CMG CONNECTION
April 2012
At Clarkston Medical Group, our
mission is to provide the highest
quality of healthcare for our
community. We do so by
emphasizing preventative medicine
to recognize problems before they
develop and by being available to
our patients when they need us
most. Clarkston Medical Group is
proud to care for people of all ages,
whether by appointment or in our
twenty four hour urgent care. Our
staff of physicians, physician’s
assistants, nurses, and skilled
medical technicians will always be
here to provide your family with
convenient, personalized care.
Our vision is to use our expert
medical knowledge to partner with
you so that you may achieve your
optimal level of health. We believe
in combining the latest research
and technology with a common
sense healthy lifestyle to help you
manage your wellness according to
your own personal goals and beliefs.
CMG Timeline
1961-Dr. James O’Neill started his
1961
practice in the hallway of Dr.
Bullard’s office on M-15
1972-Moved to 5885 M-15 with Dr.
1972
Yee and Dr. Kernis.
1983-Opened Clarkston Ambulatory
1983
Care Center on December 1st.
Thanks for choosing us
Welcome to CMG and thank you for your trust in our group. This April
marks our third year in the Clarkston Medical Building and we couldn’t be
more excited about how things have come together. Our goal of creating a
seamless, multi-specialty site with advanced imaging and an outpatient
surgery center has become a reality. We have continued to recruit more
specialists to meet our patients’ needs and have created the most complete
medical care destination in North Oakland County. Over 1,000 people
work on our campus and your confidence makes it all possible.
Our group is especially grateful and we show our appreciation by not only
supporting local businesses but many community causes as well. We are
proud of our community involvement with groups like SCAMP, Lighthouse
North, and The Senior Center’s “Bucks for Buses” program. This May we
will choose the fifth recipient of the Devin Werner O’Neill Scholarship
which is given annually to a Clarkston High School senior that plans to
pursue a career in healthcare. CMG also sponsors a number of little league
teams and we are happy to support the Fourth of July parade and
fireworks afterward. As a lifelong resident of Clarkston I am proud to be
able raise my family and work in my hometown.
In this issue we have some interesting information about our group and
useful healthcare advice for you and your family. There is also a little trivia
as well as news from each of our departments that I hope you will enjoy.
May this find you in good health,
Dr. Tim O’Neill
President Clarkston Medical Group
Coming Soon: New EMR
We are excited to be upgrading our electronic medical record system this
summer. While there may be some bumps in the road as this change takes
place, we are excited for all the new system has to offer! We appreciate
your understanding and look forward to being able
to better serve you.
1998-Moved to 6770 Dixie Hwy
1998
2009-Moved to 5701 Bow Pointe Dr2009
Clarkston Medical Building
5701 Bow Pointe Drive Suite 100
Clarkston MI 48346
P: 248-625-2621 F: 248-625-8938
W: www.clarkstonmedicalgroup.com
CMG CONNECTION
Patient Centered Medical
Home
Primary Care
Physicians
Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is an approach to
providing comprehensive primary care for children,
youth and adults. The PCMH is a health care setting that
facilitates partnerships between individual patients, and
their personal physicians, and when appropriate, the
patient’s family.
Be prepared for your appointment
•
Bring all of your medicines, in their original
containers, to each appointment. Be sure to include
prescription, over-the-counter, natural/herbal
medicines, and vitamins.
•
Bring a list of your health questions. Put the
questions that are most important to you at the top
of the list.
•
Make a list of other health care providers or
facilities you have visited. Write down their names,
addresses, phone numbers and the reason you visited
them. When visiting another health care provider or
facility, please remind them to send me a copy of any
results and/or documentation from your visit.
•
Bring your identification and insurance card with
you to each appointment. Please be aware of your
benefits prior to your visit. Your office visit co-pay
and/or balance are due at the time of service.
•
Write down the names of all your team members.
All physicians you see, including me and my medical
assistant, don’t forget to include any family members
that are involved in your care.
•
Be sure you know what you should do before you
leave the office. Use your own words to repeat back
the things we’ve discussed as a team.
•
Be sure you know what to do if you have a question
or need care after our office has closed. Ask our
team about how to reach us after hours if you need
to. Our Urgent Care, located here in Suite 120 is
available to you 24 hours a day - 7 days a week.
•
Renny Abraham, MD
Internal Medicine & Pediatrics
Mohammad Amin, MD
Pediatrics
Michael Baker, MD
Internal Medicine
Robert Barnes, DO
Internal Medicine
Katherine French, DO
Family Practice
Erica Harding, MD
Internal Medicine & Pediatrics
Christina Joslin, DO
Family Practice
Lori Lajoie, DO
Family Practice
Dean Moscovic, DO
Internal Medicine & Pediatrics
Timothy O’Neill, DO
Family Practice
Schedule your follow up appointment before you
leave our office. Our team is available to schedule
your follow up appointment during check-out at least
6 months in advance. If a problem should arise and
you need to cancel your appointment, please call 24
hours in advance to avoid service charges.
Thank you for the commitment and active role you are
taking in your healthcare.
2
7 Tips for Better Sleep
Feeling crabby lately? Or simply worn out? Perhaps the solution is
better sleep.
