Mother's Day Issue - Issue 122.2

SPECIAL ISSUE

May 2021 Issue 122.2

Pain Is No Match for This Doctor and Her Daughter A special Mother's Day interview with Dr. Dawn Sparks Pg 18

5 Reasons You Might Be Feeling Cold All the Time Pg 13

Mental and Psychological Well-Being of Medical Professionals in the Workplace Pg 23

How is this Doctor Balancing Seeing Patients and Raising a Family? The Secret is Telehealth!

Pg 27

Contents

01

04

09

18

01

04

Empowering People to be

23

Healthy and Happy: An Interview

Psychological Well-Being of

with Eva Vennari

Medical Professionals in the

Revolutionizing the American Healthcare System with Dr. Faisel

Workplace

27

13

Ushering in Natural Medicine: An

18

Family? The Secret is Telehealth!

Interview with Charlie Piermarini

33

5 Reasons You Might Be Feeling

36

Cold All the Time A Discussion of Pain Management: The Past, The Present, and The Future WHAT'S INSIDE?

How is this Doctor Balancing Seeing Patients and Raising a

Syed from ChenMed

09

Dr. Kellie Stecher: Mental and

Confessions of a Plastic Surgery Coach Sharing In-Ear Headphones Is Just As Bad as Sharing Your Toothbrush... But Worse

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TERRABELLA R E A L

E S T A T E

Empowering People to be Healthy and Happy: An Interview with Eva Vennari

By Victoria Cook

Eva Vennari is no stranger to ongoing health problems. As a little girl, she went to various doctors who would attempt to diagnose her properly, but to no avail. After experiencing a draining career that led to burnout, Vennari realized that she wanted no - needed real change.

That place of burnout propelled Vennari to where she is today: a CEO and founder of The Elevate Institute,LLC, an organization focused on health and energization. Vennari is a certified Nutritional Counselor in Mineral Balancing and Hair Mineral Analysis

and

has

certifications

for

Personal

Nutrition, Chakra Healing, and Akashic Record Reading.

Vennari's enlightenment came at 3 a.m. as she was fighting insomnia. She decided to look online for any illnesses that met her symptoms and came across an article on mineral balancing.

Mineral balancing is about utilizing nutrition (minerals) to remove toxins from the body. On further research, Vennari decided to try mineral balancing on herself, and her symptoms were alleviated entirely. For the first time in a while, she felt better.

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01

Issue 122.1.1

A Practitioner in Nutritional Health Her physical change inspired Vennari to become a practitioner in nutritional health. At first, she intended to provide help to herself and family, but the loss of someone close made her realize she could help people beyond her family.

She began her business, The Elevate Institute, shortly after. Elevate offers education and a program for those wanting to pinpoint their nutritional imbalances. Different from bloodwork, Vennari

takes

hair

samples

to

analyze

the

relationships between minerals.

"I affectionately call the hair analysis report the trash report because it captures what is leftover at the end of the body's rejuvenation process," Vennari said. "We're just tapping into the body's natural healing processes by watching how it prioritizes what you eat, drink, and breathe in. And then it makes more you and spits out the rest into soft tissue, which is your hair."

This analysis balanced with a holistic approach to pinpointing stresses helps Vennari walk her clients through a path of regaining their energy and living life to their fullest.

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02

Issue 122.1.1

Lasting Change and Real Empowerment One such client was a father depressed, unable to work and be a partner in h is marriage. He was unable to eat, or enjoy anything and had severe anxiety. With the help of Vennari's program, he gradually came to a healthy place emotionally and physically. The change to his nutrition ultimately boosted his energy and restored his confidence along with establishing new boundaries. His wife and some of his children then also went through the program to reach a place of wellness.

"When you start taking supplements, and you're paying attention to yourself, that is a form of self-love.

Sometimes that's the only first step a person can afford to make in their emotional place," Vennari said.

"When you give your body more energy, it frees your mind and emotional space to open up, and you're allowed to process things that you haven't been able to."

Stress is one of the biggest inhibitors to people absorbing the minerals they need, so Vennari works with her clients to set healthy boundaries and meditative practices that help with mental and emotional health. Helping each client be aligned holistically is how Vennari empowers people to be happy and healthy.

But Vennari recognizes that there is no cure-all for each person. Health, in many ways, is a process, and she, above all, encourages discernment and discipline in pursuing the answer to a healthy life.

"The answer is unique to each of us just as our thumbprints," Eva Vennari said. "The foundation to knowing the secret of your life is that you have to put the work in to find out what makes you happy and then make sure you do it."

Want to know more about Eva Vennari? You can find The Elevate Institute here, and you can listen to her podcast "When Doctors Say 'We Don't Know'" here.

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03

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Revolutionizing the American Healthcare System with Dr. Faisel

By Yuko Tabasa Syed from ChenMed About Dr. Faisel Syed Dr. Faisel Syed, MD, earned his medical degree from the Iberoamerican University in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He completed his

residency

at

the

Columbus

Regional

Medical Center in Georgia and became a board-certified

family

medicine

physician.

From then on, he has dedicated his time to serving the Tampa community with top-notch primary care.

Fueled by his passion for providing healthcare for the underserved, Dr. Syed decided to join ChenMed,

a

physician-led,

family-oriented

primary care organization dedicated to serving seniors in low-income areas. He is now the National Director of Primary Care for the organization and continues to advocate for holistic medicine and a healthy lifestyle.

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04

Issue 122.1.2

ChenMed’s Value-Based Care Model Dr. Syed takes great pride in working with ChenMed. What makes it so unique is that it operates on a full cost, value-based care model committed to giving seniors VIP care. In other words, they take 100% responsibility for their patient’s care, and assume 100% of the cost. Both patients and doctors no longer have to worry about billing fees. Such an approach contrasts with other healthcare systems that follow a fee-for-service model, which means there is a transaction for every healthcare visit.

