Heal Blog

After more than two years and over 23,000 visits, we’re thrilled to announce that Heal is now available in our nation’s capital, serving patients throughout Northwest Washington, DC and Northern Virginia. Patients in the DC area can now enjoy the convenience of high quality healthcare delivered in the comfort of their homes for just $99 per visit (soon to be in-network with select PPO insurance plans).

This expansion comes at a time in our history when healthcare is one of the most deeply complex and contentious issues. Yet in the midst of all of the politics and partisanship, Heal is working to be a part of the solution, starting with re-humanizing the doctor-patient relationship. Heal allows doctors to go back to the basics and do what they were trained to do: treat patients. With house calls, physicians have the time to develop a rapport with their patients and treat them in the full context of their home environment, resulting in better health outcomes and reduced costs. The proof is easy to see: since launching in early 2015, Heal has driven over $6.3 million in healthcare cost savings. What’s more, the doctors available on Heal have diagnosed over 1,100 previously unknown issues and reduced unnecessary trips to the ER by 62% for Heal patients, while also reducing unnecessary prescriptions, tests, and referrals.

Today marks an important step in making affordable care accessible beyond our home state of California. This expansion brings the benefits of doctor house calls to millions of additional families throughout the Washington, DC area. At Heal, we’re working to transform healthcare, one house call at a time.

Want to see Heal come to your neighborhood? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter.

“How can you satisfy a patient if you are only spending a few minutes with them in a clinic exam room?” - Dr. Robert Kakehashi, an Internist serving Heal patients in San Diego.

This question is one that we, as a company and as patients, must continue to pose as we break with the traditional ways of operating in the healthcare industry.

Dr. Kakehashi is one of many Heal doctors who knows that in order to provide valuable, life-changing care, doctors require time with their patients. Dr. Kakehashi spoke to us about his commitment to providing comprehensive, compassionate care, and his previous experience as a physician.

What is your favorite part about working with Heal?

My favorite part of working for Heal is the time I get to spend with patients. Since completing my residency, my work in clinics, emergency rooms and urgent care centers has always been rushed, with a major emphasis on productivity, but at the same time, striving for patient satisfaction. These two goals are mutually exclusive. How can you satisfy a patient if you are only spending a few minutes with them in a clinic exam room? With Heal, I can spend as much time as necessary to take a complete history and thoroughly examine my patients in the comfort of their home. I enjoy talking about the things that are important to them…their hobbies, work, pets, children or grandchildren. As their primary care provider, I’m able to get a complete picture of their medical concerns, as well as the external circumstances that may affect their illness and well-being. With this knowledge, I’m able to make appropriate and more personalized care decisions.

What did you do before joining the Heal team, and what prompted you to make the switch to Heal?

I’ve worn several hats in my medical career. For more than 30 years, I have been a staff physician and former Division Head of the Department of Urgent Care/Emergency Medicine of Scripps Clinic. I enjoy the excitement and unpredictability of the types of illnesses and patients I would encounter. With Heal, I still have this “unpredictability” with new patients assigned to me during my shifts; I may see everything from a simple cut or sprained ankle to a patient concerned with a tropical illness from recent foreign travel.  

I was also one of the team physicians for the San Diego Padres for 17 seasons. I have always been a baseball fan, and it was interesting to see baseball from the inside. I am no longer involved with the Padres but I remain an avid fan of the team and of the game.

Prior to that for 16 years, I was involved with drug development, working directly with small biotech’s and large pharmaceutical companies, but found that this was not personally satisfying. I missed direct patient interaction, so I left this industry and joined Heal.

Where did you complete your studies?

Undergraduate: UCLA

Medical School:  UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine

Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine: UCLA – Olive View Medical Program

What is your most memorable Heal moment or patient?

Twice I was asked to see patients at their place of work. Both turned out to be San Diego radio personalities from two different radio stations. I did the examination in the studio between songs and during the commercial breaks and was able to witness some of the internal workings of broadcast radio!

Is there anything else you’d like us to know?

I feel that community involvement is important for everyone, even if it’s simply volunteering at your children’s school to help in the classroom or assisting with fundraising. My children are all grown, but I have dedicated more than 20 years of service to our elementary, middle and high schools. I have also been involved in community health fairs where I volunteered to do pre-participation sports physicals at the local schools. For several years, I was also a board member and medical consultant for a non-profit cancer foundation, the Moonlight Cancer Foundation.

