Elijah de Castro

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Articles

Cheshire Medical reports long waiting periods in emergency department

Jan 15, 2025 | sentinelsource.com | Elijah de Castro

Wait times in Cheshire Medical Center’s emergency department were longer than usual as of Wednesday, according to an update released by the Keene hospital. Patients with urgent medical issues are prioritized, per the update on the hospital’s website, and anyone with particularly severe issues — including a heart attack, trauma or stroke — will still receive attention right away. “Hospitals in the region are experiencing high numbers of patients in the emergency departments,” the update says.
Respiratory illnesses increase locally, statewide

Jan 11, 2025 | sentinelsource.com | Elijah de Castro

Following the holidays, data from Keene’s wastewater treatment plant shows the highest traces of COVID-19 in more than a year, along with rising rates of RSV and the flu. And while Cheshire Medical Center has seen an uptick in admissions for respiratory illnesses, Dr. Aalok Khole, infectious diseases physician at the Keene hospital, says immunity from vaccinations and previous COVID infections help limit the virus’ severity.
The Check Up: Understanding the decline in overdose deaths

Jan 7, 2025 | sentinelsource.com | Elijah de Castro

Welcome back to The Check-Up. I'm Elijah de Castro, The Sentinel's health solutions reporter, and this marks the first column of the new year! Every two weeks, you’ll see this column in the Wednesday Health section, where I’ll bring you the latest from the Monadnock Region Health Reporting Lab. We’ve got big plans for the Lab this year, and I’ll be looking deeply into tons of different health-related issues and how they affect our community.
Monadnock Peer Support hires new executive director

Dec 6, 2024 | sentinelsource.com | Elijah de Castro

Monadnock Peer Support has hired a new executive director, the Keene-based nonprofit announced Friday. In a news release, Stephen Tavella said he is "thrilled and honored" to take the helm of the organization, a member-driven agency provides mental health resources such as free peer support groups and one-on-one peer support. "For nearly 30 years, MPS has been promoting a trauma-informed way of relating, and inspiring all parties to learn and grow on a path to wellness," Tavella said.
Are high efficiency stoves the solution to Keene’s wood smoke pollution?

Nov 29, 2024 | sentinelsource.com | Elijah de Castro

Almost immediately after replacing her 20-year-old wood stove with a high-efficiency model earlier this year, Keene resident Lisa Jacob realized how much wood her old stove had been wasting. “I noticed it right away,” Jacob said, describing how she is now using less firewood and heating oil to keep her home warm on colder days. “My house always feels warm, and its just so easy now.
How Keene’s community air monitoring project could be a national climate solution

Nov 29, 2024 | sentinelsource.com | Elijah de Castro

It's 11 in the morning, and the air in Michele Chalice’s East Keene neighborhood is crisp and clean. But just three hours before, an air monitor on Chalice’s porch reported unsafe levels of fine particulate matter, a group of microscopic pollutants that penetrate deep into the lungs when inhaled and can lead to breathing difficulties, asthma, increased risk of heart disease, and other adverse health outcomes.
Meet our new health solutions reporter

Nov 11, 2024 | sentinelsource.com | Elijah de Castro

In a world that is growing increasingly unhealthy, how can we create a healthy future? This question will guide my reporting as the new health solutions reporter for The Keene Sentinel’s Monadnock Region Health Reporting Lab. I’m Elijah de Castro, a journalist and photographer who has covered the climate crisis, gun violence, systemic poverty, elections and rural communities.
Election stress? Local experts offer tips to help

Nov 6, 2024 | sentinelsource.com | Elijah de Castro

Troy resident Beth Richardson spent part of Tuesday afternoon knitting in the back pew of Keene's St. James Episcopal Church. It was hours before the polls closed, and Richardson was anxious. "It just feels heavy,” said Richardson, who has two loved ones who identify as transgender. “They’re worried, so that just adds to the worry.
Health care at the polls: Monadnock Region voters weigh in

Nov 5, 2024 | sentinelsource.com | Elijah de Castro

When retired Swanzey schoolteacher Jane Johnson went to the polls Tuesday, she joined other Republicans in ranking the economy as a top issue for her in the election. But outside of her frustrations with high prices of food, electricity and other essentials, the cost of Johnson’s health insurance has exploded, an issue she hopes the next president and Congress will prioritize.
In the Land of Firearm Suicide, Republicans Ban a Policy That Might Help

Oct 29, 2024 | thetrace.org | Mike Spies |Elijah de Castro

The Trace In Natrona County, Wyoming, the Platte River runs alongside Casper Mountain, with its thick forests and astonishing vistas, and every year the local coroner assembles data into a package called the “Suicide Report.” Its mere existence implies that an area of natural beauty and splendor is contending with an unnatural, unrelenting epidemic.