The problem with a fee-for-service model is that doctors are forced to become more focused on filing documentation for billing their patients and less on giving them care. In ChenMed, doctors have a team that takes care of all the paperwork, leaving the doctor focused solely on providing outstanding care to their patients. That is also why ChenMed has a smaller panel size of about 400 patients per doctor. Most doctors in America see about 2000 patients per year. Since their focus is on quality over quantity, ChenMed can build a solid and lasting doctor-patient relationship, the heart of good primary care.

The Number One Cause of Bankruptcy in America Did you know that the number one cause of bankruptcy in America is medical billing? Why? Dr. Syed spills the secrets of hospital administrations and how they’re sucking your wallet dry. Here’s the truth: “People are getting bankrupted by bills from emergency room visits.”

Dr. Syed shared a personal experience of a time when he was rushed to the ER for pneumonia. He was charged $10,000 for treatments consisting of X-rays, EKGs, saline, Tylenol, and many other tests. And now here comes the crazy part, Dr. Syed said that when he told his colleagues about it at ChenMed, they told him this: “What they did for you in the emergency room would have cost us $7 in the outpatient setting.” Ridiculous, right?

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05

Issue 122.1.2

Is Your Healthcare Money Going to Waste?

The cost of healthcare in America today for people over the age of 65 has surpassed 1 trillion dollars, and that is only for 45 million out of a 330 million population. When you look at such statistics, it makes you wonder where all that money is going.

Dr. Syed brings the spotlight to medical waste described here as unnecessary procedures and visits to the hospital. “As of last year, we crossed the $1 trillion dollar mark for medically unnecessary procedures,” he said.

The top cause for medical waste is unnecessary hospitalizations which are fueled by unnecessary emergency room visits. Most of them do not depend upon medical assistance, and the same care could have easily been done in an outpatient setting at a cheaper cost, just like Dr. Syed’s experience. But because emergency room visits cost more than outpatient settings, hospitals continue to promote this practice as they earn more from it.

The

second

cause

of

medical

waste

is

unnecessary specialist visits. Dr. Syed shares his father’s first-hand experience of being sent to multiple specialists by his previous healthcare provider without having a true purpose of doing so. When Dr. Syed’s father finally decided to switch to a ChenMed physician, he found that the cure to all his problems was just a change of mattress. This simple and inexpensive solution improved Mr. Syed’s back pain and memory loss and his overall quality of life without being prescribed dozens of drugs - which brings us to the third leading cause of medical waste.

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06

Issue 122.1.2 Overprescribing brand-name drugs when generic drugs are just as effective also contributes to the incredible amount of medical waste. Moreover, the overprescription of medication is not as effective as prevention, which we will discuss a little more in-depth next.

Prevention Is Better Than Cure There is a saying that goes, “When you’re young, you sacrifice your health for wealth. And when you’re old, you spend all that wealth on health.” This is especially true for Americans,” Dr. Syed points out. “The thing is, Americans do not receive adequate education on living a healthy lifestyle. People run on this mentality that they wait for a problem to arise and then fix it instead of focusing on prevention.”

Healthcare systems are doing little about that because they are focused on generating revenue by billing. And the sicker patients become, the more revenue they can generate. “So it’s really not healthcare. Truly, the system we have in place is the sick care system,” Dr. Syed conveys to Top Doctor Magazine.

In ChenMed, Dr. Syed says they are centered around prevention and enhancing the quality of life for their patients and their doctors. They even go so far as providing a wellness program for their doctors and limiting their work capacity. They believe that a healthy and well-rested doctor will serve a patient with much better care, which is the ultimate goal of ChenMed. A happy doctor equals a healthy patient.

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07

Issue 122.1.2

Seniors Love TeleHealth Since ChenMed treats seniors, the most exposed population at risk for COVID-19, they did everything to keep them safe. Their new pursuit was to keep patients healthy, happy, and at home. To do this, ChenMed moved to telehealth, and their patients loved it. It even strengthened the doctor-patient bond because the doctors are spending hours of virtual face time with their patients and getting a virtual glimpse of seniors in their homes. They even went to the extent of providing groceries for their patients who were unable to go outside. Talk about going the extra mile! ChenMed’s success through quality service is proven in their recently published study of a 40% reduced mortality rate based on the healthcare system they use.

Conclusion Even though this model only makes up for 1% of the healthcare systems in America, ChenMed is dead set on its goal to become the country’s leading primary care provider. ChenMed is on track to open 500 more new locations in the next five years devoted to giving affordable, compassionate, and human-centered care to medically underserved communities. “We are leading this primary care revolution,” Dr. Syed announced, and Top Doctor Magazine is here to cheer them along for the ride.

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08

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Ushering in Natural Medicine: An Interview with Charlie Piermarini

By Victoria Cook and Brianna Connors

Devil's lettuce, weed, pot - all of these names are associated with recreational marijuana and often carry unhelpful negative stigmas associated

with

medical

cannabis.

Enter

Charlie Piermarini .

Piermarini

actively

promotes

holistic

education and healthcare utilizing natural medicine,

focusing

on

medical

CBD

(cannabidiol). He is a PA, co-founder of The Healing Joint and Integrative Medicine, and founder of Restorative CBD. He has three Masters in Physiology, Public Health, and Physician Assistant Sciences.

Piermarini remembers what he first thought of

marijuana

medicinal

before

benefits

of

learning

about

marijuana's

the

cousin,

hemp. "I thought people were just trying to get high," he said. "They [medical schools] don't

teach

us

anything

about

the

endocannabinoid system, so I researched it and started learning what I could."

