Woodhaven Family Medicine

12/02/2021

I would like to discuss with our WFM family a situation which is becoming more apparent with our patients. A patient may have a mild symptom such as a rash, back pain, ankle sprain, earache, etc and instead of calling the office, they are rushing to the closest ER waiting room. So what happens next? They sign a form which mandates they pay their copay. And then they wait, and they wait, and they wait. 4 hours, 6 hours, sometimes longer. During this time, they are sitting exposed to sicker people, maybe Covid infected. And then they get disgusted and leave without treatment or finally are treated. But guess what- either way, they are still responsible for their copay. They wasted hours, exposed themselves to Covid possibly and are still charged a copay.

PLEASE call the office first. We are in the office 5-6 days a week and 3 evenings. We will take care of your problems. ER’s are for emergencies only. Don’t jeopardize your health and finances for minor problems. Call us first!

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving The holidays are quickly approaching and we want to wish all our patients a wonderful holiday season. We will be in the office throughout the holidays and will be looking forward to a wonderful 2022. Please- if you are not vaccinated or need a Covid 19 booster consider getting one ASAP. These variant strains are starting to show up so please protect yourself and family. The vaccines are truly effective in keeping you out of the hospital or worse. We do have a limited supply of rapid Covid tests. If you feel that you need a rapid test, call us and we will swab you in your car when you arrive. This test presently is not covered by insurance so there is a minimal charge.

Dr. Cohen, Natalie, Olivia and all the staff at WFM.

10/09/2021

We hope by now a majority of our patients are now vaccinated. We know, however that a fair amount of our patients remain unvaccinated for whatever reason. We want our patients to know that we now have availability of doing rapid testing using the Abbott BinaxNow test which takes about 15 minutes. It’s very accurate testing for patients who have Covid. There is an occasional false positive and any positive result will need PCR test verification. We will NOT be testing symptomatic patients in our office. Please call our office first and you can drive by and we will come out to hand you the test to take and we will interpret it in the office. If you need documentation of a negative test, we can now do that in our office. Pre-Op testing will need a PCR test unfortunately. There is a nominal $25 charge as this test as of now is not compensated by insurance.

Influenza and pneumonia vaccinations are now being offered in our office. Natalie will be back from maternity leave in November raring to go. She and her husband are the proud parents of a beautiful son Nolan. Stay safe and we will see you in the office soon.

Dr. Cohen, Olivia, Natalie and our staff.

08/24/2021

Please read this post carefully and understand what will be happening to us. If you are not vaccinated or know of anyone who isn’t, please get vaccinated ASAP. Israel thought they had the problem solved but look at what is happening over there. We don’t have a lot of time to get this virus under control. Those of you who are resistant to getting vaccinated, you should talk to the wife of my patient who is being placed on a ventilator tonight. Her whole family was vaccinated except him. When I last talked to him, he said he was a dumb jerk for not getting vaccinated. He said he didn’t have the time. His wife is so mad at him. Don’t let politics cloud your thinking. The vaccines are safe and now FDA approved. You are exposing your friends and family to and extremely contagious virus.

Stay safe and mask up in indoor areas where you are exposed to people you don’t know. Any questions, give us a call!

Dr. Cohen and staff.

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/08/20/1029628471/highly-vaccinated-israel-is-seeing-a-dramatic-surge-in-new-covid-cases-heres-why?fbclid=IwAR28AWytXxRMk-7c94KHz-sDUyCZKLHJNwsVbnxUDIyHXW1PHFKlEaCU7eA

What happened? Here are six lessons learned from Israel's experience — and one looming question for the future of the pandemic.

03/31/2021

We would like to give our patients a little update about what’s happening at WFM. We have some wonderful news to announce! Natalie is pregnant with her first child and is expecting to deliver at the end of the summer. We would like to offer our congrats as we are all very excited for her! We are also extremely excited to announce that Olivia is now full time! We now will be seeing patients daily and have included Monday,Tuesday, and Thursday evenings and every other Saturday until the summer months.

