Dr. Lisa Belisle

Happy Heart (#22)

A healthy heart and a good set of "vessels," not to mention a supply of life-giving blood, keep the body going. But is that all it takes? Turns out heart happiness is that, and more.

Our guests include

• Dr. Mylan Cohen of Maine Medical Partners MaineHealth Cardiology,
• Dr. Chris Rogers of the Vein Center at Portland Surgical at Mercy
• Jen Goldman of the American Red Cross.

The Dr. Lisa Radio Hour & Podcast airs weekly at 11 am on WLOB radio 1310 AM (Portland)/streaming online. Listen to the Podcast or click on the link below:

Happy Heart: Dr. Lisa # 22

This week our "Wellness Innovations" segment, sponsored by the University of New England, featured Mom's Love is Good for a Child's Brain.

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Our featured guest was Dr. Mylan Cohen of Maine Cardiology. A native of Bangor, Maine, and raised in Presque Isle, Dr. Cohen graduated from the University of Maine at Orono. He received his M.D. degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine and his master’s degree in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Cohen trained in internal medicine at New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston, where he also completed clinical and research fellowship training in cardiology. He later served on the staff of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center where he was Chief of the Nuclear Cardiology Section. Dr. Cohen subspecializes in clinical cardiology and cardiovascular imaging, including echocardiography and nuclear cardiology. He is currently the Director of Noninvasive Cardiology at Maine Medical Center and is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. Dr. Cohen served as President of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology in 2010. He has special interests in diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, valvular heart disease, and preoperative cardiac risk assessment. Dr. Cohen also participates in research, primarily in patient outcomes, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular imaging.

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Our Maine Magazine Minute features Dr. Chris Rogers. Dr. Rogers graduated from the University Of New England college of Osteopathic Medicine in 1985, then interned at the former Osteopathic Hospital of Maine for my his post graduate year. He completed his surgical residency in General Surgery at Grandview Hospital and Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio. From there he started a solo general surgical practice in upstate New York and then had the opportunity to join Portland Surgical Associates and come back to Southern Maine in 2001.

Portland Surgical Associates was founded in 1990 by his practice partner, Benjamin Russell and their former partner Robert Neilson. They provide care to patients at both Mercy Hospital and Maine Medical Center and offer a full range of general and laparoscopic surgical procedures and emergency call at Mercy Hospital. They are now a group of general surgeons and with the addition of their most recent surgeon, Dr. Karin Cole they are able to offer consultation and surgical procedures in surgical oncology.

In 2006, Dr. Russell and Dr. Rogers opened The Vein Center at Portland Surgical Associates to provide state of the art diagnosis and treatment of vein disorders. We obtained board certification from the American Board of Phlebology which is the certifying body of the American College of Phlebology.

Professionally, Dr. Rogers obtained board certification in general surgery in 1992, and fellowship in the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons in 1998, he has participated on committees of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons, and has been an examiner for the American Board of Osteopathic Surgeons and a clinical instructor in surgery for the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine.

His focus as a surgeon has been to provide high tech, high touch care in community hospital settings. He tries to partner with my patients through patient and family education so that we achieve successful outcomes for the conditions they face. The vein center practice is well suited to this approach. Even though there are some major patterns or themes to venous disease, each patient presents a unique circumstance to figure out. The treatments are almost exclusively provided in the office setting rather than in an OR and so communication and teaching is a part of the process as we progress from diagnosis through treatment.

When not at the practice Dr. Rogers can be found enjoying life with his family, Katherine and three children in Scarborough, Maine. We enjoy outdoor activities ranging from gardening, boating and sailing, and an occasional motorcycle ride on the coast or up to the mountains.

