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The BirchTree Center for Healthcare Transformation

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The BirchTree Center for Healthcare Transformation

The BirchTree Center for Healthcare Transformation presents professional development programs for nurses and consultative services for healthcare organizations

10/22/2025

Plant-Heavy Diets’ Link to Reduced Cancer Risk Strengthened

MedScape - August 26, 2025
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/plant-heavy-diets-link-reduced-cancer-risk-strengthened-2025a1000mhu

Here we are again with Wednesday Wellness! Enjoy this study - and consider if a vegetarian lifestyle will work for your well-being.

People who ate a primarily vegetarian diet had a reduced risk for overall cancer and for several specific cancers compared with people who were nonvegetarian, according to a study.

The new findings, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, lend more credence to the existing evidence base suggesting that a heavily plant-based diet may reduce cancer risk.

A 2012 meta-analysis of seven studies found that vegetarians had an 18% lower risk for cancer than nonvegetarians. Similarly, a 2017 meta-analysis of 10 prospective cohort studies revealed an 8% reduced risk for cancer among vegans and vegetarians compared with omnivores. Another meta-analysis of eight studies with 686,691 participants published in 2023 showed vegetarian diets lowered the risk for gastrointestinal cancers, specifically, by 23%.

This study focused mainly on those with a pure vegetarian diet, but it included analysis of subcategories of vegans, those who ate fish (pesco-vegetarians) and those who ate dairy and egg products (lacto-ovo-vegetarians), all of which also showed reduced cancer risk. It further found reduced risks in some cancers that are less common, such as stomach cancer in all vegetarians and in lacto-ovo-vegetarians. 🍆🥕🌽🍅

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10/20/2025

"Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." - Ruth Bader Ginsburg

What matters enough to you where you become a role model to lead others?

10/16/2025

Tips to Help Patients Get More Omega 3 in Their Diets

MedScape - September 30, 2025
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/tips-help-patients-get-more-omega-3-their-diets-2025a1000q6y?ecd=WNL_mdpls_251003_mscpedit_wir_etid7769270&uac=445044EN&spon=17&impID=7769270

Omega-3 FAs are polyunsaturated fats that are needed to help the cells in the body function properly.

“Our bodies cannot produce the amount we need to survive, so they are essential nutrients that we need to obtain from the food we eat,” said Ashli Greenwald, MS, a registered dietician nutritionist at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore.

The best way to obtain omega-3 FAs in the diet is through fish, particularly fatty fish such as mackerel, salmon, herring, anchovies, trout, and sardines. “All types of fish contain omega-3 FAs and are beneficial to overall health. It’s good to try and eat at least 8 oz of fish per week; this might mean eating fish two to three times a week,” said Greenwald. 🎏

If your patient does not like fish, omega-3 FAs in the ALA form are also high in other plant sources. These foods include chia seeds, walnuts, ground flaxseeds, and flaxseed oils, and many other foods are fortified with omega-3 FAs such as eggs, Greenwald said. Suggest your patients to add these seeds or nuts to yogurt, oatmeal, or a salad as a good way to get some omega-3 FAs without eating fish.

Fish oil or flax oil capsules are readily available and can be an option for specific patients. Patients on anticoagulants and those who have bleeding disorders should be monitored closely if they are taking omega-3 FAs, especially at high doses. 💊

10/15/2025

It's Wednesday Wellness - and here's an article that reminds us of the importance (and power of) sleep. 😴

Too Little Sleep Can Lead to Too Much Weight: What To Do?

MedScape - September 25, 2025
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/too-little-sleep-can-lead-too-much-weight-what-do-2025a1000pp9?ecd=WNL_trdalrt_pos1_250926_etid7753992&uac=445044EN&impID=7753992

A healthy diet, regular exercise, and stress management — these are well-established factors that promote weight control. But emerging evidence suggests that sleep also plays a powerful role in obesity and related conditions, which is one reason the American Heart Association added sleep to its list of “life’s essentials,” and most recently published a scientific statement on sleep health and its implications for cardiometabolic health.

Getting insufficient sleep, in particular, has been associated with obesity in epidemiological studies for more than two decades. The connection was highlighted in an article several years ago that noted, “The detrimental effects of inadequate sleep on health and public safety drive an explosion of sleep research.” That research has confirmed the relationship between inadequate sleep and obesity, as well as a range of related disorders including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension.

A recent cross-sectional study found a sleep duration of less than 7 hours increased the overweight and obesity rate nearly twofold compared with sleeping 7-9 hours. “I strongly believe that getting enough sleep could help tackle our society’s obesity epidemic,” Esra Tasali, MD, director, UChicago Sleep Center, Chicago, told Medscape Medical News. “Remarkably more than one third of US adults are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis, which strongly increases their risk for chronic conditions,” including obesity. 💤

10/13/2025

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is celebrated on the second Monday of October, on October 13 this year, to honor the cultures and histories of the Native American people. The day is centered around reflecting on their tribal roots and the tragic stories that hurt but strengthened their communities.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrates, recognizes, and honors the beautiful traditions and cultures of the Indigenous People, not just in America, but around the world. Their way of life and culture carries wisdom and valuable insights into how we can live life more sustainably.

