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South Macomb Internal Medicine

South Macomb Internal Medicine

Warren, MI

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Dr. Scot Goldberg

A Check In From South Macomb Internal Medicine – How Are You?

Check in

Hello all,

We are here for a little check in with you!  We hope you are well and that the first month of 2022 treated you well.  Yes it’s cold here in Michigan, yes it’s snowy here in Michigan, and as you know we have been picking up the pieces after the tragic passing of Dr. Scot Goldberg on December 21st.  Dr. Goldberg was a great man – a great doctor, a great leader, a great mentor, a great family man and a great friend.  His impact – certainly on all of us here at South Macomb Internal Medicine – will be felt for years to come and we can say without reservation that he made a mark in this world!  As was mentioned in his obituary, those who wish to further honor the memory of Dr. Scot F. Goldberg, MD, MBA may do so by making a contribution to:  Sib4Sib https://www.sib4sib.org/donate.html

A couple other tidbits we would like to share with you:

Here is an infographic we shared on our Facebook page from the CDC about how to avoid, spot and treat frostbite and hypothermia.  This information can obviously come in handy with the weather we’re having in Metro Detroit this winter.

We also found this great article about the five biggest trends in healthcare tech trends in 2022.  We are always interested in the latest and greatest – especially in tech and how it may impact how we treat our patients in the future!

That’s about it for now.  Wishing you all health and happiness – be safe, be kind, schedule your next appointment if you’re due, and WASH YOUR HANDS!

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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.

Nutritional services are also available with Nanette Cameron, RDN. Don’t forget to ask us for a $25 gift certificate for trying dietary services with Nanette the first time for patients who have insurance coverage!

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

Filed Under: Medical News Tagged With: Ascension Health Care, Doctor, Doctor's Office, Dr. Scot Goldberg, Internal Medicine, Internist, Macomb, Macomb Doctor, Medical Practice, Metro Detroit, Metro Detroit Doctor, Michigan, Patient Centered Medical Home, Primary Care Medical Home, Warren

5 MORE Fantastic Medical Blogs You Should Bookmark!

December 18th, 2021

Earlier this year we published a list of 10 Fantastic Medical Blogs You Should Bookmark, and as the year draws to a close we thought we would give you 5 MORE to check out!

5 MORE

5 MORE Fantastic Medical Blogs You Should Bookmark!

Kaiser Health News – This blog is JAM PACKED with current topics and news in medicine.  The range, quantity and quality of information here is quite impressive!

Shots – Did you know NPR had a health blog?  Well now you do.  Shots is a good one with plenty of current topics along with some humorous takes to keep it light.

Accepted’s Medical School Admissions Blog – This is a great blog for medical students with tips on interviewing and applying to medical schools!

NAMI Blog – the National Alliance on Mental Illness has a great blog for topics on mental health which is so important given the toll the pandemic has taken on many people, especially young people.  Please bookmark this one and share!

Mom MD – Mom MD is the blog for women in medicine – doctors, nurses, students – doesn’t matter.  The goal is to connect women in medicine!

 

We hope you enjoy these and we wish you all a Happy Holiday and New Year (although we might squeeze in another blog post before the end of the month – we’ll see)!

***************************************************************************************************************************

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.

Nutritional services are also available with Nanette Cameron, RDN. Don’t forget to ask us for a $25 gift certificate for trying dietary services with Nanette the first time for patients who have insurance coverage!

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

Filed Under: Medical News Tagged With: Accepted, Ascension Health Care, Doctor, Doctor's Office, Dr. Scot Goldberg, Internal Medicine, Internist, Kaiser Health News, Macomb, Macomb Doctor, Medical Practice, Medical School, Metro Detroit, Metro Detroit Doctor, Michigan, MomMD, NAMI, NPR Shots, Warren, Warren Doctor, Warren Internist, Warren Michigan Doctor

Improving The Patient Experience: Part 6 – Assessing Medications

December 3rd, 2021

By Dr. Scot Goldberg, MD

Hello everyone!  This is part 6 of a series around how we work towards improving the patient experience!  Part 5 was on treating urinary incontinence, and today we will discuss performing an assessment of a patient’s medication compliance and ability to pay for medications, changing prescriptions as appropriate and letting them know about avenues to explore if they need financial help.