Although you might not be able to control all of the factors that
interfere with your sleep, you can adopt habits that encourage better
sleep. Start with these simple sleep tips.
1. Stick to a sleep schedule
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends,
holidays and days off. Being consistent reinforces your body's sleepwake cycle and helps promote better sleep at night. There's a caveat,
though. If you don't fall asleep within about 15 minutes, get up and do
something relaxing. Go back to bed when you're tired. If you agonize
over falling asleep, you might find it even tougher to nod off.
James O’Neill, MD
Pediatrics
Dawn Turner, DO
Emergency Medicine
David Thomas, DO
Emergency Medicine
Sholeh Vaziri, MD
Internal Medicine
Michael Williams, MD
Emergency Medicine
Trivia
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Which fingernail grows the
fastest? The slowest?
How long does an eye lash live?
How many taste buds does the
average human have?
What is the longest English word
published in a major dictionary?
At what age does the human
brain stop growing?
(see answers on the right side of page 4)
2. Pay attention to what you eat and drink
Don't go to bed either hungry or stuffed. Your discomfort might keep
you up. Also limit how much you drink before bed, to prevent
disruptive middle-of-the-night trips to the toilet.
Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol deserve caution, too. The stimulating
effects of nicotine and caffeine — which take hours to wear off — can
wreak havoc with quality sleep. And even though alcohol might make
you feel sleepy at first, it can disrupt sleep later in the night.
3. Create a bedtime ritual
Do the same things each night to tell your body it's time to wind down.
This might include taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, or
listening to soothing music — preferably with the lights dimmed.
Relaxing activities can promote better sleep by easing the transition
between wakefulness and drowsiness.
Be wary of using the TV or other electronic devices as part of your
bedtime ritual. Some research suggests that screen time or other media
use before bedtime interferes with sleep.
4. Get comfortable
Create a room that's ideal for sleeping. Often, this means cool, dark and
quiet. Consider using room-darkening shades, earplugs, a fan or other
devices to create an environment that suits your needs.
Your mattress and pillow can contribute to better sleep, too. Since the
features of good bedding are subjective, choose what feels most
comfortable to you. If you share your bed, make sure there's enough
room for two. If you have children or pets, set limits on how often they
sleep with you — or insist on separate sleeping quarters.
5. Limit daytime naps
Long daytime naps can interfere with nighttime sleep — especially if
you're struggling with insomnia or poor sleep quality at night. If you
choose to nap during the day, limit yourself to about 10 to 30 minutes
and make it during the mid-afternoon.
If you work nights, you'll need to make an exception to the rules about
daytime sleeping. In this case, keep your window coverings closed so
that sunlight — which adjusts your internal clock — doesn't interrupt
your daytime sleep.
6. Include physical activity in your daily routine
Regular physical activity can promote better sleep, helping you to fall
asleep faster and to enjoy deeper sleep. Timing is important, though. If
you exercise too close to bedtime, you might be too energized to fall
asleep. If this seems to be an issue for you, exercise earlier in the day.
7. Manage stress
When you have too much to do — and too much to think about — your
sleep is likely to suffer. To help restore peace to your life, consider
healthy ways to manage stress. Start with the basics, such as getting
organized, setting priorities and delegating tasks. Give yourself
permission to take a break when you need one. Share a good laugh with
an old friend. Before bed, jot down what's on your mind and then set it
aside for tomorrow.
Nearly everyone has an occasional sleepless night — but if you often
have trouble sleeping, contact your doctor. Identifying and treating any
underlying causes can help you get the better sleep you deserve.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sleep/HQ01387
3
CMG CONNECTION
Urgent Care
Physicians
CMG CONNECTION
Mid-Level Providers
Primary Care
Making sense of your child’s health numbers
It is sometimes difficult to look at a child and tell
whether he or she is at a healthy weight for his or her
height and age. Many children think they are overweight,
while parents believe their children are just right, or
perhaps too thin.
This is where numbers come in handy--objective
measurements, including a child’s weight, height and
body mass index, or BMI-are useful tools when talking
about a child’s size.
Angie Feltz, NP
Meagan Haley, PA-C
So, what do all these numbers mean? Weight and height
are self-explanatory. BMI, a calculation that takes into
consideration the height and weight, is a fairly good
reflection of a person’s body fat.
For children, height, weight and BMI are plotted on
standard growth charts that give percentile curves for the
measurements. A healthy weight means having a BMI
percentile between 5 and 85. A BMI over the 85th
percentile (meaning the child’s BMI is greater than 85% of
other children of the same age and gender) is defined as
being overweight, while 95% or greater is considered
obese. A BMI below 5% is considered to be underweight.
Unfortunately, as obesity becomes more common among
children, diseases once thought to be primarily a problem
of adulthood are showing up in kids. For this reason,
children should be screened for medical complications of
obesity, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high
cholesterol.
In some situations it might be important to rule out
medical causes of obesity. For example, patients who
have a higher concentration of fat in the neck and head
region could have Cushing’s syndrome, and those who
are relatively short for their weight and age and have
other symptoms, might have low thyroid function.
