Cedars-Sinai Fall 2021

CEDARS-SINAI NEWS | LIFE | HEALTH

Getting people of color the right care for their skin P. 4

SIDE BY SIDE Wholehearted support from his family and his doctor helps a patient heal from a health crisis P. 6

FALL 2021

Physician strikes balance in practice and life P. 12

Meet primary care physicians and specialists in your area P. 17

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Laura Grunberger SENIOR EDITOR

Sarah Spivack LaRosa ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Cassie Tomlin

MANAGING EDITOR

Susan L. Wampler DESIGN

DISTINC_ CONTRIBUTORS

Nicole Levine Victoria Pelham Carrie St. Michel EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL NETWORK

John E. Jenrette, MD

VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGIC INTEGRATION, CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL NETWORK

Mary Clare Lingel

VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Pattie Cuen

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BRAND STRATEGY AND CREATIVE SERVICES

Jennifer Fagen

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CEDARS-SINAI NEWS | LIFE | HEALTH

FALL 2021

HERE & NOW

12 SERVING UP WELLNESS A physician strikes balance in practice and life

2 NEWS FEED

Stories from the Cedars-Sinai landscape

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6

PREPARE & PREVENT

LIFE & HEALTH

Getting people of color the right care for their skin

Wholehearted support from his family and his doctor helps a patient heal from a health crisis

SKINCARE SIDE BY FOR ALL SIDE

14 AT-AGLANCE

Don’t skip screenings, virtues of video visits, community engagement and more

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NEWS FEED

STORIES FROM THE CEDARS-SINAI LANDSCAPE

TORRANCE

Torrance Memorial Medical Center partnered with the Torrance Fire Department, California Department of Public Health and Los Angeles Department of Public Health to vaccinate homebound Torrance residents against COVID-19.

PLAYA VISTA WEST HOLLYWOOD

Throughout the pandemic, nursing student Danica Jamieson volunteered in the Cedars-Sinai Ruth and Harry Roman Emergency Department. “Any risks seemed small compared to the help I felt I was providing to the community,” Jamieson says. “As an African American, I felt compelled to be a face on the front lines and serve people like me who were disproportionately struggling with this pandemic.”

Dr. Sharon Wirawan, a pediatrician at Cedars-Sinai’s Playa Vista medical offices, met families at Playa Vista Farmers Market.

CULVER CITY

After in vitro fertilization at CedarsSinai, Rommy Coutelin became pregnant with triplets. There was a real risk the pregnancy would not make it past the first trimester but, earlier this year, Coutelin and her husband, Casey, welcomed happy, healthy babies Gabriel, Daniel and Victoria.

EAST HOLLYWOOD

To celebrate Pride Month, CedarsSinai employees volunteered to bag groceries and write personal notes for seniors living in the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Triangle Square Apartments.

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CEDARS-SINAI — FALL 2021

WEST HOLLYWOOD

Dr. Gregory Marks, Dr. Tsuyoshi Todo and clinical dietitian Patricia Martin were among the frontline workers receiving Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Healthcare Hero Awards, presented by City National Bank. This year’s virtual Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Annual Gala, hosted by Board of Governors member Richard Weitz and his daughter, Demi, raised $1.6 million for the Board of Governors Innovation Center.

MARINA DEL REY

Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital was recently honored with the Airport Marina Counseling Service (AMCS) “Champion of Mental Health” award. The hospital was recognized for its role in helping the agency become a critical part of Los Angeles County’s mental healthcare safety net.

Joanne Laguna-Kennedy, MSN, RN, vice president and chief operating officer (below, right) accepted the award from Eden Garcia-Balis, CEO at AMCS.

DANA POINT

Christy Canin (above, left) was diagnosed with a rare blood disease and needed a bone marrow transplant. The procedure at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute healed Canin, and also made her a new lifelong friend: her donor Aline Müske, who lives in Germany.

The two have forged a close bond through weekly video calls, countless texts and three in-person visits.

HOLLYWOOD

“I refuse to let the strokes define me,” says stroke survivor, writer and performer Michael Shutt. “Instead, I chose to use the strokes as an opportunity to redefine myself and inform people that strokes can happen to anyone, including young, healthy adults like me.”

