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South Macomb Internal Medicine

Warren, MI

Pandemic

Improving The Patient Experience: Part 1 – Covid & Flu Vaccinations

September 10th, 2021

By Dr. Scot Goldberg, MD

Hello everyone!  I hope you are doing well, and we are introducing a series around how we work towards improving the patient experience!  A little background on this and some highlights of the initiative 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.

The Patient Experience

Improving The Patient Experience

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.

Covid-19 and Flu Vaccines

We know that our entire team can affect the health of patients and how they assess their health care experience, so we are going to discuss a number of points of emphasis starting with Covid-19 and Flu vaccinations!

First let’s talk about boosters.  The newest data coming out of Israel (which is administering the most boosters to date) is that they are very effective and safe.  We still are not sure if they are necessary because we haven’t seen a big increase in cases among vaccinated individuals.  We are happy to discuss your options with you.

As for Flu – the high dose is in and available and they are first come first served for those aged 65 and over.  We expect an increase in flu this year since people aren’t quite as socially distanced as they were at the height of the pandemic.

These are the types of very real questions that we know many of you have based on our interactions with you at our office.  We are doing our very best to keep up with the up to the minute data so that we can provide the best experience for our patients!  Check back for part 2 which will focus on hypertension!

Stay safe everyone! 

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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!

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!

 

Embracing Our New Role as Physicians: COVID-19 Vaccine Myth-Busters

July 2nd, 2021

By Dr. Scot Goldberg, MD

We recently shared an article on Facebook from the American Medical Association about the new and vital role that we physicians have had to take on with the Covid-19 pandemic:  Covid vaccine myth-busters.  We really don’t mind taking on this role since it’s part of our responsibility to explain many matters of health and medicine, and the Covid-19 is an important one.  Now, hopefully as the pandemic draws to a “close” (threats from the new variants notwithstanding) this will be one of the last if not the last article I’ll need to write about it.  But as close as we are to the finish line, we could still use that final push and that’s some cushion towards herd immunity with more vaccinations.

Vaccine Myth-Busters

Being COVID-19 Vaccine Myth-Busters

Being a myth-buster hasn’t been easy.  Misinformation online has caused some people to dig in and buy in to some prevalent falsehoods out there and certainly the stress of the pandemic has fueled the intense emotions people feel towards this topic.  We understand this!  We understand and respect that people have different viewpoints on many things.  We don’t begrudge people who have struggled with this out of fear and frustration.

When people question the safety of the vaccines we have always encouraged these folks to call on us if they want to discuss or need our help.  My point here is we just want to address the fact that we take this seriously, and we’re aware that we often act as a sounding board.  We’re supposed to be the professionals here and that’s what we intend to do – be professional and stick to the science like we’ve been trained to do.  We don’t pretend to know everything.  No one knows everything.  But we do know a lot, and we’re passionate about treating people and helping people with their health.

I’d also like to say that if you genuinely have concerns about the vaccine and you’ve held off on getting it as a result that’s OKAY.  Please call us and tell us about your concerns.  We will share everything we can to help you make an informed decision.  We can’t force you to get the vaccine.  But we embrace being COVID-19 vaccine myth-busters.  We can answer your questions objectively with science, knowledge and experience.

And who knows…. you just might hit the jackpot if you get the vaccine…

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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!

 

Keep An Eye On Your “Other” Health – Now Is The Time!

June 4th, 2021

By Dr. Scot Goldberg, MD

Okay that’s a strange title for a blog post on a doctor’s website….right?  What the heck is “other” health?  Well most of what we’ve heard and what we were focused on for over a year was Covid-19.  It was pervasive in the news, in our lives and in our collective consciousness, and as a result many OTHER health issues took a backseat in a number of ways.

Other Health

Covid has had an effect on our health collectively – mentally because of the anxiety, isolation, fear, loss – you name it.  Physically because many people stayed away from any “unnecessary” trips to the doctor and worse yet even some potentially necessary trips to the hospital.  While the good news is the medical community forged ahead and didn’t stop working on advances in medical and surgical technologies, the bad news is that as people start to go back to the doctor many are finding that they avoided it for too long and certain illnesses went untreated for too long.

If you hadn’t noticed we have the pandemic under control now in the United States.  If you’ve been vaccinated, great.  If you haven’t yet, please do.  If you’ve been focused on being a part of the solution to the pandemic and done a great job with staying safe from Covid-19, fantastic.  But if you’ve neglected the “other” health, (and you’ve probably figured out by now that the “other” isn’t actually “other” at all) NOW is the time to get on top of it.  If you’ve been putting off getting to the doctor to have something checked out you could be making it worse by neglecting it further.  If this sounds self-serving to get you in to see us then so be it – we can live with that.  Just don’t wait.  Please.

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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!

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!