Is there anything else you’d like us to know?

When not ‘Healing,’ I collect guitars and I play, when I can, to unwind and relax. My pride and joy is a ’65 pre-CBS Fender Stratocaster which I play through a ’57 Fender Tweed Princeton. In my younger days, I played in several Garage Bands that were trying to make it big in the L.A. music scene during the 70’s. We never made it through…but it was fun. At one point, I even got to meet Jimi Hendrix on a street corner on the Sunset Strip. Oh, and one more random fact…I once played a Doctor on TV, but that’s another story.

This week is National Women’s Health Week (NWHW) which kicked off on Mother’s Day. As many capable women balance the demands of their hectic lives, the synchronicity of these two events is a great reminder to prioritize self-care. This includes learning more about the most pressing health issues facing women today.

Heart Disease

Heart disease is ranked as the number one cause of death for women in the U.S. We now know there are preventative measures you can take to limit your risk for developing heart disease. These include watching your intake of LDL cholesterol (eating a plant based diet) and finding ways to manage stress (including exercise and meditation). Heal physicians are equipped to offer nutrition modification counseling and perform tests that can indicate the state of your heart health, all in the comfort of your own home.

Breast Cancer

Due to the massive efforts to inform women and men about the risks of breast cancer, most women are very aware of the disease and about how to perform at-home breast exams. As female breast cancer represents 15% of all new cancer cases in the U.S., regular breast exams are key for early detection, even if you have no family history of the disease. If something doesn’t feel right while doing your at-home exam, don’t hesitate to make an appointment with a Heal physician. Better yet, schedule a Heal visit to have your doctor perform a breast exam for you and ensure you’re doing it correctly.

Reproductive Health

When it comes to birth control and STI prevention, the management options can seem overwhelming. Whether you’re looking to expand your family, not ready to start one, or anywhere in between, an honest and expansive conversation about where you are in life and what you need is an absolute must. Finding a doctor that you can trust and open up to is essential when discussing something as personal as your reproductive health. Heal physicians are trained to treat people, and actively listen in order to ensure the best health outcomes for their patients. Schedule a visit to learn the best options for family planning and safe sex practices.

Mental Health

Mental health issues often go unaddressed in the busy, hustle-bustle of life, but a huge part of self-care is staying in touch with yourself and your mental and emotional needs. Although society continues to stigmatize frank discussions about mental health, scientists and clinicians have discovered numerous links between the health of the mind and body. Engaging in an honest dialogue with your PCP about any changes to your mood or other aspects of your mental health is key to diagnosing and treating mental illness before it escalates. Heal physicians are trained in the diagnosis and management of depression and anxiety and can be a shoulder to lean on, so you don’t have to weather your pain alone. Consider the value of feeling emotionally safe enough to talk through your concerns with your doctor, in the privacy of your own home.

A truly empowered patient is knowledgeable about his or her own health and actively seeks and implements preventative measures to ensure the best quality of life possible. Taking the time to share comprehensive information about your health with your physician leads to better health outcomes. Speak up and be an advocate for your own health. Heal’s compassionate physicians will take the time to improve your life, in your home, on your schedule.

Women’s Health Services Offered by Heal:

• Breast exams
• Nutrition modification advice
• Birth control
• STI testing
• Women’s wellness visits/physicals
• Pregnancy tests
• Heart disease screenings and counseling/advice on prevention
• UTI tests and treatment

It’s Spring again and as we bask in the beauty of nature’s bountiful flowering plants, we may also find ourselves needing to pack some extra tissues. Airborne allergies affect many of us in a variety of ways. Some have no problem with the harmless pollen and other particles in the air, but many of us have immune systems which overreact to these particles, producing symptoms which can range from an itchy nose to a chronic cough and occasionally, a flare-up of existing Asthma.

Thankfully, there are many more options now available at the pharmacy that can help. Twenty four-hour, nonsedating antihistamines like Loratadine (Claritin and others) or Cetirizine (Zyrtec and others) may provide much needed relief. For chronic nasal symptoms, Fluticasone (Flonase) nasal spray used as directed works quite well, and if eye symptoms are particularly bothersome, Ketotifen (Zaditor and others) is quite helpful.