Medications

 

Assessing Medications, Compliance, and the right Prescriptions

Part of a routine medical visit is an assessment of a patient’s medications.  Medications can be very expensive and the newer better medications are often out of financial reach for most patients.  For example the newer diabetic medications are better than the old ones but they are pricier, so we are always evaluating them to try to strike that balance between cost and effectiveness in the best interests of our patients.  This also includes tracking potential efficacy and side effects of these medications.  In other words we want to make sure they work and that they won’t cause other problems.  We will typically call into the pharmacies to find out coverage to see what we can prescribe for different situations.  We also keep an electronic log and we keep up with the pharmacies to ensure that they are filling the prescriptions properly!

There are some specific avenues we frequently explore to help our patients get their prescriptions:

  • We have the good RX cards that the patient can use to price out prescriptions.
  • The Canadian Pharmacy is less expensive in many cases and sometimes we will help steer them in that direction.
  • Patients can check insurance guidelines where some insurances are less expensive for filling 90 day’s worth of a medication than 30 days.
  • We have copay cards available for some prescriptions.
We know medications can be expensive, we are aware they have side effects, and we are aware that they are being marketed to you at every turn, but rest assured we are here to help you navigate it and get the best care with the right medications for you!

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Improving The Patient Experience

A little background on this initiative and some highlights as outlined by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan:

Medicare Star Ratings is a rating system developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to help consumers find the best Medicare Advantage plan for them. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has two MA plans – Medicare Plus Blue℠ for its PPO members and BCN Advantage℠ for its HMO members.

CMS assesses a member’s health plan experience through the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, or CAHPS, member survey. The survey asks patients to report on their experiences with a wide range of health care services. A large portion of the CAHPS survey is driven by the member’s experience with his or her physician’s team, including such things as follow-up on labs and imaging, and getting timely doctor appointments.

And, most importantly for patients, a positive patient experience results in better adherence to protocol, better relationships with health care providers and a feeling of mutual respect between them and their medical team.

***************************************************************************************************************************

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!

Filed Under: Improving The Patient Experience Series Tagged With: Doctor, Doctor's Office, Dr. Scot Goldberg, Improving The Patient Experience, Internal Medicine, Internist, Macomb, Macomb Doctor, Medical Practice, Medications, Metro Detroit, Metro Detroit Doctor, Michigan, Patient Centered Medical Home, PCMH, Prescriptions, Primary Care Medical Home, Warren

Improving The Patient Experience: Part 5 – Treating Urinary Incontinence

November 19th, 2021

By Dr. Scot Goldberg, MD

Hello everyone!  This is part 5 of a series around how we work towards improving the patient experience!  Part 4 was on assessing physical activity and the risk of falling, and today we will discuss assessing if Medicare Advantage patients have urinary incontinence or urine leakage and review options for treatment!

Urinary Incontinence

Assessing Urinary Incontinence

Urinary evacuation is very important in the elderly and actually any kind of bodily evacuation can be difficult to discuss, but doctors routinely bring it up at every visit with the appropriate patients.  Today we’re specifically going to discuss urinary incontinence.

A very common problem in both males and females, in males it can be a problem due to prostate enlargements or bladder dysfunction among other reasons.  Doctors will ask about the quality and frequency of urinary flow and whether you need to get up at night to urinate.  Incontinence is a particularly important issue, especially for quality of life, and we have medications and other non-medical remedies available.  The newest treatment for incontinence involves medications that can help the bladder regulate the frequency of urination.

In females it’s usually due to a decrease in the muscle tone of the pelvic floor.  This can be a result of childbirth.  In females we also use vaginal creams that can soften the mucosa (dry mucosa can be responsible for painful recurring urinary tract infections).  In females we can also recommend kegel exercises which will help strengthen the pelvic floor and hopefully prevent urinary incontinence.  There are also medications we can use that would strengthen the bladder.

