Debby Stanuch in the kitchen with Estella Tullgren, cooking up a fall meal.
Be good to yourself. Let the women’s health care providers in this issue help you get and stay healthy. Eat right. Get outside and immerse yourself in nature. Take a walk! I have a new fitness tracker that tells me once an hour to MOVE!
Peace, love, and good health to you!
— Deb Peterson
Publisher, Editor
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