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South Macomb Internal Medicine

South Macomb Internal Medicine

Warren, MI

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Patient Centered Medical Home

A Word On Concussions And Taking Head Injuries Seriously

March 18th, 2022

We have been focusing lately on the brain and specifically concussions in our Facebook content.  We are not neurosurgeons, but we do indeed see many bumps, bruises as well as cognitive concerns that we frequently address with patients and we do refer people to specialists, so we want to just call attention to your head to raise awareness so you take proper care!

Concussions

 

A Word On Concussions and Taking Head Injuries Seriously

This is a topic that has been in the news lately with the tragic passing of comedian Bob Saget who died after accidentally hitting the back of his head, and you are probably aware of the impact of concussions from athletics and football in particular which was given the Hollywood treatment in a movie called Concussion starring Will Smith.  Dr. John Torres, NBC’s senior medical correspondent discussed recently warning signs to look for after hitting your head, and how to tell whether that simple bump may actually be more serious.  Please give that article a read – it’s important.

This is also being discussed on Capitol Hill  with some referring to it as a brain injury epidemic.

So please be mindful of any symptoms if you bump your head and do not hesitate to seek medical attention!

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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: News Tagged With: Ascension Health Care, Concussions, Doctor, Doctor's Office, Family Medicine, Family Practice, Head Injury, Internal Medicine, Internist, Macomb, Macomb Doctor, Medical Practice, Metro Detroit, Metro Detroit Doctor, Michigan, Patient Centered Medical Home, Warren, Warren Doctor

Enjoy Springing Into Spring But Do It Without Injuring Yourself!

March 5th, 2022

As we MARCH towards Spring the weather is starting to show some signs of getting nicer, which means getting outdoors is more appealing!  You may want to go out for a walk or a jog.  You may want to get outside for a round of golf or a game of tennis.  The most recent Covid surge is receding and life is getting back to normal again.

Springing Into Spring

Springing Into Spring….

You know what else is normal around this time of year?

Bone and Muscle Injuries.

We are not orthopedic surgeons but we do see and treat plenty of bumps, scrapes, bruises and worse among a whole range of services that comes with the territory.  While we are glad to help which is what we’re here for, we’d prefer that you also take precautions and proper care so that you can enjoy these activities with the least amount of risk to your health.

We often bounce around the Internet to supplement our topics with articles from respected medical organizations and here is a good one on avoiding joint injuries from Stanford Children’s Health – it’s not an article just for children and we hope you give it a read.  It’s not long and there are good tips here.

Stay healthy friends!

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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: News Tagged With: Doctor, Doctor's Office, Injuries, Injury, Injury Prevention, Internal Medicine, Internist, Macomb, Macomb Doctor, Medical Practice, Metro Detroit, Metro Detroit Doctor, Michigan, Patient Centered Medical Home, PCMH, Primary Care Medical Home, Springing Into Spring, Warren, Warren Doctor

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

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 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.

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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: 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

It’s Vaccine Season And We Are Here To Guide You Through The Options!

October 8th, 2021

Vaccine Season

 

Yes it’s that season again.

 

via GIPHY

Okay actually we are talking about VACCINE SEASON.  Hehe…

The Flu virus for example lives longer indoors in the winter, so we are just taking a quick break from our Improving The Patient Experience series to discuss vaccines and answer a few frequently asked questions.  Please keep in mind that this post isn’t meant to be the final word on all vaccines, and that we encourage you to call and ask us if you have additional questions!

Vaccine Season and Your Options:

Let’s address a few vaccines that you may already be considering and/or should consider.

  • Flu:  Flu shots are indeed safe and effective, are available for people over the age of 6 months and you can safely get one even if you’re egg allergic.  Folks over 65 can get the high dose vaccine which is a quadruple dose.  If you have any questions about the flu vaccine please let us know and you can make an appointment to get one with us.  Here is the CDC guidance on Flu vaccines.
  • Covid-19:  The Covid-19 vaccines are safe and effective so please get one if you still have not.  If you have any questions about them please ask, and if you are over 65 please schedule a booster – a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine if it has been 6 months since your second dose.  For now this is for those who have had the Pfizer vaccine, and you cannot mix them.  In other words if you had two doses of the Moderna vaccine you cannot get the Pfizer vaccine for your booster dose.  The Covid-19 vaccines and the Flu vaccines are safe to get at the same time, but the Covid-19 vaccine is not administered at our office.  They are available at other locations including some pharmacies.  Call us and we can help you with that, and here is the CDC guidance on Covid-19 vaccines.
  • Shingles, Pneumonia, and Tetanus are all available as well.  Here is the CDC guidance on Shingles, Pneumonia and Tetanus.

There are other diseases which are preventable with vaccines, so if you have questions about any of them please call us and we can advise you, and here is the CDC guidance on all the available vaccines as well.

Please take care of yourselves this vaccine season as the weather starts to get colder, 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!

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

 

Filed Under: COVID-19, Flu, Vaccination Tagged With: CDC, CDC Vaccine Guidelines, COVID Vaccine, COVID-19, Doctor, Doctor's Office, Dr. Scot Goldberg, flu, influenza, Internal Medicine, Internist, Macomb, Macomb Doctor, Medical Practice, Metro Detroit, Metro Detroit Doctor, Michigan, Patient Centered Medical Home, PCMH, Pneumonia, Pneumonia Vaccine, Primary Care Medical Home, Shingles, Shingles Vaccine, Tatanus Vaccine, Tetanus, vaccinations, Warren

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South Macomb Internal Medicine
28401 Hoover Rd
Warren, MI 48093

Phone: (586) 276-7530

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