The bottom line is that we can help our patients who struggle with urinary issues.  Patients should not feel embarrassed to discuss it with their physician – it is a common issue that we deal with routinely so do not feel like there is “something wrong with you” if you are having trouble with this.  Let’s discuss it and treat it!  Let’s return you to a better quality of life.

***************************************************************************************************************************

Improving The Patient Experience

A little background on this initiative and some highlights as outlined by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan:

Medicare Star Ratings is a rating system developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to help consumers find the best Medicare Advantage plan for them. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has two MA plans – Medicare Plus Blue℠ for its PPO members and BCN Advantage℠ for its HMO members.

CMS assesses a member’s health plan experience through the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, or CAHPS, member survey. The survey asks patients to report on their experiences with a wide range of health care services. A large portion of the CAHPS survey is driven by the member’s experience with his or her physician’s team, including such things as follow-up on labs and imaging, and getting timely doctor appointments.

And, most importantly for patients, a positive patient experience results in better adherence to protocol, better relationships with health care providers and a feeling of mutual respect between them and their medical team.

***************************************************************************************************************************

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!

Filed Under: Improving The Patient Experience Series Tagged With: Ascension Health Care, Doctor, Doctor's Office, Dr. Scot Goldberg, Internal Medicine, Internist, Macomb, Macomb Doctor, Medical Practice, Medicare Advantage Patients, Metro Detroit, Metro Detroit Doctor, Michigan, Primary Care Medical Home, Urinary Incontinence, Urination, Warren

Improving The Patient Experience: Part 4 – Assessing Physical Activity!

November 5th, 2021

By Dr. Scot Goldberg, MD

Hello everyone!  This is part 4 of a series around how we work towards improving the patient experience!  Part 3 was on the importance of checking your Hgb A1c for diabetes, and today we will discuss the need to assess your physical activity and any associated risks based on your health!

Physical Acitivity

Assessing physical activity is very important because if people fall they can break their bones and cause a lot of other serious physical problems.  Part of a general medical evaluation is watching how people transfer from a chair to a standing position as well as how they walk.  In fact there have been studies that show that the time it takes to walk twenty feet, turnaround and come back can be a good indicator of an array of specific medical problems.  Once we have determined a patient is at risk for falls based on this measure and their level of physical activity there are specific recommendations that we can offer so that people can live safely by improving their strength, balance, nutrition and any other factors that may contribute to this risk.

Some of the courses of treatment may include:

  • Physical therapy – at home as well as at a physical therapy center.  This may include working to improve balance and mobility.  An at home evaluation can also be useful to make sure their home is sufficient to support their physical condition and any course of treatment going forward.  This can include the installation or use of certain equipment.
  • Adjusting current medications – sometimes patients are over or under medicated especially when it comes to diuretics (water pills) or blood pressure medications.  Many of these medications can affect a patient’s mobility.
  • Lifestyle and nutrition changes.  A healthy lifestyle can help maximize outcomes here.  You are what you eat, and if you’re adding too much alcohol or tobacco for example you may hinder your body’s ability to thrive.

Be sure to check back for the next segment where we’ll address urinary incontinence.

***************************************************************************************************************************

Improving The Patient Experience

A little background on this initiative and some highlights as outlined by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan:

Medicare Star Ratings is a rating system developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to help consumers find the best Medicare Advantage plan for them. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has two MA plans – Medicare Plus Blue℠ for its PPO members and BCN Advantage℠ for its HMO members.

CMS assesses a member’s health plan experience through the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, or CAHPS, member survey. The survey asks patients to report on their experiences with a wide range of health care services. A large portion of the CAHPS survey is driven by the member’s experience with his or her physician’s team, including such things as follow-up on labs and imaging, and getting timely doctor appointments.

And, most importantly for patients, a positive patient experience results in better adherence to protocol, better relationships with health care providers and a feeling of mutual respect between them and their medical team.

