There is no doubt a crisis-level shortage of primary and specialty care physicians is developing. Research by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) projects a shortage of 17,800 to 48,000 primary care physicians and 21,000 to 77,100 non-primary care specialty physicians by the year 2034. One solution to combat this developing issue is to… Read More
Kidney disease is a chronic illness that occurs when your kidneys do not function as well as they should. It is associated with aging, but some conditions also affect kidney function. The CDC estimates that up to 15% of the U.S. adult population has chronic kidney disease. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize they have it… Read More
Mammograms save lives. One comprehensive study out of Sweden analyzed over 50,000 breast cancer patients. They found that those who took part in a breast cancer screening program showed a 60% lower risk of succumbing from the disease in the first ten years following a diagnosis, and a 47% lower risk 20 years after a… Read More
You’re in great health and feel good. You eat right. You go to bed at a reasonable hour. So, why do you need a primary care physician (PCP)? Well, you most likely drive your car daily, and you’re a safe driver. Your insurance company says so, too. But you wouldn’t keep driving, day in and… Read More
Osteoporosis is a disease in which your bones become weak and brittle; this happens when your body develops too little bone or bone deteriorates, making your bones likely to fracture. Think of your bones like a honeycomb that contains small openings. When you have osteoporosis, the small openings become bigger, resulting in weaker and more… Read More
Developing the shingles virus is common, with almost one out of three people in the U.S. experiencing it within their lifetime. And unfortunately, this number is on the rise, with more people of all age groups developing shingles (or herpes zoster) than ever before. Emerging studies cite a few different reasons for this trend, including… Read More
While bronchitis and pneumonia share similar signs and symptoms, there are also a few key differences that may make it easier to determine if you have one versus the other. The same infections that cause bronchitis may also cause pneumonia, making it difficult to decipher which illness is present. Determining the difference between bronchitis and… Read More
“Herd immunity”, or community immunity, has become a recent household term renowned by COVID-19, and is often used by healthcare workers to describe how to decrease the number of COVID-19 infections. But what is herd immunity and how can it affect you and your family?
Adding certainty in a very uncertain year If 2020 has shown us anything, it’s that there’s a lot of uncertainty in the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many practices have been challenged to remain open, while our representatives in government have continued to question the structure and philosophy behind the US healthcare system.
Receiving a flu shot each year is the best preventative step you can take to ensure you do not come down with influenza. The CDC recommends that people 6 months and older get a yearly flu vaccine. Flu vaccinations prevent millions of people from developing the flu each year. The CDC states that during the 2018-2019 flu season, the vaccine stopped an estimated 4.4 million influenza illnesses, 2.3 million related medical visits and 58,000 influenza-caused hospitalizations, as well as 3,500 deaths. A case of influenza can be especially severe for the elderly or those with compromised immune systems. Fortunately, you can help avoid this scenario by receiving an annual flu vaccine.
