What runs in your family does not necessarily run you.  But how should you know?  Breast cancer, colon cancer, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, melanoma - sound familiar?  If these are conditions that have affected a member of your family, you may be at risk too.  Many of these have great and effective screening tests that can be done to prevent or detect your risk.  

But, in a world of 5 o'clock news specials, how do you know what matters?  Your family doctor is a great place to start.  Filling out a family tree can help you spend the time with your relatives that you need to truly identify what risks you (and your children!) have.  

If you want to learn more about your family health history and how it affects your risk of developing these diseases, read more here or consider attending Dr. Hedde's workshop December 16th at 6pm at Direct Doctors and learn more!  We all want to protect our health and here's a great way to start.

You're 35 and you feel fine.  Your wife made you come see the doctor.  The doctor says your blood pressure is a little high and you should come back to check it soon.  You figure 5 years is soon enough.  Only old men have high blood pressure. Right?  

Wrong!  There is good reason that high blood pressure (hypertension in the medical world) is called "the silent killer." Once you notice any symptoms (heart attack, stroke, vision loss, kidney problems) - the damage is already done.  

And, unfortunately, it doesn't stop there.  Young men with hypertension often have the "metabolic syndrome" - excess body fat, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance.  So, what young men do NOW determines what their body will do later.

So, now is the time!  “Studies show that there are better outcomes and lower costs when patients have a primary-care doctor.”   This Movember let's share this with the young men in our lives and remind them, it's never too soon to have a good relationship with a primary care doctor!

Premier Orthopedics and Work Rehabilitation (POWR) is located at 650 Ten Rod Road (Route 102) in the Lafayette Mill Complex in North Kingstown. They provide both physical and occupational therapy services by licensed therapists in a spacious setting. The clinic is open Monday through Friday with varied hours in order to accommodate both early morning and evening appointments. Insurances accepted include Blue Cross, United Health, NHP, Tufts, Cigna, Medicare and Tri-Care as well as numerous Worker’s Compensation companies.

Physical therapist Kristen Baxter is a Certified Hand Therapist and has the training to custom fabricate hand, wrist and finger splints for a variety of diagnoses including arthritis, tendon injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome and sprains/strains. She has over 20 years of experience in treating general orthopedic injuries and can also treat neurologic injuries such as a stroke.

Shawn Baxter is the occupational therapist who is also a board certified Industrial Ergonomist. He performs functional capacity evaluations (FCE) for those who require a comprehensive evaluation for disability or in order to determine a person’s level of function for returning to work. Sometimes work conditioning therapy is offered to the person with an injury who needs to perform some job simulated tasks for conditioning prior to returning to work. Lastly, Shawn will go to different job sites in order to make recommendations to help make the work site safe for an employee’s return.

POWR can be contacted at 667-7997. Please feel free to call with any questions you may have.

The right answer is - NOW!  

• No matter how young or old you are, it is never to soon to start talking to your family about your wishes.  
• The goal of advanced care plans and end of life planning is just to allow yourself time to think about what you would want to happen IF - if you cannot decide for yourself, if you need a feeding tube, if you want life support.
• The big IF is easy to ignore and hard to discuss.  
• BUT, trust me, the sooner you clarify your wishes to those who might help make decisions with and for you, the better off you will be in the long run.  
• Family Doctors are well equipped to be ready to assist in this process.  Dr. Hedde even makes home visits and has family meetings to discuss options and clarify goals.  For more info on what to consider click here.  RI Power of Attorney Form here.  

Patricia Raskin did a workshop in my office recently and I want to tell you about her valuable work of transition coaching.

We all go through change, but the stress of the transition during this time often leaves us feeling overwhelmed and stuck. Before we can move on, we need to process and move through the change that is happening. Patricia states,  “The insights that come forth from clients are amazing and I have heard many aha moments.”  

This is a client led coaching process which is co-creative, where Patricia asks the questions, and you, the client, provide the answers.  Specifically, she’s worked with clients who are in the process of the transition that change brings and worked with them at that moment of change. Once they have clear options and are ready to move on, she can refer them to other resources in specific areas if needed.  

Patricia has a Masters Degree in counseling and was recently trained by World Coach Institute which is affiliated with the International Coaching Federation. With her 30+ years asking questions as a tv and radio interviewer, Patricia knows the questions to ask to bring you awareness, clarity, motivation and confidence.

Here is a sampling of some of the key issues that Patricia's clients typically face:

* Moving to a new city
* Birth of a new child
* Starting a new job
• Entrepreneurial changes in business or strategy
* Changing a life or work pattern or strategy 
* Going back to school
* Going through relationship change (e.g. breakup, divorce)
* New health challenges
* Loss of a job
* Financial changes
* Transitioning to retirement
* Empty nest issues

Patricia works with people all over the country, by phone, so there is no travel time and geography is not a concern. 

Please contact Patricia for special introductory rates and a fifteen minute initial complementary consultation. She will help you get to the other side and onto a new chapter in your life! Call Patricia at 401-440-6299 or e-mail patricia@patriciaraskin.com.  Here's the link to her coaching page on her website.

Everybody knows it's important to have a primary care doctor.  Right?  So, why do so many patients tell me "I don't have a doctor right now, but I don't have any issues," "I avoid seeing my doctor," or "I'll get a doctor once I really need one" ?  There is a proven link between an active relationship with a primary care doctor and living longer!

A 2011, National Medicare study "found that people who visited a primary care physician more often were more likely to receive cancer screenings and had lower mortalities for both colorectal and all cause mortality. “Persons with 5 to 10 visits had 16% lower colorectal cancer mortality...compared to with persons with 0 or 1 visit.” (Ferrante et al)

According to the American Academy of Family Practice, 

• "Evidence shows that access to primary care can help us live longer, healthier lives.  
• Studies suggest that as many as 127,617 deaths per year in the United States could be averted through an increase in the number of primary care physicians.  
• In areas of the country where there are more primary care providers per person, death rates for cancer, heart disease, and stroke are lower and people are less likely to be hospitalized.
• An increase of 1 primary care doctor per 10,000 people can decrease costly and unnecessary care."

Having a primary care doctor before things get messy is the best strategy to a long and healthy life.  More information on establishing a primary care relationship with Dr. Hedde at Direct Doctors...