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Senior Health & Fitness: 7 Tips For Successful Aging

By Stella Lincoln (Health & Fitness Specialist, crowdwriter.com) Getting older doesn’t mean you have a poor medical condition, but knowing what’s normal for your body as you age is crucial. The more you are healthy, active, or fit, the better you will feel in the future. Exercise is an essential key to successful aging. Many studiesContinue reading “Senior Health & Fitness: 7 Tips For Successful Aging”

Misinformation can be Catastrophic for Cardiovascular Patients

By Andrea Baer (Executive Director, The Mended Hearts, Inc.) and Michael Wong, JD (Founder/Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) Making sure you have correct medical information—rather than misinformation (i.e., false information)—could save you from being admitted to the hospital or even save your life. There is a lot of medical information and educationContinue reading “Misinformation can be Catastrophic for Cardiovascular Patients”

A Brief History of Vaccinations and Why Vaccinations are a Key Public Health Tool

By Karen Ekwueme, MD, ABFM, ABOIM National Immunization Awareness Month & the History of Vaccinations Oral history suggests that the origin of vaccination dates back to at least 1000 BCE. With all of the recent speculations, conjectures, and fears about the COVID-19 vaccination, the long history of vaccinations and their role as a key publicContinue reading “A Brief History of Vaccinations and Why Vaccinations are a Key Public Health Tool”

By Karen Ekwueme, MD, ABFM, ABOIM National Immunization Awareness Month & the History of Vaccinations Oral history suggests that the origin of vaccination dates back to at least 1000 BCE. With all of the recent speculations, conjectures, and fears about the COVID-19 vaccination, the long history of vaccinations and their role as a key publicContinue reading

Learning About Opioid-Induced Respiratory Depression from Logan’s Death: An Interview with Pam Parker, RN

By Michael Wong, JD (Founder & Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) An Introduction to Logan In 2016, I had the immense pleasure of interviewing Pamela Parker, BSN, RN, CAPA about what happened to her 17-year-old son, Logan.  Pamela Parker has been a registered nurse for about 30 years. She is a recovery room nurseContinue reading “Learning About Opioid-Induced Respiratory Depression from Logan’s Death: An Interview with Pam Parker, RN”

Sleep Apnea and Opioids is a Deadly Combination: Ongoing Lessons from John LaChance’s Preventable Death

By Michael Wong, JD (Founder/Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) Sleep Apnea is a Common Sleep Disorder Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder. Sleep apnea patients have multiple extended pauses in breathing when asleep. This affects the oxygen supply to their bodies. As a result, approximately 20% wake up with headaches. SomeContinue reading “Sleep Apnea and Opioids is a Deadly Combination: Ongoing Lessons from John LaChance’s Preventable Death”

Identifying Patients At Risk of Opioid-Induced Respiratory Depression: Interview with Dr. Ashish K Khanna

By Michael Wong, JD (Founder/Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) Opioid-induced respiratory depression can lead to serious adverse events and even death, in hospitalized patients. In its Sentinel Event Alert #49, titled “Safe use of opioids in hospitals”, the Joint Commission stated, “While opioid use is generally safe for most patients, opioid analgesicsContinue reading “Identifying Patients At Risk of Opioid-Induced Respiratory Depression: Interview with Dr. Ashish K Khanna”

How a Patient Battled with CVS Caremark and Won: CVS Caremark and Non-Medication Switching 

By Michael Wong, JD (Founder/Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) This is a modern-day story of David and Goliath of how a patient took on CVS Caremark and won.  In the biblical version, David with just a staff, sling, and stones, fights the giant Goliath and wins. Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath In the modern-dayContinue reading “How a Patient Battled with CVS Caremark and Won: CVS Caremark and Non-Medication Switching ”

Misinformation is a Patient Safety Issue: 4 Tips for Keeping Yourself Safe from Misinformation

By Michael Wong, JD (Founder/Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) As the Executive Director for the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety, I oversee our blog. I have the responsibility on a weekly basis for writing and vetting articles submitted to us for publication. Many people rely upon PPAHS for health information (ourContinue reading “Misinformation is a Patient Safety Issue: 4 Tips for Keeping Yourself Safe from Misinformation”