VIEW PARK–WINDSOR HILLS

INGLEWOOD

As the official health sponsor of SoFi Stadium, Cedars-Sinai Medical Network staff and volunteers participated at Hollywood Park’s Summer Bash outdoor health and wellness fair by administering vaccines and providing health screenings.

Last year, computer scientist Keith Miles contracted COVID-19 and ended up on a ventilator in the intensive care unit. His health began to improve the day after he received an experimental treatment developed at the Smidt Heart Institute. Miles still battles fatigue, difficulty breathing and brain fog, but he is back to work and biking on his favorite path.

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PREPARE & PREVENT

by Cassie Tomlin illustration by Janna Morton

BETTER HAIR HELP Only 3% of dermatologists in the U.S. are Black, and the field generally lacks understanding about cultural differences in caring for people of color, Obioha says.

One fraught factor, especially for Black women: hair. Even simple dandruff treatment often fails when physicians make insensitive prescriptions.

“Dandruff can be treated with shampoo, but if physicians say to use it three times a week, patients won’t use it at all—the overwhelming majority of Black women wash their hair no more than once a week,” she says. “Physicians need to understand these complexities and

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nuances for ethnic skin and hair so patients don’t immediately lose confidence in them.”

Obioha also sees many Black patients for styling-related hair loss and tailors recommendations based on her own experiences, rather than recommending that a patient abandon hairstyling entirely.

“Hair loss is already such an emotional condition to open up about with someone you’ve never met,” she says.

“Connection and cultural competence are hard to achieve if you don’t have that foundation.”

“It’s part of a bigger problem —patients of color often don’t get the right care for their skin.”

— Jasmine Onyeka Obioha, MD

SKINCARE FOR ALL Cedars-Sinai dermatologist Jasmine Onyeka Obioha, MD, outlines what patients of color need to know about their skin—and the importance of finding a provider experienced in treating a diverse group of people

D

and early-stage patches and lesions that can look yellow or gray on darker skin—is important to stopping the progression of lymphoma, Obioha says.

ermatology suffers from a race gap. Skin conditions, and skin symptoms caused by medical conditions, look different on people of different races. But many physicians are trained to recognize dermatological issues only on light complexions—meaning non-white patients are often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed and can miss out on critical and time-sensitive treatment. Moreover, patients and physicians lack awareness about skin diseases that predominantly affect people of color and the ways cosmetic procedures should be performed on them to avoid adverse effects.

A focus on physician training and treatment gaps aims to correct disparities in care, says Jasmine Onyeka Obioha, MD, a Cedars-Sinai dermatologist. Obioha is specially trained in how to treat the diverse complexions of Black, Asian and Latino patients. Here, she outlines what patients need to know about their skin—and the importance of finding a provider experienced in treating a broad range of people.

Black people are less likely than other populations to develop skin cancer and, as a result, may be screened less often and with less scrutiny. But Black and Latino patients are at higher risk for acral melanoma, a skin cancer of the hands and feet that isn’t necessarily caused by sun exposure.

Obioha notes that infrequent checkups, paired with less awareness about skin cancer risk for patients of color, mean these patients get diagnosed later, when prognosis is worse.

“It’s important for patients of all ethnic backgrounds to get regular skin checks and for dermatologists to check the palms of the hands and the bottoms of feet thoroughly,” Obioha adds.

CONDITIONS TO WATCH FOR

CARE WITH COSMETIC PROCEDURES

Medical textbooks largely feature images of disease only on white skin. “The exclusion is problematic since primary care physicians diagnose many conditions, at least initially, by sight,” Obioha explains. Even common issues like psoriasis, which causes itchy, scaly patches, often go undetected in patients of color: On darker skin, scales and patches can show up purple or gray, not red or pink like on white skin. While psoriasis can’t be cured, diagnosis can lead to relief with medications, such as injections and creams, or light therapy.

Alopecia, a condition marked by hair loss, is among the most common dermatological diagnoses for Black patients. One under-researched form of this type of hair loss—central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA)— almost exclusively impacts Black women and is often mistaken for female-pattern hair loss, a less damaging condition. CCCA can be treated when caught early—but causes irreversible hair loss if left unchecked.

