Finding a primary care provider can be confusing and very frustrating. Who do I choose? Who is taking new patients? What insurance plans do they take? What do all those different letters mean? Let’s start with the easy one to tackle: the alphabet soup. NP — Nurse Practitioner: This is …

If you haven’t heard, several mosquitos in Washoe County have tested positive for the West Nile Virus. RUN! HIDE IN YOUR HOMES!!!! Just kidding. But truly, let’s have a discussion about West Nile Virus and why it’s important. West Nile Virus is a viral infection (i.e. antibiotics can’t cure it) …

It’s the time of year that anyone who has lived in Reno for more than a year knows all too well – we typically have at least a week-long stretch of 100-degree heat, and no, “dry heat” does not make it any less sweltering, people! Temperatures this high can be …

I’ll be the first to say, if you would have asked me a year ago, there was NOT A SINGLE CHANCE I would be caught dead on a stage in front of a bunch of people in a teeny weeny bikini, with that ridiculous spray tan. It’s funny what a …

It’s all over the news. Suicide is a terrifying thing for parents to think about. And the statistics are real: it’s the third leading cause of death in people 15-24, behind accidents and homicide. With social media in our everyday lives and more non-stop avenues for teens to bully each …

In honor April being Alcohol Awareness Month, I thought it might be useful to get some information about fetal alcohol syndrome/spectrum out to our RMB community. I frequently take panicked calls and visits from newly expecting mothers who may have had a few drinks before they discovered they were pregnant. …

When I talk to patients that are expecting a baby, the first thing I make sure they know is that unfortunately, it’s not “Eating for Two”. Whoever came up with that saying should be jailed, I swear! I actually vividly remember thinking when I was young, “I can’t wait to get …

I’ll go ahead and start with a disclaimer. I am not paid by any pharmaceutical company or the government to convince people they should get flu shots. I make my decision to recommend influenza vaccination (the flu shot) based on evidence based medicine and years of research that has proven …

This is a really difficult point of discussion, but something that is so important to get out there for women who have experienced the tragedy of pregnancy loss. First of all, it is common- we will just get the numbers out of the way to start – overall, it’s estimated …

It’s inevitable. It’s 6 pm, you’ve worked all day and you’re hustling to make dinner and get the kids’ homework done, and someone drops the bomb. “Mom, I need my sports physical by tomorrow or I can’t play XYZ!!!!” As a family medicine physician, I can’t tell you how often …