Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 6 p.m. On this episode of Health Matters: Mental Health Edition, we explore the growing issue of loneliness — why it affects our mental and physical health, and what we can do to reconnect. Our host, Dr. Shawn McNeil, is joined by Dr. Pamela McPherson, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program Director at LSU Health Shreveport

Thu., Feb. 5, 2026, at 6 p.m. On this episode of Health Matters, host Dr. Anand Bhat is joined by Dr. Juanita Coke, Assistant Professor of Allergy and Immunology in the Department of Pediatrics at LSU Health Shreveport. Dr. Coke addresses how the immune system functions, the career path of immunology, and causes and symptoms of immune deficiency.

Jan. 22, 2026, at 6 p.m. Struggling to stick to your New Year’s resolutions? You are not alone. So many people lose track of their New Year's resolutions by January 9, that the day has come to be known as Quitters Day. On this episode of Health Matters, our host, Dr. Sanford Katz, is joined by Dr. Michelle Yetman, Associate Professor and Clinical Psychologist at LSU Health Shreveport; Dr. Ammar Husan, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at LSU Health Shreveport; Mary Simpson, Group Fitness Coordinator at Las Family YMCA; and Kathareen Sudds, Tobacco Treatment Specialist at Willis-Knighton Health, to talk about staying on track with goals, whether diet, fitness or quitting smoking in 2026.

Thursday Feb. 12, at 6 p.m. This episode of Health Matters will focus on support for caregivers and people living with brain illnesses such as dementia and Parkinson’s. Dr. Elizabeth Disbrow, Professor of Neurology and Director of the Center for Brain Health at LSU Health Shreveport, and Dr. Terri Pease, author of Love, Dignity and Parkinson’s, a guide on transforming care partners into confident caregivers; and Stacy Hand, gerontologist and caregiver skills educator, will join Health Matters host Dr. Randall Brewer. They will cover strategies for caregivers, emotional and physical challenges families face, and the local resources available to patients and care partners in our region. Questions will be taken during the show at 1-800-552-8502.

Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. More than 33 million Americans live with food allergies, including 1 in 13 children. On this episode of Health Matters, host Dr. Anand Bhat, allergist and immunologist, will be joined by Dr. Adil Khan, Assistant Professor, Section of Allergy and Immunology Dept of Pediatrics at Louisiana State University Health Shreveport, to talk about common food allergens, symptoms of food allergies, and how to manage when the foods you eat can harm you. Questions will be taken during the show at 1-800-552-8502.

Thursday, March 19, 2026, at 6 p.m. On this episode of Health Matters, Red River Radio Assistant General Manager and producer Ranae Moran is joined by Bharat Sachdeva, M.D., Professor of Clinical Medicine, Chief of Nephrology, and Director of Dialysis at LSU Health Shreveport, along with Shawna Calhoune Choyce, APRN, FNP-C, a nurse practitioner in the Nephrology Division of Internal Medicine at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport.

Tue., Mar. 10, 2026, at 6 p.m. On this episode of Bird Calls, Cliff Shackelford is joined by Ben Jones, Vice President of Conservation and Education at the Houston Zoo. Jones talks about his involvement in the Lights Out Campaign in our urban centers and the Lincoln’s Sparrow is profiled.

Tue., Mar. 10, 2026, at 6 p.m. On this episode of Bird Calls, Cliff Shackelford is joined by Ben Jones, Vice President of Conservation and Education at the Houston Zoo. Jones talks about his involvement in the Lights Out Campaign in our urban centers and the Lincoln’s Sparrow is profiled.

LaToria W. Thomas President & CEO of United Way of Northwest Louisiana, leading equity-focused initiatives after prior roles with GNOF, AARP Foundation, Dress for Success New Orleans, and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. Founder of Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans, she holds degrees from Northwestern State University (BS, Mathematics) and LSUS (MS, Nonprofit Administration) and was a 2021 ATHENA Honoree and AFP North Louisiana’s 2023 Outstanding Fundraising Executive.

LaToria W. Thomas President & CEO of United Way of Northwest Louisiana, leading equity-focused initiatives after prior roles with GNOF, AARP Foundation, Dress for Success New Orleans, and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. Founder of Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans, she holds degrees from Northwestern State University (BS, Mathematics) and LSUS (MS, Nonprofit Administration) and was a 2021 ATHENA Honoree and AFP North Louisiana’s 2023 Outstanding Fundraising Executive.