More complex conditions get overlooked, too, with severe consequences. An aggressive type of mycosis fungoides, the most common form of lymphoma (a type of cancer) on the skin, is more common in Black, Latino, Middle Eastern and Asian populations. In Black patients, the condition often goes undetected longer, and they’re less likely to survive the disease than white patients. Recognizing symptoms—such as thicker skin

Cosmetic procedures were on the rise during the pandemic—but such practices can have poor results for patients of color, according to Obioha. Skin that’s rich in melanin pigment is more likely to scar or darken after being inflamed by procedures like chemical peels, laser facials and hair removal. But such procedures are safe and appropriate for people of color when performed with the right techniques and equipment.

Even mole and skin tag removal carries a risk of side effects on pigmented skin: Liquid nitrogen used to freeze off a benign growth can leave a light spot in its wake.

As an alternative for people of color, Obioha considers electrocautery, a technique that uses heat to remove the growth, which is less likely to leave a mark.

“Not every procedure we do on lighter skin is good for darker skin, so patients have to be really intentional in seeing someone who is experienced with a diverse patient group,” Obioha says.

Obioha notes that her Cedars-Sinai dermatology colleagues are adept and actively attuned to the nuances of treating darker skin types.

“Race does affect medical care,” she says, “and right now, a lot of directed efforts are calling attention to disparities and how we play a role in correcting them as we practice medicine.”

CANCER RISK

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LIFE & HEALTH

SIDE BY SIDE Wholehearted support from his family and his doctor helps a patient heal from a health crisis

by Cassie Tomlin photos by Alexis Hunley

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CEDARS-SINAI — FALL 2021

@CEDARSSINAI

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I

n 1991, Eric Berry was a shy, “daredevilish radical” in a black Western jacket and Drakkar Noir cologne.

Cheri was a pretty student attending college in Walnut, Calif. They were both paying bills in a city building when they noticed each other for the second time in three months, but he choked over how to approach her. That day, he got his serendipitous green light: She forgot her purse out in the open.

He rescued the handbag and strolled over to return it.

She craned her neck to meet his eyes, a foot above hers.

They spent the rest of that day together—and every day since for the last 30 years.

As far as Berry is concerned, it was divine intervention that he ended up with Cheri, his wife, true love and unflinching advocate.

And he knows it may sound weird, but it’s the same with his doctor, Nitin Kapur, MD, MPH, a Cedars-Sinai primary care physician who showed up when Berry really needed someone to listen and help him make sense of his health. He was suffering under the weight of new symptoms—fear and panic—colliding with his already unchecked blood pressure.

“I always pray to God to put people with my best interests in my path,” says Berry, a freckled 52-year-old with a clean beard and muscular frame. “Dr. Kapur was right on time for me.”

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THE BIG UNEASY

Kapur calls him “Big Guy” now, but Berry was scrawny as a kid growing up in Riverside and Compton. Though he was small, he was fearless: His grandfather taught him to ride horses when he was 4, and he sped around his family’s property without a saddle. On the football field, he absorbed tackles “like thunder” from guys twice his size and raced streetcars at local speedways.

Life grew tamer after he and Cheri married and settled in the South Bay, where they raised their sons, Jo Jo, 32, and Doug, 30, and now live with their sweet, stout bulldogs, Cha-Cha and Ghost.

But in 2019, Berry’s intrepid nerve plummeted with his health: He was taking four medications for uncontrolled high blood pressure and he’d fallen into such severe depression and anxiety that he was scared to leave his house. He was in and out of the emergency department for spells of panic and wooziness. No one could figure out what was wrong.

“I’d never had anxiety, so it was hard to explain to doctors,” Berry says. “I just knew something was wrong and no one really got it.”

In the fall, Berry booked an appointment with Kapur and described being haunted by a terrifying feeling, his heart pumping like he’d just done three backflips out of a plane.

Kapur listened intently, encouraged him to say more and reassured him that he wasn’t dying like he thought he was.

“He tapped in immediately, and I felt like we were on the same page,” Berry says. “It was like a huge brick lifted off my chest.”

DISRUPTING THE CYCLE

That day, Kapur immediately simplified Berry’s medications. With his wife by his side, Berry saw Kapur regularly and consistently to work out solutions to his whole health.

Kapur diagnosed Berry with a unique combination: high blood pressure and anxiety that make each other worse in a vicious little circle.

