Penn Elm Medical Group
488 E. Valley Parkway
Suite 411
Escondido, CA 92025
(760) 745-2000
NEWSLETTER:
FEBRUARY 2005
News
You Can Use
Diet Adherence, Not Diet Type, Best Predicts
Weight Loss and Cardiac Risk Reduction
A recent study in the Journal of the American
Medical Association comparing four popular diets found each resulted
in modest reductions in weight
and cardiac risk factors, with dieters who sustained their efforts for
one full year showing the greatest improvement. Each of the diets—Atkins,
Ornish, Weight Watchers and Zone—reduced the the LDL (bad cholesterol)
by about 10 percent, with no significant effects on blood
pressure or blood sugar levels at one year. Weight loss was associated
with the degree of adherence to each diet, but not with diet type. And
for each diet, decreasing levels of total cholesterol, C-reactive protein
(a new blood measurement of inflammation associated with higher risks
of heart disease), and insulin were associated with weight loss, with
no statistically significant difference among the four diets.
The study was relatively small—160 participants at the beginning and 67 participants dropping out by one year—and relied on self-reported dietary adherence rates. The authors concluded there is no one "best" diet; rather, the choice of diet should be tailored to each patient to optimize the likelihood of adherence and sustained health benefits. See study abstract.
2005
Dietary Guidelines Urge Fewer Calories, More Exercise
Recognizing that almost two-thirds of Americans are obese or overweight,
the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 emphasize both calorie
reduction and increased physical activity. The guidelines, released
January 12,
2005 by HHS and the Department of Agriculture, include explicit advice
on
what to eat, and urges Americans to match caloric intake with their
energy needs. Target consumption amounts are given in familiar cup
or ounce
sizes,
rather than as "servings." For example, the new guidelines
recommend eating two cups of fruit and two and one-half cups of vegetables
each day, based on a 2,000-calories/day diet.
In addition, the guidelines emphasize the merits of nonfat or low-fat dairy products and protein sources, including lean meats, fish, and vegetable protein. They also give specific advice about increasing physical activity levels to meet certain goals, such as maintaining weight loss or reducing the risk of chronic disease. Go to www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines/ to access the guidelines and related materials. An executive summary and several other resources are available in Spanish as well as English.
New Prescription Drug Savings Card
Top pharmaceutical companies launched a new prescription drug savings
card in an attempt to help reduce costs for the roughly 45 million Americans
without health insurance. The free card, called Together RX Access,
gives patients access to discounts on brand-name and generic
medicines starting next month for poorer patients who are too young for
Medicare coverage. To qualify, individual patients without health insurance
must earn no more than $30,000/year, be younger than 65, and a legal
U.S. resident. Income requirements are adjusted based on family
size. For
example, a family of four must earn no more than $60,000.
While some health care groups praised the new card, others said it highlighted the growing problem of uninsured Americans, who make up about 15.6 percent of the population according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Ron Pollack, head of the liberal-leaning health care policy group Families USA, said the Together RX Access card "would offer some important help," but that President George W. Bush and Congress needed to make expanded health care coverage a priority. Without insurance, patients may be able to save on prescriptions with special cards, but "they won't even see a doctor to prescribe the medicines they need," Pollack said.
The card is similar to another called Together RX, that is offered to Medicare beneficiaries as part of the new prescription drug benefit, but includes more participating firms. The new card offers uninsured patients discounts on more than 275 brand-name drugs, compared to 155 drugs covered by the card for the elderly. Both cards tout savings of between 20 and 40 percent. Companies offering discounts to users of the new card include Abbott Laboratories, Inc.; AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc. Inc.; Sanofi-Aventis; and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.
Many drug makers also offer free or discounted drugs to certain poorer patients through their patient assistance programs, though such offers vary between companies. Critics say the programs can be too difficult to enroll in, and do not serve enough needy patients.
Patients can enroll in the Together RX Access card or find more information at www.TogetherRxAccess.com or by calling 1-800-444-4106.
Important Announcements
Penn Elm is
Hiring!
As we grow, we find the need for additional staff including an MA, X-ray Tech,
and an Insurance Biller. Penn Elm offers competitive salaries and excellent benefits.
Medical Assistant: Must have at least 3 years' experience
in the back office setting, be computer competent, and be able to work
in a fast-paced environment.
X-ray Technician: Full-licensed radiology technician
with at least 3 years' experience in plain film and mammography.
Medical Biller: Experienced Family Practice Medicine
Biller with full knowledge of ICD-9 and CPT codes. Must understand FFS
and Managed Care insurances, and be able to interact on a professional
level with both patients and insurance companies.
For more information about a position or to obtain an application, contact Operations Manager, Judy Shaw, at 760-745-2000.
Have
You Had Your
Flu Vaccination?
This is the peak of flu season, and Penn Elm has been acquired 1,000
more doses of flu vaccine. In addition, FluMist is available for healthy patients
between 5-49 years of age.
If you wish
to receive the vaccine, you will need to schedule a visit with your primary
doctor at Penn Elm or one of the available doctors.
See JANUARY NEWSLETTER for more information about:
- Who should get a flu shot?
- Who should not get a flu shot?
- What about the nasal-spray vaccine, sold as FluMist®?
- What can you do to help stop the spread of flu?
What’s
New at Penn Elm?
Electronic Medical Record Update
Implementation of Penn Elm's much-anticipated Electronic Medical Record
system is set to begin March 14, 2005, so you might be seeing some unfamiliar
faces around the office soon, as Information Technology professionals install
new computer hardware and prepare our office for the implementation.
We look forward to the improvement in quality of care that secure electronic
medical records—including medical histories, lab orders, radiology
results, referrals to specialists, and communications with pharmacies and
insurance companies—will provide to our patients. If you have any
questions about the system, please speak with our head receptionist—Maria
Thomas, or Operations Manager—Judy Shaw.
Farewell to Dr. Buzard’s
Nurse, Margaret
After several years as an
outstanding medical assistant, Dr. Buzard’s
nurse, Margaret, will be leaving us to go back to school and pursue a
Registered Nurse degree. We wish her great success and will miss her.
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745-2000
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