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09

Issue 122.1.3

Integrative Medicine The Western approach to medicine, Piermarini found, was limiting. It focused on solving a specific problem instead of looking at the body and its issues as interconnected and fluid. His research, coupled with mentorship from Dr. Jyotiy Patel, inspired Piermarini to expand into integrative medicine.

"She instilled in me that you have to look at the patient as a whole. For example, you can't just give diabetic people Metformin and talk about glipizide and send them on their way," Piermarini said. Instead of just prescribing medicine for an ailment, he also talks with his patients about their lifestyle choices what they are eating, how they are exercising, and other related questions.

"We've talked about high dose, 20,000-milligram vitamin C IVs and supplements, doing micronutrient testing

and

testing

functional

pathways

for

deficiencies in vitamins and micronutrients, and keeping you on a good regimen," he said. "People are searching these things out. So I kind of want to meet patients where, you know, where they needed to be met."

Piermarini pointed out that some medications may not work on a patient because they are vitamin and nutrient deficient. Focusing on the health of their gut and that they are synthesizing their intake properly, Piermarini believes, gets to the root of many patients' health problems.

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Issue 122.1.3

Improving Health with CBD Cannabis and CBD provide unique opportunities for improving patients' health because they can act as stimulants to the brain.

"We have a whole system in our body that is made to just respond to plant-like molecules like cannabis," Piermarini said. "There's a lot of healing properties behind cannabis."

According to Piermarini, cannabis has zero overdose deaths. "There are no receptors on your brain stem that will suppress your breathing, unlike opioids," he explained. Cannabis affects the brain and helps increase energy production. It also has shown to be a suitable replacement for opioids because it helps rewire the brain's neural pathways and doesn't pose the overdose risk.

Piermarini also offers a more controlled environment for patients to try cannabis as a natural alternative to their ailments. In integrative medicine, medications and dosages are tailored to the patient's needs and then tailored again after monitoring the first-round results. This involved process can reap better results, as all of a person's health variables are considered.

"It's

more

of

a

collaborative

authoritative one," he said.

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|

11

effort

than

an

Issue 122.1.3

Starting the Conversation Piermarini is a vocal advocate for CBD and natural medicine. He is a speaker for the USA CBD expo, Lucky Leaf Expo, and The CBD Expo and would have spoken at the World CBD Expo if not for CV-19. He continues to write and create resources for patients and doctors. He co-authored a review paper about how CBD works for pain management and was a lead author for a letter to the editor calling for more legitimate CBD products. He also finished his first book titled, "CBD Education From A Medical Professional”, to continue to help educate patients and other medical professionals about CBD. His book is available on Amazon and Kindle.

When CV-19 affected his clinic, Piermarini took the opportunity to create an online course for medical professionals and laypeople to educate them about CBD, the endocannabinoid system, and the difference between cannabis and hemp.

"I think it's a great place to at least get people up to speed and understand the vernacular and what the endocannabinoid system is," he said. Piermarini wants to educate people properly, especially since other resources on marijuana can fall to the extreme. "CBD is not a cure-all for everything," Piermarini stated.

Currently, Piermarini is working with the Arizona state legislature to allow physician assistants to prescribe medical marijuana. "I'm working closely with a few legislators, and they just floated a bill right now for me to give all PAs and NPs the ability to recommend medical marijuana to our patients."

The work has just begun for PA Charlie Piermarini, but he has a balanced view of the situation. More people are seeking natural alternatives to their medicine, and that's encouraging.

"Vaccines are great antibody therapies, but all these other medications we're doing are like Hail Mary's," Piermarini said. "If we were a society that prioritized primary prevention of disease, such as activity, eating a well-balanced diet, good supplements, getting good rest, I think we would have been in a little bit better of a situation."

You can learn more about CBD and Piermarini's work here. If you are interested in learning more about CBD, here's our latest article, "Is a Recently Discovered Oil-Free CBD Technology the New Fountain of Wellness?".

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5 Reasons You Might Be Feeling Cold All the Time

By Joseph P. Smalley

To feel cold when out in the cold is one thing, but feeling icy when other people nearby feel rather toasty hot is another. For women, the condition is not uncommon - partly due to physiology and partly due to susceptibility to factors promoting coldness.

Concerning medical causes, it is not safe to be just

guessing.

Medical

conditions

need

checking and confirmation by a specialist.

To unravel the cause of the problem, the specialist needs to know the patient's history and have him/her undergo a physical exam.

Laboratory and imaging works are helpful as well.

Reasons why some people constantly feel cold include (but not limited to):

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13

Issue 122.1.4

#1: Hypothyroidism Always being cold can be a telltale sign of slow metabolism due to a thyroid malfunction. In hypothyroidism, the malfunction is about this gland being unable to secrete enough thyroid hormone.

Such a condition prevents the body from generating an adequate amount of heat. Accompanying signs include fatigue, dry skin, thinning hair, and cold hands and feet.

About 4.5% of Americans suffer from this condition, which is more prevalent among women who have been pregnant recently and are 60 years old and above. A suspected thyroid problem needs checking by a physician to confirm a diagnosis using a blood test.

Hypothyroidism symptoms are not exclusive to this condition. Other conditions with the same symptoms include anemia and inefficient circulation. These conditions generally result in a low body temperature.

#2: Anemia Not having adequate levels of iron is another reason for being always cold. Iron helps the red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. Heat and energy production requires a sufficient supply of oxygen all the time.

In some cases, it is not a deficiency in iron that is the culprit for developing anemia. The American Society of Hematology (ASH) explains that the condition may also result from the body's inability to produce enough red blood cells. It may also be that the body is destroying too many red blood cells or losing blood due to some conditions.

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14

Issue 122.1.4 Any of these causes lead to a lack of oxygen supply and poor circulation. In such a case, the patient receives less circulation to the limbs and feels cold in these parts, particularly in the hands and feet.

