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South Macomb Internal Medicine

Warren, MI

Coronavirus

Some Current Thoughts On Covid-19 – Delta and Where We Are Now

August 20th, 2021

By Dr. Scot Goldberg, MD

We have had plenty to say here on this blog about Covid-19.  We’ve covered plenty of angles from encouraging people to get vaccines, to remembering not to neglect your “other” (non-covid related) health, to myth-busting and more, and I wanted to add some current thoughts.  As we have seen this continues to be a fluid situation with the Delta variant now being the dominant strain and causing serious problems around our country.  There are still too many people who have not been vaccinated and the CDC is set to approve booster shots soon for those who have.

So what do you do?

Current Thoughts

Well, for starters we still can’t emphasize enough how important it is to get the vaccine if you have held out up until now.  We still feel strongly about this.  The vaccines are indeed safe and effective.  But beyond that we also say maintain a cool head and get back to the basics that we were using before there was a vaccine – washing your hands, using common sense with social distancing, using a mask indoors perhaps – just make good choices while we’re in this surge.

We also want you to read what we feel is an outstanding article published this week on KevinMD.com.  It goes into some detail about the Delta Variant and the vaccine, but there is no slant here.  No politics – this isn’t a big media source – just a doctor writing it, in fact a psychiatrist with some really interesting insights on this.  We encourage you to digest what is said here and share it with whomever needs to hear it from any standpoint.  That includes people who follow the science and those who don’t trust it.  Democrats, Republicans, anti-vaxxers & vaxxers, anti-maskers and maskers – anyone.  Let’s talk it out.  Let’s help each other.

Stay safe and call us with any questions!

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South Macomb Internal Medicine

28401 Hoover Rd.  Warren, Michigan 48093

Phone: (586) 276-7530

South Macomb Internal Medicine has been designated a Patient Centered Medical Home by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/SMIMdoc!

Feel free to click on the categories and keywords below to find more content as we add more to the website!

 

Let’s Talk About Allergies In Michigan In 2021!

April 23rd, 2021

Let’s talk about allergies!

Allergies

Allergy season is underway here in Michigan.  Allergies that occur in the spring are usually due to trees, allergies that occur in the summer are due to grass pollen and patients who are having allergy symptoms in the fall are largely allergic to ragweed.  It’s not fun, and this article in the Detroit Free Press says Michigan allergy season is one of the worst we’ve had…

In a bit of a plot twist however, allergy experts say some of the 24 million Americans with seasonal allergies are experiencing less symptoms this year due to wearing a mask because of Covid-19!  How about you – are you noticing that it’s better this year?  Worse?  Typical?  Is your mask helping?  Vaccinations are coming along but we’re not fully there yet and for some people it’s a little scary when you get any symptoms with Covid dominating so much space in our lives.  A recent article in HealthDay helps to breakdown the differences between allergies and Covid-19, and either way be sure to follow the CDC guidelines to be safe, and get your vaccine!  We can actually help you get the Pfizer vaccine scheduled so give us a call.

Allergy Testing

Meanwhile many allergies can be diagnosed with in-office testing. We offer skin tests for many common allergies, and send away lab tests when necessary. Skin allergy tests can be a very effective and quick diagnostic tool.

Skin testing involves introducing a small amount of allergen under the skin’s surface by pricking the skin and inserting a small drop of the allergen extract. The skin test (scratch or prick test) is done with a sterile, disposable plastic prick testing device, generally on the arm or back. It garners a sensation that is described as slightly uncomfortable, although generally not painful. It is a quick testing procedure. If the patient is allergic to the substance being tested, some itching or redness may occur at the testing site.

Test results are typically available within half an hour and diagnosis and treatment plans can then be completed quickly. These are highly accurate and sensitive tests.

If you are scheduled for in-office allergy testing, please call our office to discuss any medications you are currently taking as some may prevent a diagnostic reaction.  If you are interested in more information about in-office allergy testing, please be in touch with any questions or to schedule.

If you use allergy drops to treat your allergies, we can arrange for at-home delivery through Allergen.

We hope you found this valuable and we are here to help!

