Veins, vessels and valves are all part of the body’s vascular system, which is why cardiothoracic surgeon Saina Attaran, MD, is at home in her new role at the Vein Center at Dignity Health, Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC). “The venous system is critical to our overall health,” explains Dr. Attaran, Vein Specialist, the Vein Center at YRMC. “We depend on our network of veins to deliver deoxygenated blood back to our hearts. It’s familiar territory for me.” The Quad Cities community is also familiar to Dr. Attaran. She moved to the area in 2019 to join the surgical team at YRMC’s James Family Heart Center. “I love everything about this community: the people, spirit and scenery,” she says. “Helping the people of my community stay healthy is a privilege.” Patient-Centered Care With Dr. Attaran’s exceptional skills and experience, the fully staffed Vein Center will continue to provide top diagnostic and advanced therapies for people with lower-extremity vein issues. The strong partnership with Advanced Wound Care at Dignity Health, YRMC, will also continue. “Our Advanced Wound Care and Vein Center teams often collaborate to care for patients,” notes Cheryl Sofonia, Director, Advanced Wound and Vein Center. “It’s a benefit to patients that our clinics are together in one location. It’s an even bigger benefit that our Advanced Wound and Vein Center teams draw on the expertise of the multidisciplinary medical team to ensure patients receive the best care possible.” Dr. Attaran echoes this and also emphasizes the patient’s significant role in the Vein Center’s care model. “Teamwork is a very important to the Vein Center,” Dr. Attaran says. “And our patients are at the center of our team. We work with every patient to improve their mobility with individualized care plans that may include lifestyle changes, compression stockings and possibly a venous procedure.” A Global Medical Education Dr. Attaran’s medical education has taken her to top medical centers in the United States and worldwide. She pursued a valve reconstruction fellowship in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. Prior to that, she studied valve/aortic surgery during a fellowship at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong and cardiothoracic surgery during a junior clinical fellowship at the London Chest Hospital. Dr. Attaran’s cardiothoracic residency took place in the United Kingdom at hospitals throughout London and Liverpool. She earned her medical degree from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran. How to Reach the Vein Center The Vein Center is located on the campus of YRMC East at: Del E. Webb Outpatient Center 3262 North Windsong Drive Prescott Valley, Arizona 86314 To schedule an appointment or for more information – (928) 759-5890

In a perfect world, every expectant parent would receive support, encouragement, and all the resources needed to ensure the best possible outcome for themselves and their newborn. However, when a parent or parent-to-be is struggling with substance use, seeking that support can be difficult. The outcome could easily become stress, isolation, and the inability to fully care for their new baby. Yavapai SHIFT (Safe Healthy Infants and Families Thrive) Taskforce is a new program in Yavapai County designed to meet those parents’ needs. Dignity Health, Yavapai Regional Medical Center’s (YRMC’s) Family Resource Center and Family Birthing Center have teamed up with Prevent Child Abuse Arizona to bring comprehensive support to pregnant families in our community who are at risk of substance use disorder. Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Anna Young, responsible for all of the juvenile justice cases in the county, is credited for spearheading the program locally, after learning about the first SHIFT pilot in Maricopa County. Yavapai County SHIFT is the second pilot of the program in the state. “Our whole approach starts with a partnership,” explains Lynn Daugherty, Nursing Director at YRMC’s Family Birthing Center. “We partner with our patients and their families and meet them wherever they are at that point in their life. The connection is made in a safe, non-judgmental environment. It’s a partnership that will help them get on a better path and rewrite their life story.” Yavapai County SHIFT follows an integrated approach. A spectrum of healthcare providers works collaboratively with at-risk families before, during, and after the birth of their child. Partners include prenatal care specialists, medication-assisted treatment programs, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition program, and home visitation programs. The goal is to keep the family together. A healthy parent means a healthy baby, both physically and emotionally. “If we want to see a reduction in harm, generational foster care, and poor health outcomes related to adverse childhood experiences, then we as a society have to take the best care possible of our youngest members – starting before they are born. And we can’t do that without also supporting families,” says Meghan Hays Davis, Program and Training Director of Prevent Child Abuse Arizona and lead collaborator in bringing SHIFT to Yavapai County. By design, the program is easy for a family to connect with. Many women first discuss their needs with their obstetrician. However, David Barko, Director of YRMC’s Family Resource Center says there is no ‘wrong door.’ “You can connect with us at the Family Birthing Center and the Family Resource Center. Contact any of us. That’s the first step. The rest we’ll do together, supporting you along the way,” he says. “We want to remove the stigma and normalize what’s happening, making it easier for moms, moms-to-be, and their families to seek help,” Barko says. “Substance use is a biological condition – there are neurological things happening in the brain. Too many providers have the outdated belief that the expectant parent is ‘choosing’ their condition. We are here to overcome that type of thinking. Across any substance use or mental health challenge, we are not here to judge.” Daugherty explains that substance use disorder is often a result of trauma in one’s life, most frequently in the form of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, domestic violence or depression. She emphasizes that, “these moms need treatment and a tremendous amount of support in order to move in a different direction in their lives.” “Our plan of care from pregnancy through birth and beyond is for our moms to demonstrate love and engagement with their babies,” she continues. “In spite of the trauma and substance use they have experienced, we want them to be able to say that they have changed the course of their life, and the course of their baby’s life.” Daugherty sums it up in a few simple words. “All moms love their babies, including moms who struggle with substance use.” For more information on the Yavapai County SHIFT Taskforce, contact YRMC’s Family Birthing Center at (928) 442-8800 or the Family Resource Center at (928) 771-5651.

