News Archives

17 December 2005

Our holiday office schedule will be as follows: 

Friday, December 23 - close at noon.

Monday, December 26 - closed all day

Friday, December 30 - close at noon

Monday, January 2, 2006 - closed all day.

As usual, one of the doctors will always available by pager if needed.

Flu shot update: we finally did receive a small amount of vaccine, enough to provide for our very high risk patients only and they've been contacted. We've found out that the Rite Aid Pharmacy in San Marcos still has influenza vaccine available. You can call them at 760-744-2583.

We began diagnosing patients with classic influenza (flu) symptoms as of last week, so the season has started in San Diego. Be aware that the flu vaccine takes about 2 weeks to become fully effective, hence individuals receiving flu shots at this time should also be prescribed a two week supply of amantadine for protection. Also, as a reminder, there is a treatment for the flu, but it is only effective if initiated within the first 48 hours of symptoms. Therefore, don't hesitate to call our office if you experience respiratory symptoms (nasal congestion, sore throat, cough) and suddenly feel as though you've been  "hit by a truck" (i.e. headache, muscle aches, and overwhelming fatigue). Patients with classic symptoms can often be treated over the  phone (even on weekends). More info on flu can be found in the Patient Education section here.

And, if you haven't noticed, we've been experiencing dry air conditions (e.g. Santa Ana's) for the last 4-6 weeks or so. This dries out the upper airways leading to sinus irritation/discomfort with cough reflexes from post-nasal drip, as well as nosebleeds. Running a humidifier/vaporizer in the bedroom at night and using a salt water nasal spray (such as Ocean Premium Saline spray) throughout the day can help alleviate these conditions.

Murderball:  Rent and watch this incredible documentary about the  USA quad rugby team. From their website: "From the gyms of middle America to the Olympic arena in Athens, Greece, MURDERBALL tells the story of a group of world-class athletes unlike any ever shown on screen. In addition to smashing chairs, it will smash every stereotype you ever had about the disabled. It is a film about family, revenge, honor, sex (yes, they can) and the triumph of love over loss. But most of all, it is a film about standing up, even after your spirit - and your spine - has been crushed."

Dr. Pearson update: This week's edition of Family Practice News (and it's related specialty journal editions) contained a feature article on physicians who play music. Author Doug Brunk had some nice words to say about my "Dad's a Dork" effort (and even included a picture of me holding my limited edition Taylor 814BCE suitable for a  dartboard). [You can read the article in pdf format here.]

I've also just accepted a position on the Board of Editors for Medical Economics magazine (an Advanstar Publication).  I've worked with them on an informal basis over the years as they're the sibling publication for Patient Care magazine, of which I've sat on the Board of Editors since 1992. Medical Economics is a journal focusing on practice management issues for physicians. They recently printed an article that I authored on the  use of Dragon Naturally Speaking for transcription of office notes via computer. [October 7, 2005 issue.]

The Footlocker National High School Cross Country Finals were held last week, at Morley Field in Balboa Park. This year, Dr. Bill Winternitz joined certified athletic trainers Mark Green, Robbie Bowers, Dave Salzer, CJ Hernandez and myself in covering this event. Click here to see some of the pictures.

Fun stuff:  It's no secret that we like to have fun in the  office and find various ways to entertain our patients to help them relax. If you've enjoyed some of the  newer magic tricks that I've performed, then you should check out JP Scirica's  new Grand Magic Shop, in Escondido. Click on the magic bunny to scope out his web site and see all of the great stuff that  he has to offer in time for the holidays! [Attention physicians:  You can read my recent book review article on Side-Fx by Scott Tokar and Harrison J. Carroll. Learn how magic can make practice more fun for you and your patients. I've also included one of their easy-to-perform tricks using a simple cotton ball and applicator stick found in every exam room.]

Happy Holidays from the staff of Medicine-in-Motion!

(from left to right: myself, Elaine, Elizabeth, Chandra, Julia, Kathy, Leslie, and Dr. Giesemann)

20 November 2005

First, please note that our office will be closed Thursday and Friday this week for the Thanksgiving holiday. The physicians will be available by radio pager for emergencies - simply call the office and follow instructions for paging.

Still awaiting our full shipment of influenza vaccines ("flu shots"). For those of you who have not been following the news, there is no shortage of flu vaccine this year; rather, the distribution of the available vaccine supply across the nation has been disrupted by  market forces. You may have noticed that many  drug store and supermarket chains have been offering flu shots for quite some time now. These chains purchase hundreds of thousands (if not more) of flu vaccine from the  manufacturers. When they place their orders, though, they take advantage of their purchasing power - they stipulate that they will buy the vaccine from a particular supplier only if they receive a guaranteed delivery date (September in this case, I believe). Hence, nearly all of the nation's initial influenza vaccine supply was directed to the chains. It's apparent that medical clinics and hospitals apparently take a back seat to big money in this country. We had been told to expect our shipment sometime by mid-November, but as of today, it has not arrived. Patients may continue to wait for our delivery, but you may want to hit one of the drug store chains if you find the flu vaccine available.

Influenza season is not expected to hit our region until December. The  influenza virus comes in different "flavors" (i.e. strains) - type A, type B and  with multiple sub-types.  Historically, most of our  recent seasons were predominantly of the  type A variety. This  is  how physicians choose which medication to prescribe for  someone with flu symptoms (refer to my patient handout on influenza here). Tamiflu (oseltamivir) had gotten a lot of press in the news of late - it helps against both types A and B strains, but there is no generic and runs somewhere in the neighborhood of $80-90 retail at large chain pharmacies. For type A flu, though, generic Symmetrel (amantidine) works just as well and only costs about $10. Neither one of these products actually kills the  influenza virus; rather, they act as sort of a birth control pill for it, preventing viral replication (reproduction), whereby shortening the duration of illness by about 2-3 days. These products are only effective, by the way, if initiated within  the first 2 days of symptom onset.

Thanksgiving traditionally marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season (forget the fact that Costco was selling decorations months ago...). Suddenly, the shopping malls are teeming with people of all shapes/sizes/ages coughing into their hands and then touching toys, clothing and other potential gift products.  A few years back, researchers studied cold virus transmission. They paid a bunch of college kids to play card games. Unbeknownst to the students, however, the playing  cards were treated with cold virus (rhinovirus). None of the students had been sneezing or coughing prior to or during the games. However, they all came down with common colds. Bottom line: the best way to lessen  your chances of coming down with  the flu (or nearly all viruses with few exceptions) is to wash your hands or use a hand sanitizing gel after coming into contact with people or articles that may be harboring the virus. 

What about avian (bird) flu? The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website is an excellent reference. Find it here.

Veterans Day recently passed with San Diego hosting the Military Paralympics Summit. Servicemen and women who had been injured with resulting disabilities (missing limbs, paralysis, etc) since 9/11 were invited to meet with representatives from the U.S. Olympic Committee to learn about the different Paralympics sport opportunities available to them. For many of the participants, this was their first introduction to sports such as wheelchair and  sit-down volleyball, track (using either prosthetic limbs or various types of wheeled devices), swimming, archery, cycling and others. I served as a volunteer physician to cover some of the events. (Some of you will recall that I served as a volunteer physician at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs last year; I worked closely with many of the Paralympics athletes in preparation for their competitions in Athens.)It's always heartwarming to see people discover new abilities as they realize that life does indeed go on after catastrophe. I witnessed some of the biggest smiles that I had seen in a long time while observing newly disabled vets attempt swimming, try out new running "legs" (prostheses), and playing sit down and wheelchair volleyball for the first time. To see some pictures and video of these amazing people who sacrificed their bodies for their country, click here.

On the high school scene, the Rancho Bernardo Broncos football team clinched a C.I.F. playoff berth and was awarded a first week "bye". They'll host Vista HS at home this coming Friday.

Finally, we've learned that Dr. Giesemann's name has not appeared in some of the insurance books during this most recent open enrollment period. Rest assured that she is on all of the same HMO and PPO plans as myself. Also, in our office, you can still see both of us regardless of which of our names is on your insurance card. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call the office.

Happy Turkey Day to all!

30 October 2005

Nice to be back home. Caught a little bit of Hurricane Wilma down in Orlando, but otherwise things went well. I sat for my sports medicine CAQ (Certificate of Added Qualifications) recertification examination and had opportunities to meet with old medical school classmates. As Jack Nicholson stated so eloquently in "The Shining", "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Accordingly, I also managed to sneak in a little side trip to Universal Studios and caught the Betelgeuse Rock 'N Roll Review (just in time for Halloween).

Arriving back in the office this past Friday, I found a copy of the latest SCMG Patient Satisfaction survey results on my desk.  Our thanks to all who participated and rated our office so highly. The staff, Dr. Giesemann and I work very hard to serve our patient base and it's certainly nice to know that our efforts are appreciated!

Oh, did I forget to mention that the cannoli's were great.....

11 October 2005

It's the day after Columbus Day and my Italian genes dearly missed eating a cannoli. No worries, though - I have to travel back to NJ/NYC for my annual Patient Care magazine Board of Editors meeting next week and I'll eat my fill at the Casa Del Sole deli. When I was a kid, I'd ride my bike one town away on many a summer's day to get one of these babies and they still taste great after all of these years! After my brief appearance in the NYC metropolitan area, it's off to Orlando for the American Osteopathic Association annual meeting. All in all, I'll be out of the  office from Thursday 10/20 through Thursday 10/27. Dr. Giesemann will cover for me, but no patients will be seen in the  office on Tuesday 10/25.

Reminder to our Greater Tri-City IPA HMO patients:  our contract with this group expires at the end of this month.

We've been fielding numerous questions regarding  letters that our Greater Tri-City IPA patients have received in the mail indicating that  they need to select new primary care physicians. This is only true if you desire to remain with  the Greater Tri-City IPA .

We still belong to all of the  individual  insurance companies (e.g. Blue Cross/Shield, PacifiCare, etc) so if you'd like to keep Dr. Giesemann and myself as your primary care physicians, you need only contact the member services phone # on the  back of your insurance cards and ask them to switch you over to our other IPA (Sharp Community Medical Group (SCMG). Many insurance companies have done this automatically for our patients, but not all. If you have any questions about this, please do not hesitate to contact the aforementioned member services representative or call our office.