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South Macomb Internal Medicine
28401 Hoover Rd.  Warren, Michigan 48093
Phone: (586) 276-7530
South Macomb Internal Medicine has been designated a Patient Centered Medical Home by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/SMIMdoc for updates, articles and fun!
Call us and ask to be added to our email newsletter that comes out every couple weeks!
Telehealth and virtual appointments are still available as well as nutritional services with Nanette Cameron, RDN. Don’t forget to ask us for a $25 gift certificate along with a copy of Nanette Cameron’s cookbook The Perfect Day for trying dietary services with Nanette the first time for patients who have insurance coverage! Nanette is also available virtually!
Feel free to click on the categories and keywords below to find more content as we add more to the website!

The Vaccine Is Becoming Available To All & Here Is Why You Should Get It

March 24th, 2021

By Dr. Scot Goldberg, MD

A year into the pandemic we are finally in the home stretch in terms of the vaccination rollout and getting back to a lasting bit of normalcy.  We clearly can’t let our guard down just yet with the virus currently surging in Michigan – and that’s not just some “disclaimer” – that’s serious.

But having said that the vaccine rollout is indeed rolling out – as of today 6000 doses per day are being administered just at Ford Field alone.  So we came across a great article about the vaccine(s) and with permission from the author I want to share it here and point out a few things.

The Vaccine Is Becoming Available To All & Here Is Why You Should Get It

Vaccine Is Becoming Available

 

So here is the article I’m referring to:

I’m a Doctor This is the #1 Worst Mistake You Could Make Right Now

Click the link above and give it a read.  The “mistake” is not getting the vaccine.  The doctor is Deborah Lee, MD.
This was written in February as the vaccine rollout was beginning but before it was available to vast segments of the population like it is now, so it bears repeating at this moment since more of us are able to get it.
The first few reasons are general facts about vaccines – they save lives, can eradicate diseases or at limit greatly viral infections from them and keep us from getting infected at all.  We know this.  Smallpox was wiped off the planet with a vaccine.
Every one of Dr. Lee’s 14 main points in this article are well put and important for you to read, including addressing folks who are immunocompromised and vaccine safety basics, but in the age of social media and sources of misinformation we want to call particular attention to number 11: “Debunking Vaccine Myths”.  Some of these myths are more ludicrous than others and we’ve seen worse – even in the comments of our own posts on Facebook once in a while!
Here is point #11 – from the article with permission:

Debunking Vaccine Myths

There are a whole host of incorrect facts being bandied about regarding the COVID vaccine. Please take a look at the following statements and rest assured these are all telling the truth:

  • The COVID vaccine will not change your DNA
  • The COVID vaccine does not contain material from a dead fetus
  • The COVID vaccine does not contain heavy metals
  • The COVID vaccine does not contain  a microchip
  • Vaccines are not a cause of autism
  • Just because the vaccine was produced in record time does not mean its not safe

If you want more details about all these points see this extremely eloquent post by Chris York at The Huffington Post.

So please, make an appointment.  Get the vaccine.  For your health and your protection.  For your fellow humans.  For the greater good and a back to normal life for all of us.

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South Macomb Internal Medicine

28401 Hoover Rd.  Warren, Michigan 48093

Phone: (586) 276-7530

South Macomb Internal Medicine has been designated a Patient Centered Medical Home by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/SMIMdoc for updates, articles and fun!

Call us and ask to be added to our email newsletter that comes out every couple weeks!

Telehealth and virtual appointments are still available as well as nutritional services with Nanette Cameron, RDN. Don’t forget to ask us for a $25 gift certificate along with a copy of Nanette Cameron’s cookbook The Perfect Day for trying dietary services with Nanette the first time for patients who have insurance coverage! Nanette is also available virtually!

Feel free to click on the categories and keywords below to find more content as we add more to the website!

 

Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine, Feeling Good and Ready to Care For You All!

January 8th, 2021

COVID-19 Vaccine

We wanted to check in with an update to let you know as of this writing that Dr. Goldberg is two weeks and two days out from his first COVID-19 vaccine shot and he’s doing great!

COVID-19 Vaccine

 

That’s our guy!!!.

He had soreness in his left arm for one day which is actually a good thing.  A little soreness shows that the vaccine caused an inflammatory reaction – and that it’s working.  Otherwise he has been doing very well, and his second and final shot is next Wednesday!

We’re all getting the COVID-19 Vaccine!

Additionally Ascension sent an email that ALL associates and their staff can now come in for vaccines and so all of our South Macomb Internal Medicine Staff have been invited to get vaccinated!

COVID-19 Vaccine

 

We’re back OPEN and fully operational at the office – ready to serve and ready to care for you!  Better days ahead.  Everyone stay safe, masked, social distanced and well!

