Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Wednesday Evening Appointments

Due to the high no show rates on Wednesday nights (5pm-7pm), we are considering to discontinue offering evening appointments every week. Please keep in mind that we offer these extended hours to accommodate our patients who can only make an appointment after their work hours. If appointments are not kept and patients are not calling to cancel ahead of time, we are not able to offer the appointment to someone else who may need to be seen.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Newsletter - July 2009

I can’t believe it has been 3 years since I opened my solo practice in Oviedo. I have been taking care of some of my patients for over 6 years. I have definitely found a home in my Oviedo and East Orlando community and I consider it a privilege to care for you and your families.

Office Happenings
▪Please join us on our 3rd Annual Patient Appreciation Days on July 1st & 2nd, 2009.
▪Our office hours will be 8am-7pm on 7/01/2009 and from 8am-5pm on 7/02/2009. The office will be closed on 7/03/2009 in observance of the 4th of July Holiday.
▪We are on Facebook! Find us by searching for Healthy Horizons Family Medicine.

Your Health
Osteoarthritis (OA), also called degenerative joint disease, is the most common type of arthritis. OA is a chronic condition characterized by the breakdown of the joint’s cartilage. Cartilage is the part of the joint that cushions the ends of the bones and allows easy movement of joints. The breakdown of cartilage causes the bones to rub against each other, causing stiffness, pain and loss of movement in the joint.
OA affects nearly 27 million Americans. OA typically affects only certain joints, such as the hips, hands, knees, low back and neck. After age 50, women are more often affected by OA than men. Symptoms of OA typically first begin after age 40 and progress slowly.
Common symptoms of OA is pain or stiffness in joints after periods of inactivity or excessive use, grating or “catching” sensation during joint movement and bony growths at the margins of affected joints.
Some factors that increase the risk of developing OA include heredity, being overweight, joint injury, repeated overuse of certain joints, lack of physical activity, nerve injury and aging.
The diagnosis of OA is typically based on a medical history and physical examination. Doctors sometimes recommend that patients have X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to rule out other causes of pain and to determine how much joint damage has occurred. Joint aspiration, a procedure in which fluid is drained from the affected joints and examined, and blood tests also may be used to rule out other forms of arthritis in the body.
Treatment of OA varies with the severity of symptoms and focuses on decreasing pain
and improving joint movement. Treatment plans often include a combination of drugs, rest, physical activity, joint protection, use of heat or cold to reduce pain, and physical or occupational therapy. Many people with OA use pain medications such as acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help reduce joint pain, stiffness and swelling. Physical activity keeps joints flexible and maintains or improves muscle strength. Weight control is important for prevention of and to slow the progression of OA affecting the weight-bearing joints (knees and hips) and low back. It is known that for every one pound of weight lost, there is a four pound reduction in the load exerted on the knee for each step taken during daily activities. Weight loss of only 15 pounds can cut knee pain in half for overweight individuals with arthritis. Corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid derivatives can be injected into joints that are unresponsive to treatment. Dietary supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, high dose omega-3-FA (EPA) have been shown in some studies of knee OA to relieve pain and improve joint function in severe OA. Surgery is an important consideration in people with advanced OA associated with joint damage and/or marked limitations in joint function. For more information go to http://www.arthritis.org

Special July Self Pay Pricing
▪New Patient Self Pay Initial Visit - $100 (savings of $50-$120) excludes injections or procedures/testing
▪Established Patient Self Pay Visit - $75 (savings of $5-$150) excludes injections or procedures/testing
▪New Patient Self Pay Well Woman Examinations (pap smears) - $150 (savings of $25)
▪Low Self Pay Laboratory Fees

Nutritional Supplements
▪25% off Nutritional & Weight Management Supplements from 7/1/2009-7/2/2009
▪10% off Nutritional & Weight Management Supplements from 7/3/2009-7/31/2009

Supplements that can be used in osteoarthritis:
Flexibility is rich in vitamins and minerals recognized as beneficial to the health of joints and soft tissues. Two important amino acids utilized in Flexibility include glycine and histidine. These amino acids are known to promote neuromuscular control as well as maintain healthy, flexible joints. Boron, another key ingredient, is vital in protecting joints and vitamin E is added to soothe muscle cramps associated with heavy exercise or everyday exertions.
▪Our most popular supplement, outside of our weight loss line is WINOmega. It is the best omega-3 fatty acid that I have found. Its purity, superior quality, high level of EPA, and EPA to DHA ratio are reasons that my children, husband and I take WINOmega each day. I have been able to reduce my cholesterol safely and effectively while controlling my wrist tendinitis. My daughter’s eczema is also now controlled.
▪All of our products are listed in the Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR) for Nonprescription Drugs, Dietary Supplements and Herbs. For more information go to http://www.rodriguesdo.com.