Influenza ("flu") season should be upon us in December. Click here for the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) "Key Facts about Influenza." We're told that our shipment of flu shots will arrive in mid-November which is fine because it only takes 2 weeks for the shots to be effective and flu season doesn't traditionally hit our region until December. We've been informed that SCMG will be hosting flu shot clinics for their members and that letters explaining the details of these clinics are in the mail this week.

Finally, Elaine came with me when I covered the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) meeting in San Francisco as a member of the press (for Patient Care and Medical Economics magazines). We actually managed to get away for 4 days without our kids for the first time in over 12 years! We found a  romantic bed & breakfast, the Golden Gate Hotel, in the heart of the city and were able to get caught up with some old friends and catch a little bit of sightseeing, too. We'll miss the wonderful dinners at Michael Mina's, Rose Pistola's, and Masa's. Can't wait to return...

22 September 2005

Good day off today - spent most of the  morning shooting 3-D archery targets at the Bear State Bowhunters range in Escondido. Just another lousy day in paradise: low 70's, cool breeze, blue skies, shaded woods with a running stream. Followed this  up with a fun lunch learning some magic from my friend, Michael Johnson (I heartily recommend Michael for fun family and business events. Michael has rounded at some hospitals to cheer up sick children with his magic and he also teaches magic at some of the local schools. Be sure to catch him when you can!)

About once or twice a month, I take some of my senior patients out for lunch on my day off. I get to listen to fascinating life stories (recently, I learned what it was like to be a missionary in central Africa for  30 years!) from people who've lived interesting lives. Today, Mike Banks (91 years young) came by and presented me with a painting that  he created for our office - an updated version of the  old Norman Rockwell visit to the doctor. Thank you very much, Mike - looks like we're due for more sushi! [Incidentally, when  he's not  painting, you can often find Mike at the local dance studio or at a current events luncheon.]

I've finished recording another of my older songs, Tipper Doesn't Like Jello, and that has joined the ranks of the other songs (or is it the other rank songs?) on the Dad's a Dork page. (For those of you who may have harbored some doubts, this pretty much confirms my east coast liberal/libertarian roots.)

And finally, don't forget that I'll be out of the office next Friday to attend a medical conference. Dr. Giesemann will be  covering in the office.

15 September 2005

After much consideration, we've decided to drop out of the Workers Compensation system and are notifying our clients accordingly. There are many reasons for this, but it basically comes down to our desire to provide quality efficient care in a system that no longer permits this. It's hard to get patients better when referrals are perpetually delayed by periods of weeks rather than days. Also, my staff was spending far too much time dealing with unnecessary telephone calls and requests for reports that had already been submitted promptly and appropriately. And finally, the  reimbursement  is simply not worth all of the effort and frustration, thus we bid the system "adios". [I suggest that my clients confer with my old associates at Concentra (formerly, the Industrial & Sports Medical Center) to discuss their occupational medicine needs. Jane Erickson handles marketing and she can be reached at 760-432-9000]

Got to spend the past weekend with my son, Michael. First, he tested for a new belt in Taekwando. It seemed to go well and he was very happy when he broke both of his boards! We then took off to attend our annual neighborhood camp out. This year, it was held at Mission Trails Regional Park, near Santee.

At months' end, I'll be covering the American Academy of Family Practice' annual scientific conference up in San Francisco for Patient Care magazine. Because of this, I will not be in the office on Friday, September 30th. Dr. Giesemann will be covering for me.

29 August 05

First, we have submitted notice to the Greater Tri-City IPA that  we will terminate our relationship with them as of the  end of October 2005. Many of the  affected patients will automatically be transferred over to our other IPA (SCMG) by their insurance companies. If you have any questions about this, do not hesitate to contact the  member services number on the  back of your insurance card and inquire as to your options.

Dr. Giesemann will be out of town on vacation this week and will be back in the office on Tuesday, Sept. 6th (day following Labor Day). Dr. Weinberg continues his well-earned vacation as well, hence I'll be covering patients for both docs this week, in addition to my own.  (Obviously, the  office will be closed for Labor Day.)

Read some good books this summer. Just finished A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. Others included: Stiff - the curious lives of cadavers by Mary Roach, Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who  Dies, and Why by Laurence Gonzales, Guru: My Days with Del Close by Jeff Griggs, Beyond Einstein: the Cosmic Quest for the Theory of the Universe by Michio Kaku, and - of course -  Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. Next up: reviewing  for my sports medicine board re-certification exam in October...

When not reading or working in the office, odds are that I've been at a local high school or college performing sports physicals. We'll finally wind up with the athletes from CSUSM this Saturday.

The latest issue of Patient Care contained a consensus article, When  to Consider Spinal Manipulation, in which  I served as a consultant. And, finally, I added another song to  the  "Dad's a Dork" collection of  original songs called Gangs. We're now up to 10 songs that  you can download to annoy your neighbors (mp3 format)!

28 July 2005

I'll be flying back to NJ tonight to recharge my accent and help to celebrate my folks' 50th anniversary. Hence, I'll not be in the office tomorrow (Friday) nor on Monday. Dr. Giesemann will be in the office and will be taking call for us both in my absence.

Also:

Don't forget to increase your salt intake under hot weather conditions (unless your doctor has told you otherwise), along with your fluid consumption.

Rationale:

Most of us have had it well-drilled into our heads about the importance of drinking plenty of fluids in order to avoid dehydration under these circumstances. However, it's possible to run into other potentially deadly medical problems if one only consumes plain water, particularly lots of it.

Our bodies produce sweat as a cooling mechanism in hot weather. The evaporation of the sweat from off of our bodies is what cools us down. Sweat contains both salt (sodium) and water. Drinking lots of plain water replenishes the fluid losses, but - at the same time - serves to dilute the already diminished sodium stores that remain in the body. This results in a condition known as "hyponatremia."

When the sodium concentration in our blood drops just a little lower than normal, we might feel some nausea, fatigue, and "just don't feel right." If it continues to drop, dizziness develops and this may be accompanied by muscle cramps and vomiting. If the serum sodium drops too low, victims can experience seizures, go into a coma, and even die! [I've already had to hospitalize one patient for this condition over the past week.]

So, how to avoid this problem?

If you're only going to need a few sips of liquid, then water is fine. However, if you need to drink lots of fluid, particularly over a period of greater than 1 1/2 hours, then a better choice of fluid replacement would be one of the electrolyte sports drinks such as Gatorade or Powerade. Be aware that these drinks may not fully replace the lost sodium, either, but they're much better/safer than plain ol' cold water under these circumstances.

Another option: Keep a few of those small salt packets handy (e.g. from your favorite fast food restaurant - no lectures on that today...) and open the contents of one into the palm of your hand and lick all of the salt off. As little as 2 or 3 packets per day can help to maintain the serum sodium level up to where it should be. Also, unless your doctor has cautioned you against this, be more liberal with the use of a salt shaker with your meals under these hot weather conditions.

Does this strategy work? Yes, definitely. This has been a problem that we had noted in our runners for a while, particularly under warm race conditions. (Inexperienced runners tend to believe that they must drink water at every water station.)

Also, we tend to see more high school and college football athletes cramp up during games under hot weather conditions. Somewhere along the way, smart athletic trainers discovered that providing pickle juice to their players helped to cut down on the frequency and intensity of the cramping. (You'll have to trust me that Gatorade or licking salt straight off of your hand tastes a whole lot better than pickle juice.)

Hope this helps (and don't forget the sunscreen either)!
 

30 June 05

"The only thing going into the gutter is my mind..." Famous last words overheard at our Extreme Bowling Birthday Party for Elaine (39?). Held at the AMF Eagle Lanes in San Marcos, "extreme bowling" consists of shutting down the  house lights and bowling under ultraviolet/black lights with fluorescent decorations, bowling balls and music from a live DJ! Everyone had a great time thanks to their wonderful staff (check them out - extreme bowling takes place every Friday and Saturday night!)

Volunteer of the year (continued): Well, apparently being awarded the Rancho Bernardo H.S. Volunteer of the Year put me in the running for the Poway Unified School District (PUSD) award. This past Monday, I was surprised to receive a beautiful engraved glass apple for being named the PUSD Volunteer of the Year. (I'm not sure if there was any significance to giving an apple to a doctor, though...)

Reminders: the office will be closed on Monday for the 4th of July. Dr. Giesemann will start seeing patients on Friday, July 8th!

For those who've caught the Cinderella Man in theatres, you can understand why boxer Jim Braddock needed a good dentist. You didn't see him in the movie because my grandfather - Nathan Pearson, D.D.S. - passed away in 1995 at the ripe young age of 97. One of the first graduates from Columbia School of Dental and Oral Surgery, in New York City, my grandfather was also the  inventor of the Pearson Chisel - one of the very first tools that permitted oral surgeons to extract teeth entirely in one piece rather than breaking them into smaller pieces (the chisel can still be found available in dental supply catalogues.) He practiced in Guttenberg, New Jersey (along the Hudson River directly across from "the City") where he cared for Braddock and countless others in a career that spanned well over 50 years! (Additional Pearson trivia: Braddock's son was my dad's patient.)

Finally, I just finished talking to my sister in Florida. Apparently this week, there's a special twist in tourist cuisine - the sushi eats you...

13 June 05

The Rock 'N Roll marathon medical coverage went well. It was a nice cool day - perfect for running. I had several patients run the event and all did well. Pictures from our volunteer medical station (mile 19.8 on Vacation Island) can be seen here.

Speaking of volunteering, Rancho Bernardo High School surprised me by selecting me to be their volunteer of the year! They presented me with a very nice award last week at the Senior Athletic Night ceremonies. My sincere thanks to all involved!

