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The holiday season is synonymous with indulgent meals and festive treats, often leading to a departure from healthy habits. However, enjoying the holidays while maintaining balanced nutrition and preparing for a healthier New Year is possible.

The weather is getting cool, the leaves are changing colors, and it is time to get your flu (influenza) shot again.

This time of year, it can sometimes be hard to know exactly what you might be coming down with. Is it a cold, allergies, or the flu? Influenza A and B are caused by viruses easily spread between people by coughing, sneezing, and airborne particles. Cold symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose with clear and often colored drainage. Colds can also cause mild fevers. They usually last seven to 10 days.

With homework and extracurriculars piling up, physical activity can fall by the wayside. But even small changes can make a big difference. Keeping a log of how your family spends time for one week can help you identify routines and areas where physical activity can be added.  You can start small by adding two 30- minute slots per week where the family can be active together.  This does not mean the whole family needs to train as athletes. 

As backpacks are packed and buses begin to roll, the back-to-school season brings more than just sharpened pencils and new schedules.  It is also a prime opportunity for families to reset and refocus on healthy habits.  Eating right, increasing physical activity, and reducing screen time are a few ways that parents can encourage healthy habits and set their children up for success in school.

Bladder control problems are conditions in which a person has difficulty with holding and releasing urine.  The most common type of bladder control problems is urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence is defined as accidental loss or leaking of urine. There are many different types of urinary incontinence. Two common types include stress incontinence in which leakage occurs with coughing, sneezing, or other physical activity and urge incontinence in which a strong urge occurs and urine leaks before getting to the toilet.
Bladder control problems are very common. Research estimates that nearly half of all women and about one-third of men over age 65 experience urinary incontinence. Risk factors for bladder control problems include age, being female, pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, prostate issues, some other health problems, and smoking.  

Healthcare technology has moved beyond the hospital walls and is now accessible to patients as well as in other healthcare settings such as clinics.  Healthcare technology can be used for direct patient care, exchanging patient information, scheduling, and more.

The patient portal is a key tool in healthcare technology that can provide patients with an efficient method of communication with their healthcare team. Patients can use the portal to request appointments, ask clinical questions, or pay bills. Even if you are not “tech-savvy,” you may find a patient portal easy to use.

The question I get asked most often as a Physician Assistant (PA) is how am I different from a Nurse Practitioner (NP)? While both PAs and NPs are vital to patient care and often perform similar functions, there are distinct differences between these two professions.

Education and Training

PAs typically complete a master’s degree from an accredited PA program, which requires a bachelor’s degree as a prerequisite, often in a health-related field. PA programs generally last 2 to 3 years and include both classroom instruction and clinical rotations in various medical specialties. PAs are trained in a medical model, similar to that of physicians, focusing on diagnosis and treatment. Nurse Practitioners, on the other hand, are advanced practice registered nurses who hold a master’s degree or a doctorate in nursing. Most NPs begin their careers as registered nurses and complete additional education and clinical training in their chosen specialty. NP programs also encompass both coursework and supervised clinical practice, typically requiring two to four years for completion.