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Our "Give Back" segment highlights Jen Goldman of the American Red Cross. The American Red Cross empowers ordinary people to perform extraordinary acts of service. Our blood donors are ordinary people sharing one thing – a desire to give back to their community and help others. Blood donors play an integral role in the delivery of modern healthcare. Many life-saving medical treatments and procedures involve blood transfusions and would not be possible without a safe and reliable blood supply. You don’t need a special reason to give blood. You just need your own reason. Whatever your reason, the need is constant and your contribution is important for a healthy and reliable blood supply. And you’ll feel good knowing you’ve helped change a life.

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Join us next Sunday, February 19 at 11 am for the next Dr. Lisa Radio Hour & Podcast on WLOB radio Portland 1310 AM/streaming online. Our topic will be "Gaining Ease" and guests will include Dr. Mike Totta of the Spine Center at Orthopedic Associates, Dr. Bob Lynch of Lynch Chiropractic Arts Center, and Chris Bicknell of the Teen Center and Lighthouse Shelter at Preble Street Resource Center.

Joy (#14)

Joy is more than just happiness for happiness' sake. It is about facing challenges and feeling gratitude. It is about reveling in the uncertainty that is living. It is also about laughing, and sharing the laughter of children.

This very special show will put a smile on your face and bring joy to your heart!

Guests include... 

 

• Mike LePage of ReMax Heritage,
  
• Katie West of the Levity Institute and
  
• Lucy Bangor of the Children's Museum and Theater of Maine.

 

The Dr. Lisa Radio Hour & Podcast airs weekly at 11 am on WLOB radio 1310 AM (Portland)/streaming online. Listen to the Podcast or click on the link below:

Joy: Dr. Lisa # 14

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This week our "Wellness Innovations" segment, sponsored by the University of New England, is about laughter and health. According to The New York Times Health Page,

Laughter is regularly promoted as a source of health and well being, but it has been hard to pin down exactly why laughing until it hurts feels so good.

The answer, reports Robin Dunbar, an evolutionary psychologist at Oxford, is not the intellectual pleasure of cerebral humor, but the physical act of laughing. The simple muscular exertions involved in producing the familiar ha, ha, ha, he said, trigger an increase in endorphins, the brain chemicals known for their feel-good effect.

Our suggestion? Put those endorphins in play and test the laughter hypothesis for yourself this holiday season!

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The first guest on today's show is Mike LePage of RE/Max Heritage. 

Mike LePage is the Broker/Owner at RE/Max Heritage in Yarmouth. Over the past 12 years he has been helping buyers, sellers and investors with their residential real estate needs. Over that span Mike has served as a board member of the Greater Portland Board of Realtors, serving as President in 2008 and as a board member of the State Multiple Listing Service, MREIS and as a board member of the Maine Association of Realtors where he currently is finishing a term as President for 2011.
Prior to joining the residential real estate world, Mike worked for Key Bank of Maine in Private Banking and for Gouws Capital Management/Acadia Trust, N.A. Over those years Mike assisted clients in financial matters which has helped him in his capacity working with clients in the real estate world.

Mike has always been active in civic activities having served on the boards of the American Heart Association, The Friends of Casco Bay, Portland Stage Company, Bowdoin College Alumni Council, a founding member of the Kennebunk Portside Rotary Club and is active member of the Sacred Heart Church Choir. A 1978 graduate of Bowdoin College and 1974 Graduate of Morse High School, Mike’s roots are right here. He graduated in the Kappa Class of the Institute for Civic Leadership and often lends his experience and expertise on things civic.

Most important to Mike is his family. His wife Meg and four children Burgess, Catie, James and Liza are the pride of his life and the source of inspiration and fun. Because, as Mike would put it, “it’s supposed to be fun”.

Mike can be reached at RE/MAX Heritage, 765 Route One in Yarmouth. 207 846-4300 or mlepage@rheritage.com

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Katie West of the Levity Institute is the featured guest on our "Maine Magazine Minutes" segment.

Katie West is the Director of The Levity Institute, an organization dedicated to awakening the buoyancy within us. The Levity Institute offers one on one sessions, classes, and retreats exploring the four practices of intentional lightheartedness: laughter, play, celebration, and wonder. Katie is also founder of The Levity Project, an award winning social movement creating change by expressing joy in public places.

