Greetings, Friends of TVD!
I hope this message finds you enjoying our updated newsletter, with its new look, non-COVID content, and guest authorship. Regarding the latter, we have been reaching out to our trusted colleagues to ask them to share their thoughts with you in this space. I hope you find their contributions both interesting and valuable. Let me add that all of this content gets added weekly to our “Blog”, as well as pushed out to our social media channels. I encourage you to visit our webpage (and make use of the “search” functionality!), as well as our Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram pages. Spread the word. 😇
And in other good news, this is a special week in California. Because of our progress in managing the pandemic, on Tuesday, the state lifted most COVID-19-related community restrictions for people who are vaccinated. Stanford writes further, At Stanford Health Care, we share your relief and excitement at this giant step toward normalcy, and look forward to further reopening in months to come. However, at this time, masks, distancing, and screening for COVID-19 will continue to be required at all of our health care facilities, even for people who have been fully vaccinated. The Village Doctor will also, for now, be continuing to follow our State and County guidelines, and as such you will continue to be asked to wear a mask in our offices. I also remind you that as a “family oriented” practice, we have plenty of unimmunized children coming through our doors, so these guidelines are designed to protect them as well. Thank you for your understanding.
And speaking of family, I have two other comments to share. First, I would like to honor all the LGBTQ+ members in our healthcare community, and beyond. Every June in the United States, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community comes together for a monthlong celebration of love, diversity, acceptance and unashamed self-pride. This past year, again especially for our dedicated front line workers, this is an especially important year to recognize. You can read, and watch, more about Pride Month 2021 here.
Second, on Thursday President Biden signed into law a bill designating Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States and marks the day in 1865 that enslaved people in Texas were told they had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation – enacted two years earlier.
As we strive for greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in our profession and our world, I encourage you to take a few moments to learn about and recognize Juneteenth. As a nation, this is an opportunity for all of us to remember our history and honor the culture and contributions of Black Americans. Resources for Juneteenth are listed below:
COMMUNITY EVENTS
- Freedom Was Not Free lecture June 21, 2021 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Juneteenth in the Park Festival June 13 – June 19 San Jose (Santa Clara County)
- CA State Capitol Juneteenth, From Slavery To Freedom Celebration June 18, 11:30 am – 7:30 pm
- “Monumental Reckoning” Unveiling of 350 New Statues Protesting Slavery, June 18, 5:30 pm Golden Gate Park Temple of Music
- San Francisco Juneteenth Weekend, June 19 – June 20, time TBD Fillmore District
- Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom Festival, Antioch June 19, 11:30 am – 4:30 pm
- Juneteenth Festival at Bayview Opera House June 19, 12:30 – 3:00 pm
- Juneteenth Festival: Learn and Celebrate Freedom, Lincoln Park June 19, 1:00 – 5:00 pm
FURTHER JUNETEENTH INFORMATION
Juneteenth (Washington Post)
(Thank you to my friends and colleagues at Stanford Emergency Medicine for the above information.)
In health, love, and pride,
Eric Weiss, MD, June 15, 2021
NOTE: Our 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.
ARE THERE PREVENTATIVE MEASURES WE CAN TAKE FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE?
Alzheimer’s disease has been researched for decades. While there are no definitive ways to prevent the disease, early data suggests some changes can be made during one’s lifetime.
The Alzheimer’s Association has the latest updates on research that is being conducted for individuals with genetic mutations that predispose them to disease... Read more
Guest Authorship: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE USE OF PSYCHEDELICS IN MEDICINE
Psychedelic medicine is everywhere these days from Forbes to Goodhousekeeping Magazine. Ever since Michael Pollan wrote “How to Change Your Mind” in 2018, I have been helping individuals in my practice and my personal life digest and entertain the notion that psychedelic drugs could be the future of mental health treatment. In the past year alone, we have seen Psilocybin go head to head with the standard of care antidepressant Citalopram in The New England Journal of Medicine. Published in the esteemed journal Nature Medicine, the breakthrough Phase 3 Clinical Trial data for MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) for severe PTSD practically guarantees that the FDA will approve it in the next few years. We are at a very interesting crossroads where “illicit drugs” are demonstrating their safety, efficacy and promise as medicines when given in therapeutic settings. Used for millennia by indigenous cultures for spiritual and physical ailments, there is no doubt that hallucinogenic medications have the potential to accelerate healing and transformation. This is very exciting and offers an alternative to the idea that mental illness comes from a broken brain that can only be “fixed” by adding the missing chemical. But are we ready? ... Read more
MEASURES TO PREVENT TICK BITES AND LYME DISEASE THIS SUMMER
Summer brings tick season and the threat of Lyme disease. Ticks are found particularly in humid climates in woods, weeds, tall grass and shrubs. They can also be carried into the house by dogs.
Surveillance
- One of the most important routines parents can establish are end-of-day “tick checks” at bath time or as part of a bedtime routine. If one night you do identify a tick, and are confident it could not have been attached longer than the 24 hour period since your last tick check, you can remove it and rest easy that the risk for Lyme infection is low… Read more
Let’s lift Up Our Village–together. A fundraising initiative is underway to refresh Woodside’s Community Hub. Our very own Dr. Eric Weiss was integral in helping The Community Hub get underway a few years ago. Dr. Jackie Phillips and the TVD Wellness Studio providers have contributed their time and energy to nurturing its development. A donation to the Lift Up Our Village campaign will go toward upgrading the main gathering hall, kitchen, making the bathrooms larger, and more. Their beautiful outdoor space has been wonderful and they hope that together we can prepare the indoor spaces for more good times as the pandemic lifts. They are a not-for-profit organization supported by the fiscal sponsorship & partnership of the Village Church. Click here to learn more about this initiative!
Help others know more about our concierge medicine services by leaving us a review on Google here!
Again, our 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…