The summer harvest is just kicking into gear at the Prescott Farmers Market.  The first summery squashes, fragrant bunches of basil, crispy cucumbers, bright yellow sunflowers, and many other seasonal favorites just started showing up a few weeks ago.  Late spring crops are available too, including sweet baby greens, juicy spring onions, and giant heads of lettuce, escarole and frisée.  Shoulder seasons like this are an important time to support local farmers, as their fields transition from cool to hot weather crops.  Variety and quantities change from week to week at the Market, but everything is always fresh, nutrient-packed and delicious. Join me for the latest edition of YRMC’s Your Healthy Kitchen, as I highlight some of my favorite early summer varietals, and share two new, flavor-packed recipes!   Recipe: Braised Fennel with Tomato and Thyme Recipe: Waldorf Salad with Apples, Turnips, Walnuts and Figs Be sure to shop the Prescott Farmer’s Market regularly, where you can eat your way through the seasons and enjoy the freshest, most delicious produce available. The Market is open from 7:30 am to 12 pm every Saturday, at the Dignity Health, Yavapai Regional Medical Center parking area on Miller Valley Road in Prescott.  In addition to fresh produce, you’ll also find delicious pastries and breads, bagels, a variety of prepared foods, fresh and dried mushrooms, coffee, tea, meats, chicken, eggs, flowers, crafts, kombucha, and more for sale every week. Remember to browse the Your Healthy Kitchen Blog, at yrmchealthconnect.org, for more seasonal produce recipe ideas, and follow me on Facebook at YRMC’s Your Healthy Kitchen, where I post photos and videos of the meals I make in my own kitchen, plus links to my favorite food and gardening destinations on the web.

Imaging technology that both measures how quickly a tumor is growing and pinpoints its exact location is available at Dignity Health, Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) East in Prescott Valley. “This is extremely advanced imaging technology,” says Mary Sterling, Director of Diagnostic and Cardiovascular Imaging at YRMC. “It’s important to the comprehensive medical imaging services we provide Yavapai County.” Top Technology The “Time-of-Flight” (TOF) technology, as it’s called, combines Positron Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography (PET/CT) in a single imaging unit. The job of the PET scan is to detect molecular activity within the body for diagnosis of cancer and other diseases. The CT scan precisely locates the cancer. The PET/CT is located on the first floor of YRMC East in Prescott Valley, adjacent to Imaging Services. It includes a room with comfortable chairs and blankets, where patients can relax before exams. “PET is a nuclear medicine procedure,” explains Sterling. “This means patients receive a small amount of radiation, called a radioisotope, before exams. They need a comfortable place to relax for an hour before the procedure. This helps us to get the best scan possible.” PET/CT Helps Cancer Patients At YRMC, PET/CT technology is used to: Diagnose and stage all types of cancers Monitor treatment progress in patients who have undergone radiation therapy or chemotherapy Determine whether a cancer has spread in the body Assess the effectiveness of treatment Visit Imaging Services to learn more about YRMC’s advanced imaging technology and state-of-the-art services.