***************************************************************************************************************************

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!

Filed Under: Improving The Patient Experience Series Tagged With: Ascension Health Care, Doctor, Doctor's Office, Dr. Scot Goldberg, Internal Medicine, Internist, Macomb, Macomb Doctor, Medical Practice, Metro Detroit, Metro Detroit Doctor, Michigan, Physical Activity, Physical Therapy, Warren

Improving The Patient Experience: Part 3 – Checking Hgb A1c for Diabetes

October 22nd, 2021

By Dr. Scot Goldberg, MD

Hello everyone!  This is part 3 of a series around how we work towards improving the patient experience!  Part 2 related to checking your blood pressure, and here we are going to discuss the importance of checking your Hgb A1c for diabetes!

Diabetes

We should be screening for diabetes at age 35, and the way we do this is with a blood test called the hemoglobin A1c.  If that is elevated past 6.0 then we recheck in one year.  From 6.0 – 7.0 is considered “pre-diabetes” and over 7.0 is considered diabetes.  For pre-diabetes we treat it with diet and exercise and over 7.0 we add medications to the course of treatment.

As for diet and exercise we’ve mentioned here before that we recommend you exercise 30 minutes per day 5 times per week, and we have the resources to help you with your diet.  You can see our nutritionist Nanette Cameron – she’s fantastic!

So why do we need to treat diabetes?

Most people think that the acute care of diabetes or the blood sugar is more important than chronic care.  For very high sugars people will have increased thirst, urination, and generally poor feeling.  But actually chronic care of diabetes is much more important.  Diabetes is the leading cause of stroke, heart attacks, kidney failure and as a matter of fact can cause problems with any organ if left untreated.

So what is the treatment?

Treatment for diabetes has moved way past insulin shots.  We have even moved past sulfonylurea, metformin and older diabetic medications.  Although these medications have been around for decades and have been shown to be safe, effective and well tolerated, we now have newer medications that are even more effective and safer.  These medications include GLP1 (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists), or SGLT-2 inhibitors (sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors).  If that seems like a lot of acronyms and big words don’t worry – there won’t be a test… haha.  Let me explain:

  • GLP1’s come as a daily oral medication or a weekly self-injection.  Most patients prefer the weekly self-injection for convenience.  This class of medication works very well and has the added benefit of significant weight loss.
  • SGLT-2 inhibitors come as a daily oral medication as well.  It lowers the sugar thresholds in the kidneys so excess sugar in the blood stream is removed via urination.  The newest data shows that it is very effective and prevents heart and kidney disease even in patients who are not diabetic.

***************************************************************************************************************************

Improving The Patient Experience

A little background on this initiative and some highlights as outlined by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan:

Medicare Star Ratings is a rating system developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to help consumers find the best Medicare Advantage plan for them. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has two MA plans – Medicare Plus Blue℠ for its PPO members and BCN Advantage℠ for its HMO members.

CMS assesses a member’s health plan experience through the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, or CAHPS, member survey. The survey asks patients to report on their experiences with a wide range of health care services. A large portion of the CAHPS survey is driven by the member’s experience with his or her physician’s team, including such things as follow-up on labs and imaging, and getting timely doctor appointments.

And, most importantly for patients, a positive patient experience results in better adherence to protocol, better relationships with health care providers and a feeling of mutual respect between them and their medical team.

***************************************************************************************************************************

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!

Filed Under: Diabetes, Improving The Patient Experience Series Tagged With: Diabetes, Doctor, Doctor's Office, Dr. Scot Goldberg, Hemoglobin A1C, Internal Medicine, Internist, Macomb, Macomb Doctor, Medical Practice, Metro Detroit, Metro Detroit Doctor, Michigan, Patient Centered Medical Home, PCMH, Primary Care Medical Home, Sugar, Type 2 Diabetes, Warren

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South Macomb Internal Medicine
28401 Hoover Rd
Warren, MI 48093

Phone: (586) 276-7530

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