When an expectant mother arrives at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, she will undergo a variety of tests prior to delivering, including a screening for drugs and alcohol. If a mother’s results are positive, her newborn child will also be tested. “We are seeing episodes of babies testing positive for opioids much more frequently than several years ago,” said Jeanne Hill, MSN, RNC, director of MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital’s Women’s Health & Family Birthing Center. Babies born to drug-addicted mothers are the youngest victims of what continues to be a nationwide crisis and they are not difficult to identify, said Jeanne. “They have a high-pitched cry, they can’t calm…

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Locals Regaining Health, Embracing New Lifestyle after Newly-Offered Bariatric Surgery in Leonardtown  The tipping point came in the form of a toddler.  Paul Horner’s two-year-old grandson  David, affectionately called “Junior,”  and big sister Jamie wanted to play with their grandpa. Paul wanted that, too — but his weight made participating in everyday activities difficult.  The 56-year-old aircraft mechanic says he has been heavy his whole life.  A U.S. Navy veteran, Paul had to lose weight in order to join the military at age 17. He served eight years in the Navy before being honorably discharged for failure to meet body composition…

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Scott Kuo, MD, Interventional Radiologist A Life-Changing Outcome For 42-year-old Mara Cutchember of Lexington Park, having her menstrual cycle every month was excruciating. With heavy bleeding and excessive pain, she often found herself bedridden due to symptoms caused by fibroids. “I felt like I was in labor for three to four days a month,” Mara said. “It had gotten worse, so that’s when I said, ‘I really need to do something about this.’ ” After years of suffering, Mara began conversations with her gynecologist about what she could do to alleviate her pain. She had discussed a hysterectomy with her doctor,…

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