Thank you for being a valued patient,
Dr. Randi-Ann Rodrigues and Staff
Healthy Horizons Family Medicine

1410 West Broadway St., Ste. 106

Oviedo, FL 32765
Phone: 407-971-1290 Fax: 407-971-1291
www.healthyhorizonsfamilymedicine.com

Friday, June 19, 2009

Patient Appreciation Days

Please join us on our 3rd Annual Patient Appreciation Days on July 1st & 2nd, 2009.

•Refreshments & Hors d’oeuvres
•First 10 scheduled patients on each day will receive a $10 off coupon for 2009-2010 Influenza shot
•25% off Nutritional & Weight Management Supplements

JULY SPECIALS

•New Patient Self Pay Initial Visit - $100 (savings of $50-$120) excludes injections or procedures/testing
•Established Patient Self Pay Visit - $75 (savings of $5-$150) excludes injections or procedures/testing
•New Patient Self Pay Well Woman Examinations (pap smears)-$150 (savings of $25)
•Low Self Pay Laboratory Fees
•10% off Nutritional & Weight Management Supplements from 7/3/2009-7/31/2009

**Due to festivities, our office hours will be 8am-7pm on 7/01/2009 and from 8am-5pm on 7/02/2009. The office will be closed on 7/03/2009 in observance of the 4th of July Holiday.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Newsletter - June 2009

Your Health
June 15-21st is Men’s National Health Week. There is no better time than to recognize the importance of men’s health than when we are celebrating Father’s Day. Far too many of us don’t ever see a doctor unless there’s something seriously wrong. This is particularly true for most men. Men are half as likely to visit a doctor for a check-up as women are, and there are over 7 million American men who haven’t seen a doctor in over 10 years.
Men die younger than women from all the top causes of death. These life-threatening illnesses, including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, can be treated or cured if they’re caught early. However, one recent study found that two-thirds of men wouldn’t even go to the doctor if they were experiencing chest pain or shortness of breath—two early warning signs of a heart attack. As a result, the average woman outlives the average man by over five years. But it doesn’t have to be this way. More than half of these premature deaths are preventable, along with about 60 percent of chronic diseases, and most injuries and accidents. By taking charge of your own preventative care, you can protect your health.
If you can’t remember the last time you or your spouse had a complete physical, pick up the phone and make an appointment. (You wouldn’t let 10 years go between oil changes, would you?) If something’s hurting or just doesn’t seem right, call. http://www.menshealthnetwork.org/.
Regular physical activity is the closest thing there is to a miracle drug.
Regular physical activity, whether it’s walking up a few flights of stairs or running a marathon does more for us than most medications.
Research has shown that exercise:
• Helps prevent heart disease and stroke.
• Lowers blood pressure.
• Helps control diabetes.
• Lowers stress levels.
• Reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression and improves mood.
• Prevents obesity.
• Reduces the risk of developing certain cancers, including colon cancer.
• Improves brain function.
• Helps fight off some of the most common signs of aging, such as arthritis,
loss of bone density (called osteoporosis) and memory loss.
Despite all these benefits, over half of Americans get less exercise than they should, and a quarter gets none at all. African-American and Hispanic-American men are somewhat less likely to exercise than white men.
The goal is Moderate aerobic exercise for 30 minutes five times a week. You may only be able to do five minutes per day. But gradually increase your time until you’re up to 20 minutes or more per day. Your goal is to increase your heart rate and breathing through aerobic exercise. You want to feel slightly out of breath, but not so out of breath that you can’t carry on a conversation. The best way to ensure that you’re getting the most out of each workout is to get your heart rate into the target zone and keep it there for 30 minutes. Calculating your target rate is a two-step process.
• Find your maximum heart rate. To do that, simply subtract your age from 220. So if you’re 44 years old, your maximum heart rate is 176.
• Your target zone is 50 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. So if your max rate is 176, your target zone is 88 to 141 beats per minute.