Gravity and slippery surfaces don't always mix. Physics majors realize that Einstein failed to account for this in his Theory of Relativity (and I haven't asked any string theorists about this, either). Click here to see lots of people falling on their "quarks!" Hopeless romantics may want to view this brief clip, too! [You can find these and other new short films and songs in the "Fun Files" section of the "Fun Stuff" page.]

If you're a Star Wars fan, be sure to check out http://www.wimp.com/storewars/ and "may the farm be with you!"

Finally, here's the answer to the question "is it bad to hold a stretch for too long?

3 June 05

This Sunday, the Coca Cola Rock 'N Roll Marathon will take place in San Diego and we'll be there as medical volunteers at mile 19.8! Special thanks to our friends and patients that have volunteered to help us while we watch some 20,000 participants from around the world run, walk, or crank their wheelchairs by us as they cover the 26.2 mile distance (with a lot of great music from live bands to keep them motivated). The best part of this event is the fact that it will raise more than $12 million for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by their Team in Training!

As previously announced, Dr. Corinne Giesemann will join our practice on a part-time basis starting in July. I've made some changes to this website to reflect this. You can learn more about this delightful family physician here. Her first day in the  office will be Friday, July 8.

Finally, our Bear State Bowhunters archery club raised $340 for St. Clare's Home by raffling off a 3-D target at our Rinehart 100 Target Shoot. Here, club president, Maury Freitas, presents the check to Sister Claire Frawley. The money is needed to help run the shelters and programs for helping homeless women and children in the North County region.

17 May 05

Quick programming note: 

No office hours on Friday 5/27/05 or Monday 5/30/05 because of Memorial Day weekend. (Also, I have  to fly out to Orlando for family function 5/26-5/29; Dr. Weinberg will be covering for me 760-747-7512 from his Escondido office.)

Also, I've added some pictures from the trails that Apollo and I run several times a week along the south side of Lake Hodges.

8 May 05

It sure is nice to be back home again! Nothing like two trips, 2 time zones away, in two weeks.  Learned some good stuff at our annual sports medicine meetings, some of which I've already applied since my return back to the office.

Austin was a fun town. If you ever have the opportunity to visit, be sure to check out Esther's Follies - you'll laugh to the point of tears and be amazed by some incredible magic. And, did you know that Austin is home to the world's largest urban bat colony located under the Congress Bridge?

This was my first trip back to St. Louis since our wedding some 20 years ago. I had a nice view of the arch from my hotel window. On a rainy day, this is what you can see from the top!

We are pleased to announce that, in July, Corinne Giesemann M.D. will be joining our practice on a part-time basis. She's a wonderful family physician from Escondido who has been taking on the challenge of practicing medicine and raising her young kids at the same time. Dr. Giesemann is bilingual and has a particular interest in children's, women's, and adolescent health issues. Needless to say that, as we're so busy, we're very excited that she has accepted our offer. More details will be available in the future...

On this website, I've added some more links to useful utility programs that may help your computers to run smoother and safer. Look for them under "Useful Web Sites and Programs. I've also re-recorded/remixed some tracks on the song, Fly With Me, on the Dad's a Dork page.

Finally, I picked up some new medical examination gloves while attending the Pri-Med conference up in Anaheim. I'm told that they make prostate exams more...interesting! Check them out here!

28 March 05

Well, the tribe has spoken and Brenda was voted off of the island...

After all of these years, Brenda is down to her final week with us.  We threw her a going away party on Thursday at Dalton's Roadhouse in San Marcos. She's spent the last few weeks sharing her secret office strategies with Chandra, who will be manning the reception desk all by herself as of April.

April showers bring May flowers and lots of meetings. I'll be out of the office on the following days (to get smarter):

March 31 - April 2     Pri-Med West conference (Anaheim)

April 16-20     American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) Annual Meeting (Austin, TX). [NOTE: I will see patients in the office on Thursday April 21.]

April 27-30     American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine (AOASM) Annual Meeting (St. Louis, MO). [NOTE: I can only see patients in the AM on Tues April 26 because I have to fly out that afternoon.]

My staff will still be in the office on those dates and Dr. Weinberg (760-747-7512) will provide back-up coverage for the latter two meetings. (Please call the office if you have any questions or concerns.)

Finally, lots of patients are inquiring about Cortislim, a heavily promoted weight management product. In my opinion, this is just the  latest of many products designed to separate money from overweight people. While researching the product, I stumbled across the following link that describes the deceptive marketing practices engaged in by it's creators (who are not real doctors!): http://www.edresearch.com/CortislimCynaumonReport.htm.  You'll be astounded to read about all of the fraud and deception involved with this product! My advice? Stay away from it. If healthy eating and a proper exercise regimen are not working, there are proven medical alternatives (e.g. phentermine) to these quack promotions.

21 February 05

Hey, look at the presidents!

Because of these guys, my kids are out of school for the entire week. Therefore, I'm going to take Friday off so that I can see what my family looks in daylight. My staff will be in the office and Dr. Weinberg will be available (in his office) to see patients who need to be seen.

31 January  05

Wow - it's hard to believe that we've already done away with the first month of 2005 and I still have yet to write/mail out our  2004/2003/2002 family newsletters! (Mom/dad, sisters, cousins, friends - don't hold your breath...)

We want to welcome Leslie back into our fold. Leslie will be taking over the billing and collections aspect of our practice. We worked with her a few years ago in another office and are very excited to have her back with us again! We also want to welcome Gretchen, a 4th year medical student from Western University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She will be spending the next month with us picking up pearls of knowledge in family medicine (with perhaps some magic thrown in).

Now for the bad news:  After giving us her 4 years notice a ways back, Brenda is now counting down her final 2 months with us. Her husband, Jim, is retiring from the Oceanside school district after more than 30 years. They will be  moving back to rejoin family in Missouri. Their house sold almost immediately upon entering the market so, unless we can figure out a way to permanently disable their vehicles, they'll be "blowing this pop stand" in April. We will miss them both very much. Please feel free to drop by the office at anytime within the  next 2 months to say "good bye."

[It will be hard to find someone like Brenda, but we'll have to try. If anyone knows of any good  bilingual individuals with a fun personality and receptionist/medical office experience, please have them contact Elaine.]

And finally, I'll leave you all with 2 things that I'd wager most people thought that they would never see;

Lake Hodges with water in it (this is where I jog with my dog (Apollo) in the mornings)

Me wearing a suit/tie (along with my lovely wife, Elaine, before we left to attend the annual Elizabeth Hospice Board of Directors dinner; she still puts up with me after 20+ years!)

15 December 04

Happy holidays to all! Please note the following minor changes in our office hours in the upcoming weeks:

Friday, December 24: close at noon.

Friday, December 31: close at noon.

(As always, patients will still be able to reach me for emergencies by paging me through the office, even on Christmas Day.)

Nice looking book, eh? I am a contributing author to this new sports medicine textbook, Principles of Manual Sports Medicine, that was just released in October. I worked on the chapter devoted to the treatment of common neck injuries. Steve (Karageanes) did a great job of heading up this project.

New stuff on this website: added another song to the Dad's a Dork collection (Fly With Me); Thanks to the many of you who have sent me some very funny videos of late. I will add these when I get a chance. In the  meantime, check out the others on the "Fun Stuff" page here.

Finally, don't forget what mom says: wash your hands (to prevent catching and spreading flu, colds, etc) and drive safely over the holidays!

22 November 04

Another Turkey Day is nearly upon us which means some changes in office hours this week. We will close at lunchtime on Wednesday (11/24/04) and re-open again on Monday (11/29/04). I will be available by pager for any emergencies.

Some of you have noticed some more new faces in the office this month. Jaime and Prit (shown here with my son, Michael) are 4th year medical students from Western University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Our beloved Eli has moved on to join his father's business. We will miss him dearly. However, he was kind enough to train the newest member of our staff, Julia, a U.S.Colleges graduate.

My family and I enjoy archery and are members of the Bear State Bowhunters (where we shoot defenseless 3-D target animals), in Escondido. I volunteered to create a web presence for the group and the site went live this week at www.bearstatebowhunters.com. People who browse this site will discover what recent patients to the office have noted i.e. my beard is history (at least temporarily).

Our Rancho Bernardo Bronco Football team claimed sole possession of it's league title! After having a "bye week" we host Mira Mesa HS in the championship playoffs. Eventually, the Division playoff games will be held at Qualcomm Stadium. At the other end of the age spectrum, check out Earl and his running technique (on my "Fun Stuff" page here). At 94 years young, he no longer races because - well, let's be honest - all of his former competitors have died! Earl still throws a mean baseball and was featured on a Channel 8 newscast earlier in the year.

Flu (influenza) season upon us. In the upcoming weeks, we expect to see a lot more cases (seems mild, thus far) as thousands of people flock to shopping malls spreading the virus. Best way to not catch this bug? Wash your hands a lot or carry one of those small bottles of hand disinfectant with you, using it often. Most people don't realize that these respiratory viruses are spread predominantly through hand contact, rather than by having someone sneezing directly into another's face (yecchhhh!) [They did a fun study with college kids a few years back; they set up some card games amongst healthy students using playing cards that had been treated with droplets of cold virus. Everyone came down with a cold!]. So, if you want to do your best to avoid coming down with the flu, common cold, pink-eye or what have you, practice what our mom's all told us - wash those hands.

Finally, please note that we no longer participate in the Pacificare PPO product (we still participate in the HMO product). Their physician reimbursement rates simply did not cover expenses. (If things change, we'll post that info here. Patients who may be affected by this can call our office for further information and advice.)

Happy holiday season to all!

16 October 04

In the words of Dorothy (spoken to Auntie Em), "There's no place like home."

A very full week back on the east coast. After my Board of Editors annual meeting, I took a few extra days to get caught  up with old friends and family. In order  to fully recharge my accent, I spent time in NYC (and caught the Broadway show "Wicked," sort of a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz"), visited Bear Mountain park to watch the autumn colors in the Hudson River Valley, and hung out in northern New Jersey getting in touch with my Italian roots (lots of cannoli's). [If you've never been to New York City, check out some of the photos (and video) that I shot  of Times Square. You can find these and other pictures from my trip here.]