“His symptoms were complex, but meeting him where he was and giving him the space to just talk were key to understanding how to reduce both the blood pressure and the anxiety with the right combination of medications that work for him,” Kapur says. “Purely from a diagnostic perspective, he’s somebody young and fit—we had to ask ‘What are we missing here? What are the underlying causes behind these spikes in blood pressure?’ It’s an ongoing process to manage the interplay between these conditions.”

Less than three months after that first visit, 2020 struck, and disaster after disaster inflamed Berry’s

NITIN KAPUR, MD, MPH Kapur earned his medical degree at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and his master’s degree at Harvard School of Public Health. He completed his internship and residency at Yale School of Medicine and joined Cedars-Sinai in 2018. He and his wife, Alpna Agrawal, MD, MPH, a psychiatrist, live in Pacific Palisades with their three daughters.

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conditions: News coverage of the pandemic with so many deaths sent him reeling. On top of that, the murder of George Floyd and the plague of police killings of people of color scared him. He’d always been treated respectfully by cops—his father-in-law was a highranking police officer—but it was a lot to swallow.

Kapur was there through it all, listening.

“It’s important to me to know patients outside of the exam room,” Kapur says. “It might not be what you expect if you come in and need a refill on your blood pressure prescription, but I’m in this because I want to have relationships.”

He admits his approach garners skepticism from some, but for the Berrys, it clicked.

“When you have health issues, you’re in your own skin literally and figuratively; it’s not something any other person knows about,” Kapur says. “When a patient allows you into that sacred, private space and you’re able to connect about their body and their feelings about their body, that’s an intimate thing and such an honor.”

“The day we met Dr. Kapur, we became a team,” Cheri Berry says.

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FRIENDS, TOO

Berry’s health is on track—he still gets treatment for knee arthritis brought on by years of wear and tear in warehouse distribution work, and will one day need a knee replacement. With his blood pressure and anxiety controlled, the couple’s visits with Kapur are less frequent, so the physician calls the Berrys to check in— as powerful a therapeutic tool as any.

“It’s huge that he calls just to let us know he’s concerned,” Cheri Berry says. “You know he’s taking care of hundreds of patients, but you feel like you’re the only one.”

Eric Berry keeps busy fixing up his 1993 Ford Mustang Fox-body coupe, a pearl-silver beauty, and works out in his garage on the dip bars he constructed himself. The couple is active in their church, and he no longer walks around scared, feeling like he could drop at any moment, a credit to Kapur’s openness, honesty and interest in hearing him out.

“He did more than he thinks he’s done for me,” Berry says. “He’s my doctor and I respect him for that, but he’s my friend, too.”

“ It’s important

to me to know patients outside of the exam room.” ­— Nitin Kapur, MD, MPH

CARE FOR THE WESTSIDE AND COASTAL REGIONS Eric Berry sees his physician, Nitin Kapur, MD, MPH, in Cedars-Sinai primary care offices in Santa Monica. Patients on the Westside can keep their entire care local, with a range of comprehensive programs and services in Santa Monica and West L.A., including full-service surgery, radiology and imaging.

And pediatrics, OB-GYN and urgent care offices are nearby in Playa Vista, rounding out the full range of specialty care in the coastal region.

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HERE & NOW

SERVING UP WELLNESS Mehul Thakkar, MD, brings lessons from the tennis court to his work/life balance and his practice

by Nicole Levine photo by Ted Catanzaro 12

CEDARS-SINAI — FALL CEDARS-SINAI — FALL 2021

I

n a game of singles tennis, there’s nowhere to hide. The players step onto the court, grip their rackets and, with a bounce of the ball, the match begins.

That’s one of the things Mehul Thakkar, MD, loves most about the game.

“It’s just you and your opponent,” he says. “It’s a very physical and mental game.”

He finds he plays best when he brings confidence to his swing and his strategy. If a serve doesn’t go his way, he sets his mind to adjusting his game without dwelling on mistakes.

“You learn from each match and you move on,” he says.

“It teaches patience and endurance.”

He carries these lessons into the rest of his life, shares them with his family and imparts them to the patients he sees at Cedars-Sinai’s Tarzana medical offices, where he’s been practicing for three years.

Previously, Thakkar worked as a hospitalist—an internist focused on inpatients—in Michigan. When Cedars-Sinai approached him with an opportunity to move to primary care work, he was excited for the change both personally and professionally.

