Most pregnancy-related deaths in women are preventable, but the rate of maternal mortality has been increasing. Dr. Rachael Sampson talks about why rates have gone up in recent years -- and what health care providers, new mothers and their loved ones can do to help prevent deaths in this week's "HealthLink on Air." Sampson is an obstetrician-gynecologist who is completing a fellowship (specialized training) in maternal-fetal medicine at Upstate.
Also on this week's show, a medical specialty with historically low numbers of women practitioners is neurosurgery. Upstate's Norton College of Medicine, however, has one of the best percentages of female graduates who become neurosurgeons in the country, according to a recent study. Dr. Larry Chin, dean of the medical school and previously Upstate's chief of neurosurgery, explains some of the reasons women might feel comfortable training at Upstate and the importance of producing a diverse pool of physicians.
And Dr. Sharon Brangman, the chief of geriatrics at Upstate, discusses the challenge of deciding when to take the car keys away from aging relatives.
Listen to Healthlink on Air every Sunday at 6 a.m. on WRVO.