La Plata Health Watch

Fall prevention

I’ll admit that I made a poor decision and after nearly three decades of medical practice I should have known better. One evening recently I was taking my dog out at night to do his business...

DATE: Jan 28, 2024 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Dementia

The holidays are a time for family gatherings, reflection, reconnection with loved ones and for many, a time to remember those whose seat at the table will be empty this year. After almost 9...

DATE: Dec 13, 2023 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Seat belts save lives

The sign read “Buckle up, it’s the law.” Just a short time later, there was a bumper sticker announcing that “Seat belts save lives.” Perhaps I had begun to take for granted that seat belts ...

DATE: Oct 27, 2023 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Time to talk to your doctor about vaccines

Vaccination is the single most effective strategy to prevent severe illness from respiratory viruses this fall and winter season. I’ve said it before, and despite all the background noise, i...

DATE: Sep 27, 2023 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Safe, appropriate use of antibiotics a priority

Without question, one of the greatest advances in medicine in the last century has been the introduction of antibiotics. In fact, it is reasonable to say that we currently live in the “antib...

DATE: Aug 24, 2023 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Preventing another tripledemic

While it seems a while off, as we take in the lazy days of summer, respiratory viral season is just around the corner. Scientists have been hard at work trying to prepare and also to ensure ...

DATE: Jul 28, 2023 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Social drivers of health

As a country, we spend nearly 20% of our gross domestic product, or more than $4 trillion annually, on health care. Nevertheless, we continue to lag many other countries in health-related ou...

DATE: May 26, 2023 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Hantavirus coming out of hibernation

It’s that time of year again. Spring cleaning. If you’re lucky, your spring-cleaning soundtrack will include the new arrival of birdsong accompanied by the host of wild critters whose presen...

DATE: May 7, 2023 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Preventing post COVID-19 conditions

It is a condition with many names. Long COVID-19, long-haul COVID-19, post-acute COVID-19, post-acute sequelae of SARS COoV-2 infection, long-term effects of COVID-19 and chronic COVID-19 al...

DATE: Apr 5, 2023 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Head and Neck Cancer

Joe Howard was a good man. As a child, he would intermittently visit my home to chat with my mom. We knew him as “Uncle Buster.” He’d been a chef in restaurants from Kentucky to New York Ci...

DATE: Feb 24, 2023 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Opioid Harm Reduction

Lately, we have all been steeped in the public health jargon of pandemics, epidemics, and public health emergencies. In the last few years, COVID and more recently, mpox, have often dominate...

DATE: Jan 26, 2023 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

New year holds promise of new start

Perhaps like me you see the end of the year as a time for reflection – an opportunity to assess what has recently passed and the lessons that have been learned. I find it is a time also to b...

DATE: Dec 24, 2022 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch