The Village Doctor at Cherry Hill

03/18/2026

Wednesday's "Pearls of Prevention"
New guidelines were just published that clarify the role of blood tests and Coronary Artery Calcium screening in calculating a person's individual risk for developing Cardiovascular Disease over the next 10 and 30 years. Cardiovascular Disease is a leading cause of disability and death, and knowing what your individual risk is can help you make important preventive decisions. At The Village Doctor at Cherry Hill (www.thevillagedoctor.net), we help our patients prevent serious threats to their health, by understanding their individual risks, and helping them to manage those risks.

03/11/2026

A second relevant post for “Pearls of Prevention” Wednesday—if you are 45 years or older, are you caught up with colon cancer screening?

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Early screening saves lives 💙
Talk to your doctor about preventative care and make your health a priority.
https://wix.to/3QhUCSv

03/11/2026

**Important Alert**
A Washtenaw Country resident with active/contagious Measles recently visted an Urgent Care in Canton on Ford Road. Unvaccinated people who may have been in contact with this person should talk to their Healthcare Provider or the Health Department ASAP

Stay informed of all news related to local public health.

03/11/2026

Wednesday's "Pearls of Prevention" from the Village Doctor at Cherry Hill: Cervical Cancer Screening
All women know the discomfort of the Pap Smear. While they are very effecitve at decreasing the risk of Cervical Cancer, most women dred having them done, for obvious reasons. The guidelinees for how we do this important screening are changing in a way that makes it much easier for women who are at low risk for developing cervical cancer! The American Cancer Society now recommends waiting until age 25 to start screening (when I trained, it was 18!), and then the preferred screening method is HPV testing (not a pap smear) every 5 years until the age of 65. They also recommend that screening can be done with "self collected" swabs that a woman can do herself every 3 years as an option. If you've had a hysterectomy and have no history of cervical cancer or high-grade dysplasia (precancer), then you don't need screening at all! It is important to recognize, thought, that anyone who has a history of an abnormal screening is at higher risk, and these guidelines may not apply to them. While it's still important to get that annual "Physical" or Health Maintenance Check with your Family Doctor, for most women annual pap smears are a thing of the past!

The American Cancer Society recommends that women and other individuals with a cervix follow these recommendations to help find cervical cancer early.

03/06/2026

Does your doctor have enough time to spend with you?

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

03/05/2026

Another example of the problems with our insurance-based healthcare system. The University of Michigan may drop many Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance plans as of 7/1/26, due to proposed decrease in what the insurance will pay for services. The system is broken, badly. Direct Primary Care offers an alternative that works much better for many people. If you have questions about how a Direct Primary Care membership can play an important part in your healthcare strategy, contact me through my website (www.thevillagedoctor.net), email (info@thevillagedoctor.net) or give us a call at 734-879-1068.

University of Michigan Health says they have set a June 30, 2026, deadline to come to a deal with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan on a new reimbursement agreement.

03/04/2026

Wednesday's "Pearls of Prevention" from the Village Doctor at Cherry Hill.

Are you 45 or older? If so, have you been screened for colorectal cancer? The recommended age to begin screening dropped from 50 to 45 several years ago, due to an increase in the number of cancers showing up prior to age 50. Colorectal Cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death for people under 50 years old. Unfortunately, only 1/3 of people between 45 and 50 have been screened. There are several options for screening, ranging from a stool test to a colonoscopy. If you haven't been screened, please call your Family Doctor to set up a "Health Maintenance" visit to discuss this, and the other screening and preventive services that may be appropriate for you. If you have questions, feel free to visit my website (www.thevillagedoctor.net), call me (734-879-1068) or send an email (info@thevillagedoctor.net) to discuss if my Direct Primary Care Practice in Canton, Michigan, would be a fit for you.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/rectal-cancer-rates-are-rising-us-driving-increase-illness-younger-adu-rcna261297

03/03/2026

Is AI your next doctor?
As AI becomes easier to access and more widely used, people have started turning to Chatbots that are designed specifically for "conversations" about health. While some studies have shown that these Chatbots can be more accurate than an old fashioned Google Search, there are several things its important to keep in mind. The bots aren't always right. Especially if there are subtle symptoms that the bot might not be able to sus out as well as a human can. Privacy is a definite concern. These bots ask people to enter information from their medical records. While the companies that produce them say that there are extra privacy rules, they are under no legal obligation to follow the HIPPA guidelines that all medical professional are bound to. Short answer, becareful. This technology seems cool, but it is not safe to make it your doctor! If you need a doctor "in real life," please visit my website at www.thevillagedoctor.net, call use at 734-879-1068, or email at info@theevillagedoctor.net

https://apnews.com/article/chatbots-health-chatgpt-ai-claude-llm-1008892e0eb8ef4dbab4818beb15daef

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03/02/2026

I’m glad to see PREVENTION being looked at in this study. Results are years away, but having markers to predict (and hopefully prevent) life altering diagnoses can have a great impact. Don’t forget that your Family Doctor can do this for you already. A simple blood pressure measurement and blood test can tell if you are at risk for heart attack and stroke. In my Direct Primary Care practice, I can spend enough time with my patients to counsel them on the best ways to minimize risk and prevent disease. If you don’t have a Family Doctor you are happy with, please visit my website (thevillagedoctor.net), send me an email (info@thevillagedoctor.net), or give us a call (734-879-1068) to talk about what I do to keep my patients healthy!

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260302/New-research-initiative-aims-to-predict-and-prevent-diseases-before-they-start.aspx

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02/27/2026

An excellent question I get is how do people pay for services outside of those that I can offer in my Direct Primary Care Practice. This video address this common question.

If you have questions, please visit my website at www.thevillagedoctor.net, call the office (734-879-1068) or email me at info@thevillagedoctor.net

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZuL_4SVM9So

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

02/25/2026

I'm starting a new campaign called "Pearls for Prevention." Every Wednesday, I will post about the most important thing I do as a Family Doctor: Prevention! Your primary care doctor is an expert at helping you stay healthy and avoid preventable diseases. Every one of you needs a family doctor you can rely on, to advise you on what works and (sometimes more importantly) what doesn't work to maximize your health!

In the first post of this series, I'll start by emphasizing the importance of Wellness Visits for EVERYONE. For kids, these visits range (depending on age) from monthly to annually, and focus on monitoring growth and development, immunizations, and anticipatory guidance of what to expect with your child. For adults, annual Wellness Visits focus on healthy habits as well as screening for and preventing the most common causes of illness.

If you have questions, give me a call at 734-879-1068, send me an email at info@thevillagedoctor.net, or visit my website at www.thevillagedoctor.net, and be sure to check back here every Wednesday for my weekly "Pearls of Prevention!"

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02/24/2026

Interesting article about the conflict of interest that hospitals and employed physicians face. Without significant reform in how we pay for healthcare where doctors and hospital systems are paid for keeping people well rather than treating them when they are sick, the system will remain broken. I hope that enough of my colleagues will decide to opt out of our “sickcare” system to force a dramatic change. Direct Primary Care is part of the solution. Visit my website or call the office if you have questions about how DPC can help you!