As far as my scheduling goes, I will be giving up my evening hours after 43 years to spend some extra time with my family and grandkids. I will still be working full days and Saturdays during the week.

We would like to take a minute to discuss Covid vaccinations. Today’s announcement will allow anyone over 16 years of age to get a vaccination in PA after April 19. We encourage everyone to consider getting vaccinated. Even though our staff and myself contracted Covid exactly a year ago today, all of our providers are now fully vaccinated. There is a minute chance of any serious reaction and I believe it is extremely important to get vaccinated ASAP because the disease has mutated into a more dangerous form. I also believe there will be some sort of vaccination passport that will be needed for travel, sporting events, dining out,etc. Regretfully, we have lost too many patients to Covid 19 over the past year. For whatever reasons you are hesitant, please reconsider. We love all of our patients and hate to hear when they have contracted the disease. Please talk to Natalie, Olivia or myself about any questions you may have.

We wish all our patients a wonderful Easter and Passover and we’ll see you in the office soon. Please continue to stay safe and get vaccinated! The end of the pandemic is in sight.

Dr Cohen and Staff.

12/29/2020

We are having a large number of Covid positive patients isolating at home calling us for advice. There are things to do at home with may keep you out of the hospital. I was forwarded this by a friend and most of this info makes sense. Sleeping on your stomach is called proning.It is definitely worthwhile to help to avoid pneumonia. Not everyone needs antibiotics and steroids but we can review your specific case and decide. Please remember how contagious this disease is and apparently new mutations are even more contagious. Wear masks everywhere and limit your contacts. I always ask my patients where they think they contacted Covid and most could look back and identify when exposure happened.

2020 was a tough year for all of us. We hope 2021 proves hopeful for all our patients and allows us to start our normal lives. Natalie, Olivia and myself received our first Covid vaccination over the weekend. We had achy arms but no other significant side effects. We hope we can supply vaccinations to all our patients ASAP. We hope all our patients have a safe and happy New Year Holiday. We will be available this week in the office and we will see everyone in 2021.

Dr. Cohen, Natalie, Olivia and our staff.

This was shared on a Covid survivor group...have heard many of these before but it seems helpful:

HOW TO FIGHT COVID AT HOME

No one ever talks about how to fight Covid at home. I came down with Covid in November. I went to the hospital, running a fever of 103, a rapid heart beat, and other common symptoms that come with Covid. While I was there they treated me for the high fever, dehydration and pneumonia.
The doctor sent me home to fight Covid with two prescriptions - Azithromycin 250mg & Dexamethason 6mg. When the nurse came in to discharge me, I asked her, "What can I do to help fight this at home?" She said, “Sleep on your stomach at all times with Covid. If you can’t sleep on your stomach because of heath issues sleep on your side. Do not lay on your back no matter what because it smashes your lungs and that will allow fluid to set in.
Set your clock every two hours while sleeping on your stomach, then get out of bed and walk for 15-30 min, no matter how tired or weak that you are. Also move your arms around frequently, it helps to open your lungs. Breathe in thru your nose, and out thru your mouth. This will help build up your lungs, plus help get rid of the Pneumonia or other fluid you may have.
When sitting in a recliner, sit up straight - do not lay back in the recliner, again this will smash your lungs. While watching TV - get up and walk during every commercial.
Eat at least 1 - 2 eggs a day, plus bananas, avocado and asparagus.These are good for Potassium. Drink Pedialyte, Gatorade Zero, Powerade Zero & Water with Electrolytes to prevent you from becoming dehydrated. Do not drink anything cold - have it at room temperature or warm it up. Water with lemon, and little honey, peppermint tea, apple cider are good suggestions for getting in fluids. No milk products, or pork. Vitamin’s D3, C, B, Zinc, Probiotic One-Day are good ideas. Tylenol for fever. Mucinex, or Mucinex DM for drainage, plus helps the cough. Pepcid helps for cramps in your legs. One baby aspirin everyday can help prevent getting a blood clot, which can occur from low activity. "

Drink a smoothie of blueberries, strawberries, bananas, honey, tea and a spoon or two of peanut butter.

