LiveWell Talk On...
Health, Fitness & Longevity
About
LiveWell Talk On... podcasts by UnityPoint Health - Cedar Rapids are designed to educate, inform and empower listeners to live their healthiest lives.
Episodes
- 343 - Our New Chief Nursing Officer: Kristin McVay, MSN, MHA, RN
Kristin McVay, the new Chief Nursing Officer at St. Luke's, joins Dr. Arnold to discuss her professional background and leadership experience. She also shares her perspective on the work performed by the nurses.
- 342 - Head and Neck Cancer (Dr. Madia Russillo)
Otolaryngologist Dr. Madia Russillo and Dr. Arnold discuss the signs, symptoms, risk factors of head and neck cancer, and the preventative role of the HPV vaccine.
- 341 - Urology (Dr. Tom Richardson)
Dr. Tom Richardson, a urologist from Physicians' Clinic of Iowa Urology, joined Dr. Arnold to discuss recent advancements in urology. They also covered the partnership between St. Luke's Hospital and PCI Urology.
- 340 - Colonoscopy Myths: What's True and What's Not? (Dr. Doug Purdy)
Gastroenterologist Dr. Douglas Purdy addresses myths surrounding colonoscopies and colon cancer screening. The discussion covers the procedure, prep, and recommendations for individuals aged 45 and older.
- 339 - Understanding Colon Cancer: What You Need to Know (Dr. Doug Purdy)
Dr. Douglas Purdy discusses colon cancer, including screening and treatment. Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the US and the leading cause of cancer death in individuals under 50.
- 338 - Cardiac Rehab Explained: Life After a Heart Attack (Jayson Wagner)
Send us Fan Mail Life after a heart attack can feel overwhelming, but cardiac rehabilitation offers a clear, supportive path forward. In this episode, Cardiac Rehab Specialist Jayson Wagner breaks down what rehab involves and how it helps…
- 337 - CardioMEMS System for Heart Failure Patients (Dr. Antony Anandaraj)
Send us Fan Mail Heart failure affects millions of Americans and is a leading cause of hospitalization. Dr. Antony Anandaraj, Cardiologist with UnityPoint Health - St. Luke’s Hospital, joins the podcast to discuss CardioMEMS, a new option…
- 336 - Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement or TAVR (Dr. Richard Kettelkamp & Katie Maybanks, ACNP)
Send us Fan Mail St. Luke’s introduced TAVR – catheter-based replacement of the aortic valve – to Cedar Rapids, performing the area’s first procedure in 2016. Since then, the heart team has performed nearly 800 TAVRs. Joining the podcast t…
- 335 - St. Luke's: The #1 Hospital in Iowa (Casey Greene)
Send us Fan Mail St. Luke’s was recently recognized as the #1 Hospital in the State of Iowa for 2026 by Newsweek. Returning to the podcast today to discuss this honor and what it means for health care in our community, is Casey Greene, mar…
- 334 - St. Luke's Robotic Surgery 20th Anniversary (Dr. Jonathan Rippentrop)
Send us Fan Mail UnityPoint Health - St. Luke’s Hospital acquired Cedar Rapids’ first robotic surgery technology in 2005, performing the areas first procedure the following year. Joining today's episode to talk about the 20-year history of…
- 333 - Blood Donation (Suzanne Felton, (MLS)ASCP & Adam Wilcox, PharmD)
Send us Fan Mail Did you know that someone needs blood in the United States every two seconds? Whether it’s for surgeries, cancer treatment, traumatic injuries or something else, your blood donation could help save a life. Suzanne Felton,…
- 332 - Atrial Fibrillation (Dr. Talha Farid)
Send us Fan Mail According to the American Heart Association, Afib affects an estimated 5 million Americans today, and 12 million are projected to have it by 2030. Returning to the podcast to discuss Atrial Fibrillation is Dr. Talha Farid,…
- 331 - Understanding Shoulder Injuries (Brock Yotty, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC)