Prevention is always better than treatment, and although we can’t eliminate nature, we can minimize the presence of allergens in our homes. The following is the official stance by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology:

“Portable room air cleaners with HEPA filters, especially those that filter the breathing zone during sleep, appear to be beneficial. For the millions of households with forced air HVAC systems, regular maintenance schedules and the use of high-efficiency disposable filters appear to be the best choices. However, further studies and research in this area are desirable to make more definitive recommendations in the role of air filtration on improving disease outcomes.”

-American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Indoor Allergen Committee

Often-times there can be overlap between infectious respiratory problems and allergies. If you suspect that is the case or if you have other concerns, request a visit with a Heal doctor, and start breathing easier.

-Dr. Michael Warmoth, Heal Physician

Welcome to Doctor Spotlight! In this recurring feature, we tell you a little bit more about our amazing Heal doctors and what makes them the best primary care providers in California. Every Heal doctor is chosen not only because of their impressive medical backgrounds but because of their compassionate and caring personalities - and their drive to forge a new future for healthcare.

Read on to hear first-hand from Dr. Julienne Tropel, Heal’s excellent family practitioner serving our patients in San Diego, about why house calls are more “human,” why she joined our team and what she’s doing when she’s not Heal-ing.

1) What is your favorite part about working with Heal?
I love being able to interact with patients in their homes; doing something new that puts patients first. When someone is home they are more relaxed and I feel like I can really start to build a trusting relationship where we can create a plan to be more healthy together.

2) What did you do before joining the Heal team, and what prompted you to make the switch to Heal?
Before joining Heal, I was honored and humbled to work at a really wonderful family medicine outpatient office in Northern California. I loved working with my patients and coworkers, but I felt like there was still something missing. I’m not one to shy away from a challenge and sometimes big risks lead to big benefits; I was ready to try something new. In doing house visits, we meet each other when we’re at our most honest and most human state. A lot of the things that cloud our view and perception are shifted so that we can really figure out barriers to our well being and begin to work on root causes.

3) Where did you complete your studies?
After completing high school at Vista High in Vista, Northern San Diego County, CA, I went to the University of California, San Diego for undergraduate studies and did a major in molecular biology and minor in teacher education. I went to Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific for medical school. And I completed my family medicine residency at St John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, New York.

What is your most memorable Heal moment or patient?
I have had so many memorable moments with Heal it’s hard to just highlight one. But I usually smile when I go to bed at night after thinking about seeing a sick child in their home that is hesitant about us coming, but by the time we leave they are showing us all their toys and thriving. I love checking their heart while they listen to mine with their stethoscope. I also like seeing the relief on patients faces after being seen by a Heal provider in their home for the first time and they say that they were avoiding going to the doctor for years, but a service like Heal now means that they will get care.

You do a great service to your community working with Heal, but how do you get involved in the community outside of work?
I really like getting involved with my community, as well as my large extended family. I attend church weekly, participate in regular library storytimes, and parent groups. In the past I have also participated in food kitchens and volunteering projects.

What is a random fun fact about you that not many people know?
I’ve been fortunate to live a really wonderful life, and there’s not much that I don’t like to share about. Some people may not know that I know how to surf, like learning about being in nature/sustainability/ off the grid living/ gardening, and love to travel. I love sharing stories of incredible experiences I’ve had living in Alaska, volunteering in Peru, and traveling through Europe with a band.

Is there anything else you’d like us to know?
I’d like to people to know that I’m a committed doctor that wants to partner with patients, create a team towards true and complete well being. I want people to know that I want to listen, I want to hear your story, and I want to be your great doctor.

We’re excited to feature Dr. Sam Kim in our first ever Doctor Spotlight! In this recurring feature, you’ll learn more about what makes Heal doctors the best primary care providers in California (and soon, across the US!). Every Heal doctor is chosen not only because of their incredible medical backgrounds, but because of their caring, comforting, and compassionate personalities.

Read on to hear directly from Dr. Sam Kim, a pediatrician serving Heal patients primarily in Los Angeles and our Medical Director of Pediatrics, about his most memorable Heal experiences (so far!), his favorite way to spend time with his son, and why he chose to join the Heal family.

1) What is your favorite part about working with Heal?

Having the freedom to focus solely on the patient and provide the highest quality care possible.

2) What did you do before joining the Heal team, and what prompted you to make the switch to Heal?

I had been working in a thriving Pediatric practice for several years, but I felt frustrated and burned out by the enormous pressures that were placed upon me by the current healthcare environment. I wanted to be a great doctor, but I was stifled by the exorbitant patient volume and time constraints. I joined Heal because I wanted to change the discussion by helping bring healthcare back to the basics–the doctor and the patient.

