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 You may notice quite a few changes here at the Center for Family Medicine. At the end of June, we said good-bye to four of our residents who completed their Family Medicine Residency. Dr. Pierre Dalumpines (Frenchy) will be joining Franciscan Medical Group in Tacoma, Washington. Dr. Atul Dogra will be joining a community health center at the Sandhills Medical Foundation in Lugoff, South Carolina. Dr Georgiana Boboc will be joining the Providence Physician Group affiliated with Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, located in Snohomish, Washington. Dr Frank Lazzerini will be joining Austin Primary Care, in Barberton, OH, and stay involved with local student and resident education. Dr Asjad Ali will finish training at the end of August and then enter group practice in Charlton, Massachusetts just outside of Boston.
Also, after 10 years with us as a resident, an attending physician and then as Associate Program Director, Dr Todd Kettering moved to become the Director of Medical Education at BroMenn Healthcare in Bloomington, Illinois. Dr Renay Fredette, who has been with us as an active faculty member for two years, relocated with her family to Washington State. We greatly miss all these fine physicians and wish them well in the next exciting chapters of their careers.
On July 1st, we welcomed our new first year residents. They include Dr. Adrienne Hester, a graduate of the Ohio State University, Dr. Minh-Ha Hoang, a graduate of Des Moines University, Dr. Mehreen Fatima, a graduate of the King Edward Medical College, Dr. Varshaben Songara, a graduate of the Pramukswami Medical College, Dr. JoAnn Francisco, a graduate of Davao Medical School and Dr. Nina Thalody, a graduate of Sri Ramachandra Medical College. On August 1, we welcomed our new second year resident, Dr.Virginia Smith, a graduate of Texas A & M University. We are very fortunate to have seven outstanding physicians join us for their Family Medicine Residency.
We are also excited by the recent addition of our former resident, Dr. Royce Sanchez, who completed extra training in sports medicine. Dr Aaron Lear, who is also specially trained in sports medicine, recently expanded his time here to five half-days per week. We will soon be announcing the addition of two new outstanding faculty members to our center. Also you will soon notice the doctors and nurses using notebook computers in the examination rooms to document your medical visits and provide you the most up to date medical information about your health.
With all these changes you can still be assured of our commitment to providing you and your family the comprehensive and caring medical care that you have come to rely on. As always, we will honor the trust you place in us as your “medical home” and thank you for helping us in the noble task of training the best family physicians.
Elliot B. Davidson, MD, FAAFP
Director, Center for Family Medicine
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For Akron General Health System Employees
The Employee Health Department has moved their offices adjacent to our front desk.
Patients who are also employees of Akron General should know that your records at CFM will remain totally separate from your employee records at Employee Health. There will be NO merger or sharing of personal health information between the two departments.
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Sports Medicine at the Center for Family Medicine
 What is sports medicine at the Center for Family Medicine? We are writing to introduce ourselves and let you know what we can do. We are Dr. Royce Sanchez and Dr. Aaron Lear and we have recently started seeing patients at CFM. We completed training in family medicine, and in Primary Care Sports Medicine.
We are qualified to care for most general joint, bone, and muscle complaints; from ankle sprains to some broken bones. We are also well qualified to deal with conditions resulting from physical activity. These conditions include muscle and tendon problems, exercise induced asthma, concussions, infections, and many others.
While much of our training and expertise is in dealing with athletes, we are also well qualified to take care of all active people and their joint problems. This includes those who do physical labor at work or home, recreational athletes, or someone who just has some aches and pains. We are also available for sports physicals.
Our goal is to get our patients back to their activities and work. We will include you in the decision making regarding your care. We look forward to seeing you at the office.
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Health Maintenance for Postmenopausal Women
In the United States, the average age of menopause is 52 years, but it can vary between 40 and 58 years of age. With a life expectancy close to 80 years, the average woman is postmenopausal for one third of her life.
