Welcome to the East County Internal Medicine Website
Since 2017 we are an independent, full service primary care doctor's office serving the Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota and Parrish areas.
We offer the highest quality service of primary care to patients with live telephone answer always, prompt and consistent replies to all queries by phone, patient portal, email and fax. We provide care coordination through the referral process and emphasize the importance of keeping the patient informed and involved in the shared decisions regarding their health.
Please browse and contact us with any questions.
Curated Useful Items for Patients
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In practice unfortunately, we encounter much depression and anxiety, so we start with this first item,
perhaps the most important, a book. Anxiety and Depression do not discriminate against age, ethnicity, gender or financial status. For years I've been recommending this book to patients, and sometimes there have been lifechanging events. Many patients are appreciative of finding it. This version is the smaller companion version. It is easy to read and can help you find peace and maintain it. I recommend the hardcover and keep it around, and you can pick it up and read one sentence and sometimes that's all that is needed. -
A simple cushion for people who do a lot of computer work. Might make the office work more comfortable. Make sure to get up frequently.
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Along the same lines, the body is a an example of form and function. Both are related and what affects one will affect the other. Our posture is an example of this. Good posture is essential for good health. Posture is a challenge to work at, if you have poor posture, but this simple device is very effective at correcting poor posture.
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Hypertension is something that we deal with at the office everyday. Everyday, all day. First thing is that there are approximately 22 steps to taking a blood pressure correctly. As we move more and more towards telehealth across the nation, Medicare is offloading more responsibility to the patient. Don't go for the wrist cuff (radial artery), they are less accurate.
Go for the upper arm (brachial artery) larger lumen, more reliable reading, what we use in the hospital. If you can't take a reading with a manual BP cuff, you can use any decent digital cuff, and this is just one example, well reviewed and affordable. A BP cuff is a household item now.
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Another item that is being utilized more and more by patients while at home is the simple pulse oximeter. There are dozens to chose from on the market, here is just one affordable example. They all are about the same, as a doctor, there is no one more useful than the next. It will provide a fairly reliable oxygen saturation and heart rate. For COPD and Emphysema patients it may provide some objective feedback to the doctor on a phone visit, for example. -
I have a young lady patient who began developing multiple sclerosis and became blind. She cannot see anything, needs eye dog, and is using a cane. She asked for grab bars for the bathroom; These patients will fall, that's why we have grab bars. The order was written and submitted to her insurance plan. After 5 days of deliberation they denied it and replied to us, to please direct the patient to a superstore and get the bars. The point is, we deal with this all the time. If you are a loved one, they are $12, get them save the time, be proactive.
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Falls are a major cause of injury and common in practice. After years of observation of patient behavior it almost becomes inevitable. Often times falls occur during the night as the patient attempt to make their way to the restroom. Both in the hospital and in the home we recommend the use of bedside commodes for patients with gait instability and or previous history of falls. If you know someone that is at risk, consider being proactive, often times it is cheaper and quicker by ordering it yourself. Rather than wait and keep the patient in risk order it and get it delivered. This one is as cost affordable as they come.
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In keeping with fall prevention. Walkers are useful at providing stability and a feeling of security to the elderly or those prone to falls. Many encounters are spent advising patients of their risk for falls and injury including fractures and head and neck injuries and what can be done to at least reduce the risk as much as we can. Many patients don't like the idea of walkers or assist devices. It's an important discussion however, and again, if you know someone who is at risk, don't wait.
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If you have a loved on or have COPD or Asthma or Emphysema you should absolutely have a nebulizer at home. It is a more effective delivery mechanism to the bronchioles of the lung than the handheld puffer. It provides a vapor that gets deeper into the lungs. Use this at home, should have one, this is just one example. The handheld is for portability, when you are out in the field.
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Commonly encountered in practice is lower extremity swelling aka edema. Edema occurs for various reasons including, venous insufficiency, congestive heart failure, non-ambulatory
status. It leads to so many problems once it gets worse. It leads to chronic wounds, and typically heralds a poor prognosis. Still with all the technology we have, 20-30mmHg compression hose are a mainstay of treatment. Must reduce the swelling. If you are running into barriers getting these for yourself or for a loved one, order it and deliver it. The time saved may be worth much more than the dollar amount. See the chart for sizing and buy accordingly.