3) Where did you complete your studies?

UC San Diego: B.S. Biology, Minor Economics

USC Keck School of Medicine: M.D.

USC Marshall School of Business: M.B.A.

4) What is your most memorable Heal moment or patient?

Is it corny to say that all my patients are memorable Heal moments?  Yes, then call me corny.

I remember seeing one of my patients recently, and when I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, she replied, “I want to be Dr. Kim.”

I also had an interaction with a tween girl where I asked if there were any weapons at home and she replied, "My dad has a pink mace spray in the house”.

5) You do a great service to your community working with Heal, but how do you get involved in the community outside of work?

My wife and I are actively involved in our community church and the kid’s schools. My son and I also enjoy practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with other families at the awesome Gracie Barra La Canada.

6) What is a random fun fact about you that not many people know?

I played collegiate rugby at UC San Diego.

7) Is there anything else you’d like us to know?

I’d just like to share a joke that my 6-year-old son, Max, told me recently to show you that the corny apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.  

Max: Do you want to hear my pizza joke?

Me: Sure

Max: Never mind, it’s too cheesy.

Me: ROFL

The flu season usually only lasts from October to March, so probably not. But before you breathe a sigh of relief, consider this: flu season may be extended in regions such as Southern California due to the temperate climate. 

What is the flu? The flu is a highly contagious viral illness transmitted via respiratory droplets that are spread about when someone coughs, sneezes, or talks. Person to person contact as well as contact with inoculated surfaces propagate the spread of the disease. Transmission from an infected person can begin 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after symptom onset. The illness is characterized by fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle/body aches, headaches, fatigue, and potentially vomiting/diarrhea (more common in kids). The flu season usually only lasts from October to March. However, it is always recommended that one gets vaccinated, especially young children and the elderly.  Since October 1, 2016, a total of 15,137 flu-related hospitalizations have been reported in the United States.

Now let’s talk about some steps that can help you avoid the flu for the remainder of this season and going into the 2017-2018 season.

1) Vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate! Flu vaccines may not be 100% efficacious, but they will definitely diminish the risk of infection along with decreasing the severity and clinical course of illness in most cases.

2) Get treated early. There is only a 48hr window period where antiviral medications can help improve the clinical course of illness.

3) Practice good hygiene and wash your hands frequently.

4) Avoid infecting others by staying home when actively ill.

Even if you have the misfortune of catching the flu, don’t worry, your Heal Doctor is just around the corner!

-Samuel Kim, MD-MBA, Medical Director of Pediatrics at Heal

An almost magical ability to make any child halt their tears and find moments of peace. A reassuring smile and a warmth that makes everything better. Intuition that makes you feel like they’re reading your mind. It’s difficult to pinpoint what makes certain doctors stand out, but a collection of impressions is what makes most us feel great when we’ve found the “best doctor” out there for our needs.

Today, on National Doctors Day, we want to take some time to pay tribute to our Heal Doctors of The Year, chosen by thousands of Heal patients throughout California. While all of our Heal doctors are highly qualified to offer the best quality care, there are three doctors that have firmly made their mark with our patients. Congrats to Dr. Andrew Oliver, Internal Medicine Doctor of the Year; Dr. Shauntelle Bonman, Family Medicine Doctor of the Year; and Dr. Ryou, Heal Pediatrician of the Year (and keep scrolling for our video shoutout to our honorees and all of our Heal doctors!).

Dr. Oliver: Heal’s Internal Medicine Doctor of the Year (San Francisco, CA)

Originally from outside of Denver, Colorado, Dr. Oliver earned his undergraduate degree in integrative physiology from the University of Colorado, Boulder with the intention to pursue genetics research. However, Dr. Oliver soon became interested in working with entire humans (not just their genes!), and their illnesses, which led him to become a physician.

After learning more about Heal, Dr. Oliver began to work for us on a part-time basis, but quickly became invigorated by the amount of time he was allowed to spend with patients.

“The freedom and flexibility to spend time with our patients is what I like most about working for Heal. In primary care medicine time with the patient is the most crucial, and humbling, aspect of the visit, and can be frustratingly limited in other practice settings. Receiving this recognition is difficult for me to wrap my head around, because any of our physicians could have won this award with no surprise. I have never worked with a team of such compassionate, competent, and likeable people. Thank you to everyone at Heal for their tireless work to make what we do possible. Most of all, thank you to the patients who invite us into their homes, and who are willing to try a new approach to healthcare!”