Upcoming Event
*Please stay posted for our Annual Patient Appreciation Day Thursday, July 2nd, 2009. More information will be posted in the coming weeks in our website blog.

Insurance
▪We gladly see patients without insurance and accept self-pay fee for service appointments. Please ask our staff about our self-pay office visit fees.

Nutritional Supplements
Masculine contains a special blend of nutrients with vitamins, minerals, herbs and amino acids shown to be essential for healthy male reproductive systems. Zinc is a key ingredient in Masculine. Adequate zinc levels are essential to support the health of the male sex glands, increased sexual interest, mental alertness, emotional stability and a healthy, balanced appetite. In many normal males, zinc supplementation was accompanied by increases in sperm count and plasma testosterone.
Lovpil is a nutritional supplement formulated with vitamins, minerals, herbs and amino acids recognized as important for general health and sexual vitality. Damiana, typically thought of as an aphrodisiac by those who are familiar with its effects, is an important ingredient utilized in Lovpil and is known for its stimulating properties on male virility and libido. The great thing about Lovpil is that it can be used by men and women.
ProXtreme is a multi-protein formula which provides 25 grams of protein per serving while only having 3 grams or less of carbohydrates. ProXtreme provides an ideal ratio of essential and non-essential amino acids. To increase absorption and digestibility, the proteins in ProXtreme are enzymatically predigested. Along with a healthy diet and exercise regimen ProXtreme works to enhance weight loss and aid weight maintenance. Protein supplementation may increase a person’s metabolic rate via increasing the ratio of lean body mass to total body mass and thermic effect of protein metabolism. ProXtreme may also reduce fatigue and post-exercise recovery time. I love the flavor and easy to mix formula that even tastes good when dissolved in water.
▪Utilizing natural muscle-boosting, Mass Appeal is specifically formulated to enhance athletic performance without side effect. Mass Appeal is a creatine based product that enhances athletic performance, augments muscle size and strength, reduces normal catabolic muscle breakdown and reduces fatigue and post-exercise recovery time.
▪All of our products are listed in the Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR) for Nonprescription Drugs, Dietary Supplements and Herbs. For more info go to http://www.rodriguesdo.com/.

Thank you for being a valued patient,
Dr. Randi-Ann Rodrigues and Staff
Healthy Horizons Family Medicine

1410 West Broadway St., Suite 106, Oviedo, FL 32765 Phone: 407-971-1290 Fax: 407-971-1291
www.healthyhorizonsfamilymedicine.com

Monday, May 11, 2009

Newsletter-May 2009

Your Health
▪Could you have imagined a year ago that we would be talking about an illness called the “Swine flu”? H1N1 or the swine flu is a respiratory virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza among pigs. It is a flu virus which usually doesn’t infect humans, however occasionally this can occur. The H1N1 strain of swine flu has the ability to spread from human to human through coughing or sneezing. There are ways of minimizing your chances of contracting this infection by just following basic hygienic practices. These include avoiding close contact with people who are sick, staying home if you are sick, covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, cleaning your hands often with soap and water and avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Practicing good health habits like getting plenty of sleep, being physically active, managing your stress, drinking plenty of fluids, and eating nutritious food helps your immune system.
The human symptoms of swine flu are similar to the symptoms of the seasonal human influenza A and B virus. The symptoms include fever (greater than 100◦F), sore throat, cough, stuffy nose, chills, headache, body aches and fatigue. Diarrhea and vomiting has also been reported. Most people infected with this virus in the United States have had mild disease, but some have had more severe illness, and there have been at least two deaths. Young children, pregnant women, and people with chronic diseases like asthma, diabetes, or heart disease may be at higher risk for complications from this infection.