The incidence of conditions like heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, and colon cancer increases after menopause. Because of this, it is important for postmenopausal women to take preventive health care measures and to make healthy lifestyle choices.
Lifestyle modifications, screenings, early identification, and appropriate intervention may prevent chronic conditions that cause sickness and death during postmenopausal years. Bone mineral density screening should be performed in all women older than 65 years, and should begin sooner in women with additional risk factors for osteoporotic fractures. Women should receive breast cancer screening every one to two years beginning at age 40, as well as colorectal cancer screening beginning at age 50. Women younger than 65 years who have a cervix should receive routine cervical cancer screening with a Pap smear. Finally, recommended vaccines for postmenopausal women include an annual influenza vaccine, a tetanus booster every 10 years, and a one-time pneumococcal vaccine after age 65 years.
To learn more, ask your doctor.
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Breakfast on the Go
Many people skip breakfast because they are in a hurry or do not like eating something first thing after getting up in the morning. It has been said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and gets you off to a great start. Your body needs fuel to do all of the activities of the day. Here are a few easy breakfast options to get you off to a great start and they require 3 minutes or less of preparation:
- Freeze grapes and fresh berries overnight and put them in a zip lock baggie for breakfast on the go.
- Skewer a banana, dip in low-fat yogurt and then coat with a fiber rich cereal or granola.
- Top a warm whole wheat pancake with low-fat flavored yogurt and sprinkle with fresh berries. Roll it up and enjoy.
- Wrap scramble eggs, a slice of reduced-fat Monterey jack cheese and some colored peppers in a whole grain tortilla.
- Slice apples and dip in low-fat yogurt.
- Blend a banana, a tablespoon of peanut butter, and low-fat yogurt or low-fat milk for a drinkable and nutritious way to start the day.
- Spread low-fat cottage cheese on celery and top with raisins.
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Food Allergies
A recent report estimates that 4% of Americans (3 million are kids) have some sort of food allergy. The latest estimates state that 50,000 emergency room visits are due to food allergy exposures and at least 150 deaths yearly. Up until this point the only way to avoid this was to not eat or have contact with the offending food or carry epinephrine.
Now there are several new potential treatments, such as immunotherapy where the person swallows tiny amounts of the problem food and gradually increases the amount with the idea of building immunity. There is also a pill called FAHF-2 which is based on a Chinese remedy and is being tested for peanut, fish, and shellfish allergies. This is a big deal; many families cannot even eat out since they have no control of what their food even touches. Some people are so sensitive that they could have reactions just by having the food touch their skin. For now Epinephrine kits should be carried everywhere they go.
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Recovery: Journey into Health
After surviving a serious illness, patients wonder how to put their lives back in order. We may have to develop a new “normal”. We need to discover new ways of living that help us celebrate the joys of life and making our health our top priority.
Here are some guideposts to help get on a healthy path:
- Listen to your body. We can often deceive our minds, but it’s hard to fool our bodies. Learn to pay attention to body cues.
- Educate yourself. If you have a chronic illness, become well informed about your illness. Seek out support groups. Discuss your questions and concerns with your physician.
- Involve family and friends. We are more likely to follow recommended dietary changes, or exercise routines if we engage family and friends to join us.
- Look for joys in life. The devotion of a pet or the wonders of nature are gifts that surround us and inspire us. Mindful meditation can reduce anxiety and help us stay focused.
- Express your gratitude. Be thankful for those who support you and for the activities and opportunities still available to you. Thoughts of gratitude can reduce muscle tension, improve sleep and overcome depression.
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Center for Family Medicine is Named Department of the Year
Congratulations to the Center for Family Medicine for being honored as Akron General's "Department of the Year."
The department was selected the winner based on several factors, including scores on the employee satisfaction survey; percentage of employee participation in the survey; patient satisfaction; overall department absenteeism score; and budget performance. CFM saw the greatest increase in its scores of all departments during the last survey period.
Congratulations to everyone associated with the Center for Family Medicine!
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