“As primary care physicians, we see to all of our patients’ needs,” he says. “We get to build close relationships with patients that weren’t possible when I was only seeing people in the hospital.”

Thakkar also values the deep network of Cedars-Sinai specialty care providers throughout the Valley (see map, inside front cover).

“I can provide my local patients with access to a variety of specialists, so they rarely have to go over the hill for care,” Thakkar says.

As he was making the shift to outpatient practice, he, his wife, Olivia—a clinical psychologist—and their two children, Lucas, 11, and Marina, 8, were settling into California life in their Westlake Village home.

“We love the diversity of the area,” he says. “Everything and anything you want is here. Every kind of food. Every kind of people. The urban and the suburban. It all flows together.”

As clinicians and parents, the Thakkars tout the importance of a healthy mind-body connection and balanced lifestyle.

Sports is an ideal way to share their philosophy with their children. Lucas has shown an interest in tennis, following in his dad’s footsteps onto the court. Thakkar has loved the game since he was 17—and still has his favorite racket from his days of competitive high school play, an “ancient” Wilson Pro. Daughter Marina is more drawn to soccer.

As a family, they love the outdoors. They’re regular visitors to the nearby beaches and hiking trails winding throughout Southern California, while Joshua

Tree National Park and Santa Barbara are common weekend destinations.

These trips combine some of Thakkar’s favorite ways to maintain balance: getting out of the usual routine and into a new environment, connecting with nature and enjoying plenty of physical activity. Not every day has space for a hike through a scenic canyon, but a walk through his neighborhood with his rescue pup, Sandy—a Border and Wheaten terrier mix—trotting at his side provides many of the same benefits.

Preserving a healthy balance has been especially important for Thakkar in the last few years. Shortly after moving here, he and his family had an up-close look at one of the tougher realities of California living. The 2018 Woolsey Fire started near the family’s new hometown, then raged through 96,949 acres of Los Angeles and Ventura counties over the course of two weeks—one of the deadliest and most destructive fire seasons on record in the state.

A little over a year later, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Like many families, they shifted to doing more of their work remotely while the kids logged on to laptops for school. The pandemic was an important lesson in flexibility, Thakkar says.

“Like a lot of doctors, I know I can be very rigid,” he says. “But life is fluid. Some changes you plan, and others you just have to go with.”

ACING ANXIETY MANAGEMENT Busy professionals juggling kids, careers and commutes are common among Thakkar’s patients. Helping them find balance and keep anxiety at bay are frequently part of his prescription for a happy, healthy life.

Game playing is an excellent way to approach exercise. Picking up a racket or ball and connecting with a friend or loved one can be good for your heart, health and mind.

Set aside at least 15 minutes for yourself every day for activities like walking or meditating. “If you don’t take time for yourself, it eventually catches up to you,” Thakkar says. “Not just mentally and emotionally, but also physically in lots of ways, like high blood pressure, gut problems and fatigue.”

Match up schedules and connect with people you care about. Meaningful time with family and friends— whether on an adventure to a national park or just catching up over coffee—is important to a balanced and fulfilling life.

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AT-A-GLANCE

Don’t skip your screenings.

With the pandemic shutdowns, Americans stayed home—and avoided the doctor’s office en masse.

Skipping care, though, may have come at the expense of overall health. More than 60% of primary care doctors believe the delays will cause illnesses for their patients that could have been avoided, according to a survey from the Primary Care Collaborative—and 38% believe some patients will die as a result. Missed preventive screenings, especially, jeopardize wellbeing.

During COVID-19, cancer diagnoses fell by 50%.

If you steered clear of medical care during the pandemic, take steps to get your health back on track now. Masking, physical distancing and other pandemic protocols have always been and continue to be enforced at all Cedars-Sinai locations.