Dr. Bonman:  Heal Family Medicine Doctor of the Year (Los Angeles, CA)

Dr. Bonman is a board certified in Family Medicine physician and a native Los Angeleno. She completed her residency with USC’s Family Medicine Residency at California Hospital and is passionate about rendering comprehensive and high-quality healthcare to all patients from newborns to the elderly.

“Working with Heal has enabled me to reconnect with the art of medicine. I’m grateful beyond words to be honored by the wonderful Heal team and superb collection of patients. It’s a pleasure to serve and each of our patients make the job rewarding!”

Dr. Ryou: Heal Pediatrician of the Year (Los Angeles, CA)

Dr. Ryou is a licensed pediatrician providing exceptional care to Heal families throughout Southern California. His impressive list of accomplishments, including graduating Summa cum Laude with a BA in Biology from Harvard University, attending medical school at Stanford, and completing an internship at Columbia University and his residency in pediatrics at UCLA (the #3 program in the nation), makes us lucky to have him on the Heal team. When not in his white coat, Dr. Ryou enjoys keeping up with the NFL and NBA.

“The best aspect about working for Heal is that there is truly no time limit to our patient encounters.  This lack of time constraint allows me the opportunity to address all of my patient’s medical needs and answer all of the parents’ questions in a thorough yet relaxed manner.  There is no rush to complete a patient visit in ten minutes like there is in a traditional clinic setting. I am truly honored to have been chosen as Heal Pediatrician of the Year as this award is a reflection of the patient/family satisfaction with the medical services provided through Heal. We at Heal hope to provide excellent medical care for years to come.”

Agreed, Dr. Ryou! Without the dedication from our highly qualified and trusted physicians, Heal wouldn’t exist. On National Doctors Day, we’re so grateful to all of our Heal doctors and their families.

On June 30, 2015, California’s Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill 277 (SB277), which tightened requirements so that parents could no longer opt out of vaccinating their children if they were attending state licensed schools, daycares, and nurseries.

Dr. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), a pediatrician, sponsored the legislation, which quickly became a nationwide litmus test on the debate over personal liberty versus public health in the aftermath of the large, 2014 multi-state measles outbreak linked to Disneyland. The SB277 immunization requirements apply to students first admitted to school, child care, or entering seventh grade and took effect on July 1, 2016. West Virginia and Mississippi are the only other states that do not allow non-medical exemptions.

Looking at the data so far, the number of vaccine holdouts is declining. The California Department of Public Health reported that 92.9 percent of all kindergarten children had received all required immunizations in the 2015–2016 school year, an increase from the previous year of 2.5 percentage points. This significant improvement in one year may be due to an earlier change in the law that required those desiring a personal belief exemption (which SB277 now prohibits) to visit with a doctor prior to obtaining the exemption to discuss the benefits and risks of immunizations and the risks of vaccine-preventable diseases.

The Mandate in Effect

One can infer that maybe some of the anti-vax parents were not so entrenched in their beliefs when it took additional effort to remain unvaccinated. 

Physicians, scientists, and public health experts see this increase in vaccine adoption as a win for herd immunity and disease outbreak prevention. 

The mandate is likely to increase the uptake of vaccines even further and will decrease California’s chances of having the next big outbreak.

While the American Academy of Pediatrics and nearly all of the 66,000+ pediatricians it represents have lauded the efforts by Dr. Pan and others (including Democratic co-sponsor Sen. Ben Allen, the son of a polio survivor), opponents feel the California law has overstepped a parent’s right to health and education choice. Several candlelight vigils, marches to the capitol in Sacramento, and even a referendum attempt to overturn the law, as well as a recall election for Dr. Pan’s senate seat (both of which ultimately failed) have occurred. Because parents can no longer claim religion or personal beliefs as a reason not to vaccinate their children in California, some have decided to homeschool while others have decided to move out of the state altogether. Several lawsuits challenging the validity of SB277 have been filed in court. Some pro-vaccine-choice physicians in California have even been selling medical exemptions to try to circumnavigate the law for anti-vax families. Yikes!