Stay tuned for updates and we’ll see you soon!

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South Macomb Internal Medicine

28401 Hoover Rd.  Warren, Michigan 48093

Phone: (586) 276-7530

South Macomb Internal Medicine has been designated a Patient Centered Medical Home by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/SMIMdoc for updates, articles and fun!

Call us and ask to be added to our email newsletter that comes out every couple weeks!

Telehealth and virtual appointments are still available as well as nutritional services with Nanette Cameron, RDN. Don’t forget to ask us for a $25 gift certificate along with a copy of Nanette Cameron’s cookbook The Perfect Day for trying dietary services with Nanette the first time for patients who have insurance coverage! Nanette is also available virtually!

Feel free to click on the categories and keywords below to find more content as we add more to the website!

An Update on COVID-19 and Some Answers To Your Vaccine Questions

December 17th, 2020

By Dr. Scot Goldberg, MD

Hello all!  So the situation around the COVID-19 pandemic remains fluid indeed.  We know this has been and continues to be tough on everyone and we aren’t exempt from that by any means – we are all in this together.  But we are hopeful with vaccines now being distributed and we are proud that they are being produced in and shipped from Pfizer in Michigan!  Are we at the actual end of this pandemic?  No.  Is there light at the end of the tunnel?  We say yes!

Vaccine

I have received numerous requests for information regarding the vaccine from many of you.  I have also received numerous emails from Ascension which is the hospital I am most affiliated with and although the coronavirus vaccine is getting into into Macomb County, it appears that it will first be delivered into the hospitals and given to front line workers such as in the ER, ICU and COVID floors.  Certainly this makes sense.  The people treating those with the virus and being exposed need to be protected.

Some Details On The COVID-19 Vaccine

Due to the logistics of storing the vaccine and the increased education needed for those that administer it I do not anticipate that we will be giving the vaccine out of our office.  I also anticipate that it will indeed still be several months for the doctors offices and the general population to get their vaccines as well, so we need to continue to make wise and safe choices individually per the CDC guidelines – all of us.  I do expect nursing homes and assisted care facilities that have high risk patients and staff to receive vaccines before our office and the general public receives theirs.

So as tough as this year has been, we need to be patient!  Easier said than done sure, but stay focused on the fact that this will indeed be temporary.  We will get through this and we hope that blog posts like these will be fascinating to read a few years from now in a “remember when” kind of way.  Stay safe everyone!  Call us when you need us – we are here to help.

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South Macomb Internal Medicine

28401 Hoover Rd.  Warren, Michigan 48093

Phone: (586) 276-7530

South Macomb Internal Medicine has been designated a Patient Centered Medical Home by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/SMIMdoc!

Feel free to click on the categories and keywords below to find more content as we add more to the website!

Nutrition and Preventative Medicine Go Hand In Hand!

December 3rd, 2020

By Dr. Scot Goldberg, MD

On our Facebook page and in our email newsletter we talk a lot about nutrition – especially on what we call “Foodie Fridays”, and as it relates to preventative medicine it’s a key element.  We found a recent article that explores the role of nutrition in fighting against COVID-19 which is obviously on everyone’s mind in these challenging times, but it can apply to anything since a healthy immune system can help you ward off plenty of illnesses!  We can help with diet – just ask us for a $25 gift certificate along with a copy of our nutritionist Nanette Cameron’s cookbook The Perfect Day for trying dietary services with her the first time for patients who have insurance coverage!  Here is the link to the article at News Medical:  Healthy diet plays vital role in warding off COVID-19

Nutrition and preventative medicine

SMIM is Focused on nutrition AND preventative medicine

So to be clear, we are very focused on preventative medicine all the way around – we have a page dedicated to it on our website, and we aim to help you! Regular well visits and open conversations with a healthcare team that cares about and gets to know you is the best way to stay well!  We don’t want you sick.  We want you to have success with your health and we want to use our knowledge and experience to help you prevent disease!  Do NOT wait until you are sick to start taking care of yourself – that approach really makes no sense.
Stay safe and be well!

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South Macomb Internal Medicine

28401 Hoover Rd.  Warren, Michigan 48093

Phone: (586) 276-7530

South Macomb Internal Medicine has been designated a Patient Centered Medical Home by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/SMIMdoc!

Feel free to click on the categories and keywords below to find more content as we add more to the website!