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RECOMMENDED SCREENINGS BY AGE GROUP FEMALE

FEMALE

male

MALE

FEMALEmale

BOTH

FEMALEmale

18–39

Hypertension screenings every three to five years

FEMALEmale

18–49

Physical examination every one to three years

FEMALE

21–29

tart cervical cancer (Pap) tests and repeat S every three years

FEMALE

30–65

ap test every three years or Pap test and/or P HPV test every five years

FEMALEmale

40+

FEMALE

40–44

Begin annual mammograms if recommended by your doctor

male

45

iscuss prostate cancer testing with your doctor D if you’re at high risk

FEMALEmale

45

Begin colorectal cancer screenings (frequency and type of screening based on individual risk factors)

FEMALE

45–54

FEMALEmale

50+

nnual physical examination (includes A cholesterol and blood glucose screening)

male

50+

alk to your provider about prostate cancer T testing that’s right for you

FEMALE

55+

witch to mammograms every two years or S annual screenings if recommended by your doctor

FEMALEmale

55–74

FEMALE

65+

FEMALEmale

76–85

FEMALEmale

85+

Annual screening for high blood pressure

Annual mammograms

nnual lung cancer screenings for current A smokers or those who quit in the past 15 years, are in fairly good health and have a significant smoking history iscontinue cervical cancer testing if you have D never had abnormal results and you’ve had multiple negative screenings in a row heck with your physician on whether colorectal C cancer screenings are still recommended for you Discontinue colorectal cancer screenings

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Vaccine Victories

Research Roundup

Last December, Cedars-Sinai received its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines, offering optimism for post-pandemic life.

As frontline workers received their doses, care teams busily created a plan to vaccinate L.A. residents, particularly underserved minority communities where distrust of the medical establishment and limited access could be vaccination barriers.

Cedars-Sinai partnered with respected healthcare and faith leaders to host candid online community conversations about COVID-19 vaccines. The medical center increased vaccination access by meeting people where they were—literally. For car-centric Angelenos, care teams held drive-through vaccination clinics. For those needing access close to home, Community Health Improvement teams assembled pop-up clinics in neighborhoods and welcomed walk-ins.

BY THE NUMBERS

110,500 COVID-19 vaccines administered to Angelenos

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COVID-19 community vaccination clinics held throughout Los Angeles

73,224 people reached through candid, online discussions about COVID-19 vaccines

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U.S. states and countries worldwide reached via virtual forums focused on COVID-19 vaccines

UNDER PRESSURE A one-size-fits-all approach to evaluating blood pressure could be detrimental to women’s health, according to analysis from the Smidt Heart Institute. After examining the blood pressure measurements of more than 27,000 participants across four different studies, Smidt Heart Institute researchers found that systolic pressure levels higher than 110 mmHg in women were associated with risks of heart disease and stroke. The team recommends reassessing current guidelines, which still consider 120 mmHg the normal upper limit for all adults.

ASPIRIN FOR COLORECTAL CARE Long-term use of aspirin—at least 15 times per month—prior to diagnosis may help people avoid colorectal cancer. New research by Cedars-Sinai investigators reveals that aspirin potentially lowers the rate of metastasis, or tumor spread.

Meanwhile, non-aspirin alternatives such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen and naproxen fail to reduce such spread.

While ongoing clinical studies will provide additional guidance, patients and clinicians should discuss risks and benefits, as daily aspirin use may increase the risk of allergic reactions and internal bleeding.

GENETIC ARCHITECTURE DECIPHERED Genetic risk factors for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) differ dramatically between African Americans and people of European ancestry, according to a pioneering whole-genome study co-led by Cedars-Sinai. Investigators analyzed the genes of more than 1,700 patients who have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, the most common forms of IBD. They found that the most important genetic risk for IBD in African Americans is a relatively minor factor among whites, and vice versa. The research could lead to more personalized approaches that ensure diverse populations benefit from the advances promised by genomic medicine.

GOOD FOR YOUR HEAD AND HEART While it might seem that the brain and heart operate independently on separate missions, scientists are increasingly uncovering a close connection between the two. Clinical evidence is mounting that cardiovascular health affects cognitive health, suggesting that preventive efforts for one translate to the other. Diet is a key factor influencing both heart and brain health. Switching to a Mediterranean diet, which places a premium on plant-based foods—such as fruits, vegetables and grains—can protect both organs. Our mothers were right: We are what we eat.

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AT-A-GLANCE

“ Telemedicine’s biggest strength is access.”

— Matthew Kollefrath, MD, MBA

A Growing Role for Video Visits Use of telemedicine has dramatically expanded in the era of COVID-19, with the pandemic driving the need to see your doctor remotely.