Parental Rights vs. Public Health

When parents withhold vaccines from their children, they are directly or indirectly putting their children and everyone else (especially the very young or elderly and those who cannot be vaccinated due to a medical condition) at risk. It is not merely a parental freedom. The California legislature seemed to view this matter as a regulation of safe behavior, not necessarily of parental rights. Withholding vaccines is a decision that can affect everyone — at a minimum, it is inconsequential, but at a maximum, it may cause someone to contract a life-threatening and preventable disease. Besides, in no way is purposely not vaccinating actually protecting the child. The state is actually enacting these laws to protect all children, not just a few.

No, California’s vaccine mandate is not a perfect resolution to the debate, but it’s a good start. I would expect other states to consider adopting similar laws, especially if California’s model continues to improve vaccination rates and there is a significant reduction in preventable disease outbreaks.

—Justin Morgan, MD.

Justin Morgan, MD, FAAP, is a board-certified pediatrician who practices general pediatrics in Louisville, Kentucky. Dr. Morgan writes for the parenting site Bundoo, and is a Clinical Instructor in Pediatrics at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

Article from Bundoo. Republished with permission.

Follow Heal on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

Every year in the United States, more than 480,000 people die from tobacco use or exposure to secondhand smoke.

SMOKING CAUSES 1 IN EVERY 5 DEATHS IN THE UNITED STATES

Most people know they should quit smoking to improve their health, so actually deciding to quit is the first big step. It’s probably the single best thing you can do for your health and longevity. We’ve compiled four of the best tips to help you make a concrete plan for quitting.

How to Quit Smoking: A Guide to Quitting for Good

1. Prepare the night before quitting

Wash your bedding and clothes to get rid of cigarette smells. You should also get rid of any ashtrays, cigarettes, and lighters from your house. Make sure to get plenty of sleep, since this will help lower your stress.

2. Ask for support

Your family and friends can be extra support in your cessation journey. Let them know your goal and ask them to help you by not smoking around you or offering you a cigarette. You can also ask for their encouragement and to remind you of your specific goals when temptation is difficult.

3. Know your triggers

Many people find that certain situations trigger the desire to smoke. You might want a cigarette with your cup of coffee, for instance, or you might want to smoke when you’re trying to solve a problem at work. Identify places where it may be difficult not to smoke and have a plan for what you’ll do in those places.

4. Be committed to not smoking

Continue your plan even if you hit bumps in the road. If you have a relapse and smoke for an entire day, be gentle and forgiving with yourself. Accept that the day was tough, and remind yourself that quitting is a long, hard journey. Get back on your plan the next day.

Also, talk to your doctor for help. He or she can talk to you about nicotine replacement or medication options if that’s a route you’re interested in, and can also give you tips and advice.

7 Shocking Facts to Help You Quit  Smoking 

1. Smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease by 2 to 4 times.

2. Smoking increases the risk of stroke by 2 to 4 times.

3. Smoking increases the risk of developing lung cancer by over 25 times.

4. Smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body.

5. Smoking harms almost every organ and has a negative effect on overall health.

6. If no one smoked, one out of three cancer deaths in the U.S. probably would not happen.

7. Smoking causes more deaths each year than illegal drug use, alcohol use, HIV, motor vehicle injuries, and gun-related incidents combined.

Source: Centers for Disease Control

Other important facts about smoking:

• Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in America.
  
• Secondhand smoke is also a serious hazard, causing more than 40,000 deaths per year.
  
• Smokeless tobacco products are linked to cancer, and are not a safe alternative to cigarettes.
• Cigars have the same health risks as cigarettes.
• Electronic cigarettes are a new tobacco product, and the potential health consequences and safety of these products are unknown.

Source: American Lung Association

Colic is not fun.

You’ve got your little wee baby home, and you’re exhausted. Just when you need some rest the most, Junior cries. And cries, and cries. And nothing seems to help for more than a few moments.

Colic has a medical definition, sometimes called “Wessel’s criteria”: inconsolable crying in an infant less than three months of age, for at least three hours a day, for at least three days a week, for three weeks or more. I doubt many practicing pediatricians or parents rely on all of those “threes.” We use a simpler definition: lots of crying in a baby who we’d hope would cry less.

