Newsroom

“I never expected to be in the normal range,” Melissa says on a clear summer day 18 months after her weight loss surgery with Stephen Burpee, M.D. And Melissa doesn’t only mean a normal weight range, she means a normal health range – with the cholesterol numbers, energy levels, and a C-PAP machine gathering dust to prove it. Back when Melissa weighed 341 pounds at 5’5” tall, one of her co-workers underwent successful weight loss surgery. This was the catalyst Melissa needed to begin researching for hers... ... Read More

We are Proud to Mentor and Coach the Next Generation of Doctors in Southern Arizona TUCSON, AZ (July 1, 2025) – Today, Northwest Healthcare’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) Program officially welcomed 35 new resident physicians to Northwest Medical Center and Oro Valley Hospital. These new residents – who are joining the 25 upper-level residents already in the program – are divided into three cohorts – family medicine, internal medicine, and the transitional year program. Our GME program was created a... ... Read More

Stay on a good sleep schedule for your best body and mind during Men’s Health Month TUCSON, AZ (June 11, 2025) – We’ve all experienced the tiredness and lack of clarity that come after a sleepless night, but a recent study by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology Foundation found something else: Sleep schedule inconsistency is also a risk factor for heart disease. That’s why it’s so important to establish a regular pattern for going to bed and waking up. Sleep apnea – sleep-disordered breath... ... Read More

James was loving his active life in the Del Webb community after 41 years in the candy business. “It was a very sweet career,” he quips, “but I was so happy to retire here in Arizona.” When James started to notice symptoms of breathlessness and heart palpitations, he chalked it up to allergies – after all, many of his friends had mentioned how common allergies were in the Southwest. But his symptoms worsened. One night, James fell unconscious in his evening chair. “It was like someone flicked off a ligh... ... Read More

You Don’t Have to Live With a Hernia – Opt For Early Detection and Treatment TUCSON, AZ (June 4, 2025) – Hernias, which occur when an internal organ or tissue bulges through a weakened area of the muscle wall – usually in the abdomen or groin – affect about 20 percent of Americans and half of Americans over the age of 50. Sometimes we are born with hernias, but usually, people who are overweight or exert themselves incorrectly are more at risk. So, if your job or hobby involves heavy lifting; if you cou... ... Read More

A person living with a rare disease can often struggle with puzzling and debilitating symptoms for months, years, or even decades before a physician determines the cause of their illness and provides appropriate – sometimes lifesaving – treatment. Jennifer was one of those people. Now in her 50s, Jennifer began the search for an accurate diagnosis in her 20s, when she started experiencing extreme fatigue, dehydration, irritable-bowel syndrome, seizures and rhabdomyolysis, a dangerous condition in which ... ... Read More

TUCSON, AZ (May 9, 2025) – Women’s Health Month, observed annually in May (beginning on Mother’s Day) is the perfect time for women in every season of life to prioritize the health and well-being of their bodies and minds. It’s common for women to think of others’ health first – but their unique wellness concerns and challenges are just as important. In the medical world, it’s commonly said that “women are not small men.” Female reproductive and sexual health concerns are the first matters that come to ... ... Read More

At 402 pounds, Julie – a mother of five children living in Pima – knew her health was deteriorating quickly due to her weight. “That girl couldn’t even move without breathing hard,” Julie says of her old self. “I was on blood-pressure medication and suffering from sleep apnea, and something inside me started screaming, ‘I’m only 42 years old!’ I needed to be around for my kids.” Julie drove two and a half hours for a bariatric surgery consultation with Stephen Burpee, M.D., at Northwest Bariatric and Fo... ... Read More

TUCSON, AZ – The medical staff of all four Northwest Healthcare hospitals honored Doctors’ Day on March 30 by donating $15,500 to several local non-profit organizations focused on the health of underserved communities in Pima County. Traditionally, physicians receive gifts on Doctors’ Day, but our physicians celebrate the occasion as an opportunity to give – and to surpass the $14,500 we donated on Doctors’ Day in 2024. The specific donations from each hospital are as follows: $6,000 to the American Can... ... Read More

Drive collects 4,312 jars of peanut butter for Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona TUCSON, AZ –Northwest Healthcare is spreading the love in Pima County! In celebration of National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day on April 2, our team (and some of our generous business vendors) collected 4,312 jars – that’s 84,274.5 ounces – of peanut and other nut butters during our third annual Jars of Love Peanut Butter Drive to help stock the shelves at Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. Last year’s drive colle... ... Read More