We always hear of how Covid takes lives, but there isn't a lot of information out there regarding how to fight Covid. I hope this helps you or someone you know, just as it has helped me.

12/14/2020

The Elf is guarding Nat’s beautiful and delicious Christmas cookies! Only one per patient! Enjoy the Holidays and stay safe everyone.

Dr. Cohen and Staff.

11/11/2020

I would like to give a mask update. We all know that the best protection for our patients is to wear masks. I’ve observed over the past few weeks the poor masks our patients are wearing. Most are home made and are pretty much useless. Especially how our patients are wearing them. Having realized this issue, WFM is offering each patient a FREE K95 mask for the asking until our supply runs out. One per patient please. These are the best masks anyone can wear. These are the masks front line doctors and nurses wear in hospitals and ER’s. Just ask the staff upon arrival that you read my FB post and we will give you one.

Please be safe over the holidays. We know everyone wants to celebrate with their families. Covid is rampant now and transmission is increasing. Please be safe. If you gather indoors, it’s so easy to spread throughout your family. We are having patients tested daily as they are getting sick.

We want to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving. Please call us with any questions or problems.

Dr. Cohen and staff.

10/25/2020

We would like to give our patients a Covid 19 update. As the weather cools we are starting to see an uptick of cases in our office. We want to remind everyone that if you are sick with fever, cough, achiness or other flu like symptoms please call us first before coming into the office. We might be able to start you on treatment and get you tested without possibly exposing our staff and patients to the virus. If you do come in for routine care PLEASE make sure your mask covers you face and nose completely. Also please wear a suitable mask. Bandanas and neck gaiters are not suitable for viral protection. A good way to check the performance of your mask is to try and blow a match or candle out through your mask. If you can blow out a candle or match then your mask is ineffective and not protecting you or the people around you.

We understand this will be a tough winter. Some patients may lose their insurance or worse. Please let us know if you run into problems and we will do our best to help you maintain you health. We are always here for our patients no matter what the situation is. Please stay healthy and protect yourself and family.

Dr. Cohen and staff.

10/04/2020

Please read this article about how important a flu shot is this year. Some of our patients think that a flu shot will make it easier for them to contract a Covid infection. Obviously that is not correct. Everyone needs to be protected, especially this year. We are fully stocked with high dose influenza and quadrivalent influenza. You do not need an appointment for a flu shot. Just call us first so we know you are coming in. Dr. C and staff

https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/09/the-flu-shot-is-more-important-this-year-than-ever.html

In the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic, getting a flu shot has never been more important.

09/29/2020

We hope everyone had a healthy and restful summer amid the present epidemic. I wanted to provide some updates and scheduling changes for our office. We are expanding our office hours to include Monday and Tuesday evenings until 7 PM. We are also starting our Saturday morning office hours until 12 noon.

We continue to maintain Covid 19 protocol by limiting our waiting room to 3-4 patients at any one time. We continue to sterilize each room after use and insist that our patients are wearing face masks. We will continue to screen sick patients over the phone before we decide if they can be seen or get Covid testing. We are all hoping for a potential Covid vaccination early next year. Stay tuned! We also believe that rapid self testing for Covid 19 will soon be available. Covid infections are starting to spike up a bit now that it’s getting colder. Please stay vigilant and safe. Our office is fully stocked with regular and elderly influenza vaccines. Please stop in or call for your flu shot.

Call us with any questions. Have a great Fall season.
Dr. Cohen, Natalie, Olivia and our staff.

08/09/2020

Really good article about fitness. You need to make a lifetime commitment for this to work. This is not complicated. Quick diets and programs don’t work because they are not sustainable and eventually you go back to your baseline eating and not exercising.

https://link.medium.com/iorTIA97M8

Warning: your life will improve after reading this

07/28/2020

This is an important story about how easily this virus gets transmitted. Please read and pass on to your friends and families. If we are ever going to get this controlled, we all need to mask and self distance. Our office was very lucky to get through this without a lot of collateral damage. Stay safe and be well! Dr. Cohen and WFM staff.

https://dallasvoice.com/a-harsh-lesson-in-the-reality-of-covid-19/

For Tony Green, the coronavirus pandemic was just a ‘scamdemic’ — until truth hit home hard Imagine the sound and vibration of an old-fashioned electric heater going through your whole body. Imagine gasping for air with every step you take. Imagine rubbing Icy Hot all over your head to soothe ...