Anemia's symptoms include: Chest pain Awareness of the heart beating Headache Dizziness Lack of energy Shortness of breath

#3: Too Low Body Mass Index (BMI) The healthy BMI range is between 18.5 and 24.9. A person who has a BMI of less than 18.5 falls within the underweight range. This low level of BMI can make that person feel chilly even in normal conditions.

Being too underweight can mean a person is too thin and has not enough body fat to provide enough insulation against cold temperatures.

Some people intentionally maintain a low BMI, and for them to do that, they reduce their food intake. It is worse if they are not eating much at all. Skimping on calories pushes the brake against metabolism, which reduces efficiency in producing enough energy and heat.

Also, if the weight loss stems from a lack of caloric consumption, it can cause a slowing down of metabolism and reduced efficiency in temperature regulation. Increasing healthy foods with lots of protein, carbohydrates, and fats may be the best solution to this problem.

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15

Issue 122.1.4

#4: Lack of Sleep Proper temperature regulation also relates to getting enough sleep. A person that does not get enough sleep may feel being constantly on ice.

The reason has something to do with a mess that happens with the person's circadian rhythm due to disturbance in sleep patterns.

As part of the system's normal processes during sleep, the body temperature drops while melatonin production increases. The circadian melatonin rhythm is associated with sleep rhythm. Aging, certain diseases (diabetic neuropathy, degeneration of the autonomic nervous system, Alzheimer's diseases, etc.), and drugs such as anti-inflammatory agents and beta-blockers eliminate melatonin production.

If you suspect one of these conditions affects your sleep, talk to your doctor. He may consider prescribing a melatonin treatment. Melatonin is not a sedating substance. It has sleep-promoting effects similar to the natural physiological sequence people experience at night.

Under the condition of insufficient sleep, the body thinks that there is a need to doze off. In such a condition, the circadian rhythm naturally lowers the body temperature, and the person can feel colder.

Nonetheless, talk to your doctor to establish the root cause of why you do not get enough sleep.

Getting enough sleep will help restore your body's natural thermostat to the right setting.

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16

Issue 122.1.4

#5: Being a Woman Being a woman makes a person also susceptible to the condition. Experts call it "the gendered condition." It means that the female body conserves heat better than the male body.

The female body does it by directing and maintaining more blood flow to the larger organs (heart, brain, kidney, etc.). This tendency causes less blood flow to smaller and more distant organs such as the feet and the hands, leaving these parts in a woman feel colder than in a man.

Other reasons to check for why you are feeling cold include: Dehydration: the water level in the plasma is low Lack of vitamin B12: like iron, vitamin B12 keeps the red blood cells healthy Diabetes: Diabetes can cause circulation issues Anxiety and panic attacks: cold sensations are common symptoms of anxiety Raynaud's disease: this disease makes blood flow go into a temporary spasm

Conclusion When feeling cold all the time, there is no reason to panic. Get to the root cause of the problem and remember: the usual cause of feeling cold all the time is just poor circulation. Feeling cold all the time is not something that should affect your general well-being. Nonetheless, your condition needs an assessment by an expert to know the root cause of your problem. Make sure that you consult your physician. He will run tests to determine whether it is anemia or a thyroid issue causing you to feel cold all the time. Get enough sleep and exercise to improve your circulation. Walking at any pace is a good form of exercise for people with such a problem. Walking, as a form of exercise, increases blood flow throughout the body. Massaging your fingers and toes can increase your body temperature as well.

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TOP DOCTORS OF THE WEEK

May 9 HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY ALL MONTH LONG

Pain Is No Match for This Doctor and Her Daughter A Special Mother's Day

Interview with Dr. Dawn Sparks

By Ionuț Raicea and Brianna Connors

Ever-growing societies ask for role models, for people who, as Plato would say, divert their vision from their own pond towards the larger world, who can instill hope in our souls, help us get through the day, and dream of a brighter tomorrow. In other words, all of us are looking for modern superheroes, whose heroic acts transpire through little daily deeds, always giving and asking nothing in return.

And who is better to play this capeless part than mothers, who give birth, nurture, and watch us grow and prosper, and whose happiness is equivalent to ours? This is why our Top Doctor Magazine team wishes to dedicate this article to mothers, our capeless heroes, on this most special of days.

As a token of appreciation, we would like to bring to the light the story of a true hero mother, whose drive, determination, and dedication to her objective let her reach unimaginable peaks in anesthesiology and

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Issue 122.1.4 pain management medicine, bringing sustainable solutions to the Hawaii community of pain management patients. As Dr. Dawn Sparks, a Case Western Reserve University, OH alumnus trained at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, told us during her interview, "If you really want something and you really put your mind to it, and you really put your heart and soul in it, you can pretty much produce anything that you want."

Dr. Sparks’ Early Steps into Medicine Starting from a young age, Dr. Sparks has sealed her connection with medicine. Following in her father's footsteps, who performed the first lung transplant in the state of Ohio at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Sparks immersed herself in the noble field of medicine and joined Case Western Reserve University, OH. Right from the start, she had to face people who saw only roadblocks down her path because she brought a miracle into the world at such a young age: "I had my daughter when I was still nineteen, and I had her on a Friday night and went back to school Monday morning." But where others saw impediments, Dr. Sparks saw her destined path: "I had this goal of becoming a doctor, and everybody said, this was going to stop me. And I was like, no, this is just part of my path."

Taking the Pain Management Path Looking back to those college years, Dr. Sparks still can't believe how she managed to attend medical school, work a demanding job, and raise her daughter at such a fragile age. "And then, during that time, I never stopped or thought that I wouldn't get into medical school or stop the pursuit." Her efforts were never in vain; she joined the anesthesiology department at the Cleveland Clinic, where Dr. John, one of her mentors, gifted the book called "Pain: The Fifth Vital Sign" to her.

