When George Gershwin wrote the lyrics “summertime and the living is easy” for the classic musical “Porgy and Bess,” it’s a pretty safe bet he hadn’t spent many summers in South Louisiana.

Lots of things come easy to us here in God’s country: laughing, loving, cholesterol. But summertime isn’t exactly one of them.

Need convincing? Try doing anything outside in the middle of a cloudless August day. (Don’t forget to hydrate.) And don’t even get us started on whatever storm is out there churning in the Gulf at any given moment.

But there’s good news: We’re past the halfway mark of summertime, so we can expect things to cool off and calm down. Eventually.

In fact, one noteworthy sign of impending relief comes this week, as local schoolchildren begin returning to classes.

That, of course, brings challenges all its own for local parents. But with the recent opening of our newest pediatrics clinic in Mandeville, getting those end-of-summer well-child checkups out of the way should be easier than ever.

For those struggling with which sunscreen to buy before taking that last trip to the beach before the start of school, the newest episode of our recently launched podcast, titled “Northshore Healthbeat,” should help there, too.

Find a link to it below, along with links to a variety of other recent headlines from St. Tammany Health System.

They might not all make living easy this summer. But they won’t make it any harder, either.

Stay cool, stay hydrated and thank you for trusting St. Tammany Health System with your family’s healthcare.  

Military veterans have long held a place of honor at St. Tammany Health System.

For example, the second chief of staff of its flagship St. Tammany Parish Hospital earned a bronze star and five combat stars after leading a M.A.S.H. unit on the beaches of Normandy during World War II.

His successor as chief of staff also fought in World War II, serving in an infantry unit in North Africa and Sicily, and earning five decorations and five battle stars.

The list goes on.

So, when former hospital employee and Patient Experience Task Force member Susan Titman came up with an idea for a way to honor patients and colleagues who served, the nonprofit St. Tammany Health Foundation wasted no time putting it into practice.

The moving result of that effort was spotlighted recently in 70 for 70, our weekly history series counting down to the 70th anniversary of the founding of St. Tammany Health System on Dec. 1.

Simply the best

St. Tammany Health System’s flagship St. Tammany Parish Hospital is among the best hospitals in America and the fourth-best hospital in the state of Louisiana, according to Newsweek’s recently released 2024 rankings.

The skinny on skin cancer

Planning one last end-of-summer beach trip? You’ll want to catch the latest episode of the St. Tammany Health System podcast Northshore Healthbeat, which this time focuses on skin cancer treatment and prevention.

Brahms, baby!

After an extended absence, nurses at St. Tammany Parish Hospital’s New Family Center have reinstituted the practice of playing Johann Brahms’ classic “Lullaby” throughout the hospital whenever they welcome a new baby into the world.

Hot off the presses

The latest edition of St. Tammany Health System’s quarterly Heart to Heart magazine has landed! You can pick up a free copy at our Covington hospital or at any of our community clinics – or just click below to peruse a digital version.