We at St. Tammany Health System tend to be glass-half-full types. Life is just happier that way.  

That being the case, we’ll lead with the good news today: The National Weather Service predicts near-normal activity in the Atlantic this year – which, we don’t have to tell you, beats the everlovin’ heck out of a busier-than-usual forecast.  

Now, the not-so-great news: The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1. That’s Thursday. 

Granted, things won’t likely hit high gear until August or so, but a few early-season storms are bound to flex their muscle between now and then. For that reason, most of us in South Louisiana will be keeping an eye on the skies now through the end of the season on Nov. 30. 

Although the skies might be clear now, the wiser among us have also already started bracing for an eventual hit. We urge you to join them.  

You probably already know the drill:

• Stock up now on water, nonperishable food and batteries.
• Be mindful of your prescription refills.
• Lend a hand to those in your life who might need assistance with their own preparations.

To help remind you of all the other figurative hatches that need battening, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published a thorough pre-storm to-do list as well as a nifty companion graphic. 

Good stuff, that. Like Ben Franklin said, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure – a concept our healthcare providers thoroughly endorse.  

Stay safe this hurricane season. Stay dry. And enjoy these recent headlines from our STHS newsroom. 

Things were bright this past May on the campus of St. Tammany Health System’s flagship St. Tammany Parish Hospital. 

The sun was bright. The flowers were bright. And the smiles were perhaps brightest of all. 

It was all because of a particularly bright idea, named Buddies for Life, designed to bring members of the community together and, in the process, forge friendships among two groups traditionally at risk of social isolation. 

In this case, in involved residents from the local Christwood retirement community, who buddied up with intellectually challenged representatives from STARC of Louisiana to beautify the hospital’s gardens with 111 flowering plants. 

The hope is that it will be the beginning of some beautiful friendships. 

New mammogram guidance 

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force on May 9 reduced to 40 the recommended age for American women to begin regular mammograms. The move brings the agency closer in alignment with STHS, which has long advocated mammograms for women 40 and older. 

25 years of making a difference

In 1998, St. Tammany Health System launched its Cardio-Pulmonary Rehab program. In the quarter of a century since, it has improved the lives of innumerable Northshore residents. Freida Holland is one of them. Here’s her story.

Simply the best  

For the 15th grading period in a row, St. Tammany Health System has received an “A” grade for patient safety for spring 2023 from the Leapfrog Group, an independent healthcare watchdog organization. STHS is the only Louisiana health system with a streak that long. 

Parenthood Newbies 

It’s an unfortunate but unavoidable fact of life: Parenthood, alas, doesn’t come with an instruction manual. But now, St. Tammany Health System is teaming with the St. Tammany Parish Library to offer the next best thing.