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19

Issue 122.1.4 Inside, a message written in a dedication note was about to open her horizon towards a deeper understanding of pain: "Pain is the experience; suffering is the interpretation."

Dr. Sparks shares with Top Doctor Magazine the way she understood those words: "And I just remember thinking, that was so profound because pain is super subjective and nobody understands it. So, many doctors just blow it off and just want to give it medication. I remember thinking there was a faulty issue with how we treated pain even early on and why weren't we addressing the source of it. We weren't treating the source. We weren't investigating why people had their pain and where the sources of pain were actually derived from. For that reason, Dr. Sparks took it upon herself to "solve that piece of the puzzle."

Being on the Patient’s Side It wasn't only mentorship but also her own life experience that shaped Dr. Sparks' towards pain management. She was involved in a terrible car accident before her daughter was born, out of which she miraculously escaped alive: "I was in a coma for four days. I was in the ICU. I had multiple surgeries. I broke all the bones from the left side of my face, both my wrists and my hands. I had to have my trachea resected, and my chin sewed to my chest."

By means of this experience, Dr. Sparks learned how out-of-touch physicians were concerning pain medicine since they would prescribe fentanyl lollipops, something unimaginable to us, and other longacting drugs that, without surprise, drove patients towards addiction and crime. She even shared a story about a doctor in Minnesota who was killed by a pain medicine addict. "It's like, they're addicted, right? It's their drug; they go crazy." Unwilling to risk her and her daughter's safety over this matter, Dr. Sparks chose to roll with the Aloha spirit and relocate to Hawaii, where she has been living since 2015.

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20

Issue 122.1.4

Using the Aloha Spirit to Perfect Pain Management But the stories about endless pain management drug prescriptions are far past fentanyl lollipops.

Today's technological advancements are seeing such a constant and speedy process that pain management can be "managed" through electronic devices. Nowadays, Dr. Sparks is an active promoter of neuromodulators, which she calls "pacemakers for pain." These devices intervene between the nerve signals and the brain, forbidding the former from ever reaching the latter.

Dr. Sparks is more than grateful for being able to not only identify the source of pain but also see "what's going on psychologically, what's going on with your physical wellbeing and your energy levels and cause all of those things to contribute to pain." With both expertise and compassionate care, she performs true miracles on her patients, relieving them of pain while psychologically bringing them on their own two feet. "They're off their medication; they're able to move around, they're getting full-time jobs. You know, some of them had horrible foot pain, they couldn't even put on socks and shoes, some of them were in wheelchairs, and now they're walking!"

The Future of Pain Management Looking towards the future, Dr. Sparks brings the true pain management enthusiast that she is to the stage to bless us with her optimism. "The future is super bright, and I think because we have people in the world like Elon Musk and thinkers that are always striving to improve

the

realm

of

pain

management."

With

technology advancement promoters like Elon Musk's Neuralink, insurance programs such as Medicare ready to reimburse patients for neuromodulators, and a close pack of 5,500 pain management physicians in the U.S. alone, the sun will surely shine bright on pain management's horizon.

In the meantime, as a parting reminder, Dr. Sparks would like to thank from the bottom of her heart all the physicians and medical personnel who braved the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic one step at a time, encouraging them to stay resilient and keep up the hard work in this never-ending battle against the virus.

"I think it's been a really hard time to be a physician

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21

Issue 122.1.4 and I just want to tell people, 'Don't give up, never ever give up.'"

The Fates are not kind to every one of us, and some of us are constantly tested, constantly forced to break our own barriers to fulfill our purpose, our calling in life. And one of these people is Dr. Dawn Sparks, whose story truly deserves to stand as a model and an inexhaustible well of hope for those who recognize themselves in her story but require help to keep pushing forward.

However, Dr. Sparks would not have become the accomplished model of today had she taken heed of all those negative voices that couldn't understand the beauty in being a young mother. Instead of being an overwhelming burden, her daughter always stood as her primary source of inspiration, or courage, of motivation, the one who always understood her struggles and comforted her in a time of need. Even today, Dr. Sparks' daughter, who works by her mother's side, uses small gestures to help her mother start her day on the right foot: "Now, she's working out of my office, and she'll put little notes sometimes on my computer when I'm having a really busy day, that'll say, 'You can do it.' 'You're doing a great job.' 'I love you.' 'I'm so proud of you,' little things like that make me realize now that she probably understands in a different way all of the stuff that I endured."

If you would like to learn more about Dr. Sparks and her mission, make sure that you check out her website.

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22

Dr. Kellie Stecher: Mental and Psychological Well-Being of Medical Professionals in the Workplace The physical and psychological well-being of employees says quite a lot about a workplace.

A workplace should promote their employees' general well-being by treating its mental and psychological aspects similar to the physical environment. Poor mental health not only affects the client but also hurts business income. Every business is different, from the employees to the stakeholders leading the organization, the size of the enterprise, the social climate that affects the community, to the external support the business uses. There is

no

one

"right

approach"

to

build

a

psychologically stable workplace.

Due to this, Dr. Kellie Stecher started an organization specifically on mental health issues

in

the

medical

line.

"With

that

organization, we are trying to create a haven for anyone who takes care of patients. We are providing a free barrier, free access to mental health resources," says Dr. Stecher.

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23

Issue 122.1.4 "I always knew I wanted to be a physician. In college, I decided that I wanted to be an OB-GYN." She says. With experience in child delivery, "I have seen, firsthand, how much good a positive environment can do to people." Her first delivery support experience pushed her to do her residency in Grand Rapids.

"I went there for residency and then from there decided to move back to Minnesota because my in-laws are here."