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As part of the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour we read our weekly quote from Our Daily Tread, the book created to support the organization Safe Passage. Our Daily Tread has raised more than $22,000 since 2008.

Dr. Lisa travelled to Guatemala during Thanksgiving week to get a firsthand look at this organization founded by her late friend and Bowdoin College classmate, Hanley Denning. Read more about her travels on the Bountiful Blog.

Want to help? Safe Passage is pleased to announce a holiday promotion of the book Our Daily Tread, edited by Dr. Lisa Belisle and featuring inspirational quotes, essays, photography and artwork by Safe Passage students.  From now through January 2, the regular retail price of $24.95 will be lowered to $18.99 to help share these motivating stories of how children can leave the Guatemala City garbage dump to achieve an education.  To enjoy this special promotion and support Safe Passage, please purchase the book online here.

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Our "Give Back" segment features Lucy Bangor of the Children's Museum and Theater of Maine.  Lucy joined the Children’s Museum of Maine staff in January 2008. As a lifelong theatre buff, she was excited to be on board for the merger of the Museum with the Children’s Theatre of Maine later that year. She delights in the Museum & Theatre’s hands-on, collaborative culture,where staff, volunteers, visitors, actors and audiences all use their creativity to engage children in learning through play. Lucy particularly enjoys the holiday season at the Museum & Theatre, when the space comes alive with performances and celebrations.

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Click here to read this week's featured Bountiful Blog post, "Deliberation & Joy, Re-Entry."

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Support for the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour & Podcast  is graciously provided by Akari,  Maine magazine, Tom Shepard from Hersey, Gardner, Shepard & Eaton/Ameriprise. Mike LePage & Beth Franklin from ReMax Heritage, Robin Hodgskin of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and Dr. John Herzog of Orthopedic Specialists.

                

                  
                                                  

      

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The Dr. Lisa Radio Hour & Podcast Team includes:

Dr. Lisa Belisle, Co-House & Executive Producer,
Genevieve Morgan, Co-Host & Editorial Producer,
John McCain, Audio Producer, Provider of Original Music,
Chris Kast, Editorial Producer & Brand Strategist,
Marci Booth, Business Advisor,
Jane Pate, Assistant Producer,
Nathan Hankla, Website Advisor,
Kevin Thomas, Executive Producer.

The Dr. Lisa Radio Hour & Podcast studio is located at the offices of Maine Magazine, 75 State Street, Portland, Maine.

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Join us next Sunday, December 11 at 11 am for the next Dr. Lisa Radio Hour & Podcast on WLOB radio Portland 1310 AM/streaming online.  Guests will include bestselling author and Maine State Warden Service chaplain Kate Braestrup, musical group Mister Moon and Kurt Holmgren of  The Root Cellar.

Thank you for being part of our world!

Along for the Ride

By Lisa M. Belisle, MD, From the Department of Family Medicine, Maine Medical Center, Portland, Me.
Originally published March 2000, Family Physician, Vol. 32, No. 3

I meet her in the throes of labor. Her eyes are closed tightly against the outer world. Her fingers clutch the hand of a weak-kneed partner and the cool rail of an impartial bed. Her belly is locked in battle with a familiar yet foreign creature. A family practice resident covering for an absent attending, I meet her when she is deep within herself, oblivious to those along for the ride. 

Dr. Lisa’s Writing

Dr. Lisa’s columns, which have appeared in several publications over the past 15 years, are archived here in reverse chronological order. Future columns will be posted on the same day as print publication.

The publications and general topics are shown below and in the left column of this page under the heading “Categories.” You can click on any of those categories to find columns that appeared in specific publications or columns that fit into those general topics.

 

If you are looking for columns on specific topics — such as phthalates or parabens or dietary supplements — then you can search this site by keyword. Just use the google search box, located in the lower left column of the page.