Three time zones later: I find myself back in San Diego for a very happy reunion with my wife, kids, dogs, and lots of charts. Some important medical news to relate:

Flu shots: Unfortunately, the  large supply of influenza vaccines that we had been promised were from Chiron (the pharmaceutical company in England with the contaminated vaccine supply). Thus, we've just been informed that we will NOT have any influenza vaccines to distribute to our patients.  To find out where influenza vaccines may be  found in the county, check out http://www.sdchip.org/flusites.html and type in your zip code.

Basic concept: flu shots were developed to protect those individuals who would be at risk of dying if they caught  influenza. While they may feel like a truck hit them for a few days, young healthy people do not die from the flu hence these individuals should not seek vaccination!

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers the following recommendations:

As I've noted in previous years, there are treatments for influenza. Amantidine, in particular, is cheap and works relatively well against Type A influenza (the type most likely to cause problems). In the very old, this product may cause some mild disorientation/confusion, but this has not proven to be significant in my patients, historically. These antiviral medications do not kill the virus - they merely prevent it from reproducing, thus shortening the duration of the illness by a few days. They are most effective if taken within 48 hours of the onset of flu symptoms (not much benefit if taken after that period). Amantidine may also be used on a prophylactic basis i.e. used to prevent influenza (or at least lessen it's symptoms) in individuals who do not receive the vaccine. Be aware that these particular antiviral medications, nor commonly prescribed antibiotics, do anything for other common respiratory viruses such as the common cold!

Finally, on this subject, I can't over-emphasize that the best way to prevent catching and spreading the flu (or any common virus for that matter) is through good hygiene - simple hand washing and using a handkerchief works wonders. Carrying those small bottles of hand disinfectant is a good idea, particularly if you go shopping at a crowded shopping mall - money touches a lot of hands and who wants to be sick for the holiday season? [Want more info on flu? Check out my patient education handout on the subject here.]

San Diego Ballot Measure BB:  I urge everyone to support this measure that  authorizes the sale of bonds to re-build and improve Palomar Medical Center and Pomerado Hospital. In my opinion, this is a no-brainer. We often see bond measures for schools failing to win enough votes, presumably due to people without children of school age not caring enough to help benefit their community. However, we ALL depend upon our local hospital system. This is a certainty. If not now, later. There's simply no getting  around this - it's inherent in our design - body parts eventually wear out and fail. Therefore, it's in all of our best interests as residents of the inland north county.

Because so many of our bodies are failing, you'll find long waits just about any night that you visit the emergency department. You may also find patients waiting for hours in hallways waiting for a bed to become available. The population of our region increases on a daily basis and our current system is straining to deal with this. We need larger capacity in our system or the bed situation will continue to worsen.

The hospital has to be leveled anyway. It turns out that it's actually significantly cheaper to build a new hospital (or series of clinics) than to retrofit the current structure in order to meet the mandated earthquake standards (don't you just love unfunded mandates?). Given this fact, how  can we pass up the opportunity to build a world class hospital system with less money than it would cost to upgrade the existing structures? (Befitting the physicians that practice in our district; Did you realize that Palomar-Pomerado cardiology program is ranked within the top 5 in the entire nation?! UCLA is the only other California hospital ranked in the  top 5, by the way.)

Finally, the old Palomar hospital building will be converted to much needed, expanded rehabilitation services and administrative offices. This will actually create more "white collar" jobs in Escondido than were previous, bringing more money into the community.

In short, this bond measure is an affordable, much needed investment in OUR community. Please vote YES on BB!

Other stuff:  Regardless of your political affiliation, please make every effort to become an informed voter for all races. Try to disregard the name-calling/lies and actually read up on the issues. Listen to several different news sources to weed out the biases. Then get out and vote your conscience. Apathy is killing this great country. [Of course, songs like "Elections" probably don't help!]

Halloween is nearly upon us and you've suddenly discovered that you don't have a corpse. What should you do?  Check out http://www.distefano.com/ for the best selection outside of the local morgue!

And finally, let's go Yankees! [Click here to see scan of my original Mickey Mantle autograph, written on a Polaroid picture of him that my dad and I took circa 1962-1963. I also a video copy of our original 8 mm movie film from that game!  

4 October 04

Time to hit the road again...No, not in support of the latest song added to the Dad's a Dork collection (She Was Dressed Like Rock 'n Roll, But She Had Country in Her Eyes). Rather, I'm flying back east to attend the  annual Board of Editors meeting for Patient Care magazine. I'll be away from 10/7 through 10/14 and will resume office hours again on Friday 10/15/04. [Dr. Weinberg will provide coverage for most of my absence. Industrial clients should contact him or use the Concentra Clinic - formerly the Industrial & Sports Medical Center - on Nordahl Rd.] The meeting will be in NYC so I'll get to visit my folks and a sister back in 'Jersey at the same time. (I'll remember to slow down my speech again upon  my return to California!)

A great big "Thank you!" to all of the patients who participated in the Sharp Community Medical Group (SCMG) physician surveys. Once again, you made us look good - we scored well above the average in all categories. Rest assured that we will continue to work hard upon your behalf.

This week also marks the end of the family practice rotations in our office for our Osteopathic medical students Genevieve Buenaflor (4th year at Pomona) and Douglas Bell (3rd year at San Francisco). We've enjoyed having them with us. They are both very appreciative of the kindness of our patients for permitting them to participate in their care. We enjoy teaching medical students and residents for we benefit as much as they do; they have an opportunity to work with a role model in a real practice and it forces me to keep up with what's new in the various fields.

Sportswise, I covered the Senior Olympics Archery tournament last month, down at the ARCO Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. The center continues to grow as does the community around it. We also helped with the sports physicals for the student athletes at Palomar College and Cal State San Marcos. And, of course, high school football is in full swing on Friday nights.

We had a very successful fundraising event (not to mention a great time) at the First Annual Wine & Epicurean Extravaganza for the Elizabeth Hospice. Angelo Damante was kind enough to hold the event at his Mercedes of Escondido dealership. It was emceed by Brian Christie of local Fox News and it was very well attended. More hospice events are coming up...

DVD Watch: I watched "Supersize Me" last night. Ever wonder what would happen to you if you ate nothing but fast food for a month? A humorous and very informative documentary about the fast food - obesity connection. This film is the perfect companion piece to Eric Schlosser's excellent book, Fast Food Nation. I strongly recommend both.

Finally, we expect to see some of you at the annual parrothead migration to Chula Vista in a few weeks!

6 September 04

First of all, the office is closed today for Labor Day, but I'm still available by pager.

It's nice to be back at sea level.  My two weeks at the United States Olympic Training Center, in Colorado Springs, went well. I worked with a great crew of volunteer athletic trainers and learned much about the needs of "differently-abled" athletes as we worked with several of the teams preparing for the upcoming Paralympic Games in Athens. Had an opportunity for some sightseeing, taking in the cog railway to Pikes Peak, hiking through 7 Falls, and walking through the Garden of the Gods. After two weeks acclimation, I attempted and completed a hike up "The Incline": a stretch of abandoned railroad track that goes from about 7000 ft to above 9000 ft altitude in approximately 1 mile! [I took lots of pictures of these excursions, some of which can be found here. I've also included some pictures and films of sports that you might not be familiar with such as sled hockey and women's sit-down volleyball.]

Other updates to this website:  I've added another song, Angel in The  Garden, dedicated to my friends, Debbie and Jeff. Also, lots more internet jokes posted as part of E-Mail's Greatest Hits. This can all be found on the  "Fun Stuff" page, along with a few new videos, as well. And, in response to numerous queries, I've created a PowerPoint presentation that attempts to teach patients how  to "unlock" their own occipital headaches. It may be found in the Patient Education Section. Hope this helps some of you.

Finally, my appreciation to Dr. Weinberg for covering my practice in my absence!

1 August 04

Hard to believe that the summer is half over already. It's time to take a much needed break. Hence, I'll be taking a working vacation in Colorado Springs for the second half of August. I will be serving as the volunteer staff physician at the U.S Olympic Training Center. Good time to be there as the Olympics will be taking place in Athens at that time! My last day in the office will be on Friday August 13 and I will be back seeing patients on Wednesday September 1st.  I will have some staffing in the office while I'm gone, but Dr. Stanley Weinberg will take call for my family and industrial practice (760-747-7512). Industrial clients may also use the Concentra Medical Clinic (formerly the Industrial & Sports Medical Center; 760-432-9000) on Nordahl Rd, if that is more convenient for them.

Some of you may have noticed some new faces in the office recently. Lisa Yu, M.D was a 2nd year family practice resident from Kaiser Sunset (Hollywood) and Leni Espinueva is a 4th year Osteopathic medical student from Western University/College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (Pomona). Hopefully they both learned lots while they trained with Eli and myself.

Speaking of Eli, congratulations are in order; in addition to his evening college courses, he added some additional  training in massage. Last week, he took and passed the course certification examination!

The other new face in the office over the past two weeks has been my son, Michael. School is out and no summer camp sessions at the moment, hence he's been keeping  us all entertained as only a 10 year old can.

2 July 04

The office will be closed this Monday, July 5, due to the Independence Day holiday. Dr. is available by pager, if needed. We will resume regular  hours on Tuesday.

14 June 04

We gladly welcome Brenda back to the office. She made an excellent recovery from her surgery nearly 8 weeks ago and it's about time that she got back to work!

Eli, myself, and a squad of local physical therapists and high school athletic trainers served as volunteer medical personnel for the running of the Suzuki Rock 'n Roll Marathon last weekend. We were joined by Drs. Rob Scott (sports med physiatrist) and Karen Nicholson (Director of Student Health Services at CSUSM). We were able to cheer several of our patients onto their personal best times from our station on Vacation island (mile 15.2). Lots of money raised by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society' Team in Training.

