We launched the Healthe-Matters blog 4 years ago with the sole aim of providing you with relevant, actionable health and wellness information, from the local experts you know and trust — insights and tips to help you live a healthier life.
As we head into 2022, and the COVID-19 rollercoaster continues to twist and turn, that mission carries even more importance.
Delta. Omicron. Vaccines. Boosters. Monoclonal antibodies. Mask on. Mask off. Mask on. What we know and learn about COVID-19 is constantly evolving — as is the virus. Staying informed is key to safeguarding our health.
Today, as Healthe-Matters editors take our annual look back at the most-read blog posts of the year, we want to thank you, our readers, for putting your trust in Sarasota Memorial and in Healthe-Matters, and for choosing us as your source for local COVID-19 information.
Top 10 Healthe-Matters Posts of 2021
In 2021, we published dozens of COVID-19 related Q&As, how-to’s and updates. But our health experts also offered tips and insights on a range of other topics — including pregnancy and parenting, women’s health, red tide, mental health, caregiving, heart health and cancer prevention. (Be sure to check out our "Thrive in the Kitchen" Healthy Cooking video series that launched this year!)
So which blog posts did our readers (like you) read the most in 2021?
Most Suncoast residents are familiar with the respiratory irritation and itchy eyes that red tide blooms cause. But did you know that eating red tide-contaminated shellfish can make you sick — possibly really sick? SMH Clinical Toxicologist Jeremy Lund, PharmD, shellfish poisoning in this July 2021.
The number of pregnant patients hospitalized with COVID-19 skyrocketed in late summer. In this September 2021 post, SMH Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist Felice Baron, MD, explains why pregnant women are more likely to get seriously sick with COVID-19.
With COVID-19 vaccines recently rolled out in the U.S., SMH Infectious Disease specialist Manuel Gordillo, MD, and Infectious Disease Pharmacy Manager Jamie Kisgen, PharmD, answered reader questions about the vaccines in this February 2021 Q&A.
Microchips in COVID-19 vaccines, fertility impacts, genetic alterations, vaccine safety: Vaccine myths ran rampant in the spring. In this March 2021, Dr. Gordillo busted some of the most common myths.
At-home COVID-19 test kits are undoubtedly convenient and easy-to-use, but can you trust the results? When should you use them? In this September 2021 post, Laboratory Services Director Harold Vore offered insights on COVID self-tests and antigen versus molecular tests (PCR / NAAT).
In July 2021, red tide was on the rise in Sarasota County, littering beaches with dead and raising concerns about its health effects on humans and pets. Should we skip the beach during blooms? Is it safe to swim in red tide waters? SMH Pulmonary Disease Specialist Kirk Voelker, MD, offered answers.
Flu season renewed concerns about a possible flu-COVID "twindemic." In this September 2021 Q&A, Dr. Gordillo addressed concerns about seasonal flu, COVID-19 and vaccinations.
Dr. Kisgen, Sarasota Memorial’s Infectious Diseases Pharmacy manager, talked about Ivermectin and offered the facts on effective COVID-19 treatments and in this February 2021 Q&A.
If COVID-19 vaccines are effective, why would we need another dose? What’s the difference between a COVID-19 “booster” and a “third shot”? Dr. Gordillo answered common reader questions in this August 2021 Ask An Expert post.
And the No. 1, most-read Healthe-Matters post published this year was …
In January 2021, COVID-19 vaccines were still new and not yet available to most people. Many of you reached out with questions about the vaccines, their availability and their safety. Dr. Gordillo, along with Chief Medical Officer James Fiorica, MD, answered them in this timely post and discussed what they thought the vaccine rollout would mean in the global fight against novel coronavirus.
Get More Healthe-Matters
Never miss important health news or expert insights: Subscribe to our monthly Healthe-Matters newsletter to get tips and news you can use, from the care experts you trust, sent straight to your inbox. Each month’s newsletter features localized health and wellness content, Q&As, healthy recipes, videos, podcasts and more.
CLICK HERE to sign up for your subscription to better health, and CLICK HERE to check out past newsletters.
Thank you, 2021 Healthe-Matters Contributors
Healthe-Matters editors also want to offer our sincere thanks to the many Sarasota Memorial medical experts and care providers who helped us keep deliver health and wellness information to you during this challenging year. Because they so generously shared their knowledge and expert insights, Healthe-Matters was able to keep our community informed in a time when there are often more questions than answers.
Chippy Ajithan, MD, Cardiologist
Felice Baron, MD, Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist
Elizabeth Bornstein, LCSW, Oncology Clinical Counselor
Terry Cassidy, LCSW, Behavioral Health Executive Director
Ashley Cave, Behavioral Health Services Manager
Alessandra Diioia, PharmD, Pharmacy Resident
Ben Doepker, RN, Stroke Program Coordinator
Manivel K. Eswaran, MD, Endocrinologist
Lindsey Finnegan, MD, Internal Medicine Specialist
James Fiorica, MD, Chief Medical Officer
Manuel Gordillo, MD, Infectious Disease Specialist
Alan Grindal, MD, Geriatric Medicine Specialist
Jessie Hoang, MD, Pediatric Hospitalist
Sarah Kimball, MD, Breast Surgical Oncologist
Jamie Kisgen, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP, Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Manager
Stephen Kucera, MD, Gastroenterologist
Beverly Long, GYN Oncologist
Jeremy Lund, PharmD, Clinical Toxicologist
Omar Mattei, Executive Chef
Julie Mavrakis, PharmD, Pharmacy Resident
Laura McGill, DO, Sarasota Memorial Urgent Care Physician
Laura McLeroy, RD, Dietitian
Amie Miller, ARNP, Lung Cancer Screening Program Coordinator
Heitor Okanobo, MD, Radiology Specialist
Armani Orihuela, MD, Family Medicine Specialist
Joseph Seaman, MD, Critical Care Pulmonologist & SMH-Sarasota Associate Chief Medical Officer
Saida Jennell Steiner, RN, BSN, Heart Failure Nurse
David Stone, MD, Vascular Neurologist
Shayna Shefrin, DPT, Outpatient Rehab Pelvic Floor Therapist
Sheera Thomas, RN, Mother-Baby Nurse
Allie Wilson, BSN, RNBC, ERAS Coordinator
Seth Wilson, MD, Family Medicine Specialist
Kirk Voelker, MD, Pulmonary Disease Specialist
Harold Vore, Laboratory Services Director
Jack Wazen, MD, Chief of Staff & Medical Director of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery