The world is a mess, but the sun is still out, and as we roll into the season of Thanksgiving, I continue to feel blessed by all that The Village Doctor offers me, much less my team and our wonderful patients. It has been a delight to continue with the onboarding of Dr. Maia Mossé and to celebrate that it has already been more than a year since Dr. Milt McColl joined us. The Village Doctor also continues to be honored by the service from our longtime physicians, Dr. Prerana Sangani, Dr. Sky Pittson, Dr. Jennier Abrams and Dr. Jackie Phillips. Not to mention the stellar Dana Sanderson and the rest of our #TeamTVD. “Wow”, as I used to say to excess. I do indeed feel grateful.
In other news, a quick COVID vaccine update: The Village Doctor has recently received the new, updated, COVID vaccine. Note this vaccine is not considered a “booster”. A booster shot gives a “boost” to the recipient’s existing immunity from a previous vaccination. Updated vaccines are different in that they are expected to provide protection against currently circulating variants, helping the body build a new response to those variants. Note the CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19 illness this fall and winter. Note also that while TVD has the updated vaccine in stock, it will be less expensive for almost all of you to get the vaccine at your local pharmacy. This is because pharmacies are able to participate in multiple insurance networks, as well as negotiate better than small private practices. Lastly, although the new vaccine is recommended by the CDC for almost everyone, young and otherwise healthy patients may wish to discuss this vaccine with their doctor. We are always here to help you make the best and individualized, decision regarding your health and wellness.
And lastly, it is MOVEMBER! Please recall that Movember is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men’s suicide.
And, again this year, your fearless leader is Growing his Mo’ in the interest of Men’s Health – Please consider making a DONATION on my 👨🏻personal Movember page. 👨🏻 (Or scan QR Code here):
With gratitude,
Eric
Eric Weiss, MD, November 13, 2023
STRATEGIES TO DEVELOP TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS FOR CHILD & TEENS
Lately, as teens come through the office for their check-ups, I have heard many tales of very busy kids navigating sports, hard classes, after-school programs and of course college applications are in the mix at the moment as well. With so much on their plates, I often ask them how they do with time management. Many just laugh as they feel that they are in survival mode and thus trying to map things out and schedule would just be another stressor, but hopefully through our discussion, they realize some strategies could benefit them. For parents, the earlier you can start helping your child with time management, the better they will be at adapting their skills and creating good routines. Read more to learn about some strategies to assist your teenager with time management.
TMS FOR COGNITIVE, MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH
What do tinnitus, depression, migraines, fibromyalgia, dementia, and movement disorders have in common? One of the biggest challenges in treating these conditions is finding effective and safe treatment options. Traditional medication and therapy can be helpful, but they may not be enough for some patients. This is where transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) comes in as a promising treatment option.
THE “WHAT, WHY AND WHICH ONE” ON CONTINUOUS GLUCOSE MONITORS (CGM’s)
It’s Diabetes Month, which feels like a good time to revisit the deets on continuous glucose monitors – what are they, are they helpful for those without diabetes, and which one do we recommend?
You know time is flying (which is a more palatable way of saying “you know you’re getting old”) when your friends are starting to retire around you. I want to take a moment here to give a big shout out, and “thank you” for many years of collaborative work, to my Emergency Medicine friend and colleague, Dr. Rebecca Smith-Coggins. Rebecca and I met when I joined the Stanford Emergency Medicine faculty way back in 1991. She and I, and our then small team of academic faculty, had the pleasure of welcoming the new Emergency Medicine residents to our fledgling program during the summer of 1991. My, how the program has grown, from our first 6 residents to today, where there are 60 Emergency Medicine (EM) residents, 16 fellows, and 95 attendings publishing nearly 150 peer-reviewed papers per year in fields as diverse as Critical Care, EMS, Global EM, Pediatric EM, Ultrasound, Social EM & Population Health, Biosecurity, and Wilderness Medicine. Kudos to Dr. Smith-Coggins, on her retirement after 36 years in the department! Her MANY accomplishments include:
- Founding Director, Stanford Emergency Medicine Residency Program
- Founder and Co-Director, Fellowship in Physician Wellness
- Co-Director of Faculty Affairs
- Chief, Division of Emergency Medicine Simulation
- Associate Dean for Medical Student Life Advising
Congratulations, Rebecca, it has been a delight and an honor working with you all these many years. Here’s to much health and happiness for whatever your next chapter brings you. ELW
Again, TVD Newsletter is a labor of love. If you enjoy reading this, please share widely! Was this forwarded to you by a friend? Please subscribe here.
*****
Yours, in health and resilience,
Eric and the TVD MD team…
