At 14 years old, Svetlana Contreras found out her life was about to become more complicated than any homework assignment she could ever receive as a student at A.C. Reynolds high school: She was going to be a mother. But for Contreras, she had help taking on these new responsibilities when she signed up for the Asheville YWCA’s MotherLove program. (Photo of MotherLove director Tangela Bowman, top, and Svetlana Contreras)
A growing movement, both locally and nationally, that’s challenging the most fundamental assumptions about mental illness. (Pictured: Faith Rhyne. Photo by Max Cooper)
While sipping on a glass of wine or grabbing a late night coffee, residents can help fund an organization working to end homelessness locally and stopping people from spending the night in the harsh winter weather. “Every time it is cold and I go into my own house, I think, ‘It is not OK that people in our community are sleeping outside tonight,” says Emily Ball, director of community engagement at Homeward Bound of Asheville.
But how do we approach living with a chronic condition? How do our attitudes toward those conditions — and life, in general — affect our overall health and happiness?
Today may be National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, but a local agency says HIV education and testing in the African-American community remains a priority throughout the whole year. (Photo from HIV/AIDS Awareness Walk in November 2011 by Megan Dombroski)
After planning for more than a year, Asheville natives E.J. Horrocks and Alex Manfred will make their Appalachian Trail dreams come true while raising money to help Lori Greenberg make Aurora Studio & Gallery a reality. (Flier image courtesy of Aurora Gallery & Studio)
Local physical therapist Damon Rouse recently opened a “medical” gym — Asheville Family Fitness Physical Therapy and Spine Center on New Leicester Highway.
UNCA instructor Connie Schrader (right) leads student Michele Pierce (left) through a series of tests at the school’s Biofeedback and Stress Lab, which is used to help treat a variety of conditions such as sleep problems, Attention Deficit Disorder and depression.
In this feature from the Western Carolina Medical Society, general cardiologist with Asheville Cardiology Associates, Dr. Rhoda B. Brosnan, dispels some of the myths surrounding heart disease and women.
Asheville is the health care hub for Western North Carolina, and Mission Health is a major presence, dominating a swath of town that’s thick with doctor's offices. Since 2009, however, this bastion of mainstream medicine has boasted an Integrative Healthcare Department whose staff includes nurses trained in aromatherapy, massage, guided imagery and biofeedback.
In less than 10 minutes, a doctor or nurse can get a read on a patient’s overall health and well-being just by checking a few key indicators: pulse, blood pressure, temperature and respiration rate. But how do you assess an entire community’s vital signs? And if you don’t, how will you know what the biggest problems are and how best to allocate scarce resources? (cover design by Emily Busey)
Making Western North Carolina healthier comes down to three things: prevention, collaboration and choices, says Leah Ferguson, a lead coordinator for Region 2 of the Community Transformation Project.
Sarah Jean Couture, 31, invites students to explore other cultures in order to travel inwards to find adventure and peace. Here, she demonstrates exalted mountain pose at Jonas Gerard’s gallery on Clingman Avenue.
The nonprofit Songs for Kids Foundation began an eight-month tour of children’s hospitals in 180 cities with a performance at Mission Hospital’s pediatric unit Thursday afternoon.
Rutherford Regional Health System’s path to becoming a part of the Asheville-based Mission Health system continued yesterday when Mission announced that the two health systems finalized a non-binding memorandum of understanding.
January is national cervical cancer awareness month. Here, Dr. Robin Matthews writes about the importance of the HPV vaccination and gives us some facts about cervical cancer. (Photo courtesy of the Western Carolina Medical Society)
The American Red Cross encourages healthy citizens to do their part at its many blood drives this month. Xpress gathered together a list of local drives and some tips for first time donors.
For many seniors and adults with disabilities in Buncombe County, visions of sugarplums do not dance in their heads during the holiday season. They’re dreaming of warm clothes, food and the reassurance that they are not forgotten. According to Roxann Sizemore, supervisor of the Buncombe County Adult Protective Services Department, that’s the mission of the Buncombe County Senior Wish Tree project, and it goes beyond wish lists.
Jessica Lee, 28, is the Online Content Director for Clear Channel. Here, she demonstrates ardha uttanasana, or halfway lift, at Asheville Yoga Center. This is the 12th post of a yoga-pose series by freelance writer and yoga instructor, Kate Lundquist. Photos by Kate Lundquist.
In a contributed article from the Western Carolina Medical Society, Dr. John Morris, palliative care director at Four Seasons, writes about palliative care: what it means, what it does and why it can make a difference. November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. (photo of John Morris provided by WCMS)
Linda Cammarata, founder of Circadian Rhythm Practice, offers students of all ages the chance to heal the body and reinvigorate natural biological cycles. (This is the 11th post in the Asana Xpress series by freelance writer Kate Lundquist. Photography by Kate Lundquist.)
