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Welcome to CentraState Healthcare System’s blog, your trusted resource for wellness tips, health trends, medical insights, and more.

Browse through our vast collection of articles, backed by our expert team of healthcare professionals and doctors. From essential preventive care strategies to cutting-edge medical innovations and uplifting patient stories that embody resilience and hope, our blog will help you stay informed and inspired on your journey to optimal health.

Long Term Remission Thanks to Targeted Therapy for Breast Cancer

By |2024-05-10T08:42:27-04:00August 1st, 2018|Categories: Cancer, Patient Stories|Tags: , , , |

Linda Chiarella, a mother of three from Jackson, is living proof of how far science and medicine have come in fighting cancer. Diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer four years ago, her scans are now essentially normal. Interestingly, Linda’s story began when her dog Holly, a Brittany, kept pawing [...]

Freehold Resident Taps into Training to Lose 108 Pounds

By |2024-05-10T08:42:28-04:00May 30th, 2018|Categories: Health A-Z, Patient Stories|Tags: , , |

You could say that MaryAnn Horowitz used to be a different person. At age 64, she was struggling with high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, was pre-diabetic, had little energy, felt trapped in a relationship that wasn’t working, and was more than 100 pounds overweight. “I was scared,” says [...]

Women’s Heart Program Helps Louise Prevent a Heart Attack

By |2024-05-10T08:42:30-04:00April 12th, 2018|Categories: Cardiology, Health A-Z, Patient Stories|Tags: , , , |

Feeling in the peak of health, 65-year-old Louise Cassar of Jackson visited her primary care physician in early February 2013 for her annual physical exam. To her surprise, the electrocardiogram (EKG), a routine part of the exam, revealed a slight abnormality. Despite Louise having had no symptoms that would [...]

High-Intensity Cardiac Rehabilitation Helps Marlboro Mom Return to Active Life

By |2024-05-10T08:42:30-04:00April 12th, 2018|Categories: Cardiology, Health A-Z, Patient Stories|Tags: , , , |

Vicky Vydra, a 37-year-old mother of two from Marlboro, was an avid runner, skier, and scuba diver. When she developed a persistent headache, she was shocked that tests revealed she had a hole in her heart. After four weeks of debilitating headaches, Vicky visited her primary care physician, who [...]

Robotic Fibroid Surgery Can Restore Quality of Life

By |2024-05-10T08:42:31-04:00April 12th, 2018|Categories: Patient Stories, Women’s Health|Tags: , , |

Melissa Vella says her symptoms caused by uterine fibroids became so bad last fall that she constantly felt as if she were several months pregnant. “I was always tired, I had to urinate frequently, and even my abdomen was sticking out like I was pregnant,” says Melissa, a 46-year-old [...]

Gastric Sleeve Surgery Helps Melissa Achieve Long-Term Weight-Loss Goals

By |2024-05-10T08:42:34-04:00April 12th, 2018|Categories: Bariatrics, Health A-Z, Patient Stories|Tags: , , , |

After 52-year-old Melissa Rizzitello of Lakewood spoke with a colleague who’d undergone bariatric surgery, she decided it was time to set up an appointment. After a careful evaluation, Ragui Sadek, MD, FACS, recommended gastric sleeve surgery. Melissa had considered bariatric surgery for several years. Having worked as a counselor [...]

Moving Forward – Following Up with a Young Stroke Survivor

By |2024-11-20T15:31:33-05:00April 12th, 2018|Categories: Neuroscience, Patient Stories|Tags: , , , |

That optimism came from a 24-year-old woman who just the year previously had her life turned upside down by a stroke. Now, more than two years later, Alex's positivity has only grown as she continues to make remarkable progress in her recovery. In December 2012, Alex was just getting [...]

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