Speaking of great musical experiences, Johnny Clegg will be at Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay this Thursday. Per their website:

This is an historic evening pairing two of South Africa’s most influential artists, both musically and politically. Johnny Clegg broke the color barrier in the 80s in his apartheid-torn homeland, creating uplifting music with his bi-racial ensembles Juluka and Suvuka. His emotionally charged performance at Humphrey’s in 1996 is remembered as one of the best concerts we’ve ever hosted. We eagerly anticipate his long awaited return. Sharing the bill with Clegg will be another legendary South African, trumpeter Hugh Masekela, best known for his 1968 classic “Grazing In The Grass.” Masekela’s music is a combination of jazz, pop, R&B and dance music. This is a dark horse contender for Concert of the Year honors.

Kenny Weisberg, Humphrey's promoter, has lined up another great summer of shows in this intimate venue by the waterfront. Check some of them out if you get a chance! (Also, music lovers should check out Kenny's weekly radio show, Music Without Boundaries, on KPRI.)

Finally, words of wisdom from your doctor: don't step on a scale the day after eating deep fried oreos and Australian Battered dipped potatoes at the San Diego County Fair (the Old Del Mar Fair).....

Cinco de Mayo

I will be out of the office for a few scattered days in the upcoming weeks:

First, I will be attending the Pri-Med conference next week 5/12 - 5/14 (Wed - Saturday) for continuing medical education.

We're still not sure how to schedule patients for the week of May 17-21 as I've been called for Jury Duty at the SD District Court. Nope, they would NOT give me an excuse, but they will provide one day's advance notice for me.

Finally, I will be flying out to Florida to attend  my nephew's Bar Mitzvah and will be out of the office from Thursday May 27 until Tuesday June 1. (Monday is Memorial Day).

As usual, I will have back up physician coverage arranged. Please contact our office as normal if you need to speak with a physician and you'll receive appropriate instructions. [Dr. Stanley Weinberg, in Escondido, may be contacted at 760-747-7512.]

[NOTE: We literally got buried with paperwork in April and hence, I've been running behind in sending out normal lab results. We've contacted anyone with significant abnormals. I'm doing my best to dig out from under it all! Please accept our apologies.]

And for those of you non-southern California types, the Cinco de Mayo celebrates the liberation of Tequila from it's bottle.... (a very popular holiday out here!)  After the celebration, check out some of the latest movies added to our "Fun Files!"

4-24-04

FYI: Brenda's procedure went well and she was released to home this weekend. She appreciates the  many "Best Wishes" from the patients who called us out of concern!

Also, Happy Birthday to my mom (3,000 miles away)!

4-19-04

Our thoughts are going to be with Brenda this week as she will be undergoing surgery tomorrow. We anticipate that everything will go well for her. She will be out of the office for at least 2-3 weeks (and BOY, will we miss her!). In the meantime, Elizabeth and Elaine will attempt to fill her chair, in addition to their normal duties. Please bear with us as things will definitely slow down a bit with the short staffing. [For you HIPPA fanatics, Brenda gave her permission to post this piece of her private medical history...]

4-13-04

I was supposed to attend a sports medicine conference this week, in Vancouver. However, I discovered that my kids are off from school this week for spring break so I'm going to play hooky from the office for a few days, instead, and play with my kids (and remind myself what they look like). Hence, I will be out of the office Wed - Friday this week. Brenda and company will still be there to handle calls, referrals and I will be available by pager if needed.

Industrial injuries: Concentra San Marcos (formerly The Industrial & Sports Medical Center, on Nordahl Road in San Marcos) will treat my clients for me in my absence. They may be reached at 760-432-9000.

3-15-04

Working with the Golden Door all of these years has presented me with some incredible opportunities to meet  some really neat people. This past weekend, my sports med buddy, Jerry Hizon M.D., joined me as we dined with Dr. Ken Cooper and his lovely wife, Millie, at The 'Door. Dr. Cooper  is best known as the "Father of Aerobics," having coined the term back in the late 1960's. His presentation that night provided an excellent overview on "wellness" - how best to avoid illness and help our patients get the most out of life. He also described his consulting work for PepsiCo whereby he helped them to successfully remove trans fats from their snack products and produce heart healthy snacks!  [To learn more about trans fats, check out my patient education handout, The Facts About Weight Loss and Fitness.]  You can find lots of good useful information on his website, www.cooperaerobics.com.

On another  sports med-related note: I've been invited to serve as a volunteer physician at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, in Colorado Springs, for the second half of August this year - the time period during the Summer Olympic Games in Athens. This will be a good opportunity for me to share what I learn with my patients upon my return. (Details regarding my office coverage will be posted sometime in July.)

Finally, I've gotten better with the Yamaha 16 track recorder and re-mixed some of the songs that I have posted on this site so that they sound much cleaner. I've also added "Top of the Scales" to the mix, catering to a unique niche market of music lovers with eating disorders. Bon appetite!

1-18-04

Another song posted in mp3 format. Elections may be found here. Also, I'm in the (painfully slow) process of posting "E-Mails Greatest Hits" on the Fun Stuff page. Hope that you enjoy them!

1-8-04

Happy New Year to all! Thanks to all of our patients and friends who sent us cards. gifts, etc. We'll probably run out of the chocolate and butter cookies by April...

Sharp Community Medical Group (SCMG) is getting us on-line with their computer system. This should help to speed the referral process once we learn their system.

We want to welcome Rob Scott MD and Chris Pallia, M.D. to our suite. Dr. Scott is a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist and Dr. Pallia is an orthopaedist. They will be be subletting our extra office rooms for a few days each week. Dr. Scott has been treating patients as part of the OASIS sports medicine group down in Kearny Mesa. He also consults for US Healthworks clinics and the Sharp Mission Park Clinic, in North County. Dr. Pallia trained with the sports medicine physicians at OASIS before going out into private practice on his own last year. He also has offices in Coronado and Chula Vista.

Finally, I finished recording another original song, Easy Tonight, which can be found in mp3 format here.

12-19-03

I will have to leave the office this Monday (12-22-03) by noon as I will be assisting surgery all afternoon.

12-17-03

First, we are out of "flu" shots. If you missed out on getting yours, check out the Immunize San Diego website at http://www.sdchip.org/immunize.html  to see where the remaining supplies are in the county. If you do come down with symptoms of influenza (the "flu"), don't forget that there is an antivirus treatment available (amantidine) that will shorten the duration of the illness by about 2 days (usual course of the flu runs 5 - 9 days). However, this prescription medicine must be started within the first 48 hours of flu symptoms ("cold symptoms" and sore throat followed by the feeling like you've been hit by a truck i.e. fatigue, back and headaches). You can call me at any time and I will call the appropriate prescriptions in for you, if indicated. If you miss starting this treatment, only symptomatic treatment remains such as cough syrups to help get a decent night's sleep. Bronchitis is a common component of influenza, hence patients with chronic asthma and COPD will find their conditions aggravated by this illness. You'll probably have to use your inhalers with greater frequency. Aleve, Tylenol, etc. may be helpful for treatment of the associated fevers and body aches. The recent extremely dry air conditions (Santa Ana winds, cold winter air, space heaters) also contributes to the many complaints of airway irritation that we see this time of year. We advise running a cool mist humidifier/vaporizor in your homes (or at least in your bedrooms at night). And, a reminder: one of the best ways to avoid catching the flu is to wash your hands or use hand sanitizing hand liquid after shaking hands with other people.

Elaine and I recognize that we are very fortunate to have such a wonderful, devoted, and fun staff with whom to share our days.  Whereas many sick patients feel rotten when they have to visit a doctor, Brenda, Eli, and Elizabeth deserve a lot of the credit for making patients' visits more pleasant. To show our appreciation, we recently treated them (and their spouses) to a wonderful holiday dinner at the Pamplemousse Grille, in Del Mar.  

The holiday season is upon us, hence there will be some alterations in our office hours as follows:

Friday 12/19: I will be attending a Zenith Insurance holiday function for most of the day. I will have to leave the office by 10:30 AM. Dr. Weinberg will be available to see patients who need to be seen after that time. My staff WILL be in the office to handle all phone calls.

Wednesday 12/24: Office will close at 12 PM for Christmas Eve. We will be closed on Thursday, 12/25 (Christmas Day/Chanukah) and remain closed on Friday, 12/26. 

Wednesday   Office will close at 3 PM for New years Eve and will remain closed Thursday 1/1/04 (New Years Day) and will re-open on Friday 1/2/04.

Please note that I can be paged at any time (including weekends) by patients who need to speak with me or for treatment of industrial injuries - simply call the office and follow the instructions on how to contact me!

Finally, check out my latest songwriting endeavor, Godspeed, dedicated to Brenda and her family. (After clicking on the hyperlink, click on "Original Music")

Happy holiday season to all!

11-25-03

The office will close at noon this Wednesday and will remain so for Thanksgiving and Friday. As always, I will remain available by radiopager for emergencies - simply call the office and follow the instructions on how to page me.

Influenza news:  there have been recent reports that one of the viral strains currently infecting people is not covered in this year's influenza vaccine and that the season appears to have started a little earlier than usual. Don't panic. First of all, even if you do happen to catch this strain of virus, the antibodies that your body produced in response to the vaccine will still help your body to defend itself to a certain degree (it's better to have some ammunition than none, no?). Also, worrying causes stress (didn't your mom tell you this?) and stress can reduce your body's immune response to infection, making one more susceptible to infection. 

Best way to avoid being disabled by influenza?  Wash your hands (or use a hand disinfectant) after touching someone. In fact, it's not a bad idea to carry one of those small hand disinfectant bottles with you and use it often when you go shopping in the malls for the upcoming holidays - the store clerks handle a lot of money and touch a lot of people's hands. Get enough rest so that your immune system stays "charged up" in order to handle attacks from germs. In other words, don't wear your body down through overwork or lack of sleep. And GET A FLU SHOT NOW!

How can you tell if you've caught influenza (the "flu")?  Remember that flu is a respiratory virus so it starts off with cold symptoms. In addition, you will feel like you've been hit by a truck (i.e. totally wiped out with fatigue, muscle aches, etc).