Adoption of video visits means you can receive on-demand care and have your pressing health questions answered—without an office visit, says Matthew Kollefrath, MD, MBA, a Cedars-Sinai primary care physician.

“Telemedicine’s biggest strength is access,” he says.

Kollefrath says virtual care increases the number of patients that doctors can comfortably treat in a given day and helps curb in-person urgent care and emergency department visits.

Video visits are ideal for respiratory or viral illnesses, he stresses. Plus, you can often get on your doctor’s schedule more quickly for a virtual visit.

Telemedicine also plays a growing role in chronic disease management. Kollefrath says telemedicine has been extremely helpful for managing hypertension, diabetes and weight—providing convenient virtual care for many of these healthcare checkups. This option works well as long as you have a blood pressure monitor, scale and video access at home.

However, if you’re experiencing a physical complaint such as a fracture, sprain, musculoskeletal injury or neurological issue, you’re better off coming in, Kollefrath suggests. The same is true for ear and throat pain.

“Anything that needs a physical exam for a diagnosis is difficult to do over video,” he says.

Another time not to access video visits? When you’re driving—make sure you’re able to focus only on your health when you have your doctor’s attention.

Cedars-Sinai offers video visits with individual providers, as well as the Video Visit Now service for urgent virtual health assessments.

Ask your doctor about your options or call 800-CEDARS-1 if you’re a new patient.

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VISIT OUR DOCTORS YALDA AZARMEHR, MD INTERNAL MEDICINE

RYAN PONEC, MD ONCOLOGY

ANI BALMANOUKIAN, MD HEMATOLOGY/ONCOLOGY

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SANAA DESHMUKH, MD ENDOCRINOLOGY

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12746 W. Jefferson Blvd., Suite 4000 Playa Vista, CA 90094 424-315-2347

8767 Wilshire Blvd., 2nd Floor Beverly Hills, CA 90211 424-315-2391

8501 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 201 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310-385-3345

250 N. Robertson Blvd., Suite 603 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310-385-3298

FEATURED PHYSICIANS

18133 Ventura Blvd., Suite 300 Tarzana, CA 91356 818-981-3818

1919 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 210 Santa Monica, CA 90404 424-315-2327

12746 W. Jefferson Blvd., Suite 3000 Playa Vista, CA 90094 424-315-2343

8536 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 201 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310-248-8299

18133 Ventura Blvd., Suite 405 Tarzana, CA 91356 310-423-2070

8767 Wilshire Blvd., 3rd Floor Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310-385-6031

12746 W. Jefferson Blvd., Suite 4000 Playa Vista, CA 90094 310-423-6275

2020 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 400 Santa Monica, CA 90404 424-314-5000

URGENT CARE

NITIN KAPUR, MD, MPH p.6 INTERNAL MEDICINE

JASMINE ONYEKA OBIOHA, MD p.4 DERMATOLOGY

1919 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 210 Santa Monica, CA 90404 310-423-8828

99 N. La Cienega Blvd., Suite 202 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310-385-3300

MATTHEW KOLLEFRATH, MD, MBA p.16 INTERNAL MEDICINE

MEHUL THAKKAR, MD p.12 INTERNAL MEDICINE

8767 Wilshire Blvd., 3rd Floor Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310-385-6031

18133 Ventura Blvd., Suite 405 Tarzana, CA 91356 424-314-7686

WEEKDAYS, NOON–9 P.M., WEEKENDS, 9 A.M.–6 P.M. BEVERLY HILLS 8767 Wilshire Blvd., 2nd Floor Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310-248-7000

CULVER CITY* 10100 Culver Blvd., Suite E Culver City, CA 90232 310-423-3333

PLAYA VISTA* 12746 W. Jefferson Blvd., Suite 2000 Playa Vista, CA 90094 424-315-2220

*Hours may vary. Please check our website for more information.

Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 to schedule an appointment. @CEDARSSINAI

17

8700 Beverly Blvd., Suite 2416, Los Angeles, CA 90048

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We know that your life impacts your health and wellbeing.

We’re here to help you get through life’s challenges and hurdles. Whenever you face hardships such as food and housing insecurity, financial woes, social isolation, or need mental health and caregiving services, our Community Connect Program is here to help along the way.

We’re right here—and we’re in this together.

Connect with resources at cscommunityresource.auntbertha.com or visit cedars-sinai.org/ccp.