Pick your distance, your pace, and your race. The NJ Virtual Challenge is an at-home race series that enables runners, walkers, and outdoor enthusiasts to log some serious miles and earn a race medal and T-shirt in the process. You will have 62 days (from May 15 to July 15) to complete the total miles from the event you choose. more
On May 15, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) educational system will lead a Zoom online learning course entitled Grow Fruit in Your Home Garden. more
Penn Medicine Princeton Health will be holding the following free yoga classes virtually via Blue Jeans platform where you can participate from the comfort and safety of your home. more
HiTOPS Princeton Half Marathon is moving forward with its October 25, 2020 scheduled race event. Organizers note that they will continue to follow safety recommendations associated with the COVID-19 virus, and all race participants will have the opportunity to defer to 2021 if they so choose. more
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization, has released a guide to answer frequently asked questions regarding the intersection between coronavirus (COVID-19), and people affected by mental illness, their caregivers, and loved ones. more
By Taylor Smith
Community Options, Inc. invites runners, walkers, and rollers (baby strollers and wheelchairs) to help raise funds to make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities at the annual Cupid’s Chase.
The Cupid’s Chase 5K on Saturday, February 8 at the Princeton Shopping Center will raise funds to support people with disabilities in Mercer County. To register, visit cupidschase.org. more
By Taylor Smith
Finding a unique and meaningful holiday gift for loved ones can be challenging.
“Like cooking, skincare is an art and ingredients matter. So, we use the simplest, most nourishing ingredients in all of our products. People see the difference in their skin. We’re promoting wellness and encouraging people to take advantage of that renewing experience that we get in the bath,” says Deborah Lukasik O’Shaughnessy, an art teacher, educator, and East End resident. more
By Taylor Smith
The Nature Conservancy of New Jersey is encouraging Garden State residents to stay active this winter season with the introduction of the High Mountain Challenge, inspired by New Jersey native Jessica Bagley’s running achievements. The Nature Conservancy is also hoping to raise awareness of High Mountain Park Preserve, a protected 1,260-acre tract of forested land in New Jersey’s Piedmont region (near North Haledon and Wayne). more
By Taylor Smith
This year’s gala benefit for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation took place on Thursday, November 14 at Cipriani South Street in New York City.
The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation grew out of the community-driven Stifel Paralysis Research Foundation, which was founded in 1982 when Henry Stifel, a New Jersey high school student, was involved in a car accident that left him paralyzed at age 17. The organization evolved into the American Paralysis Association (APA). When actor Christopher Reeve was injured in a horseback riding accident in 1995, the APA was one of the first places that Reeve and his wife, Dana, sought support. By 1999, the APA and Christopher’s foundation united as the Christopher Reeve Foundation (Dana’s name was added to the moniker after her death in 2006). more
By Taylor Smith
November is still a fantastic time to find fresh fruits and vegetables at area farmers markets. Here are just a few to look for: more
Dr. Richard Besser, head of New Jersey’s Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is making a difference
By Wendy Greenberg | Photo courtesy of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Dr. Richard Besser, a pediatrician and head of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), has volunteered in a clinic in every place he has lived.
Seeing children once a week at the Henry J. Austin Center in Trenton brings health inequity into focus. There, in Trenton, the life expectancy for children is 73 years. In Princeton, the life expectancy for the same-age child is 87 years.
The clinic grants a window, he said, “into the lives of children, many of whom have profound barriers to health, children growing up in very different circumstances than the children in my hometown of Princeton.”
At a New York City health center, Besser met a grandmother who knows her grandchildren needs daily physical exercise, but was concerned about the safety of playing outdoors. He met a youngster whose asthma attacks were triggered by environmental contaminants in the family’s apartment. At the Trenton clinic, he met a mother of a son with significant developmental disabilities who has been waiting two years for services that would help him. more
“…improving the value of care in the United States is one of the biggest challenges our health care system faces. We also face challenges in providing care in a way that is equitable and that addresses other drivers of health, including social factors.”
Executive Director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI)
By Donald Gilpin | Photos by Hoag Levins
Rachel Werner, M.D., Ph.D., took over last May as the first female and the first physician-economist executive director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI). She is a professor of both medicine at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, and health care management at the Wharton School; a member of the National Academy of Medicine; and a practicing physician at Philadelphia’s Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center.