How is influenza treated?  Type A strains (the most common thus far) can be treated with a cheap antiviral medication called amantidine (Symmetrel). It's usually one capsule twice daily for a week. It doesn't kill the virus; rather, it behaves more like a birth control pill for the virus. (If it can't reproduce, it's effects don't last as long.) Be aware that this medication must be started within 48 hours in order to be effective, otherwise, the treatment is symptomatic i.e. rest, fluids, Aleve/Tylenol, etc. until you feel better. We do not require all patients with suspected influenza to come into the office and be evaluated! Instead, if you have the typical illness, as described above, call us and odds are that we can treat you via telephone. Elderly or chronically ill patients might have to be seen in order to make sure that they don't develop complications, but they should still call us first to discuss.

11-5-03

Just got back from NJ and found San Diego toasted. Some of our friends and patients suffered as result of the fires that raged across the countryside. Smokey air conditions have wrought havoc upon eyes and respiratory systems of many. The San Diego County Medical Society suggests the following links for more info on how to cope with these issues:

For patients with lung disease:  http://www.lungsandiego.org/environment/article_smoke_advisory5.asp

For the general public (including Physicians!):  http://www.lungsandiego.org/environment/article_smoke_advisory3.asp

I'd add the CDC site to this list:  http://www.bt.cdc.gov/firesafety/index.asp

Fortunately, the rains have helped to clear the air somewhat and things should improve shortly. Be sure to call us if you're experiencing difficulties breathing, etc.

10-13-03

A practice management seminar has come up this Friday (10/17/03), hence, I will be out of the office. My staff will be there, though, and I can be reached by pager. Physician back-up will be available for those who need it.

Reminder: I will traveling to the east coast (recharging my accent) on Thursday 10/23/03 and will be back in the office on Monday 11/03/03). Dr. Weinberg will provide coverage for me 

We now have flu shots in stock, but I advise getting the shot in November, rather than now. Read all about the flu vaccine under the Influenza topic on the "Patient Education" page (Click above).

We discovered a fun little theatre in Escondido this past weekend, Theatrx. It was an old comic book store on Grand Avenue that was converted to a small theatre seating approximately 70 patrons. We took the kids to see Michael Johnson, a local magician who put on a really fun show!

Finally, we wish to all of my fellow Italians a happy Columbus Day!

9-20-03

First, we'd like to thank those patients that participated in the Sharp Community Medical Group (SCMG) Patient Survey (July 2003). We were recently notified of the results and were quite pleased to note that we scored high marks across the board for all categories (appointments, our staff, communication, visits with the doctor, and the facility). In fact, we were well above the Sharp average for all doctors as well as the average of all family practitioners. We know that we are definitely not perfect, but we do try hard. Thanks again for your votes of confidence!

September brings welcome to some new faces in the office; the "lovely Elizabeth" has joined us in the front office assisting the "lovely Brenda," and the "lovely Brandy" (medical assistant) has been training with us through Maric College. They arrived just in time to join us for the annual office parrothead migration to the Coors Amphitheatre to see Jimmy Buffett this week!  September has also been a hot month for us out here in San Diego - perfect, though, for my mom's tabouli recipe. Enjoy!

The open access scheduling system seems to be working well. Elimination of the 1-3 PM walk-in hours still catches the occasional patient by surprise, but otherwise things are running relatively smoothly thus far.

Another fall sports season has begun. Performed several hundred physicals for several local high schools in August and a core group of physicians performed pre-season physicals for the athletes at Cal State San Marcos (CSUSM), in our office, earlier this month. Regarding our Friday night adventures,  Rancho Bernardo High School Football has gotten off to a great start thus far (3-0). Also, last week, Elaine and I assisted with the medical coverage of the women's soccer finals in the 2003 Senior Olympics. Finally, the time change has occurred and once again Saturdays have reverted to Soccerdays for our two kids...

Looking ahead to October... I will be out of the office from Thursday October 23 and will return to see patients on Monday, November 3rd. I need to fly back to NJ/NYC to attend the annual Patient Care magazine Board of Editors meeting which happens to coincide with my dad's birthday and nephew's Bar Mitzvah. Dr. Weinberg will provide coverage while I'm away (family practice and work injuries). Halloween back in New Jersey?  Now that's a scary thought!

Finally, we've added some more "Fun Files" to our "Fun Stuff" page. Check 'em out if you need a reason to smile!

8-4-03

Vacation provided a really nice/desperately needed break for us all. At the very last moment, our plans changed and we decided to join Brenda and her husband up at June Lake, along the eastern slopes of the High Sierra mountains. Thus, this became an office retreat de facto.   We'd like to once again thank Dr. Stanley Weinberg for covering the practice in our absence - he did a great job! [Click here to see more pictures from the retreat!]

We are making some changes (again) in our scheduling technique for office visits, specifically, we are phasing out/eliminating the 1-3 PM walk-in hours. When we first jumped into "open access" scheduling, we still harbored some concerns about this new "theory" of scheduling. Hence, we reserved a "safety valve" block of time for walk-in patients between 1 and 3 PM each day to ensure that our patients would always be able to see the doctor for sudden emergencies/urgencies. This was a classic good news/bad news situation for patients - everyone loved being able to be seen by the doctor on a same day basis by simply walking in without an appointment. On the flip side, though, this first come/first served approach meant longer waits for some patients, possibly a 2 hour time commitment to visit the doctor! Just about all of our patients felt that the good outweighed the bad and that the wait was often worth being able to see the doctor on the same day.

We still felt bad about the long wait times, though. In these last months, we've gotten a better handle on how many patients call for appointments on a daily basis. We feel that we are now ready to commit totally to  the "open access" philosophy and open up that two hour block for patient appointments.

"This is so confusing - what does "open access" really mean for us patients?"  

Quite simply, our goal is to see patients the day that they call up for an appointment, whenever possible. For us, it means doing today's work today, rather than putting it off until tomorrow (or weeks later). At the start of each day, we intend to have 75% of our appointment blocks available for patients to be seen that same day. In other words, if you call us up for an appointment, we will give you one of the appointment slots for that same day. NOTE: This does not mean that we are a "walk-in" medical clinic!!! Rather, patients will be given real appointment slot times to see the doctor throughout the day.

"But suppose I really want to make an appointment for another day?"

Obviously, certain patients need appointments scheduled in advance, for example, a senior with multiple medical problems being seen for the first time, or follow-ups for work injuries. We will try to remain as flexible as possible and evaluate requests on a case by case basis. 

"Be straight with us - why did you do this???"

The "open access" scheduling model is a win-win situation for both patients and medical staff. Patients are reassured that they are able to see the doctor when they really need to see him (i.e. on the same day as an acute illness develops - not three weeks later, as is commonly seen in many other medical offices). Scheduling appointments in advance is inherently fraught with problems. So many patients forget about their appointments that doctors' offices begin to double (or even triple) book appointments in order to account for this. (Obviously, trouble arises when 2 or 3 patients arrive to see the doctor at the same time, resulting in poor patient satisfaction and physician frustration/stress.) The farther away the date of scheduled appointment, the greater the percentage of missed appointments. This means that medical office staffs waste a lot of time and energy to pull and prepare charts for patients that don't show up for their scheduled appointments. Inefficiency can easily kill a small office and we like being around to serve our patients!

There are bound to be some awkward circumstances during this transition period. Thanks, in advance, for working with us on this. Please feel free to discuss any questions or concerns with us.

7-1-03

This week will be a short one:

Today (Tues), I will be assisting on a spine surgery after 11:30 AM, hence no afternoon hours (including walk-ins). Not in the office on Thursdays, normally, and we'll be closed this Friday to celebrate the 4th of July.

Also, the office will be closed for vacation from July 21 - 25. Dr. Weinberg (760 -747-7512) will provide physician coverage in my absence for all private patients and work injuries. His office is in Escondido. Industrial clients may also use their back-up clinics, if they prefer.

5-18 03

The office will be closed for Memorial Day (Monday, May 26). I will be covering the Valley Center Western Days Rodeo over the Memorial Day weekend. 

The Suzuki Rock 'N Roll Marathon will be held Sunday June 1st. Once again our team will provide medical coverage from our usual station at Crown Point (West Mission Bay). Volunteers are always needed. More information may be found here or you can contact our office.

I will not be in the office on Monday morning, June 2nd, as I will be assisting on several surgeries. My staff will be in, however, and I'll see patients in the afternoon.

This year, the Elizabeth Hospice will be celebrating it's 25th anniversary with the Magnolia Ball Fundraising Gala, held at the California Center for the Arts, in Escondido, on Saturday, June 21st. Lots of great stuff will be offered during the silent and live auctions. Tickets to this deserving charity event may be obtained by contacting Shelly Dew at 760-737-2050. 

Finally, if you need a good time-waster, check out the recently added Mini-Putt link on our "Fun Stuff" page!

4-24-03

The global threat of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) is beginning to scare people, particularly as our region is very definitely a "pan pacific" community. Many local companies do business overseas, hence travel is a concern. The CDC has up-to-date info on this illness. Check it out at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/.

Also, some great articles on the subject of obesity and dieting. First, the 4/22/03 issue of the Wall Street Journal presented "The Diet That Works - What science tells us about successful weight loss." Unfortunately, you cannot view the article on line (unless you're a WSJ subscriber). Hence, I've scanned the article for my patients to check out. To view the article in PDF format, please click here. [Incidentally, the WSJ is a great newspaper, containing lots more useful info besides business. I highly recommend it.]

Also, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) recently devoted an entire issue to the subject. A nice summary of the issue was written by Marian Uhlman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. This article may be found here.

Bottom line: cutting carbs helps obese individuals to lose weight because they will take in less calories, particularly useless ones found in sodas, etc. These little suckers (i.e. calories) add up over time. Read the WSJ article! [NOTE: I will hopefully get around to updating my patient education handout on weight loss soon...]

3-19-03

April is conference month for me - 3 of them to attend (gotta maintain those skills!). My normal office hours will be modified accordingly as follows:

April 3-5:     Pri-Med Conference (Long Beach, CA); "The latest information on primary care issues delivered by the nations' most respected educational providers."

• April 4th (Friday): Out of office all day long.

