Most people think of food and their waist size when they hear the word healthy. But the truth is that healthy living is a lot more than your waist size. Being slightly overweight does not mean you are not healthy, and being normal or underweight also does not mean you are healthy. I have many patients who are overweight, and yet they have perfectly normal blood pressure, heart rate, and blood chemistry. And they tell me Uncle Joe, who was a smoker and overweight, lived to be 90 years old. And then I have the vegetarian ultra-distance runner who has elevated blood pressure. So, although ver ..read more

When winter's chill sets in, it's tempting to hibernate indoors, wrapped in blanket with Netflix and hot cocoa. It sounds nice in theory, but the reality is this can lead to worsened mood, loss of physical fitness, and social isolation. Fortunately, Scandanavian counties, who manage very long and cold winters, have figured out the secret to staying vibrant and healthy during the winter months: friluftsliv. This Norwegian concept, which translates to "open-air living," emphasizes spending time outdoors, no matter the weather. In Scandinavia, where long, dark winters are the norm, embracing the ..read more

I love helping people lose weight and get healthier. It can be challenging and very rewarding. And while every single patient in my practice is different, there are a few themes that come up frequently enough in conversation I thought it was worth sharing with everyone. I also want to convey that so many people are struggling with obesity and weight loss, and you are not alone in this journey! #1 - Blaming Yourself For Struggling to Lose Weight The science is clear - obesity is NOT a disease of willpower. Like most diseases, there's a HUGE biological basis for why some people suffer with obes ..read more

It all comes back to my mission and serving my patients and community. Read on for the background on my "why" and how it began evolving long before I saw a patient. 1) I didn't learn how to treat obesity in medical school or residency. I graduated from medical school in 2012. Obesity was not recognized by the American Medical Association as a chronic disease until 2013. That blows my mind. By that point, the rate of obesity was 27%. We now recognize obesity is an epidemic, and in 2021 the U.S. obesity rate was 36%. Imagine if we had waited years to acknowledge COVID before deciding it was wor ..read more

1) We take our time. Good, quality care takes time. There's no way to really understand a patient and their health problems or concerns without getting to know them, their lifestyle, their personal and family history, etc.. I love getting to understand my patient's jobs, their families, and what their day-to-day life looks like. It gives me an insight into potential health issues they may be at risk for. An executive and a plumber are both at higher risk for certain health problems, just different ones. "If you listen to the patient carefully enough, he will tell you the diagnosis." - Sir Wil ..read more

1) You'll get your blood pressure checked. So simple, yet one of the most important parts of a yearly physical. High blood pressure is most often asymptomatic, meaning you don't feel badly if it's high. Some people do get headaches, dizziness, and chest pain if it's very high. High blood pressure for a long period can lead to heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure. 2) Get screened for cancer. Depending on your age, medical history, and family history, there are screenings available for 8 types of cancer. Many can be done at your physical! 3) Find out if you're at a healthy weight, or devel ..read more

It's more than shots and check-ups! Here are 5 things you might be surprised to learn that primary care doctors do for their patients. 1) Mental Health Treatment More than 50% of people will be diagnosed with a mental health problem during their lifetime. If we had to depend solely on psychiatrists (specialists in treating mental health), many many patients would not have access to treatment - there simply aren't enough of them! Fortunately, your friendly primary care doctor has received training in diagnosing and treating many common mental health issues, like depression and anxiety. We can ..read more

It's January, the season of New Year's resolutions. You know, the time of year when gym parking lots are full. But as the relatively empty parking lots in February show us - New Year's resolutions don't work, with rare exceptions. I don't want to discount the few people who do them correctly, and are successful, but the vast majority do not approach their desired change the right way. I'm here to tell you with a little planning and mental exercise, EVERYONE can make any change they choose. Why is it that so many people fail? Do the unsuccessful people not want to achieve their resolution? Sur ..read more

Rachel Peterson is a fantastic nurse practitioner that is joining the Emerald DPC team this month! We are so excited to welcome her to be able to provide more patients with direct primary care in Northeast Ohio. She is accepting new patients. Originally from a small town in rural Ohio, she completed her undergraduate education at Miami University of Ohio, and then pursued her nursing education at Case Western Reserve University's France Payne Bolton's School of Nursing. She worked as a pediatric nurse at Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital before becoming a family nurse practitioner in 2008 ..read more

Whenever I tell someone I started a new primary care practice, the first question is essentially, "Why would anyone do that?" It's understandable...these days there are fewer and fewer private practices, and doctors are increasingly working for large health systems. Starting even before medical school, the general advice given to aspiring doctors boils down to: "You don't know how to do the business side of medicine" or "It's too complicated" or "Malpractice insurance is too expensive" or "the hospitals have teams of people that take care of the administrative side so you don't have to." And I ..read more