Improving nutrition and exercise for children with a
weight problem is most effective when healthy habits are
emphasized for the whole family. Children will need their
parents’ help to stick to new routines and the entire
family can benefit from following a healthy lifestyle.
Finally, while the categories “overweight” and “obese” are
used when determining the best treatment approach for a
child’s size, they aren’t always the best terms to use with
children.
Telling children that they are at an “unhealthy weight” or
that their “weight is not well matched with their height
and age” can be a better tactic-this philosophy applies
whether a person is over or under his ideal weight range.
Adapted from:
http://www.clickondetroit.com/lifestyle/health/Making-sense-of-your-child-s-healthnumbers/-/2300442/8774570/-/s3btgy/-/index.html
4
Kari Hoekstra, PA-C Rick A. Kedzierski, PA-C
Jenna Moscherosch, PA-C
Samantha Myers, PA-C
Katie Rutkowski, PA-C Gene Sullivan, PA-C
Anita Summerville, PA-C Anna Watson, PA-C
Trivia Answers
1. Your middle fingernail grows
fastest and the thumb nail grows
the slowest.
2. 150 days
3. 10,000
4. Pneumonoultramiscroscopicsilic
ovolcanoconiosis-an
inflammatory lung disease
caused by the inhalation of fine
silica dust.
5. 18
Fundraising
Bucks for Buses will be having its
annual fundraiser on September 27,
2012 at Palazzo de Bocce in Lake
Orion. This event raises the necessary
funds to keep the Senior Center’s
transportation program running.
Please join us for this fun filled night!
More info to come.
Weight Management
Program
The physicians at Clarkston Medical
Group are committed to helping
patients improve and manage their
health. Your physician knows that
losing weight and keeping it off can
be challenging, but our structured
weight management program is the
first step to building a foundation for
success.
Our program includes diet
modifications, exercise programs,
targeted nutritional supplements,
and other lifestyle changes which
will help you take control of your
health and have you looking and
feeling better than you have in years.
Whether your goal is to lose weight
or address a serious health concern,
the Clarkston Medical Group Weight
Management Program provides you
with the tools and support you need
to implement and stick with lifestyle
changes.
Allergy Specialist
Spring Allergies
Spring is in the air, and so are billions of tiny pollens
that trigger allergy symptoms in millions of people.
This condition is called seasonal allergic rhinitis,
commonly referred to as hay fever.
Hay fever can affect your quality of life. It can lead
to sinus infections, can disrupt your sleep and affect your
ability to learn at school or be productive
at work.
Symptoms include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Itching in the nose, roof of the mouth, throat, eyes
Sneezing
Stuffy nose (congestion)
Runny nose
Tearing eyes
Dark circles under the eyes
Depending on where you live, there are generally three
pollen seasons. The start and end
dates of these seasons, as well as the specific
plants, vary based on the climate.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Trees generally pollinate in the spring. Birch,
cedar, cottonwood and pine are big allergy
triggers.
Grass releases its pollen in the summer. Timothy
and Johnson, and Rye grasses are examples of
allergens in this category.
Weeds cause hay fever in the fall. Ragweed is the
biggest offender as it can grow in nearly every
environment.
Avoiding your allergy triggers is the best way to
reduce symptoms:
Limit outdoor activities during days with high
pollen counts.
Keep windows closed (at home or in the car) to
keep pollens out.
Take a shower after coming indoors. Otherwise,
pollen in your hair may bother you all night.
Reba Johnson, MD
248.384-8310
www.advancedallergymd.com
If you would like more information,
please contact our program director,
Samantha Myers, PA-C at
248--625
625--2621.
248
Adapted from:
http://www.aaaai.org/aaaai/media/medialibrary/pdf%20documents/
libraries/el-spring-allergies-patient.pdf
5
CMG CONNECTION
In 2011, our staff raised $1500 to
donate to the Independence
Township Senior Center’s ‘Bucks for
Buses’ program and Lighthouse. Of
Oakland County . CMG was able to
match their contributions for a total
donation of $3000. Way to go!
CMG CONNECTION
Clarkston
Urgent Care
Open 24
Hours
Enjoy shorter wait times and
no costly hospital facility fees
for your care.
Walk-in Urgent Care Services
(No Appointment Necessary)
Urgent Care - We are open 24 hours, 7 days
a week with onsite medical imaging and lab
services. Clarkston Urgent Care specializes in
treating illness and injuries requiring
immediate attention by board certified
physicians and mid-level providers.
Walk-in sports physicals
Onsite pharmacy (open 7 days)
We work in cooperation with your
doctor and local hospital
Workers’ Compensation
Board certified physicians, Nurse
Practitioners and Physician Assistants
6
What can be treated at
Clarkston Urgent
Care?
Our Urgent Care treats a variety of
acute conditions including but not
limited to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ear infections
Sinusitis
Sore throats
Bronchitis
Pneumonia
Dehydration
Colds
Migraines
Sutures
Sprains
Fractures
When the flu, cuts,
sprains and strains
need immediate
attention, come see
us! Remember that
no appointment is
necessary and we
are here 24/7,
24/7
including weekends
and holidays.