April 5-8:     American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (San Diego); Annual meeting.

• April 7th (Monday): Out of office all day long.

• April 8th (Tuesday): Out of office in the AM only. Will see patients starting at 1:00 PM

• April 9th (Wednesday): Out of office in the AM only. Will see patients starting at 1:00 PM

• April 10th (Thursday):  I will be in the office all day long (normally, I'm not in on Thursdays).

April 30- May 3:     American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine (San Diego); Annual Meeting.

• April 30 (Wednesday):  Out of office all day long.

• May 2 (Friday): Out of office all day long.

My staff will be in the office on the above days and I will be available by radiopager. Back-up physician coverage will be available for patients that need to be seen.

2-11-03

No walk-in hours (1-3 PM) today as I will be giving a talk for the American Heart Association. Also, yesterday, many patients were unable to reach us by telephone or fax from approximately noon to 3 PM. This was because of a telephone outage that affected our region (our building and the surrounding shopping plaza).

A few changes around our office occurred in January. First, for various reasons, Tri-City Orthopaedic Surgery Medical Group decided to close their satellite office and focus on their main office in Oceanside. Dina, who was brought into our office as their receptionist, has moved with them - we will miss her, but this was a good opportunity for her.  Also, Tammy had to take an extended  leave of absence to deal with illnesses in her family. Therefore, we recently welcomed Eli as our new medical assistant (M.A.). He is a very nice gentleman with good experience, and he is bilingual in Spanish/English. (Patients that have met him have given him a "thumbs up!"). Brenda is still with us as our receptionist and continues to be a voracious quilter. She also added another grandchild to her brood and took the past week off to spend time with her family. Elaine did a great job up front while Brenda was away.

Finally, flu season is in full swing. The adjacent graphic is based upon an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) a few years back. It contains good information, so please click on the thumbnail and remember what it says before calling our office to request an antibiotic. [Note: if your sinus symptoms persist greater than a week and you develop pain in your face or teeth, then you may have developed a secondary sinusitis and an antibiotic may be indicated, however,  this is not the usual case in the first few days of illness.]  Also, don't forget to run your humidifiers/vaporizers in your bedrooms at night - the air has been extremely dry since the beginning of December due to the Santa Ana conditions. This will also aggravate your sinuses!

1-2-03

Happy New Year to all!

Influenza:  Flu season has finally arrived. You can read my patient education handout on influenza by clicking here. Don't forget that there IS a treatment for the flu, but it is only effective if it is started within the first 48 hours after the onset of symptoms (upper respiratory symptoms plus the feeling like you've been hit by a truck). Therefore, call our office if you think that you might be coming down with this. If you do have the typical symptoms of influenza, you probably won't feel much like getting out of bed. We realize this and usually handle these cases by telephone. It is possible for some patients, particularly the elderly, to develop bacterial complications (e.g. staphylococcal bronchitis), so if you don't see improvement with treatment, we'll get you in right away for an evaluation.

FAQ Updated:  We receive nice comments and inquiries daily regarding the beautiful artwork in our office. I've posted some sample images of the Ferguson's handiwork, as well as information on how to obtain pictures of your own. Check the frequently asked questions (FAQ) page.

With each new year comes a fresh new batch of resolutions. This year is no exception. Particularly due to all of the holiday celebrations, many seek to lose a few (or more) extra pounds. Appetite suppressants and liquid meals/shakes work for the short term, but for long term success, one really needs to learn how to accomplish the weight loss and maintain it through the use of normal foods. Recently, I've been impressed with the "Lean For Life" program, founded by the Lindora Clinics in Los Angeles (www.leanforlife.com). It's been around for about 30 years and it is very successful for many people. Weight loss is accomplished by inducing a state of ketosis (body breaks down it's own fat for fuel) by emphasizing increased protein intake (along with some carbs). You can try this program on your own by purchasing the book locally.  (Reviews may be found at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580000886/qid=1041573254/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/102-0049854-9032939). 

Many of us need help, though, for advice and encouragement. Just as in sports, coaching can make all of the difference in the world to performance. Books alone do not work for many people.  Debbie Cole, R.D., formerly the nutritionist for the Golden Door Spa, is a dietitian specializing in successful weight loss and lifestyle changes. She has worked with several of my patients and has gotten good results. She and her colleagues operate an internet-based weight management program which may be found at www.myhealthpointe.com. Debbie's services are included free with this program that achieves fast and safe results without feeling hungry, deprived or cravings. Contact Debbie at dlcnut@hotmail.com.  Good luck!

 [NOTE: I only mention products/services that I feel may benefit my patients. I NEVER accept any compensation for mentioning any products or services on my web site.]

 12-25-02

Researchers confirm the benefit of a fishy diet. It seems that one only needs to eat fish a few times per month in order to significantly reduce the chance of stroke!  Full story can be found at: http://abc.net.au/news/scitech/2002/12/item20021225102400_1.htm

12-13-02

I'll be covering the Footlocker National Cross Country Track Finals at Balboa Park, tomorrow. Each of the two races feature the top 32 high school runners in the country. The girls race begins at 9:15 AM and the boys race at 10:00 AM.  This is an extremely fan-friendly venue, but get there early for parking.

Our tentative holiday office schedule will be as follows:

December 24 (Tues): we will see patients until 2 PM.

December 25/Christmas Day (Wed): closed

December 26 (Thurs): closed (Working at The Zenith Insurance Co.)

December 27 (Fri): open normal hours.

December 31/ New Years Eve (Tues):  we will see patients until 4 PM

January 1/ New Years Day (Wed): closed.

January 2 (Thurs): closed (Working at The Zenith Insurance Co.)

January 3 ( Fri): open normal hours.

I will be available by radiopager whenever the office is closed, for emergencies and industrial injuries. Please call the office number and follow the instructions in order to have me paged.

Our entire staff wishes you all a happy holiday season!

(11-18-02)

Next two weeks will see some adjustments in our office hours. [My daughter's bas mitzvah is this Saturday (11/23) and our families are flying into town. This will be complicated further by next week's Thanksgiving Day holiday.]

This week: I will only be in the office Monday through Wed this week (Thursday is my usual day at The Zenith, reviewing workers compensation claims). Friday will see me making intermittent runs to the airport!

Next week, I will be in the office on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings only, until 12 noon [My staff will be in the office the entire day, though]. We will not schedule formal appointments this week- rather, these will be "walk-in" hours where you may come in without an appointment and be seen on a "first come, first served" basis.   Thursday (11/28) is Thanksgiving, of course. I am giving my staff the day off on Friday (11/29).

Please note that I remain available by pager at all times. Simply call my office and follow the instructions to have me paged.

(10/23/02)

As noted previously, I will be out of town after office hours today and will return to see patients again on Thursday, Oct 31.  My staff will keep the office open and will handle all of my phone calls. They can reach me in cases of emergency. (I will be attending the annual Board of Editors meeting for Patient Care magazine, in New York City.)

Dr. Stanley Weinberg (family practice in Escondido) will provide care for patients that need to be seen in my absence. My staff will refer you to his office or you may call his office directly at (760) 747-7512. His office address is 935 East Pennsylvania Ave, Escondido. 

Please be aware that I will not have dependable access to e-mail while I'm away, so please do not expect a response until I return!

(10-19-02)

Flu season will be amongst us in December. Best time to get flu shot is about mid-November  as it takes 2 weeks to become effective and only lasts about 3-4 months (take it too soon and it may wear off before the flu season ends). Elderly patients who might have difficulty getting to the doctor in November may get their shots now.  We have influenza vaccine (flu shots) in stock and no appointment is needed for simple flu vaccinations. For more flu facts, click the following graphic:

Also, an interesting report just came out advocating the use of duct tape as treatment for warts. Shown to be more effective (and less painful) than cryosurgery (freezing). Treatment consists of cutting a piece of standard duct tape to size of wart and keeping wart covered for 6 days (replace tape if it falls off). Then, soak wart in water, debride it with emery board or pumice stone, and leave uncovered overnight (about 12 hours). Then repeat as needed.  Read the article at http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/issues/v156n10/rfull/poa20075.html. 

(10-14-02)

Machine finally arrived - we can now accept credit and debit cards for payment.

(10-3-02)

I will be out of the office Tuesday (10/8) through Thursday (10/10), in order to attend the American Osteopathic Association's annual convention in Las Vegas. I will be presenting a talk at this conference on the management of industrial injuries.

I will also be out of the office from Thursday (10/24) through Wednesday (10/30) to attend the annual Patient Care (magazine) Board of Editors meeting,  back in NYC.

As usual, I will arrange for physician coverage in my absence. Industrial clients should use their "back up" clinics during these periods. Please call the office if you have any questions concerning patient care.

We have been "tweaking" our open access scheduling policy in order to make it easier for us to handle the volume of same day appointment requests. For example, we have recently designated the 1:00 PM through 3:00 PM time period specifically for "walk in" patients. Patients will be seen on a "first come, first served" basis, unless an obvious emergency/urgency presents. Please note that we will continue to try to schedule appointments as requested, but this will offer us some flexibility and will hopefully cut down some of the afternoon wait times. Thus far, the response has been favorable. Please let us know what YOU think.

(9-2-02)

We will be closed today, for Labor Day. Also, I will be conducting sports physicals for the athletes of the California State University at San Marcos (CSUSM) all afternoon this Friday (9/6/02).

Tri-City Orthopaedic Surgery Medical Group will begin seeing patients in our office this Thursday (9/5/02), as their San Marcos satellite office. They will be phasing their docs in gradually over the course of this month. We warmly welcome Drs. Richard Muir (general orthopaedics), Janet Dunlap (general orthopaedics/spine specialist), Greg Alberton (general orthopaedics/upper extremity specialist), and Adrian Obuch (general orthopaedics/sports medicine/trauma) to our humble establishment! 

We added new staff in August: Tammy is our medical assistant and Dina will be working with the orthopaedic group as their receptionist.  

We should be able to perform urine drug screening, once again, within the next week. Breath alcohol testing (B.A.T.) is coming in the near future, too. Also, we are finally able to perform well-woman examinations (PAP, etc.) at this time.

