Before Breast Cancer Awareness month ends, we want everyone to remember that early detection can save lives. A mammogram can detect a breast lump before you can see or feel it. Make sure you stay up to date!
The CDC recommends flu vaccines of flu spreading to the Austin area.
Come into the office to get your flu shot, we have a limited supply on hand for our patients.
Here are some photos from our First Anniversary Open House that was held on October 10th. This event was to celebrate the transition to my concierge practice in 2018. Thank you to all that were able to make it.
I hope everyone had as much fun as I did!
And if you missed this one, don’t worry – we will be doing another one next year. – Roxana Rhodes, MD.
One of our patients would like to say Happy Friday! He is a founding member of my concierge practice and continues to delight our office. After recently attending our one year anniversary open house, he could not be happier that he was able to simply text me on short notice and was immediately able to be seen in the office.
You might notice the new practice water bottle he is holding. These are really nice insulated steel bottles that will keep your drinks either cold or hot. These are really easy to get – just post something on social media and stop by our office to pick one up.
It is that time of year again – cold and flu season is here. Influenza, more commonly known as the “flu,” is a contagious respiratory illness caused by a virus. It can be mild or severe. Most people will have mild illness and will not need medical care and will recover in less than two weeks.
Although the cold virus and flu virus can cause similar symptoms, flu is usually more severe. Serious outcomes of the flu can result in hospitalization or even death. Some people are more susceptible to complications of the flu, including the elderly, young children, those with compromised immune systems, and people with certain health conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
Although flu has not hit Travis County in force yet, 10 people in our county have already died this season from flu complications. There are some worrying indications coming from Australia that this flu season could be very severe – check out this article from the New York Times.
Here is what you can do:
- The best way to prevent the flu is to get immunized. Do this now, as it takes a few days to take effect.
- As always, avoid touching your face and wash your hands frequently. That is my secret to staying healthy in a medical office, and it will work even better for you.
- If you get flu symptoms, contact me asap as you may be able to take an anti-viral drug to reduce symptoms. This has to be administered within 48 hours of symptoms though.
- If you get a cold or flu, rest and drink lots of fluids.
Please see the CDC chart on how to tell the different between cold and flu.
Most of you already know Coleen well – she is my Practice Manager, and she helps me with everything in the office. Here is some of her background directly from her:
Hi everyone! My name is Coleen Viejo and I’ve enjoyed working with Dr. Rhodes and her patients since May 2018. I graduated from the University of Texas in 2018 with a degree in Psychology, and have made Austin my home ever since. I grew up in Dallas, but I was born in the Philippines and moved to the USA with my family in 2004. I’m bilingual and can still fluently speak my native Filipino language. Growing up with parents who are both nurses, I was always interested in the medical field and found that my passion to help others would be a perfect fit.
While the doctor’s office may not be the most exciting place to visit, I strive to make sure each of our patients are comfortable communicating with us and seeing us when they need to. Since the practice became a concierge practice, I’ve enjoyed getting to know each of our patients more and coordinating care with our patients’ other providers. Most importantly, I’ve been amazed at the impact it makes to be able to have more time with our patients to ensure we are giving them the best care we possibly can.
Outside of the office, I love to work out, hike, and swim. I enjoy reading and watching movies, and of course, going to Texas football games (hook ‘em!). I’m also a huge foodie and love trying out new places to eat!
My favorite quote is “A warm smile is the universal language of kindness” by William Arthur Ward.
You may have already met Alyssa – she joined my practice a few months back. Alyssa is responsible for many of the front office activities in my practice. Here is some background on her.
Alyssa is a native Texan and grew up in the Austin area. While attending Texas A&M University, she studied Nutrition and developed a passion for health care. Alyssa is also a Certified Fitness Coach – she works on maintaining a healthy lifestyle by constantly creating new recipes in the kitchen, and upholding a regular workout routine through weight training and yoga.
In her spare time, Alyssa enjoys hiking with her dog, Apollo the Pomsky. She is an avid reader and meets with her book club once a month to dive into new adventures.
Fun Fact: Alyssa is half-Mexican American and knows Baile Folklorico , the traditional Mexican dance that combines folk dancing with ballet moves. Also ask her about Mexican food, she knows a lot about it!
We are sad to see Eric go, our latest medical student from the University of Texas Medical Branch. Eric was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin.
He describes himself as a ”foodie” and enjoys trying new foods. He spends a lot of his free time exercising, and plans to compete in the upcoming Austin Half Marathon. He likes to try new things. In fact he is currently teaching himself the didgeridoo (see the picture). He wants to eventually come back to practice in Austin. We wish him well, and I look forward to seeing him in practice after he completes his medical training.
Some of you may have seen the recent headline in the Austin American Statesman: Feds Allege Medicare Gene Test Fraud. Apparently some local Austin folks with Medicare were caught up in it. They were enticed into testing, and unfortunately provided their Medicare information to some shady organizations. The Statesman says that health fairs, church events, and senior centers are like magnets for these fraudsters
There are several major drawbacks to the cheap or free Genetic testing services that you may be offered, if it is not ordered by a physician that you already know and trust:
- You may have put your sensitive insurance and medical information into the hands of a fraudster that will sell it on the black market
- You may have opened yourself up to fraudulent claims that will get you in trouble with Medicare or other insurance companies.
- Your legitimate genetic testing claims may be denied in the future.
- You have no guarantee that real genetic testing was ever done.
The fact is that Medicare and most insurance companies will not pay for your genetic testing, unless you have a strong family history of a certain genetic disease and/or already have symptoms of a condition like heart disease or cancer. In some ways this is unfortunate and short sighted on their part – the benefits of genetic testing are proven in many studies, and we are starting to see a few insurance companies take the lead in this area.
In the mean time you will have to pay something. However, the cost is now only a few hundred dollars for comprehensive testing, so for many folks that can afford it, it make strong sense to get it done. If you are part of my practice, you can get pharma-genomic testing for free (with an annual payment plan).
If you are interested in this, check out our page on Precision Genomic Medicine.