Today, Dr. Stecher's work focuses on workplace harassment, stress, and mental health issues that medical students and residents face. It's a journey, a bold journey to reform the medical culture. "The trainees are the most vulnerable because of the loans. They often feel trapped. she says. "I wanted to make sure that we were advocating for them so that they have a safe learning environment."

On COVID-19 and Its Effect on Medical Trainees and Residents "Mental stress escalated with the rise in the COVID-19 pandemic." Dr. Stecher says. She created her organization, Patient Care Heroes, an organization set to help medical professionals and caregivers with emotional and psychological support. The organization also provides free access to mental health resources.

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24

Issue 122.1.4

Obstacles to Helping Medical Professionals with Mental Health Issues "One of the issues we have is each state is left to their own devices and has an entirely different physician license application and some of the applications are actually in conflict with the ADA— American Disability Act." Part of her mission is to "create new policies and fix the application processes and cultural acceptances that are toxic." She cited practical examples of harmful practices like the 'noncompete' that prevent people from leaving toxic and depressing workplaces. Mandatory Arbitration prevents justice when a healthcare worker is harassed or intimidated.

What Can Be Done?

"Many things can be done to ensure a high quality of life for medical professionals." She argues. "Aside from the policy issues, this organization was created to ensure that we take care of ourselves and each other. We need some empathy. The stress of the pandemic increased suicide rate of physicians in the country."

"We've always had issues with physician suicide rates, and I wanted to create a space where people didn't feel alone." She says. "My organization gives a

support

system

to

struggling

healthcare

professionals. We try to let them feel loved and supported—and yes, they can be vulnerable within our safe space."

The Organization: Its Growth, Successes, and Setbacks The organization took off in January. "I had been doing advocacy work, but the organization was my primary goal. I partnered with Goyal, an anesthesiologist, and CEO of Bob capital," said Dr. Stecher. "I have been working through grassroots efforts and local and national organizations and partnering with many institutions to ensure that we make substantial changes."

While her network of organizations currently focuses on the effect of the pandemic on physicians' mental health, they also hope to create a growing community of people and physicians who will consistently push for better care for the mental health of physicians.

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25

Issue 122.1.4 On women in the healthcare industry, she laments the fewer women in leadership roles when compared to men. "We want to advocate for women internationally to find their voice in these systems so that we can create changes that we need." Achieving such heavy feats can only be achieved through incredible partnership, and Dr. Stecher already has plans to partner with the United Nations and people from different parts of the world on workplace safety, equality, and effective justice systems against harassment.

On the high suicide rates, "The assistance should be rendered to the people feeling suicidal because it isn't affordable to lose any more physicians, nurses, or medical personnel. Without doing this, there would be severe consequences in the public healthcare system." "We've teamed up with some national organizations like Rexel Pharmaceuticals to help provide depression and substance abuse therapy at no cost to the medical community." Dr. Stecher says. Her work has already opened up spaces where people can efficiently work on their struggles in their spare time.

Dr. Stecher is also part of the Minnesota mental health advocates. "Minnesota Mental Health Advocates is an organization that Shereen McConnell created, and she is a former nurse. So these issues are very near and dear to her heart." The organization has teamed up with various people because it is not just focused on aiding medical personnel; it attends to all groups of people. It has helped in getting medical resources for communities. Using some of these resources has opened up space where people can do things at their leisure and then work on some of the issues that they're struggling with.

On her life journey and remarkable achievements, she says, "As cliché as it may sound, it's the delivery.

There is joy in helping patients who have struggled with infertility get pregnant. The joy is immense when I get to deliver their amazing, beautiful babies. Being there with them through the whole journey is rewarding."

She gave a final thought on the issue of mental health in the healthcare industry: "We've only started to understand the magnitude of these issues. I want to make sure that people know that they're not alone, build a communication bridge to them, and ensure that they have all the resources they need to fight and grow."

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How is this Doctor Balancing Seeing Patients and Raising a Family? The

By Ionuț Raicea Secret is Telehealth!

Dr. Lauralee Yalden is a Family Medicine physician currently residing in Englewood, NJ. She received her Bachelor's of Science with General Academic Honors from the University of Miami and her Doctor of Medicine from the Ross University School of Medicine, Dominica, West Indies. Dr. Yalden

pursued

a

Post-Doctoral

Research

Fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Vascular Surgery, and finished her Residency

program

at

UHS/Wilson

Regional

Medical Center, Department of Family Medicine.

Besides her solid training in both vascular surgery and

family

medicine,

Dr.

Yalden

has

been

advocating for the benefits of telehealth for several

years

now,

with

numerous

lectures,

presentations, and publications on this subject.

Outside the clinic, Dr. Yalden is very fond of teaching and has been part of numerous higherlearning institutions, such as the State University of New York and Ross University School of Medicine.

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|

27

Issue 122.1.4 In her free time, she enjoys being a working mom, traveling and wandering around in new and old places, hiking in the national parks, gardening, cooking and baking gourmet meals for family and friends, reading, writing, and sketching in her journal.

Dr. Yalden’s Journey into Medicine Looking

back

towards

her

first

memories

surrounding the medicine field, Dr. Yalden shares some

powerful,

emotional

details

from

her

childhood. Her mother and father were diagnosed with cancer, which left an understandable mark on Dr. Yalden's childhood and teenage years.

From such a fragile age, taking care of her parents within her limits became an everyday reality, a reality that shaped both her future career and vision towards patient care. "It's helped me a lot in all the work that I've had to do and given me a greater

understanding

families

go

through,

of

what

having

patients gone

and

through

something like that at such a young age. I think it's made me a better doctor." She shares with Top Doctor Magazine.

From Vascular Surgery to Family Medicine Throughout

her

medical

training,

Dr.

Yalden

showed an enthusiastic interest in operational surgery. With solid training in vascular surgery at Yale, she had the chance to work with the best in the field and immerse herself even more in her specialty field during training programs abroad.