Werner came to Penn in 1994 after graduating from Macalester College in Minnesota. She earned her M.D. in 1998 and her Ph.D. in health economics in 2004. She joined the Penn faculty in 2005 as an assistant professor of medicine and an LDI senior fellow. A longtime member of LDI’s executive committee, Werner has played an important role in expanding LDI data services and was director of the LDI health economics data analyst pool that provides LDI fellows with statistical analysts. more
By Taylor Smith
Dogs and cats are typically considered “senior” when they reach 7 years of age. Depending on individual health, older pets may require more frequent exams to monitor any changes in health status. more
By Taylor Smith
Dr. Beverly Friedlander has been practicing the art of plastic surgery for over 25 years. Her new facility has been completely redesigned to offer patrons a serene, expansive setting that is inviting, restorative, and relaxing. more
By Taylor Smith
Headquartered on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Bloomberg Philanthropies was founded in 2006 with the purpose of directing funding and research to five major areas: the environment, public health, the arts, government innovation, and education. By “using data in new ways,” Bloomberg Philanthropies routinely shifts policies and advances progress, legislation, and public opinion. As an example, the organization has potentially saved countless lives by creating solutions proven to curb global tobacco use. According to bloomberg.org, “If left unchecked, tobacco use will kill one billion people this century.” more
By Taylor Smith
Ranking the nation’s top 10 in terms of large marathons, the Philadelphia Marathon typically attracts more than 30,000 runners, 60,000 spectators, and 3,000 volunteers. The fast and scenic course takes runners past historic landmarks, through urban neighborhoods, and along Philadelphia’s picturesque waterfront. Participants should keep in mind that the November race is a chilly one, with average starting line temperatures around 37 degrees F. The half marathon and 8K races will take place on Saturday, November 23. The full marathon will begin at 7 a.m. on Sunday, November 24. more
By Taylor Smith
Housed in a former factory space at 240 North Union Street in Lambertville, DIG Yoga was founded in 2010 by Sue Elkind and Anime Jezzeny. DIG maintains a following among area resident who find that the architectural characteristics of the studio deepens their practice. Specifically, the light from the large windows that reverberates around the room and reflects beautifully off of the bamboo floors. more
By Taylor Smith
Adolescents and college-age men and women are statistically at a high risk of experiencing the onset of a psychotic episode, particularly if they are genetically predisposed to mental illness. more
By Taylor Smith
New Jersey residents are lucky enough to experience four distinct seasons; however, this also means that gardeners must prepare for winter and put their gardens to bed each year. In terms of a vegetable garden, preparing your beds for winter will increase the chance that your garden stays healthy from year to year. A sure sign that winter is fast approaching is when the first frost has killed off most of your annuals. For an area that does not see frost, you can begin your cleanup after the annual plants have started to brown and die. more
By Taylor Smith
With children now back in school and an increased amount of time spent indoors, fall typically signals the start of cold and flu season. In reality, a person can contract the flu any time of year, but the CDC reports that influenza typically peaks between December and February. more
By Taylor Smith
Considered to be excellent preparation for the November TCS New York City Marathon, the Newport Liberty Half Marathon in Jersey City will take place on Sunday, September 15. Start time is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. at Newport Green Park. more
By Taylor Smith
Coming soon to Washington Township is Row House, a first-class indoor rowing experience that challenges your endurance, strength, and fortitude. more
By Taylor Smith
Many veterinary schools are now offering education tracks in wildlife medicine, which is an interdisciplinary study that involves work in wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife medicine, and conservation medicine. Conservation medicine is concerned with looking at the interplay between environment and health. more
By Taylor Smith
When considering health and “fitness,” many people look to the scale for answers and stop there. New research suggests that metabolic health is the true marker, not only for determining a healthy BMI (body mass index), but also for significantly lowering one’s risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and the onset of dementia. more
By Taylor Smith
Colorectal cancer is a cancer that starts in the colon or the rectum. Cells in nearly all parts of the body can become cancerous, but most colorectal cancers start with growths on the inner lining of the colon or rectum, called polyps. Some types of polyps change into cancer over time and others never become cancerous. Neal Luppescu, MD, a gastroenterologist at Summit Medical Group explains, “There are numerous risk factors doctors have identified that affect your risk of developing colon cancer. The most important thing is to schedule a colonoscopy screening.” more
By Taylor Smith
Jump, swing, fly, and tackle 18 obstacles and 3.1 miles of mud at MuckFest New Jersey in Somerset on Saturday, July 20 at 9 a.m. Presented locally by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, MuckFest New Jersey is a high-octane obstacle course from start to finish. more
By Taylor Smith
NJ Sharing Network is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the recovery and placement of donated organs and tissues for those in need of a life-saving transplant. According to its website, nearly 4,000 New Jersey residents are in need of a transplantation. The organization operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and is staffed by a team of more than 150 highly-trained and dedicated advocates. more
By Taylor Smith
Summer is a time when kids can spend their days outside the confines of a classroom and instead participate in playdates, swimming adventures, travel, camp, and exploration. It provides a wonderful opportunity for children to grown cognitively and emotionally without the confines of a regimented schedule. However, it can also be a time when children are exposed to new germs, risks, and illnesses. Here are a few tips for ensuring a healthy and happy summer for your family. more
By Taylor Smith
Memorial Sloan Kettering, known for superior cancer care, has a new location. Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen (MSK Bergen), at 225 Summit Avenue in Montvale, N.J., is situated an hour and 30 minutes from Princeton and less than 60 minutes from New York City. The Bergen County community borders six neighboring municipalities: Woodcliff Lake, Upper Saddle River, Park Ridge, and River Vale in Bergen County; and both Pearl River and Chestnut Ridge in Rockland County, N.Y. Montvale is easily accessed by the Garden State Parkway, along with the New York State Thruway. more