Send us Fan Mail Whether you’re working out at the gym, reaching for the top shelf, or carrying in groceries, your shoulders are involved in nearly everything you do and they’re more vulnerable to injury than you might think. Today we’re j…
- 330 - Spinal Cord Injury Clinic (Dr. Elissa Zakrasek)
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Elissa Zakrasek, physician with St. Luke's Physical Medicine & Rehab, joins Dr. Arnold to discuss St. Luke’s Spinal Cord Injury Clinic—the only outpatient clinic of its kind in Iowa. From advanced therapies to helping…
- 329 - New Clinician Spotlight: Dr. Taylor King
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Taylor King, a new physician with UnityPoint Clinic Pediatrics - Tower Terrace, joins Dr. Arnold to talk about her background, clinical and personal interests, what led her to UnityPoint Health and much more. If you wo…
- 328 - GLP-1 Catalyst Program (Nichole Lucas, RD, LD & Gracie Cheville, NBC-HWC)
Send us Fan Mail With the increased use of GLP-1 medications for weight-loss, UnityPoint Health Healthy Living Clinic saw a need for a special program dedicated to individuals who use these types of medication. Returning to the podcast to…
- 327 - A Day in the Life of an ER Nurse (Courtney Spencer, BSN, RN & Courtney McGreevy, RN)
Send us Fan Mail Courtney Spencer, BSN, RN, supervisor at St. Luke's Marion ER and Courtney McGreevy, RN, UnityPoint Health - Cedar Rapids ER Float pool nurse, join Dr. Arnold to give listeners a look into a day in the life of an ER nurse.…
- 326 - New Clinician Spotlight: Allison Cadden, PA-C
Send us Fan Mail Allison Cadden, PA-C, a new physician assistant with UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine - Northridge, joins Dr. Arnold to talk about her background, clinical and personal interests, what led her to UnityPoint Health and muc…
- 325 - Dual Chamber Leadless Pacemaker (Dr. Talha Farid)
Send us Fan Mail St. Luke’s cardiologist Dr. Talha Farid is the first in Cedar Rapids to be trained and successfully implant the AVEIR DR, which is the world’s first dual chamber leadless pacemaker system. Dr. Farid joins Dr. Arnold on tod…
- 324 - MitraClip (Dr. Nidhi Madan)
Send us Fan Mail St. Luke’s cardiologist Dr. Nidhi Madan joins Dr. Arnold on today’s episode to discuss mitral valve conditions and how they are treated with MitraClip. To learn more about heart care services at St. Luke's, visit unitypoin…
- 323 - Anesthesia & Surgery (Casey Greene)
Send us Fan Mail Casey Greene, president of UnityPoint Health - Cedar Rapids, joins Dr. Arnold to discuss St. Luke's exclusive agreement with Linn County Anesthesiologists, P.C. - the area's only anesthesiologist group. They discuss how th…
- 322 - Peripheral Artery Disease (Dr. Nicole Gensicke)
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Nicole Gensicke, PCI Vascular Surgeon with St. Luke's Vascular Surgery, returns to the podcast to discuss Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). To learn more about services offered at St. Luke’s Heart and Vascular Center, v…
- 321 - St. Luke's Heart & Vascular Center Expansion Phase 3 (Justin McDonald)
Send us Fan Mail Justin McDonald, St. Luke's Heart & Vascular Services director, joins Dr. Arnold to discuss the progress of St. Luke’s $25 million dollar Heart and Vascular expansion and the final phase that’s underway. To learn more abou…
- 320 - St. Luke's Marion ER Trauma Designation (Craig Liscum, MSN, RN)
Send us Fan Mail Craig Liscum, MSN, RN, St. Luke's Trauma Coordinator, joins Dr. Arnold to discuss St. Luke's Marion ER Level 4 trauma certification and what it means for patients receiving care. To learn more about emergency services at S…
- 319 - New Clinician Spotlight: Dr. Nicole Gensicke
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Nicole Gensicke, a new vascular surgeon with St. Luke’s and Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa Vascular Surgery program, joins Dr. Arnold to talk about her background, clinical and personal interests, what led her to PCI and U…