▪May is National Stroke Awareness Month. Preventing a stroke begins with knowing stroke risk factors, how to prevent a stroke, symptom recognition and acting F.A.S.T. to treat a stroke.
Stroke risk factors you can’t change include:
• Your age – the older you are, the higher your risk
• Being a man, although more women than men will die from a stroke. (Also, twice the number of women die from a stroke than breast cancer annually)
• Being African American
• Someone in your family has had a stroke
Having one or more of these factors doesn’t mean you will have a stroke. By making simple lifestyle changes, you may be able to reduce the risk of a first or recurrent stroke.
These lifestyle changes can greatly reduce your chance of having a stroke:
• Monitor your blood pressure; if it is high, make sure it is treated.
• Find out if you have atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat which allows blood to pool in the heart and cause blood clots).
• Quit smoking.
• Limit alcohol.
• Check your cholesterol levels and make sure bad cholesterol is controlled.
• Manage your diabetes.
• Exercise often.
• Eat foods low in sodium (salt) and saturated or trans fat.
• Monitor circulation problems with the help of your doctor.
Most people don’t realize that if they present with a stroke greater than 3 hours after onset of symptoms a patient may not be eligible to receive certain stroke treatment. “Acting F.A.S.T.” is asking the following questions in the event of a questionable stroke.
F=FACE Ask patient to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
A=ARM Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one side drift downward?
S=SPEECH Ask person to repeat a simple phrase. Does the speech sound slurred or
strange?
T=TIME If patient experiences any one of these signs; it is time to call 911.
Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIAs) are brief episodes of stroke-like symptoms that last from a few minutes to 24 hours. TIAs don’t cause permanent disability. But, they can be serious warning signs of an impending stroke. Up to one third of people who have a TIA are expected to have a future stroke. Just like the first stroke, many recurrent strokes and TIAs can be prevented through lifestyle changes, surgery, medicine, or a mix of all three. For more information go to http://www.stroke.org/, http://www.americanheart.org/.

Insurance
▪We gladly see patients without insurance and accept self-pay fee for service appointments. Please ask our staff about our self-pay office visit fees.
▪We do not see patients that have any type of Medicaid insurance. This includes Medicaid primary insurance or as a secondary to Medicare.

Nutritional Supplements
▪ Protector is a nutritional supplement that combines specific vitamins, minerals and amino acids recognized as important for the health of areas associated with the human immune system. Astragalus is a key ingredient known for improving immune system integrity by relieving stress-induced immune system suppression. Additionally, research indicates that kelp supplies dozens of important nutrients for optimal cardiovascular health and function.
▪Satieté has a synergistic blend of herbs and amino acids that promotes healthy regulation of the neurotransmitter serotonin, supports a healthy appetite and maintains healthy blood sugar levels. Satieté’s key ingredient, 5-HTP, derived from griffonia seed extract, is a precursor to serotonin, which regulates normal mood, sleep, appetite and energy levels. Also included is gymnema sylvestre, an important ingredient which has an effect on the oral cavity that reduces appetite for sweets as well as an ability to reduce metabolism of simple carbohydrates in the gastrointestinal system, thus promoting healthy blood sugar levels. Additional ingredients included to improve energy levels and combat fatigue are St. John’s Wort extract, malic acid, and magnesium. The combination of these ingredients provides a positive impact on serotonin function.
▪All of our products are listed in the Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR) for Nonprescription Drugs, Dietary Supplements and Herbs. For more info go to http://www.rodriguesdo.com/.

Thank you for being a valued patient,
Dr. Randi-Ann Rodrigues and Staff
Healthy Horizons Family Medicine

1410 West Broadway St., Suite 106
Oviedo, FL 32765
Phone: 407-971-1290 Fax: 407-971-1291
www.healthyhorizonsfamilymedicine.com

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Reminder & Updates

This is just a friendly reminder to let you know that we still have the flu vaccines available. If you are interested in one, please contact our office to make an appointment before the end of February. The cost of the vaccine is $25.00. We would also like to update you on a recent change in our office. Tasha, our medical assistant, is no longer with us as of 1/09/2009. We would like to welcome Josue Lopez as part of our staff. He will be responsible for rooming our patients and is also training at check-in and check-out.

Please be patient with us during our training period. We always strive to provide you with the best care possible and to make sure your visit at our office is a pleasant one.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Labor Day Weekend

Please note that we will be open until 12pm on Friday, August 29, 2008 and we will be closed on Monday, September 1st, 2008 in observance of the Labor Day Holiday. Regular office hours will resume on Tuesday, Septermber 2nd, 2008.