Babies cry. And that’s the catch, here. They all cry. They don’t have much else they can say. And they’re overwhelmed by all of the changes they’re experiencing, and they haven’t yet learned how to transition from wakefulness to sleep. And some of them don’t like the feeling of rumbly gas in their tummies. And some are scared of their little baby farts. And some of them have parents who are exhausted and strung out and depressed. Honestly, I’m surprised more of them don’t cry all of the time. But the crying, it can really wear parents down. So all sorts of things have been tried to help soothe crying babies. 

Probiotic Supplements?

The latest hip idea (for colic, and almost everything else) is probiotic supplements. These are oral powders that are made of billions of healthy bacteria meant to populate a baby’s gut to help digestion. There’s a lot of research into the “gut biome” and the effect of gut bacteria on the health, specifically relating to digestion and abdominal pain and allergy. Why not toss these at colicky babies, see what helps?

Some studies have shown good promise. Just last month, a study of 589 infants in Italy compared babies given probiotics versus placebo, and found that the babies on a probiotic L reuteri supplement cried for fewer minutes each day (38 versus 71 minutes, on average.) This study looked essentially at the prevention of colic, by giving probiotic supplements to babies whether they had excessive crying or not.

However, the most recent study, a controlled trial of the same probiotic supplement given to colicky babies, showed no effect on any important outcome. The babies, whether given probiotics or not, cried about the same.

Still, there is some good news in common between the studies. The babies, when followed over time, all experienced decreased crying. In other words, colic improved in all groups, whether or not probiotics were given. Also, there we no side effects observed in the probiotic groups. They’re safe, even if they don’t work.

So what does and doesn’t work to help decrease infant crying?

Medicines, universally, don’t seem to work. This includes simethicone (widely available as “Mylicon”, an OTC “gas reliever.”) Studies of medications that reduce acid have also failed to show any effectiveness in improving infant fussiness or crying.

For nursing moms, dietary changes seem to help sometimes—specifically, eliminating dairy consumption. However, this is effective <50% of the time, and you have to weigh a trial of no-dairy-intake versus the effect this has on mom. She needs to be able to eat. Eliminating dairy is difficult (but not impossible)—but eliminating all of the foods possibly implicated in infant crying would be ridiculous. What’s mom supposed to eat, rocks and water? Besides, I don’t like pinning the blame for an upset baby on Mom.

For bottle-feeding families, using a hydrolyzed (hypoallergenic) infant formula has some mixed support from studies. It may be worth a try. What’s unlikely to really help, though, is the endless parade of changing formulas based on manufacturer claims that some are “soothing” or some help in other vague ways.

An insider pro tip I’m not supposed to tell you: As a pediatrician, I can suggest countless alternative formulas for you to try. There are enough alternatives that I can keep changing formulas once a week for at least a few months. By then, baby colic improves. So you’ll think I was smart to finally find the right formula, when in reality I was just changing formula once a week until your baby was going to get better anyway!

So what works best? 

First, colicky babies need a good, thorough evaluation to make sure that there isn’t a medical problem going on that needs to be addressed. Sometimes that takes more than one visit, and sometimes, if things aren’t going as expected, we have to revisit and re-assess.

But as long as there isn’t a medical issue contributing to the crying, the most important interventions are reassurance, education, and social support. Reassurance that colic does get better, education about safe soothing techniques and signs to look out for, and social support so exhausted parents can get a break once in a while. If parents want to try some safe interventions, that’s fine. But colic isn’t necessarily a medical problem that needs probiotics, diet changes, or medicine. Sometimes, babies just need to cry.

—Roy Benaroch, MD. 

Dr. Roy Benaroch is a general pediatrician in practice near Atlanta, Georgia and an Assistant Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University. He’s also a father of three, the founder of the popular Pediatric Insider blog, and a published author.

Article from The Pediatric Insider. Republished with permission. 

Follow Heal on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

March is National Kidney Month and March 9th is National Kidney Day, but it’s important to take care of your kidneys every day of the year. Despite these awareness holidays, most people have no idea what our kidneys do and why we need to take care of them.

For help, we turned to our chief medical officer and renowned nephrologist (kidney specialist), Dr. Renee Dua. She explains why our kidneys are important:

“The kidneys clean our blood and keep our body working efficiently.”

Our kidneys are about the size of a fist or a smartphone, and they filter our entire body’s blood supply hundreds of times a day. They filter out the waste in our bodies, and what they do impacts every other organ in your body. 

Dr. Dua outlines the most important things you can focus on immediately to take care of your kidneys:

1. Drink water

2. Eat lots of vegetables

3. Don’t smoke

This video from the World Kidney Day global awareness campaign explains how important kidneys are to good health. We’ve provided a summary below.

