Expert

Ashley Curtis is the lab director and principal investigator at the Cognition, Aging, Sleep, and Health Lab, or CASH Lab, at the University of Missouri. She studies the relationship between sleep conditions and cognition.

She spoke about the misconceptions about insomnia and about some of the ways that sleep hygiene practices could improve everyone’s sleep health.

This piece was reported and produced by Abigail Ruhman.

April Mickens Jolly is the Vice President of Health Equity & Culture at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri – and a Black mother.

According to the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, Black women in Missouri are 4 times more likely to die within a year of pregnancy than white women.

So, Mickens Jolly spoke about how this serious problem goes beyond just getting to a doctor, and about what communities can do to decrease the risk of pregnancy for Black women.

This piece was reported and produced by Rachel Schnelle.

Sara Humm is the public information specialist for Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services.

She spoke about the continued presence of COVID-19 throughout Missouri, and about – some of the ways – people can do their best to keep their family, friends, and community safe during the holiday season.

Mary Beth Miller is the lab director and principal investigator for the Health Intervention and Treatment Research Lab, or HIT Lab where she studies the relationship between alcohol and sleep.

She spoke about how drinking alcohol can impact the quality of sleep people get each night and how it may even be the reason you are waking up.

This piece was reported and produced by Abigail Ruhman.

Amanda Hedgpeth is the vice president of hospital operations for the CoxHealth Hospital System based in Springfield, as well as their assistant commander for COVID-19 response.

She spoke about the current COVID-19 surge in Southwest Missouri, and about her concerns for her staff and community – as well as the rest of the state – if vaccination rates remain low and case numbers continue to rise.

Rev. Kirk Perucca is the Pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church, a multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi-economic congregation in Kansas City.

He spoke with KBIA’s Levi Moltz-Hohmann about how his church has remained a resource for his community throughout the past year of the COVID-19 pandemic – and about how faith and health overlap.

This piece was reported and produced by Levi Moltz-Hohmann.

Emily Arth is a licensed clinical social worker and a therapist in Columbia. She spoke with reporter Olivia Love about understanding grief and about how everyone needs to give themselves the space and time to process grief during the ongoing pandemic. She urges everyone to seek out help if they need it.

This piece was reported by Olivia Love.

Elizabeth Herrera Eichenberger is the executive director of True North of Columbia – an organization that supports survivors of domestic and sexual violence through “safety, shelter, education and transitional support.”

She spoke about their Men as Allies Program, and about the role men can play in reducing domestic and sexual violence against women.

Liz Ellison is an RN and critical care nurse at a local hospital in Columbia. She spoke about what it’s like for her – personally – as she prepares to receive the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

She received the first dose of the vaccine last Thursday afternoon – just hours after our conversation.

JoNetta Weaver is the executive director of Meals on Wheels of Columbia. She spoke about how the organization continues to offer hot meals to people in need, and about how they’ve had to tackle another health crisis during the ongoing pandemic – loneliness in the senior community.

Marc Johnson and Chung-ho Lin are both researchers at the University of Missouri who study wastewater – yes, like sewage – to learn about human health and track things like outbreaks of COVID-19.

They spoke about how their research in wastewater allows them to gain insight into human health – like COVID-19 infections, and how it could be useful even once the coronavirus pandemic ends.

Beth Orns and Katie McDannald are both mental health professionals in Columbia. They spoke about how their work has an impact on their own mental health, as well as about how even they need help, at times – especially in a year like 2020.

This piece was reported and produced by Olivia Love.

Matthew Huffman works at the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, and we checked in – eight months into the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

He spoke about how the lives of Missourians experiencing domestic violence are being further complicated by intersecting factors – housing insecurity, continued isolation, gun violence and more.

Huffman mentioned a new report from The Violence Policy Center called “When Men Murder Women An Analysis of 2018 Homicide Data,” in which Missouri ranks 2nd for number of women killed by intimate partners.

Lynelle Phillips and Scott Clardy both work with Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services. Scott is the Assistant Director and Lynelle is a professor at the University of Missouri who leads a team of contact investigator volunteers.

They spoke about the bad rap that college age students get when it comes to testing positive for COVID-19 and about some of the ways college students can help keep themselves and their community – safe.

Dr. Opeoluwa Sotonwa is the executive director of the Missouri Commission for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing in Jefferson City.

He spoke about the importance of accessible communication for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Missourians and about some recent advances – like the availability of clear masks and American Sign Language interpreters at Governor Mike Parson’s COVID-19 briefings – and how those have impacted the lives and well-being of all Missourians during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

You are hearing Dr. Opeoluwa Sotonwa as interpreted by AJ Housewright.

Derek Landes and Cale Mitchell both work at Spectrum Health Care here in Columbia. Derek is a prevention educator and health services coordinator and Cale is the executive director.

They spoke about antibiotic resistant STIs and what simple steps people can take to keep themselves and their partners safe. These STIs have not been found in Missouri, but have been seen in some areas around the United States.

This piece was reported and produced by Veronica Mohesky.

Derek Landes and Cale Mitchell both work at Spectrum Health Care here in Columbia. Derek is a prevention educator and health services coordinator and Cale is the executive director.

They spoke about the rise of sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, in Columbia and how people can work to reduce those numbers.

This piece was reported and produced by Veronica Mohesky.

Gail Reynoso and Matthew Huffman both work at the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, and Gail has worked with numerous refugee and immigrant women throughout her career.