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|

28

Issue 122.1.4 However, the Fates were sewing a different path for Dr. Yalden. As a woman who always intended to put family first, she decided to take a more suitable approach to her desired way of life, which is why she decided to devote herself to family medicine.

“As a woman who wanted to be married and have kids I didn't think that surgery would be a good fit for me for the future, as much as I loved it, so I switched to family medicine." Dr. Yalden shares with Top Doctor Magazine.

Finding a Balance between Work and Family Life If there's any analogic trait that would best describe Dr. Yalden's professional life, by far, it would be her bee-like hardworking nature. While she resided in FL, Dr. Yalden took care of patients in her family medicine practice and community hospital, made house calls for hospice patients, taught classes and mentored medical students at a local university in the hospital her office, and worked within the Miami Veteran Affairs (VA) ER system. Not without immense joy she remembers her time spent with retired military personnel, learning all about their medical history and, most exciting, learning about their entire history in the military.

However, as Dr. Yalden confesses, "After you have kids, it's hard to make a commitment to do all of these things." She decided to cut back her hours, considering her sincere desire to take care of the children's upbringing and education. However, in her quest, Dr. Yalden managed to find the right balance between work and family life, leaving her with enough time to raise her five and three-yearolds while continuing to practice family medicine.

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Issue 122.1.4

Going Over One’s Strength to Help a Patient Finding the perfect story patient seems to be difficult for Dr. Yalden; after all, innumerable patients have sought and received help from her. However, all of her stories have one common denominator, the drive to give her best when treating a patient, and no other story speaks more to this virtue (one of Dr. Yalden's many) than the story of a young man training for an endurance competition. After noticing some drops of blood in the young man's urine, Dr. Yalden thought it wise to investigate this further and get to the root of the matter. She was both thunderstruck at the sight of analysis results indicating cancer and happy to know that it could be cured, which is what eventually happened.

Dr. Yalden remembers this story as if it were yesterday, bringing to light a beautiful example of thanksgiving from the patient's family: "I remember the day that he came in with his wife and his kids and everybody gave me a big kiss and hug, in tears and thankful for what I did to take

care

of

their

father.

It

was

very

overwhelming for me."

For such stories and the opportunity to get to know numerous generations of the same family, Dr. Yalden appreciates her mission: "One of my great joys in my practice of family medicine: getting to know the whole family, parents, children, the grandparents, and everybody over time."

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30

Issue 122.1.4

Balancing Work and Family with Telehealth While many of us would believe that telehealth is a more recent construct, dating since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Yalden surprises us with the following statement: "I've been seeing patients online by telehealth for about nine years now." And Dr. Yalden doesn't hesitate to praise telehealth, which allowed her to start her own family, breastfeed her children, and spend real time with them.

Aside from such familial advantages, Dr. Yalden points out more valuable advantages to caring for patients from afar. Aside from limiting the patient's exposure to COVID-19, telehealth represents a viable and safe guarantee to future consultations: "Patients are more compliant now than ever before because of the ease of the follow-up plan...patients can connect anytime from anywhere." With physicians available for follow-up consultations in a safe environment, there's no wonder why a growing number of patients have opted for telemedicine since the start of the pandemic.

Over the course of years, telehealth went through several metamorphoses, finding more efficient ways of consulting patients over the screen. However, this development was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which turned telehealth into a more versatile approach to medicine: "We do some exams with some of the Tyto products, otoscopes, stethoscopes, and derma scopes that you can plug into your smartphone and do an exam of heart lungs and ear, skin, everything…. there's so much that you can do."

After seeing and studying its benefits, Dr. Yalden believes that telehealth has become a major player in the field of medicine, a player that will shape its future for generations to come: "I definitely think it's here to stay. I don't think anybody's going back to the way it was, without using a lot of telehealth."

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31

Issue 122.1.4

Looking towards the Future through Dr. Yalden’s Lens We've had a pandemic that turned the world upside down, brought both the best and the worst from us, and made us look towards the future with skepticism. But what does Dr. Yalden think of the future?

Aside from educating people on the subject of vaccination, she turns our attention towards more endemic issues plaguing our society, the racial issues: "I think probably in the United States, one of the issues that's concerning me the most is racial inequality." While no flick of a wand could bring an end to racial tensions in the U.S., Dr. Yalden sees empathy as the key component of this putative solution: "I don't know what the answer is, but I think racially, we need to do a better job of taking care of everybody no matter your race, background or affiliations, we all need to just to do our best to take care of the world. The world needs a lot of TLC (tender loving care)."

In such troubled times, Dr. Yalden has found peace in her work and family, which she sees as her little blessings: "I feel like I'm pretty blessed. I'm pretty happy in my career right now as a working mom; I love my job. I really enjoy practicing online. I genuinely like the doctors, support staff and people that I work with, especially the patients and families I have the privilege of caring for. I love spending time with my kids. I've always been very happy in my practice; it really didn't matter what I was doing, but especially now as a physician practicing family medicine online from home I have the best of both worlds." As such, we at Top Doctor Magazine support her kind words and invite our readers to take the race of life a little bit slower, enjoying what lies in front of us and thinking less about what lies ahead.

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32

Confessions of a Plastic Surgery Coach Michelle Emmick has 20 years of experience in the aesthetic field. She has worked in the plastic surgery chain, including small practice and startup companies acquiring

plastic

surgery

practices.

Focusing

on

improving patient experience, Michelle has performed over 10,000 cosmetic consultations. She has trained over 3000 staff members, including doctors, front desk, and back-office staff.