How to look after your kidneys:

1. Maintain a healthy fluid intake

Dr. Dua stresses that you should focus on water, as staying hydrated helps the kidneys clear sodium, urea, and toxins from the body. 

2. Eat a healthy diet

Focus on fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and cut down on processed and high sodium foods. (Usually highly processed foods are also high in sodium.) Dr. Dua also recommends adding vegetables to every meal as an easy way to make your meals healthier. 

3. Maintain a healthy weight

Monitor your weight to stay in a healthy range. Limiting the amount of processed and restaurant food you eat will help you maintain or return to a healthy weight. 

4. Stay fit and active

Keeping fit helps you to maintain a healthy weight and to keep your blood pressure in check. Walk, bike, cycle, and move throughout the day!

5. Keep your blood pressure and blood sugar levels in check

A healthy diet can help with these things, but it’s important to monitor blood pressure and blood sugar since they are risk factors for kidney damage.

6. Don’t smoke

Smoking affects the blood flow to the kidneys, which keeps them from functioning properly. It also increases the risk of kidney cancer. 

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

The first time Chad used Heal, it was 6pm on a Friday night. His babysitter had just called to tell him that his 6-year old had an earache. As these things often go, their pediatrician’s office was about to close. Chad scheduled a doctor’s visit on the Heal app while still at work, and headed home to meet the pediatrician at his front door. He continued to use Heal for himself and his family. Watch his story below. 

Chad Billmyer is the CEO of Panjo.

We love to hear Heal patient stories, whether they are from moms juggling sick kids, busy execs who can’t find time away from the office, or people with chronic conditions and limited mobility. 

If you have a great Heal story, get in touch with us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

Today, we announced publicly that we are continuing to move the needle towards changing the broken healthcare system through the transformative power of on-demand doctor house calls. 

In two years, we’ve driven more than $5.9 million in healthcare savings costs, reduced unnecessary prescription antibiotic usage by more than 50 percent, raised $52 million in funding, and reduced non-emergency trips to the ER/Urgent care by 62 percent for its patients and partners. 

Additionally, Heal has delivered 16,000 patient house call visits, and plans to grow that number exponentially through its availability in select cities within Florida, Texas, New York, and Pennsylvania, by the end of 2017.

“In February 2015, we saw our first Heal patient – ever,” said Nick Desai, CEO and co-founder at Heal. 

“With visionary investors and a world-class team, we are excited to more fully realize our mission of striving to make healthcare more effective, intuitive, and affordable for all.”

Recently, Heal hired Former General Manager of Mobile Apps at Amazon, Rish Tandon, to serve as the Company’s CTO; and Bhavini Soneji, the former Director of Engineering at Snap Inc., to serve as Heal’s SVP of Engineering.

“I joined Heal to create purposeful innovation that will make the Heal experience even more proactive, precise and powerful,” said Sonjei, the new SVP of engineering at Heal. “Together with Rish, we are eager to re-invent the system of healthcare as we know it.”

“With this recent addition of Rish and Bhavini, we’re creating a formidable technology team which indicates Heal being a place to be if you truly want to change the world,” continued Desai.  

Founded by Nick Desai and Dr. Renee Dua, Heal is more than just convenient house calls—our larger mission is to transform the broken healthcare system. By freeing doctors from the burden of seeing 40 patients a day, as many need to, Heal gives doctors more time to take care of fewer patients. This leads to a better system for doctors, better health outcomes for patients, and lower costs for the larger healthcare system.

Heal and its investors, including Fidelity ContraFund, Thomas Tull, Jim Breyer, the Ellison Family, Lionel Richie, Dr. Paul Jacobs, and others, are eager to realize the full potential of its aim to improve healthcare in a positive way, not only for patients, but for doctors and payers alike.

HEAL’S MISSION

Heal is transforming healthcare with unhurried house calls through empowered, qualified doctors doing what they love, and purposeful innovations that enable patients to spend less time getting well and more time being well. We are making healthcare a more personal experience  by delivering true care with resolute compassion. 

Heal is in-network with all major PPO insurance companies, as well as Medicare. We hope to create a more efficient doctor’s office, in the privacy of your own home or office, because we know that happy doctors deliver the best care and a great patient/doctor relationship improves outcomes! 

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram