It happened when I was sitting with my son on the couch watching TV. (Something that does not happen often as my son is 17 and I am not cool.) While we were watching Bones, a commercial for Men of a Certain Age came on and I saw what I thought was something amazing. There on the character's nightstand was a CPAP machine.  I was ...

Have you noticed nonchalance about seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines in young adults? The way that H1N1 is affecting those under 25, and the way that patients in that age group seem to treat their own health, could pose a big challenge to NPs trying to keep them healthy. Some young patients may be shocked to find that they aren't invincible when ...

Since the beginning of the H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic, the public has relied on retail clinic practitioners to provide education, guidance, testing, assurance and treatment. The media is playing a vital role in keeping the public updated; however, I am not sure if this is helpful or harmful. The public is hearing with only half an ear, only ...

While working in a retail clinic, I have identified the following tools as essential for building a successful, thriving clinic: word of mouth, positive perception and community awareness. It is my experience that although company marketing is necessary, word of mouth is a valuable tool for growing a retail clinic. I have witnessed a large ...

We are doing lots of sport physicals as school is about to start in many of the surrounding counties. I think that sometimes when something like a sport exam is offered at such a low cost and at very convenient times people do not take them as seriously as they should. Maybe the low cost and convenience devalues the importance of what is taking ...

A recent blog post on The Health Care Blog was titled, ''Patient, Heal Thyself.'' Don Kemper, CEO of Healthwise, writes about how empowering patients to manage their own health will help to save the healthcare system in this country: If you want a better system, support a smarter patient. For weeks now Congress has been stymied by how to pay ...

One of my jobs as a lab manager to is to send the orders for the CPAPs, BiPAPs and oxygen to the homecare companies.  For the most part, this is an easy job.  I call the patients to tell them what company is going to call them to set up their equipment and what the setting will be.  If they have any questions about the test, I will ...

The media has been bombarding us with news about Michael Jackson's death, which hasn't been noteworthy for our blog until today, when California nurse practitioner Cherilyn Lee spoke up in defense of Michael Jackson, who Lee says sought sedatives from her as a sleep aid but not to abuse. Lee had been providing nutrition advice to MJ. The ...

I am sure that everyone is aware of the swing flu scare that took place a few weeks ago. This was an uncertain time for everyone in the medical and public health arena. However, after working in a retail health clinic during this time, I realized that the public turns to retail clinic providers to help them understand and process public health ...

As a sleep tech and a manager, I have learned that education is everything.  The more information we give our patients, the more successful the study and (ultimately) their therapy will be. It is this part of the study that should really start at the doctor's office and continue all the way through the process. In our lab, it starts with the ...