In her attempt to provide next-level patient experience through

virtual

education

and

support,

Michelle

Emmick co-founded MyCoachMD. As CEO, Michelle Emmick offers two primary services: educating and providing non-medical support to consumers interested in cosmetic procedures. Furthermore, Michelle Emmick is determined to make the process easy for patients and help uncover their aesthetics, all within their budget.

Plastic Surgery and Perspective "Even though plastic surgery has so many benefits, 70 percent of the people that call in for information will never set foot in the door because there are so many negative connotations out there, but we are trying to help people have a positive belief in what plastic surgery can do for them," said Michelle Emmick in an interview with Top Doctor Magazine. She is determined to answer people's questions in a way that eliminates all fear.

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33

Issue 122.1.4

Transitioning to Telemedicine: Technology and its Impact on Aesthetics Medicine Michelle Emmick explains that the virtual consultation has been a game-changer for the industry by allowing potential patients to get comfortable with the doctors right from the comfort of their homes.

She revealed that the pandemic triggered a huge boom in the business.

"More people were working from home, which caused less social interaction, and people spent more time on social media; this led to hypercriticism of somebody's appearance and triggered the need to look and feel better," added Michelle.

Pandemic and its Effect on the Cosmetic Field Michelle revealed that the lockdown triggered a selfie boom, and the filters on social media created hypersensitivity to people's image. Sadly, it also created negative self-esteem. There was just overall selfobsession, which surprised and triggered people's interest in cosmetic surgery.

"For years, doctors have been rushed between visits, but the pandemic created an opportunity to space out appointments, giving them more time to create a better patient experience. Of course, there are many awful things about the virus, but we looked at the positives and continue to do what we can to change people's lives," said Michelle Emmick.

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34

Issue 122.1.4

Learning to Improve Patient Experience Michelle Emmick added that it is vital to educate people on procedures and services they can do for themselves. She emphasized that this is key to having an aesthetic procedure, and it is the best investment people can make for themselves.

"I just always want to make sure that people are confident in their decisions too."

If you would like to learn more about Michelle and her company, please visit her website: www.MyCoachMD.com Check out her best-selling book Blue-Collar Beauty: Confessions of a Plastic Surgery Coach here.

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|

35

Life Style You work hard.

Here are some ways your fellow medical professionals are playing hard too.

Acquire the lifestyle of your dreams.

Sharing In-Ear Headphones Is Just As Bad as Sharing Your Toothbrush... But Worse Sharing a pair of in-ear headphones sounds innocent, but it comes with long and lasting effects. It may sound gross, but using someone else’s earphones is not so different than sharing a toothbrush. Over the years, studies have managed to affirm and reaffirm that human ears are susceptible to bacteria.

A comprehensive study proves that bacteria can grow at an exponential rate with the consistent use of earphones.

Of course, no one is a fan of germs, and branded earphones allow people to experience music at its best. But the fact remains that in-ear headphones are a cause of bacterial growth.

Of course, there are people with enough sense not to share their earbuds with just anyone. If you form a visual image of compressing bacteriacovered earbuds into both of your ears, that would be more than enough to give you a pause before sharing them with someone else.

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36

Issue 122.1.4

Wearing Earbuds If you wear earbuds for an extended period, expect a build-up of thick ear wax. Now, it won’t harm your ear, but it creates bacteria that can lead to more problems later on. Technically, when you decide to close both ear passageways for a long time, you’re covering the exit points.

And whether you wear earphones or use wireless earbuds, you’re blocking the natural ear discharge. As a result, heat is compressed due to the build-up of moisture and wax. The next time you think about whether or not sharing your earbuds is a good idea, think about the bacteria you might be swapping.

Summer Season Means More Bacteria Doctors concur that summer increases the chances of otitis externa. There is a good chance you may have heard of otitis externa as Swimmer’s Ear. The hot summer season causes more sweating, and that leads to more bacteria.

From toilets and gas bumps to water fountains and handshakes, think twice before putting germ-infested earbuds in your ears. On average, using headphones for a straight hour increases the bacteria levels in the ears by 700%.

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37

Issue 122.1.4 Often, many missing variables such as Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae can lead to more bacteria in the ear. Of course, the use and quality of earphones differ from person to person. Still, “how” you store your earbuds can also make a huge difference.

How You Should Clean Your Ears When it comes to cleaning ears, you have to exercise caution and care. The fact is that anything you put in your ears is always a bad idea. Use fresh cotton swabs to remove ear wax without a rush. Interestingly, your ears can clean themselves on their own and don’t need special care until you start putting things in them.

And contrary to naïve misconception, ear wax is not bacterial. In fact, it acts as an antibacterial filter for ears that wards off dust and dirt. Essentially, it works as trapping to prevent dust, dirt, or other harmful elements in the air from going deeper.

When it comes to the health and hygiene of your ears, diet plays a crucial role. The best strategy is not to share your earphones at all, but that might not sound practical in this day and age. You may feel lazy, tired, or too busy to clean ears and earbuds, but think of the bacteria risk right away.

So, make sure to disinfect your earphones and clean off wax residue regularly. After that, use a small and dampened cotton ball to wipe down your earbuds with alcohol or disinfectant. As far as hearing goes, people tend to wear earbuds that create more noise than waves of pleasant sound.

Noise-based hearing loss is more common than you think. In the U.S., one out of five teenagers experiences some hearing loss issue. In comparison, there is a 30% increase in hearing loss cases compared to two decades ago. Experts highlight that the rollout of new and advanced headphones is the leading cause of hearing loss among teenagers.

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38

Issue 122.1.4

Wrap Up Once you read enough about the bacteria earbuds contain, you may not even want to listen to music through in-ear headphones anymore. In layman’s terms, take a piece of advice from doctors and wipe down and clean your earbuds with 70% or more alcohol. After that, let your earbuds dry for a few minutes. In short, cleaning your earbuds before they fit in your ears is the best way to avoid bacteria.

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39

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