August also witnessed the addition of a new computer network. As of this month, we have the capability of performing our billing "in-house." This should improve our service as we will not have to refer inquiries to an outside billing service (once everything is transitioned in). We will be able to process insurance claims and verify insurance eligibility electronically very shortly, too. It is our hope to finally get our credit/debit card capabilities back on-line this month.

Finally, my mom's fabulous Tabouli recipe may be found in the FAQ section!

(7-21-02)

The smell of fresh paint permeated the office air last week. We want to thank Richard Dunn and the superb crew from General Coatings for their efforts upon our behalf - they did a bang up job in just one day! (We heartily recommend them for any paint job - industrial or home!)

To grace these pristine walls, we are honored to present the colorful works of local mother and daughter artists, Karen Miller Ferguson and Cara Ferguson. Some of the pieces are now hanging, but more are still to come! To see samples of their work, click here.

There has been some medical news reported over the past week or so regarding the risks of hormone replacement therapy for post-menopausal women. The information reported was startling to most physicians and has resulted in a many calls from concerned patients. It's important to understand that every patient represents an individual situation so no blanket advice can be given. Please come in to discuss your own particular situation. ABC News recently posted an informative chat on the subject. It may be found at: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/community/dailynews/chat_hutcherson020717.html.

The ABC News site also features a recent 20/20 report, moderated by Dr. Tim Johnson, on the issue of low carbohydrate, high protein/fat diets. It may be found at: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/2020/2020/2020_diets020719.html. Also, I've updated my patient education article on "Weight Loss and Fitness." Check out the "Advice From Your Doctor", reprinted from Patient Care magazine. Finally, to add to the fat confusion, be sure to check out Gary Taubes' article dealing with the "soft science" behind the nutritional guidelines for fat intake at: http://nasw.org/mem-maint/awards/The%20soft%20science.pdf

Scheduling note: I will be presenting a lecture on the Workers' Compensation System, upon the behalf of The Zenith Insurance Company, to a large group consisting of our San Diego restaurant industry clients. Because of this, I will be switching my normal Tuesday-Thursday schedule. I will be out of the office on Tuesday 7/30 and will be in the office on Thursday 8/1/02. As usual, I remain available by pager and have local physician back-up for emergency situations.

(6-28-02)

Please note that the office will be closed on Thursday 7/4 and Friday 7/5. Dr. Pearson will be available by pager for emergencies. Call the office phone if you must speak with him.

Just had another article published in the medical journal, Patient Care, entitled "Musculoskeletal MRI in Primary Care"  (June 2002). This journal serves the continuing medical educational needs of primary care physicians (family practitioners, internal medicine) and others across the nation. The purpose of this article is to review the appropriate ordering of these studies.  Dr. Nancy Major, a radiologist at Duke University School of Medicine, also contributed to the article.

(6-19-02)

Starting to look dangerously close to a real medical office again!  The surgical suite is up and running with lots of help from our friend, Herb DeLong. (Took us 4 blasted hours to drill and finally secure the surgical lamps in the ceiling last Memorial Day!) We've used it twice thus far. Received a real nice power table for the suite, courtesy of the Penn-Elm Family Practice group (Chris Kuhn, CEO). Also, HealthSouth (Bill Tussy) provided us with a few physical therapy/orthopaedic exam tables that they were no longer using. Still need to pick up a gyn table, but should have one real soon. We did receive our cryosurgery unit today (for freezing skin lesions) The unit was an "office-warming"  gift from my mom and dad (who still practices family medicine in NJ). The music speaker system was finally connected, courtesy of our friends TJ and Billy. Other equipment continues to trickle in....  We are planning on re-painting the suite in the upcoming weeks.

We anticipate that physicians from the Tri-City Orthopaedic Medical Group will begin to see patients in our suite in July. They will use our office as a satellite for their practice (they are based in Oceanside, behind Tri-City Medical Center). 

With the receipt of our new telephone system, we have made some changes in the manner that we handle telephone messages after hours. This new Samsung Voice Messaging system has the capability to page the doctor directly, eliminating the need for an outside answering service.  The [bilingual] voice mail instructions are pretty straightforward, providing options to either leave a message for the next business day or to have the doctor paged immediately. The system seems to be operating smoothly as of this time. However, if anyone experiences any problems, please let us know immediately!

On the managed/mangled care (HMO) front, we've decided to give up exclusivity to the Sharp Community Medical Group (SCMG) IPA and begin to also accept patients from the Greater Tri-Cities IPA, based in North County. This will most likely take effect in July. Please note that although this IPA works out of Tri-City Medical Center, I will not be able to physically see patients that need to be admitted to this facility (It's simply too difficult for me to try to cover two hospitals at the same time on a regular basis). However, the excellent hospitalists at that institution have agreed to provide coverage for my inpatients at Tri-City. Of course, we also participate in most PPO plans and accept cash/checks, as well. (Sorry, but we are still waiting for our credit card/ATM machine to arrive...)

Office hours have normalized again. I am available to see patients every weekday except Thursdays (when I consult for the Zenith Insurance Company). Occasionally, surgical assists and meetings might disrupt things, but I am always available by radio pager (24/7) and have a back-up physician available when needed.

(5-9-02)

Telephone system finally hooked up and in process of programming. Today will be a "moving day" and we will start seeing patients in suite #101 as of tomorrow  (5/10/02). Still lots more to do to get this suite up to full speed. Please continue to bear with us as we fix things up - it will be worth it!

(5-2-02)

As of this date, we have ordered the telephone system, furniture, equipment, etc. and hope to have enough of it installed in order to begin seeing patients in the new suite (#101) sometime next week! (Phone number remains the same.) We are very excited as this suite's location is excellent - the very first office encountered upon entering the front of the building - making it most convenient for our patients.

Also, I am pleased to announce that the excellent orthopaedic physicians of Tri-City Orthopaedic Medical Group will be sharing the suite with me, as a satellite office. We are both very excited about our ability to offer both primary and orthopaedic specialty care, conveniently  in the same office, for the treatment of sports, industrial, and other injuries!

To our occupational clients: we should have many of our services up and running again shortly (e.g. laceration repairs, etc). Drug screening, however, will still be delayed until we bring on more staff. We greatly appreciate your patience through our relocation!

(4/1/02):  

I will be out of the office from Wednesday (4/3/02) until Tuesday (4/16/02). I will be attending a sports medicine conference in Orlando, and sneaking a few extra days to visit my sister, as well. I will actually be back in town (and taking call) on Thursday (4/11/02), but the office will be unavailable for use for the duration of the week.

Dr. Stanley Weinberg will be taking call for me while I'm away. He can be reached automatically through my answering service. His direct office phone number is 760-747-7512. (Elaine will remain in town to address office administrative matters.)

Our suite is finally available!  The occupant of suite 101 has finally vacated the premises. It will take us a few weeks to prepare it for practice (need to furnish it, buy more supplies, etc), hence we anticipate that we should be ready to move in by late April or beginning of May. 

I recently accepted a position on the Board of Directors for The Elizabeth Hospice, based in the North County. The concept of hospice is to promote comfort during the last months of life. The Elizabeth Hospice has an excellent reputation for caring. Learn more about us at http://www.elizabethhospice.org/

(1/1/02):  

We have moved out of our shared office space at the North County Urgent Care Medical Center and into the San Marcos Ambulatory Care Center.

Why did we move?  We were outgrowing our space at the North County Urgent Care clinic and, quite simply, it's a great opportunity for a family/sports med physician. The City of San Marcos was nice enough to approve the building of 3000 new homes in the San Elijo Hills region, on top of the other recent growth of new homes in the area.  Nice new shopping center (Longs' Drugs, Ralphs, etc) built next to our office building, and the close proximity to CSUSM will permit greater interaction with their athletic program. Yet, despite all of this local population growth, there are but few family docs practicing in the area, hence the move becomes a business "no-brainer."  Also, we have larger plans/affiliations that we are considering. These will be announced after they become finalized. All in all, we're very excited (and nervous - lots of work involved in a move)!

Which suite?  We had originally intended to build out our own space in this building, but another  physician in the building has recently retired. We are currently in negotiations to assume that  suite.  In the meantime, we will be sharing space with the orthopaedic group in suite #105, until the other suite becomes available. Signs will be posted at the building's entrance,  directing patients to Dr. Pearson's office.

Also, by necessity, this arrangement will somewhat limit our practice capabilities temporarily. For example, there are some procedures/testing that we will be unable to perform while in this temporary suite (e.g. gynecological exams, laceration repairs, urine drug screens, EKG/spirometry, and freezing of skin lesions, just to name a few). However, we will be able to perform all of these services once we are finally settled in our new suite (upon it's availability in May 2002). We do have x-ray capabilities.

What is the new telephone number?  (760) 591-0955.  When we are not in the office, it will be forwarded to the answering service (Communications department at Palomar Medical Center; Their direct number is (760) 291-5815) Of course, I can still be reached for non-urgent matters via my e-mail (jocdoc@medicine-in-motion.com).

What will be our schedule?   We will begin seeing patients in the new office on Thursday January 3, 2002. 

Due to the schedules of the orthopaedic docs, our scheduled office days may vary slightly from week to week.  For example, there are some days out of the month when the office suite will be unavailable, hence we will be unable to see patients on those days.  Therefore, it's always best to call before dropping by unannounced. I am always available by radio pager for patients that need to speak with me on urgent matters.

I will continue to practice open access scheduling, whereby patients can be seen on the same day that they call. (This is described under the office hours section on the "About the Office" page.)  Also,  you will all be pleased to know that Brenda Boettcher has agreed to come with us to the new office!

What about my medical records?  We have many of our patient charts in hand and others have been copied. If we do not have your chart on hand, it remains easily accessible at the North County Urgent Care office.

We deeply appreciate the loyalty of our patients and clients. We are doing everything possible to make this move go as smooth as possible. Formal notices will go out in the mail as soon as we have confirmation of all pertinent details. Thank you all for bearing with us through this transition!