NEWSLETTER:
AUGUST 2004

Penn Elm Medical Group
488 E. Valley Parkway
Suite 411
Escondido, CA 92025
(760) 745-2000

News You Can Use
Childhood Drowning
As the heat of summer makes swimming a popular activity, we would like to remind parents that drowning is the second leading cause of injury-related death among children ages 1 to 14. A National Safe Kids Campaign study released last month reveals an unsettling statistic on childhood drownings in 2000 and 2001: 88 percent of the drowning victims were under some form of supervision. Furthermore, 55 percent of parents interviewed for the study said they thought it OK to let a child swim without adult supervision under certain circumstances. The AAFP policy on residential pool safety, available at www.aafp.org/x7075.xml, urges parents to have a telephone and emergency numbers at poolside, and encourages CPR training for adults and older children. Reliance on a child's water safety classes or flotation devices provides a false sense of security ... there is no substitute for constant adult supervision, the policy advises. For education on water safety, go to www.kidshealth.org/.

Flu Vaccine for Children
The American Academy of Family Practice (AAFP) has released its July - December 2004 Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule. Because of the risk of influenza (Flu) complications in young children, the schedule was updated to recommend influenza immunization for children 6 months to 23 months old, as well as for their household contacts. The vaccine is not recommended for infants younger than 6 months. The recommendation comes from the AAFP, American Academy of Pediatrics and CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Immunizations should be available in October.

Link of the month
Frequently patients ask the medical staff at Penn Elm about the latest and greatest new treatments they have read about in magazine ads, heard on television or the radio, or were recommended by others they know and trust. Many of the questions are about herbal supplements promising to make you lose a lot of weight in a short period of time, boost your energy and vitality, improve your sex life, give you amazing strength and powerful bodies without having to exercise or watch your diet ... which is why our favorite link of the month is www.quackwatch.com.

This website states, "Quackwatch is a nonprofit corporation whose purpose is to combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, and fallacies. Its primary focus is on quackery-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere. It was founded in 1969 as the Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health Fraud, and was incorporated in 1970. In 1997, it assumed its current name and began developing a worldwide network of volunteers and expert advisors. Quackwatch, Inc. has no salaried employees. It operates with minimal expense, funded mainly by small individual donations, commissons from sales on other sites to which they refer, and profits from the sale of publications."

If you are interested in finding out about a certain new product, check out this site to get straight answers.

Penn Elm policies: Q and A
Q: What should I do if I have a medical emergency?
A: If your emergency is life threatening CALL 911 or go at once to the nearest emergency room and ask someone there to contact us. Please be prepared for an emergency by reviewing your insurance policy's criteria for emergency care. Some insurance carriers require notification when you are seen by someone other than your designated primary care provider.

Q: Where do I go for after-hours care?
A: Our office is open Saturday morning for urgent appointments from 8:30 a.m. to noon. After office hours, our answering service will take your information and relay it to one of our physicians available on call who will then contact you. The physician on call may refer you to the urgent care facility in Rancho Bernardo.

In the case of an urgent medical problem (such as a laceration or a sprained ankle) or emergent problem (such as chest pain), it is best to call our office first so we can communicate with the urgent care clinic.

Scripps Clinic, Rancho Bernardo URGENT CARE (see map)
15025 Innovation Dr.
San Diego, CA 92128
(858) 592-1307
Hours of Operation: 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

What’s New at Penn Elm?
Services Available at Penn Elm
Although Penn Elm is well known for providing excellent preventive and acute care, you might not know about some of the other services we offer. 1) We provide care for infants and children. 2) We are able to provide you with work, school, and athletics-required physicals. 3) We manage women’s healthcare including mammography, pap smears, and treatment for menopause. 4) Our doctors can provide you with certain cosmetic procedures, screening for colon cancer, skin cancer, and prostate cancer. 5) Most of our physicians can provide contraception services, including vasectomy and IUD placement. Please see the services page for the full list. If you have questions about our services or would like to see other services made available, please let our front office know!

Personal Notes
The folks at Penn Elm have had an interesting month... Nicolette, one of our Medical Records clerks, had a baby. We understand mom and baby are doing very well. The Penn Elm staff celebrated our annual summer party at Petco Park. With family and friends at hand we enjoyed a fun tailgate party and a great Padre game, followed by an exciting fireworks show. In the realm of the "strange, scary, and eerie," our own Dr. Ricci had the unpleasant experience of spending a night in the hospital recuperating from a toxic black widow spider bite! If you know Dr. Ricci, he’ll tell you his unbelievable story! Please pay no attention to the fact that he now believes he is Spiderman ;-)

Have an enjoyable, healthy, and safe summer!

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