They spoke about the additional barriers to care that exist for these immigrant and refugee survivors of violence.

This conversation does cover some tough subjects and a racial slur is included in the audio. It may not be appropriate for everyone.

The cold winter months can be especially hard for people experiencing homelessness, but the faith communities in Columbia have collaborated to provide emergency winter shelter since 2008, hosted at various churches around the city – called Room at the Inn.

Jim Jantz and Rockie Alden, who both work with Room at the Inn, spoke about the health issues their guests most often face, as well as the importance of treating everyone with dignity.

Heather Harlan is prevention specialist and adolescent counselor at Phoenix Health Programs in Columbia. She says addiction to drugs like alcohol and tobacco often stems from childhood trauma, and substance use disorders can make it difficult for those experiencing homelessness, in particular, to get help.

She spoke about the importance of primary prevention of substance use disorders and about the challenges these disorders can create for those experiencing homelessness and their families

Teresa and Frankie Graham work with Harvest House, the local homeless shelter in Boonville. Teresa has been the resident manager since May, and Frankie is a longtime volunteer.

They spoke about the sometimes forgotten or overlooked needs of a shelter and what individuals can do to help fight homelessness – sometimes things as easy as calling the local homeless shelter to find out exactly what they need.

Katie Burnham Wilkins is the Homeless Program Coordinator at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital, and Blake Witter is the Program Coordinator for HUD-VASH, a program that combines Housing and Urban Development Vouchers with VA services to help homeless veterans get stable housing.

While the exact number of homeless veterans is hard to pin down, the Department of Housing and Urban Development released a reportlast year that found that although the number of homeless veterans has overall decreased by 17% since 2015, the number of homeless veterans in Missouri has slightly increased, to nearly 600.

Katie and Blake spoke about the challenges of reaching out to and housing homeless veterans in the Columbia community.

Deborah Baker and Patty McClendon have worked together at the Pulaski County Health Department for years. Deborah is the Director of the Health Department, and Patty is the Public Health Program Director.

They spoke about how they have benefited from public health in the past, and how their duties at the health department go beyond simply giving shots.

Susie McGee and Bev Borgeson both work for Audrain Developmental Disability Services. Susie works as the Community RN proving nursing care, and Bev is the Quality Assurance Coordinator, but according to Susie, Bev wears “many hats.”

They spoke about how the needs of the people they work with, who they call “consumers,” are changing.

Sam McMillen and Elizabeth Modde are both medical students at the University of Missouri, and they work with MedZou – a free community health clinic run by medical staff and students.

Sam is currently the Director of Patient Advocacy and Referrals, and he sat down with Elizabeth in May to discuss some of the healthcare struggles their homeless patients face, and how their relationships with patients has changed them.

Jon Reagan is a dentist in Neosho, Mo., who has been practicing for almost 20 years. We met as he volunteered at the sixth annual Missouri Mission of Mercy (MOMOM). This is a once a year, two-day dental clinic providing free care for anyone who’s willing to wait in line. It’s in a different place every year, and this year the event was held in Joplin.

Nine years ago, Jon began visiting North Belize as a medical missionary, helping people with extractions and oral health care education. He spoke about the similarities he sees between the oral health issues in rural communities in Missouri and in Belize, as well as his passion for volunteering at MOMOM.

Health reporter Rebecca Smith recently sat down with Dr. John Dane, the current state Dental Director, and Gary Harbison, the Executive Director for the Missouri Coalition for Oral Health.

In this 30 minute Missouri Health Talks Special, they cover the Missouri Oral Health Plan, which runs from 2015 to 2020, advances that have been made in oral health policy and struggles Missourians still face when it comes to accessing quality, affordable dental care.

You will also hear conversations gathered by Smith in June at the 6th Annual MOMOM, or Missouri Mission of Mercy, in Joplin. This yearly, two-day dental clinic put on by the Missouri Dental Association provides free dental care for anyone willing to wait in line. This year approximately 1,200 people were served and more than $800,000 worth of care was provided.

Janelle Williams and JoAnne Marietta both work at Audrain County Crisis Intervention Service or ACCIS – a non-profit that provides resources to people in domestic and sexual violence situations.

Janelle is the executive director and JoAnne works as the equal access advocate. They spoke about the challenges their clients without legal immigration status have when pursuing legal action against abusive partners and when trying to obtain U visas, a nonimmigrant visa set aside for people who are victims of crimes and have suffered substantial abuse.

Tad Dobyns is a community organizer for Central Missouri Community Action in Audrain County. He recently sat down with his next-door neighbor of sorts: Phil Iman, the director of the Help Center next door.

They spoke about a new program at the Help Center – called the Senior Box program – that provides extra food resources to low-income elderly individuals and helps meet some of the need in their community.

Simon McKeown has been a physician in Mexico, Missouri, for many years. Now, he works as the medical director for the Audrain County Health Department and works at a local Urgent Care office.

He sat down with his oldest son, Jonah, to speak about some of the health issues in Audrain County – like high STD rates – and reflect on how their family has benefited from social programs in the past, like years ago, when Simon was in medical school.

Dr. Andrew Quint has been the Medical Director at Family Health Center in Columbia for many years. For the past 11 years, he has worked with nurse Beth Rahn. They spoke about the many patients they have seen over the years and how those patients have changed their lives.