Apple a Day

May 2026: High Blood Pressure with Dr. Dustin Sperr

May is High Blood Pressure Education month and Dr. Dustin Sperr, primary care physician in our Elbow Lake and Evansville clinics joins us today to talk about the importance of understanding and managing blood pressure. We discuss knowing your numbers as well as the significant health risks associated with uncontrolled high blood pressure, such as heart disease, stroke, and dementia. You’ll also hear about management strategies, starting with foundational lifestyle changes like diet and exercise, and when medication becomes a necessary intervention. Dr. Sperr also shares some tips for proper technique to get the most accurate blood pressure readings as well as the value of home monitoring.

May 2026: Laura Knopp, Licensed Mental Health Therapist with LRH Senior Life Solutions

Laura Knopp, a licensed mental health therapist with the LRH Senior Life Solutions program joins us to discuss the critical importance of mental health, particularly for older adults, in observance of Mental Health Awareness Month. Laura debunks some common myths about aging and mental health and describes the strong connection between mental and physical wellbeing. She also offers practical, accessible tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), such as managing negative thoughts, using the cognitive triangle, identifying thinking mistakes, and understanding emotions with the feelings wheel.

April 2026: Healthcare Directives and National Healthcare Decisions Day with Aaron Christensen, Spiritual Care Manager

Chaplain Aaron Christensen is our guest on this episode of Apple a Day. He joins us to discuss the importance of healthcare directives in observance of National Healthcare Decisions Day on April 16th. We cover who needs one, how to make one, when to update it, things to consider when choosing your healthcare agent, and more. Listen in to learn more or visit our website [/patients-visitors/patients/healthcare-directive/] to access an easy-to-use template for creating your own healthcare directive.

April 2026: Parkinson’s Awareness Month and the Rock Steady Boxing Program

Mick Siems, the program coordinator for Rock Steady Boxing at Lake Region Healthcare joins us to share more about the program during April, Parkinson’s Awareness Month. Rock Steady Boxing is a non-contact boxing exercises to help people with Parkinson's disease fight its symptoms. Mick shares examples of how it improves physical strength, balance, and movement, while also providing a vital community and support network for participants.

March 2026: Dawn Dahlgren-Roemmich, CNM, DNP

On today’s episode we get to know Dawn Dahlgren Roemmich, a Certified Nurse Midwife joining the women’s health team at Lake Region Healthcare this month. Dawn shares her background in nursing and midwifery and her philosophy of care, which emphasizes treating patients like family and providing holistic, personalized support. Dawn also explained the scope of a nurse-midwife's practice and highlighted her special interests in natural childbirth, waterbirth, and functional medicine.