A while back, between stay-at-home orders, something happened that hadn’t happened in several months. We paid an in-person visit to my mother. She has dementia and is living in a small care facility 15 minutes from where we live. She receives excellent care and has been kept safe during the pandemic, where she is one… Read more »
Medical News
How can there be a crisis of loneliness when there are more than 7 billion people in the world? Doesn’t that seem counter-intuitive? A few years ago, the UK created a Minister of Loneliness because loneliness in England was increasing at such an alarming rate. This crisis poses as grave a threat to global… Read more »
The American Nurses Association deemed 2020 “The Year of the Nurse,” and as the global pandemic continues, nurses and other medical responders continue to be at the forefront of this crisis. As a nurse working on the COVID floor at a local Coachella Valley hospital, my colleagues and I experience firsthand the drastic effects COVID… Read more »
Dementia, one of the most debilitating diseases of humankind, is increasing in global prevalence with over 50 million patients.1-3 Dementia is a general term that describes the loss of cognitive ability, social functioning, and memory. There are many disease states that cause dementia representing divergent pathophysiologies, which are complex, multifactorial, ever-changing and not fully characterized. … Read more »
I’ve been having a hard time finding the right words for this column because, like everyone else, I am struggling to understand life right now. Everything in my struggle tells me to tell you, “Keep holding on to faith. Faith over fear. Live in love. Watch your words because you can unknowingly hurt someone. Life… Read more »
The possibility of control and eradication of the current global pandemic of coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) is now a distinct reality because of two promising vaccines that have shown safe and effective performance in preventing 95 percent of infections in preliminary data of phase 3 trials. How will these vaccines work? Vaccination prepares the human immune system… Read more »
If you like to play golf, the Coachella Valley is the right place for you. With over 100 golf courses in the Coachella Valley area, it is considered a golfer’s paradise. Tennis also happens to be a popular sport in the region. What do players of these two sports have in common? They are both… Read more »
Americans drink a lot of caffeinated beverages. Every day, the majority of us consume at least one drink that contains caffeine. While many people need that kick to get them through the day, there are effects on oral health I’d like to present for consideration. Coffee is the second most popular caffeinated beverage in our… Read more »
With COVID-19 forcing schools into distance learning and the tremendous amount of additional social and emotional trauma in today’s world, teachers Jason Tate, FMCHC of Indio High School and Jodie Capper, CTE from Coachella Valley High School created an online program that helps educators help their students to cope and heal. The program, called Mindfully… Read more »
Parkinson’s is often considered a hopeless disease. There is currently no cure or means of stopping the progression of the condition, which robs its patients of motor and cognitive skills, as well as their dignity. But according to Desert Care Network’s (DCN) board-certified neurologist John Legge, MD, today, there is much to be hopeful about.… Read more »
Four new developments in pain management can be broken down into two groups: those that improve pain by physically relieving pressure on nerves, and those that modulate pain using electrical stimulation. All of these techniques are done on an outpatient basis utilizing local or twilight anesthesia and have minimal or no recovery time. Vertiflex device.… Read more »
Do you feel like your brain has checked out and gone on vacation while you’re stuck at home quarantining? Does your thinking seem foggy? Are you more forgetful? Having problems making decisions? Many people are complaining of a range of cognitive difficulties arising from the current situation caused by COVID-19. People are experiencing increased stress,… Read more »
It now seems cliché to say that 2020 has brought unexpected challenges. We have all adapted to the constant of change. Personally, my biggest change was a diagnosis of bilateral breast cancer. Initially, I responded with calm analysis, keeping reality at arms-length by “doing” what needed to be done. I made a notebook, set up… Read more »
Many people with osteoarthritis (OA) or “bone on bone” changes ignore exercise or minimize movement due to the myth that it will further damage their joints. They often manage their pain with medication while simply waiting to get their joint replaced. Approximately 14 million people have symptomatic OA, however, patients do not have to live… Read more »
With holidays come all the fun foods and drinks we associate with the fall season. Most of us look forward to the pies, candies and other festive treats, but this doesn’t give us an excuse to neglect our teeth and oral health. There are some easy things we can do to make sure we make… Read more »
What is a Liquid Biopsy? Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) were first discovered in 1869 by Thomas Ashworth in the blood of a man with metastatic cancer. He hypothesized that “cells identical with those of the cancer itself being seen in the blood may tend to throw some light upon the mode of origin of multiple… Read more »
The Coachella Valley is currently facing a shortage of primary health care professionals, especially those from within our community, and physician assistants are an important resource to meet that need. OneFuture Coachella Valley (OFCV) is facilitating the launch of a new regional alignment team to address this, with a specific focus on creating awareness of… Read more »
With continuing, medical advancement comes encouraging news for breast cancer patients. In light of new findings, women now have another option for treating breast cancer. It’s called targeted intraoperative radiotherapy (TARGIT), and as the name implies, it targets the radiation to the specific site of the tumor, bypassing vital organs. According to Dennis Holmes, MD,… Read more »
Sports fans across the nation have platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to thank for helping some of their favorite athletes get back on the field after an injury. Earlier this year, when Los Angeles Angels pitcher Griffin Canning suffered an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury in his pitching elbow, he elected to pursue treatment with PRP. Several… Read more »
I deeply feel for my pregnant patients right now. I really do. What is supposed to be a time of joy, hope, and excitement has, for the most part, become a time of stress, anxiety and uncertainty. An event that usually brings families together has, unfortunately morphed into a solitary journey of isolation. While the… Read more »