News
12.5.16
Telemedicine
We are expanding our services to include telemedicine as an option to all patients wishing to limit visits and save time. We have teamed up with eVisit to offer you this extended service. More information on this exciting service to follow.
5.23.16
We are pleased to announce the arrival of our new Nurse Practitioner, Guadalupe Hernandez. Lupe will be eagerly joining us on Friday June the 3rd. She is a board certified Family Practice Nurse who brings with her over 5 years of clinical experience.. Lupe will be heading up our Woman's Health Program among other things. Please join us in a warm welcome!
4.22.16
We're sorry to announce the departure of Rainier our nurse practitioner. Rainier is planning a major career change and he will be deeply missed. We are actively seeking a new nurse practitioner and will keep everyone up to date on our progress.
1.29.16
Zika Virus - CDC information for travelers regarding the virus.
Symptoms
• About 1 in 5 people infected with Zika virus become ill (i.e., develop Zika).
• The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis (red eyes). Other common symptoms include muscle pain and headache. The incubation period (the time from exposure to symptoms) for Zika virus disease is not known, but is likely to be a few days to a week.
• The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week.
• Zika virus usually remains in the blood of an infected person for a few days but it can be found longer in some people.
• Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon.
• Deaths are rare.
Diagnosis
• The symptoms of Zika are similar to those of dengue and chikungunya, diseases spread through the same mosquitoes that transmit Zika.
• See your healthcare provider if you develop the symptoms described above and have visited an area where Zika is found.
• If you have recently traveled, tell your healthcare provider when and where you traveled.
• Your healthcare provider may order blood tests to look for Zika or other similar viruses like dengue or chikungunya.
Treatment
• No vaccine or medications are available to prevent or treat Zika infections.
• Treat the symptoms: ◦Get plenty of rest
◦ Drink fluids to prevent dehydration
◦ Take medicines, such as acetaminophen or paracetamol, to relieve fever and pain
◦ Do not take aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen and naproxen. Aspirin and NSAIDs should be avoided until dengue can be ruled out to reduce the risk of hemorrhage (bleeding). If you are taking medicine for another medical condition, talk to your healthcare provider before taking additional medication.
• If you have Zika, avoid mosquito bites for the first week of your illness. ◦During the first week of infection, Zika virus can be found in the blood and passed from an infected person to another mosquito through mosquito bites.
◦ An infected mosquito can then spread the virus to other people.
12.12.2015
In addition to Christmas and New Years, our offices will be closed on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. In order to facilitate our busy schedule, we will offer extended hours on Wednesdays the 23rd and 30th till 5 pm. We will also be open on Saturday the 26th from 9 am to noon. We wish all our patients a happy and safe holiday season....Cheers!
9.19.2015
It's that time of year again and Influenza shots are now available... Mid to late October is the best time to get your flu shot to insure adequate protection for the peak of flu season between December and February. Walk-ins are welcome! Be sure to drop by and get your immunizations updated as well.
9.16.2015
We're pleased to welcome Rainier, our nurse practitioner to the practice. Rainier is looking forward to meeting all established patients and establishing a solid relationship with new patients.
4.19.2015
We're sorry to announce the departure of Catherine our office manager. Catherine, "Cat" as she is called, has taken a new position elsewhere and she will be sorely missed by our staff and patients. Our supervisor of operations, Visenta will move into her new position as office manager. Please join us and welcome her to this new role.
11.22.2014
Will medical cannabis laws in Illinois result in significantly lower state-level opioid overdose mortality rates? Likely. Tune in to find out...
http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/Mobile/article.aspx?articleid=1898878
10.18.2014
Non-steroidals, opioids, physical therapy, injections and surgery. These and other treatment options for chronic pain are now joined by medical marijuana, the newest player in Illinois for the treatment of chronic and debilitating pain. Please contact our office for more information on this new and promising treatment option.
Influenza shots are now available... Mid to late October is the best time to get your flu shot to insure adequate protection for the peak of flu season between December and February. Walk-ins are welcome! Be sure to drop by and get your immunizations updated as well.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/pdf/freeresources/updated/everyday_preventive.pdf
Educational Articles
Osgood-Schlatter Disease
September 2014
Knee and lower extremity pain are very common sites of injury in the active adolescent. Most injury is transient and insignificant especially when there is little to no history of direct trauma. Osgood- Schlatter Disease (OSD) is one common orthopedic condition that must be differentiated from other disorders because of its classic presentation and excellent rehabilitation potential.
Scaphoid Fracture
December 2013
Slipping on ice and other non-specific accidents are quite common this time of year and most often involve shielding yourself with an outstretched hand. We generally don’t think twice about injury, moving on instead to forget any embarrassment of the fall. These falls are common and generally insignificant with most wrist pain resolving rapidly and uneventfully.
Breast Lump
October 2013
At any one time in a woman’s life the term breast lump will come up as part of the discussion with a group of friends or closer to home having the discussion with the family. The term breast lump is a generic term used to describe most any type of one sided breast mass from a small abscess to a cancerous lesion. The majorities of breast lumps occur in women from the ages of 30 to 50 and are benign (not cancerous). More than half of women who present with any breast complaint will have a palpable mass. Of this group, over 70 % will be diagnosed with benign disease. Still, this is not reassuring to hear when this experience comes first-hand.
Preventing Melanoma
August 2013
As the summer season comes to an end, we close a chapter engaged in beach activities or just relaxing outdoors in the sun. Soon we focus our attention on fall and winter seasons and become less mindful of our skin until next summer. But there are a few warm days still left, and we do enjoy travel to sunny areas in the winter months, so before we close this chapter on skin health, let’s review a thing or two about melanoma…
Our procedural medicine practice strives to provide patients with the best, up-to-date and comprehensive health care for a variety of illnesses; including alternative options and continued follow up. On our first blog, we discuss viscosupplementation to treat osteoarthritis of the knees.