07/26/2020

Interesting article about face masks. Most of our patients just throw anything over their faces. It’s important to understand how and why we need to protect ourselves and others. A lot of these face masks are useless. Check out this test to see how effective your masks are.

If a surgeon arrived at the operating theatre wearing a mask they had made that morning from a tea towel, they would probably be sacked. This is because the equipment used for important tasks, such as surgery, must be tested and certified to ensure c

04/27/2020

Please read carefully regarding our new hours and policies. Most of patients are unaware that Natalie, Olivia, and myself contracted Covid 19 several weeks ago. We have all recovered and are fine and we now have antibodies to protect us and our patients with some degree of immunity. In that regard we will be back seeing patients in our office starting in the next few weeks!!

We have made some changes in scheduling that you will need to be aware of. We can’t have a waiting room full of patients with the possibility of infecting each other. Every patient will be given a 30 minute time slot. You may need to wait in your car until your time slot. You must show up on time and you will be buzzed into the office wearing a mask! We are scheduling sick patients in the afternoons. Labs will need to be scheduled with our staff. Unfortunately we can’t have patients just pop in for bloodwork like before.

We know and understand the hardships our patients are having. We know that unfortunately,patients may lose their jobs or insurance. We will continue to work with you and your families to maintain your good health to the best of our abilities. Remember, we have been practicing in Philly/Bucks region for over 40 years. We remain fiercely independent and our only interest is taking care of our patients. We will be here for you now and in the future. In the meantime,stay safe and will see you in the office soon!

Dr. Cohen and Staff

04/24/2020

Please do not try this at home! This is my professional opinion and is not appropriate for any of our patients!

04/18/2020

Free insulin available for our patients.

https://www.facebook.com/1003057264/posts/10218888482015407/?d=n

03/28/2020

Please spend a few minutes watching this video from a doc who takes care of Covid patients all day. You will be much less frightened about the disease and you will learn to develop a plan to keep from getting it. And if you or your family get the disease, he’ll explain how not to panic and understand how to live with a family member with the disease.

We must take appropriate action to prevent this from spreading. We can’t panic but must understand the process of getting and treating this disease. We will get through this over time but understanding how not to get this is key!

Any questions or problems give us a call. We are always available either by phone, FaceTime or Zoom. We will get through this tough period! Stay safe and pay attention to what you are doing. Your health and your family’s health depends on it

Dr. Cohen and Staff

https://vimeo.com/399733860?fbclid=IwAR25Nve1yIQ0HXqFkjm9Hu6WRJ03MAKVLNHyE8o_qoHYh1scyAIAOJsiMbg

Dr. David Price of Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City shares information in a Mar. 22 Zoom call with family and friends on empowering and protecting families…

03/16/2020

Corona Virus Update

These are difficult times for all of us. We all have families and want to keep them safe. We have all seen the guidelines asking us all to stay home and avoid all outside contact if possible. WFM has put together a protocol which we believe will be beneficial for all of us.

Nat, Olivia, and I will be in the office during normal hours. We are closing evenings and Saturdays. We will be available via phone and FaceTime. We will NOT be seeing patients for routine care. We ask that you call to discuss any acute problems with us and we will work with you to decide the best options for care. We want to keep our patients and staff as safe as possible. We will not be viral testing in our office and will be referring to Jefferson Northeast who will be drive by testing across from Parx Casino. You WILL need a faxed prescription sent over and you will need to make a reservation.

Please don’t hesitate to call us with your concerns. We are all in this together. Hopefully in a few months we can look back at this time period and realize we all got through this together successfully.

Stay safe and keep well.

Dr. Cohen, Nat, Olivia and our staff.