- 318 - A Day in the Life: Medical Surgical Nurse (Ellie Ledger, RN)
Send us Fan Mail Ellie Ledger, RN, nurse at St. Luke's Hospital, joins Dr. Arnold to give listeners a look into a day in the life of a medical surgical nurse. She shares daily routines, education and training, why she loves working as a nu…
- 317 - New Clinician Spotlight: Dr. Tyler Rasmussen
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Tyler Rasmussen, a new electrophysiologist at St. Luke’s Heart Care Clinic , joins Dr. Arnold to talk about his background, clinical and personal interests, what led him to UnityPoint Health and much more. If you’re in…
- 316 - A Day in the Life: OR Nurse (Kaelee, BSN, RN)
Send us Fan Mail Kaelee, BSN, RN, Operating Room nurse at St. Luke's Hospital, joins Dr. Arnold to give listeners a look into a day in the life of an OR nurse. She shares daily routines, education and training, why she loves working as an…
- 315 - Colonoscopy Prep (Dr. Doug Purdy)
Send us Fan Mail Colonoscopy prep tends to get a bad rap, but it’s a crucial step in ensuring your procedure goes as planned. Dr. Doug Purdy, St. Luke's Gastroenterologist, returns to the podcast to discuss the colonoscopy prep process. To…
- 314 - St. Luke's New Vascular & Interventional Radiology Lab (Lia Dickes, MSN, RN, PCCN)
Send us Fan Mail Lia Dickes, MSN, RN, PCCN, St. Luke's Vascular and Interventional Radiology Manager, joins Dr. Arnold to discuss St. Luke's vascular and interventional radiology labs expansion project. The newly expanded labs enable St. L…
- 313 - New Clinician Spotlight: Dr. Steven Brown
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Steven Brown, a new pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Physicians' Clinic of Iowa, joins Dr. Arnold to talk about his background, clinical and personal interests, what led him to PCI, St. Luke's and the Cedar Rapids commu…
- 312 - New Clinician Spotlight: Michele Tangeman, DNP, ARNP
Send us Fan Mail Michele Tangeman, DNP, ARNP, a new nurse practitioner at St. Luke’s Heart Care Clinic , joins Dr. Arnold to talk about her background, clinical and personal interests, what led her to UnityPoint Health and much more. If yo…
- 311 - New Clinician Spotlight: Alyssa Grissom, MSN, APRN, AGCNS, AOCNS
Send us Fan Mail Alyssa Grissom, MSN, APRN, AGCNS, AOCNS, a new genetics nurse practitioner at Nassif Community Cancer Center, joins Dr. Arnold to talk about her background, clinical and personal interests, what led her to UnityPoint Healt…
- 310 - New Clinician Spotlight: Dr. Shanna Elliott
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Shanna Elliott, a new clinician at UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine - Bowman Woods, joins Dr. Arnold to talk about her background, clinical and personal interests, what led her to UnityPoint Health and much more. To s…
- 309 - St. Luke's: The #1 Hospital in Iowa (Casey Greene)
Send us Fan Mail St. Luke's was recently recognized as the #1 Hospital in the State of Iowa for 2025 by Newsweek. Casey Greene, president of UnityPoint Health - Cedar Rapids, returns to the podcast to discuss what this honor means for heal…
- 308 - New Clinician Spotlight: Jessica Thomas, PA-C
Send us Fan Mail Jessica Thomas, PA-C, a new clinician at UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine - Hiawatha, joins Dr. Arnold to talk about her background, clinical and personal interests, what led her to UnityPoint Health and much more. To sch…
- 307 - Reigniting the Spirit of Caring (Kallie Gutierrez, BSN, RN & Sharron Sturgeon, RN)
Send us Fan Mail A career in healthcare, while extremely rewarding, can also be stressful at times. At UnityPoint Health – Cedar Rapids, healthcare workers are encouraged take care of themselves so they can continue providing their best ca…
- 306 - New Clinician Spotlight: Melissa Janssen, MSN, ARNP, FNP-BC
