CHAPEL HILL, N.C. –As YOUR HEALTH Radio celebrates its 100th show this weekend, the program is expanding to improve the health of thousands of citizens in local communities.

Your Health Radio, launched two years ago by the Department of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, will celebrate its 100th show this weekend.

“On our two-year anniversary, we couldn’t be more thrilled with the community’s response to YOUR HEALTH,” says Cristy Page, MD, MPH, the show’s co-host and a practicing family physician. “Nearly every week someone stops Adam or me to tell us how much they enjoy the show, that they have learned something new to help them lead healthier lives.”

On its two-year birthday, YOUR HEALTH has unveiled two new service initiatives. First, information about questions from listeners is now available on a weekly basis beyond YOUR HEALTH Radio to YOUR HEALTH News.  In addition, YOUR HEALTH has instituted a new website.  On http://yourhealthradio.org, listeners around the World can access for free the radio show and news column.  Readers and listeners can sign up to follow YOUR HEALTH on Twitter at http://twitter.com/yourhealthradio.

YOUR HEALTH Radio is a weekly one-hour talk show on patient health initiated by the University of North Carolina Department of Family Medicine. The show is co-hosted by Page and Adam Goldstein, MD, MPH, both nationally known physicians, teachers and researchers.

Created as a service project to improve primary and preventive care, YOUR HEALTH links individuals and communities with a stronger connection to primary care. Studies show that such links make people healthier, happier and lead to reductions in health related costs.

“While YOUR HEALTH cannot fulfill the role of a personal primary care provider, it helps individuals become better informed on the value and role of primary care, prevention, medical ethics and latest advances in medical research” said Goldstein. “Every week, we explore new medical breakthroughs, discuss innovations in medicine and public health, empower listeners to improve their health, and bring top experts to listeners across North Carolina as well as the rest of U.S.”

The new news column and web features help the show expand listener reach and impact. For the 100th show, YOUR HEALTH discusses new research highlighting links between teenager obesity and sleep, which women should consider breast removal to eliminate breast cancer risk, and how weight loss after pregnancy can reduce some future pregnancy complications. Drs. Goldstein and Page will also answer patients’ questions on switching doctors and how to care for aging parents.  This week’s featured guest, Dr. Wayne Overby, discusses the pros and cons of weight loss surgery, a growing national issue.

“As we move to our second 100 shows, we look forward to its syndication and growth. We are exploring options and private funding to underwrite this needed expansion”, said Dr. Goldstein.

YOUR HEALTH provides practical health-related news and information to its listeners in a manner that is comforting, convenient and easy to understand. Currently the show airs five times weekly on WCHL 1360 AM in Durham, Alamance Wake and Orange counties and is available on-line at any time at http://yourhealthradio.web.unc.edu.
The show is made possible by financial support from the UNC Department of Family Medicine and UNC Health Care.