Blog

Urgent Care or Emergency Room – What’s the Difference?

When needing medical attention, sometimes it is not always clear where to go to receive it. There are many factors to consider depending on the situation, such as severity of condition or injury, what time of day the medical attention is needed or type of medical coverage. For example, the best choice might be to go to your primary care physician, an urgent care center or the closest emergency room.

If you have been struggling with allergy symptoms and want to see whether it is something more serious, this would be a case where making an appointment with your health care provider... Read More »

Concern over Zika Builds in Oklahoma

The most recent reports from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) find that more than 350 Americans have contracted the Zika virus, including 31 pregnant women. The vast majority are travel-associated cases. Cases of Zika reported in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and American Somoa are the only locally acquired cases reported at this time. However, concern continues to build, especially in areas of the country preparing for mosquito season in upcomingweeks, including Oklahoma. Utica Park Clinic physician Dr. Jeffrey Galles joins us on the blog to share what we need to... Read More »

After Losing Mother to Colon Cancer Daughter is Diagnosed

Marjorie Thompson, 67, did not know at the time the grip colon cancer would have on her family when her mother died from the disease at the age of 82. It was 2013. Marjorie was not only mourning the loss of her mother, but also her husband to cancer. The mother of five awoke one morning and quickly noticed something unusual after seeing blood in the toilet. “My first thought was cancer,” she remembers. “We had just lost my mother.”

Marjorie picked up the phone and called her health care provider in Depew, who scheduled an appointment later that day.  She was then referred to a... Read More »

The Myths Holding us Back from Scheduling a Colonoscopy

24 million times someone has made an excuse to not schedule a colonoscopy. That’s how many Americans need to have a colonoscopy but have not done so yet. Colonoscopy is the most accurate screening test for cancers of the colon and rectum. Colon cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer related deaths among men and women in the United States. Yet, colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers. When possible pre-cancerous polyps, a precursor to colon cancer, is discovered and removed, the risk of dying from colon cancer is cut by as much as 95 percent. So why do so many people wait... Read More »

Friends for Life and Better Health

Are friends the secret to staying healthy? According to a recent study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the more connected we are socially from a young age, the better our health is throughout our lives. The study linked social relationships with measures of physical health, such as abdominal obesity, high blood pressure and inflammation –risk factors for heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Fostering social relationships early in life is important when you consider the impact of social isolation. Researchers believe social isolation can be more harmful than diabetes... Read More »

Low Flu Activity Sees Rise to Pneumonia

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to report low flu activity this 2015-2016 flu season. However, they do warn that the public should not get complacent with regards to getting their flu shot. If you have not received your flu shot, it is important to do so now, as cases of the flu are expected to rise in the coming weeks. “Flu typically peaks twice during the season, December and March, so we anticipate a peak to still occur later this winter,” shares Utica Park Clinic physician Dr. Jeffrey Galles.  Meanwhile, health care providers across the country are seeing... Read More »

Better Diabetes Management for the New Year

It’s now 2016 and that means we each have a brand new year to be our best selves. Many of us begin exercise plans or start new diets in order to begin a healthier lifestyle. For those living with diabetes, establishing a management plan for diabetes for 2016 is critical to better overall health. Here are a few tips for getting a management plan for your diabetes this year.

Consult your health care provider:

One of the first steps to establishing a plan for 2016 is to meet with your health care provider to discuss your particular goals. Whether it is losing weight or keeping your... Read More »

Winter Coats Pose Hidden Danger in Car Seats

Parents may unknowingly be taking a risk every time they buckle their baby or toddler into a car seat wearing a winter coat. In this demonstration video shown on NBC’s Today Show, a child wearing a thick winter coat becomes a projectile object in the car during a collision. Meant to keep children warm during colder winter months, coats actually become a hidden danger inside a car seat, as buckles are loosened to stretch around the child, creating a barrier against actually protecting the child in the event of a car accident. 

"Car seat manufacturers and child safety advocates... Read More »

Finally Finding an Answer to a Complicated Medical Condition

When Rebecca Jester, 45, got sick for more than a year, she worried how long she would live in pain. “I couldn’t get out of bed,” she explains. “I was so tired. My feet hurt. I hated to put my feet on the floor. It hurt to walk, hurt to move. I thought I had something really bad.” When she went to doctors for help, Rebecca says everyone was baffled at what to do for her. “I couldn’t get anyone to help me.” Then she remembered Utica Park Clinic family physician, Dr. George Pendell. Rebecca had worked in Dr. Pendell’s office previously as a registered medical assistant. “If anyone could... Read More »

Utica Park Clinic Urologist Welcomes Movember to Spark Men’s Health Conversation

Every 19 minutes a man in the United States dies from prostate cancer. More than 8,000 cases of testicular cancer are diagnosed each year in our country and depression rates are highest among men between the ages of 40 and 59. However, men are 80 percent less likely to go to the doctor’s office than women when something might be wrong.  In an effort to bring more awareness to men’s health and start the conversation, Utica Park Clinic urologist Dr. Dae Yun Kim participates each year in Movember, also known as “No-Shave November.” He hopes when his once clean-shaven face in October gives way... Read More »