Send us Fan Mail Melissa Janssen, MSN, ARNP, FNP-BC, a new genetics nurse practitioner at Nassif Community Cancer Center, joins Dr. Arnold to talk about her background, clinical and personal interests, what led her to UnityPoint Health and…
- 304 - Pulsed Field Ablation (Dr. Weiwei Li)
Send us Fan Mail One of the most treated heart rhythm disorders in the United States is irregular heart activity known as Atrial Fibrillation or Afib. Dr. Weiwei Li, electrophysiologist at St. Luke's Heart Care Clinic, returns to the podca…
- 303 - Genetic Testing (Melissa Janssen, ARNP & Alyssa Grissom, APRN)
Send us Fan Mail Melissa Janssen, ARNP, and Alyssa Grissom, APRN, with the Genetics and Risk Assessment Clinic at the Nassif Community Cancer Center, join Dr. Arnold to discuss the clinic, types of genetic testing available, the testing pr…
- 302 - Lifestyle Factors & Mental Health (Dr. Kate Jarvis)
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Kate Jarvis, psychiatrist with AbbeHealth, joins Dr. Arnold to discuss how our day-to-day choices regarding lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, sleep and social connections can impact our mental health and well-b…
- 301 - Bariatric Surgery (Dr. Rebecca Milburn)
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Rebecca Milburn, bariatric surgeon with PCI, joins Dr. Arnold to discuss bariatrics surgery, how it benefits patients who struggle with excessive weight, who may be a candidate for surgery, types of bariatric surgery a…
- 300 - St. Luke's Marion ER (Dr. Sarah Hoper)
Send us Fan Mail St. Luke's has opened an Emergency Room in Marion, located at 3301 Armar Dr. It's an off-campus ER, meaning it's not attached to a hospital. In today's episode, Dr. Sarah Hoper, medical director for St. Luke's Marion ER, s…
- 299 - New Clinician Spotlight: Alyssa Verheyen, ARNP
Send us Fan Mail Alyssa Verheyen, ARNP, a new clinician at UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine - Tower Terrace, joins Dr. Arnold to talk about her background, clinical and personal interests, what led her to UnityPoint Health and much more.…
- 298 - Lead Extraction (Dr. Talha Farid)
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Talha Farid, electrophysiologist with St. Luke's Heart Care Clinic, returns to the podcast to discuss lead extraction. Patients who have pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and other devices with…
- 297 - Harm Reduction for Substance Use Disorders (Dr. Chantal Rozmus)
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Chantal Rozmus, a psychiatrist with the Abbe Center for Community Mental Health - Iowa City, joins Dr. Arnold to discuss the concept of harm reduction and its application in supporting individuals with substance use di…
- 296 - Stroke Rehab (Kristen Bolen, PT)
Send us Fan Mail Kristen Bolen, physical therapist with St. Luke's Hospital, joins Dr. Arnold to discuss the stroke rehabilitation process, common post-stroke issues, types of therapy and much more. To learn more visit https://www.unitypoi…
- 295 - Stroke Signs, Symptoms and Treatment (Ryley Schmelzer, RN)
Send us Fan Mail Ryley Schmelzer, RN, a nurse on St. Luke's Neurology unit, joins Dr. Arnold to discuss warning signs of a stroke, how strokes are treated and how you can lower your risk. To learn more, visit unitypoint.org. If you have a…
- 294 - Scooter and E-bike Safety (Dr. Richard Hodge)
Send us Fan Mail The City of Cedar Rapids offers scooters and e-bikes around the downtown area to help residents get around more quickly. As the weather starts heating up, Dr. Richard Hodge, with UnityPoint Clinic Urgent Care - Marion, ret…
- 293 - A Day in the Life: Hospital Chaplain (Brent Rairdin)
Send us Fan Mail Brent Rairdin, chaplain at St. Luke's Hospital, joins Dr. Arnold to give listeners a look into a day in the life of a hospital chaplain. He shares daily routines, education and training, why he loves working as a hospital…