Horgan Seminar Blog

  Hadia Hussain      Knot Your Average Problem: How do Tongue Ties Impact Oral Myofunctional Health? Sitting in the nursery of the dental office where I worked, I reviewed Baby V’s medical history and reports from the Emergency Department at Jersey City Medical Center. I found it odd that, despite multiple visits and clear signs of malnutrition, no physician had been able to diagnose the cause. Baby V, at a low weight of 12 pounds was struggling with difficulty nursing and bottle feeding, excessive gassiness, colic, clicking sounds when feeding, milk dribbling out of the mouth, and mouth breathing—but doctors had dismissed these signs, labeling him as "healthy."  It didn’t make sense as his low weight raised serious concerns.  According to Pediatric specialists Jenny Olson, DNP, and Sarha DeVrieze, ARNP, at the UnityPoint Clinic, a 9-month-old baby boy should weigh anywhere in between the range of 17 to 25 pounds. Baby V's situation was clearly a ...

Vrinda Modi Crisis to Care: NJ’s Battle with Addiction and Homelessness      “Roll a rig!”, I hear over the radio a second after the tones drop. As an EMT in Hoboken, it's all too common for me to respond to at least one 911 call per shift for an individual under the influence passed out on the sidewalk—usually flagged by a concerned bystander or a police officer who believes they might need medical attention. More often than not, the real issue isn't just medical; it's societal. These individuals, often homeless, have become part of the city’s landscape, invisible to most but impossible to ignore. When I ask for their address, it's almost always the local shelter. When we arrive at the ER, we’re often greeted by familiar eye-rolls from disgruntled hospital staff. The ER clerk barely glances up, lets out a sigh, and asks, “Substance abuse?” I nod. “Who is it this time?” By now, the hospital staff know each chronic substance abuser in the city by name. Behind the hospit...