10/11/2025

The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE) is now accepting applications for the fourth cohort of the Environmental Health Nurse Fellowship Program, running January-December 2026. 🌎

This year-long program trains nurses to work with communities to address environmental health challenges, advance climate and health equity, and grow as leaders. 🌍

Nurse fellows will partner with community organizations, receive mentorship from experienced environmental health nurses, and participate in monthly webinars and two convenings (one virtual, one in-person). Fellows receive a $1,000 stipend to support their project work and free nursing continuing education credits.

Applications are open through Oct. 17, 2025.

Fellowship Information and application:
https://fellowship.envirn.org/?page_id=184

10/10/2025

World Mental Health Day, 2025. This year's theme is "Access to Services – Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies", highlighting the critical need to ensure mental health and psychosocial support is available to people affected by conflict, disaster, and other crises worldwide.

This theme, announced by the World Federation for Mental Health, emphasizes the importance of both community mental health and the well-being of those who provide emergency mental health services.

Constantly hearing about negative news from around the world can feel like a lot to take in – and that’s because it is. Feeling overwhelmed by current events, no matter how big or small, can take a toll on our mental health.

Sometimes, it can feel like the world is constantly in crisis. We’ve lived through a pandemic, a climate crisis and times of social injustice. Between these issues and global conflicts, economic instability and political unrest, bad news may seem like it's everywhere.

When things feel ‘too much,’ it’s important to know how to protect your mental health. Below are some tips to help you cope with global news overwhelm and find your way back to balance.

1). Set boundaries with the news.
2). Use grounding exercises.
3). Have phone-free times.
4). Focus on what you can control.
5). Give yourself permission to rest.
6). Talk with others.

10/09/2025

How Chronic Stress Disrupts the Gut Microbiome

MedScape - September 22, 2025
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/how-chronic-stress-disrupts-gut-microbiome-2025a1000p3j?ecd=WNL_trdalrt_pos1_250923_etid7745333&uac=445044EN&impID=7745333

Chronic psychological stress is common. A 2023 survey revealed that about one quarter of US adults reported high stress levels, and three quarters reported that chronic stress affects their daily lives.

Emerging evidence suggests that chronic stress not only exacts a high toll on mental health but also can wreak havoc on all levels of gastrointestinal (GI) functioning, all the way down to the microbiome.

“Chronic stress can change the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome and essentially tips us toward an imbalance or dysbiosis,” Aasma Shaukat, MD, MPH, gastroenterologist with NYU Langone Health and director of GI Outcomes Research, Gastroenterology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City, said in an interview with Medscape Medical News.

“This basically means that the normal balance of microorganisms that essentially we think are beneficial gets reduced, and the colonies considered to be more harmful proliferate,” she explained.

Stress interferes with the brain’s production of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, which controls anxiety, mood, sleep, and many other functions in the brain, Shaukat told Medscape Medical News.

“But serotonin also crosses the blood-brain barrier, and actually, the gut has more serotonin receptors than the brain, so an imbalance of serotonin can actually affect the gut microbiome through signaling at the neurotransmitter level,” Shaukat explained.

Interesting, huh! 😵‍

10/08/2025

Can Music Calm the Heart? New Studies Point to Benefits

MedScape - September 16, 2025
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/can-music-calm-heart-new-studies-point-benefits-2025a1000ofz?ecd=WNL_trdalrt_pos1_250919_etid7734050&uac=445044EN&impID=7734050

Several studies on the use of music as a complementary intervention for heart disease have shown promising results across different areas.

In diagnostic procedures, a Brazilian study was recently published analyzing the effect of music in patients undergoing transesophageal echocardiography (TEE).
Despite limitations, the TEE study reinforces the argument that music can be a valuable adjunct to sedation in patients undergoing invasive procedures. 🎼

It is well established that individual responses to music therapy in cardiac patients vary widely, shaped by personal preference and emotional reaction. However, evidence indicates that certain predictable musical phrase structures may enhance baroreflex sensitivity, thereby improving blood pressure regulation. This opens the door to personalized, nonpharmacological therapies based on music. 🎶

10/06/2025

We hear it's your birthday, Veda! Have a great celebration of YOU! 🥳

10/03/2025

Making the Case for Love in Leadership

Prestia. A. (2020). Making the Case for Love in Leadership. Nurse Leader, 18(50), 487-490.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1541461220300458

Before we tell you a bit about this article, please know we feel strongly that you take the time to read it. It is TRULY EXCEPTIONAL!

The presence of incivility, bullying, cultural intolerance, and violence in our healthcare organizations continues to be on the rise. Strategies to decrease and eradicate these issues are evident in those efforts to adopt zero tolerance policies and the importance of creating joy and meaning at work. Modeling loving behaviors, though not widely accepted, may just be the framework for exceptional leadership.

Leaders are taught to rely on data and evidence to create standards, policies, and procedures. Leaders learn to contemplate the “whys” of process improvement to attain quality outcomes. This author suggests a reframing of the question. In the case of loving leadership, and ask “why not?” Why not see whether loving leadership impacts growth and positive change.

That is the beauty of love. It is the only gift that when given away, more is received. Encourage each other to take the leap towards ...

10/02/2025

Rest in peace, Jane Goodall - you have done great things for our environment, for our world, for our hearts. Thank you. 🙏

Address

296 Nonotuck Street Suite #11
Florence, MA
01062

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+14135865551

Website

http://www.BirchTreeCenter.com/

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