Strokes are the fourth leading cause of death in Georgia, making it crucial to know the signs and symptoms, especially with time being of the essence and challenges such as hospital closures and doctor shortages being prevalent in the rural state. Georgia's stroke death rate surpasses the national average by 10.8%, ranking it 12th-highest in the nation.

Even though strokes typically occur in individuals aged 65 or older, Meghan McKee, at just 31 years old, defied the common perception of a stroke victim. With her healthy lifestyle, she was taken aback one Saturday afternoon while watching a movie with her husband. Now, after recovering, she aims to inspire others to recognize the signs and seek help.

"I went to go grab a glass of water and my left hand just slapped the table and then I tried to stand up and I couldn't walk because my leg was very weak, and my husband looked at me and he said the left side of my face was drooped down," she said. "My smile was not symmetrical."

McKee considered herself fortunate as her spouse swiftly dialed 911, thanks to the crucial role of education, which enabled him to swiftly detect an emergency and respond, resulting in McKee getting the assistance she needed within just 10 minutes.

Dr. Sheryl Martin-Schild, stroke medical director at Touro Infirmary and CEO of Doctor Brain, said recognizing the signs of a stroke can be challenging because they can sometimes be subtle and easily overlooked. She suggests using the acronym BE FAST, which stands for Balance, Eyes, Face, Arm, Speech, and Time, to help identify symptoms. If there are sudden changes in these areas could indicate a stroke, and dialing 911 in a timely manner can make a huge difference in saving a life. Martin-Schild highlights the best way to prevent a stroke is to know the risk factors.

"And there are some risk factors that you can't do anything about but there are many risk factors that you can modify and lower the risks so it's really important to work with a primary-care provider to recognize if you are having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart rhythm disturbances like atrial fibrillation, diabetes," she explained.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lifestyle changes such as maintaining a healthy diet, managing weight, limiting alcohol consumption, avoiding smoking and working with a health-care professional to control medical conditions can help prevent strokes.


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People who are part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, will be dropped from their CoveredCA health plans at the end of August.

The move comes after the Trump administration changed a Biden-era definition of "lawfully present" to revoke health care eligibility for thousands of immigrants.

Christine Smith, policy and legislative advocate for the nonprofit Health Access California, said people only have a few weeks to get medical appointments in before their coverage ends.

"If you're enrolled in Covered California and you're a DACA recipient, the Trump administration just ended your coverage," Smith emphasized. "People should use as much of your health care as you can before the August 31st deadline."

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services defended the move, saying it will save taxpayers money. CoveredCA estimated the change affects about 2,400 DACA recipients in the state who make too much to qualify for Medi-Cal and have jobs not providing health insurance. They can still buy private insurance but it is much more expensive. People who prepaid for their coverage can seek a refund.

Smith predicted it will be a blow not just to those who lose coverage but to the state's health care system as a whole.

"The lines in the ERs are going to be longer because people are not going to be able to get affordable preventive care," Smith projected. "They're just going to get sicker and then end up in the ERs. People will overall incur more medical debt. Hospitals will have more uncompensated care."

The change is nationwide. As of mid-July, about 538,000 people in the DACA program across the U.S. are ineligible to enroll in any state-based insurance marketplace and are unable to access premium subsidies or cost-sharing assistance.

Artificial intelligence is appearing more prominently in many aspects of life and research suggests older populations are curious, yet remain wary of using the technology in their everyday lives.

According to Stats Indiana, there are more than 1.5 million Hoosiers aged 65 and older, or 18% of the state's population. Experts said it is likely the demographic will use AI in some form in the next few years, either by choice or necessity.

Dr. Shaun Grannis, vice president of data and analytics for the Regenstrief Institute on Aging, said AI offers real benefits.

"It can reduce loneliness through conversation, provide reminders for medications and appointments," Grannis outlined. "It can support cognitive stimulation via games, storytelling, news updates."

The technology can also offer a low-pressure way to access information on public services, he added, which is valuable for those with mobility issues or those who feel intimidated by technology.

Grannis cautioned any tool which can be used for good can also lead to problems. He noted AI can create a false sense of companionship and mask social isolation. Overdependence is a legitimate concern, he argued, if the technology becomes a "crutch" for all forms of interaction.

"All cognitive activities or decision-making, it can actually lead to and create a negative feedback loop, lead to a decline in engagement and even basic self-management skills," Grannis explained. "This is risky."

Grannis believes one solution is designing AI systems to complement, not replace, human interaction. He stressed it can be done though building broader support ecosystems including family, friends, caregivers and community services. Grannis emphasized it would encourage real-world activity, prompting the user to go for a walk, call a grandchild or attend a local senior event.

If you have an extra five minutes, you can save a life because you can learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation at no cost from a new mobile, hands-only CPR kiosk.

The new kiosk is in the lobby of Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica. The machine's touch screen gives a brief overview of hands-only CPR and you can practice right there, on a mannequin.

Dr. Rigved Tadwalkar, cardiologist at St. John's, said it is an easy way for people to get more comfortable giving chest compressions in an emergency.

"It's a lot like a video game but of course, a lot more important than a video game," Tadwalkar pointed out. "It gives real-time feedback about the depth and rate of compressions, proper hand placement, which are all factors that influence the effectiveness of CPR."

The American Heart Association operates the St. John's mobile kiosk and a stationary model at L-A-X with support from the hospital. Santiago Canyon College in Orange County also has a mobile hands-only C-P-R kiosk now through September, sponsored by Edwards Lifesciences.

Steven Munatones, an Orange County business owner, said he survived what's known as a "widowmaker" heart attack which led to cardiac arrest nine years ago, thanks to his 17-year-old son, who gave him immediate CPR with instructions from a 911 operator.

"You don't have to put your mouth to anybody's mouth," Munatones explained. "You just put your hand on their chest and pump. He saved me, and others can do the same, anywhere. So, it's absolutely a lifesaving, heroic act that anybody can do."

Statistics show 350,000 Americans suffer from cardiac arrest outside a hospital each year and about 90% die, in part because they do not receive CPR. About 70% of those cardiac arrests happen at home, so people often depend on family or friends to give CPR before an ambulance arrives.