Monday, December 31, 2012

Farewell 2012: You Bounced Along the Path of Our Lives

OK, the year is ending, and I'm glad.  The path of life lies ahead, informed by the experiences of 2012.

My activities of interest beyond Family and God at the end of 2012:  "Get on the Ball with Jesus"  a toning and fitness program using the exercise ball (Swiss Ball) in a group of Christians at my church (Bellbrook United Methodist Church.)  I bounce almost every day.

Learning to play the didgeridoo via Didgeridoodojo.  Enhancing my ability to be "wholehearted" via www.heartmath.com using my emWave Desktop.

Books I'm reading/engaging at the end of 2012:

Journey of the Heart by John Welwood (The Path of Conscious Love)  "When love comes down to earth it gains depth and power"

This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Leviten "Young children start to show a preference for the music of their culture by age two,...  Researchers point to the teen years as the turning point for musical preferences.  As adults, the music we tend to be nostalgic for, the music that feels like it is 'our' music, corresponds to the music we heard during those years."

The Healing Power of Sound by Mitchell L. Gaynor, MD  (Recovering from Life-Threatening Illness Using Sound, Voice and Music.)  "The same principles of harmony and entrainment that operate within the human body are also dramatically apparent when human beings communicate with each other."

ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine by John La Puma, MD and Rebecca Powell Marx (A Food Lover's Road Map to: Losing Weight, Preventing disease, Getting Really Healthy) "I'm going to help you learn to see food as your body sees it."

A Brief History of Everything by Ken Wilbur "...a universal smorgasbord of human possibilities, all arrayed as a shimmering rainbow, an extraordinary spectrum of your own deeper and higher potentials."

The model introduced by Wilbur is extremely helpful to me as I seek to further clarify the path of a Family Physician and hone the Human Centered Health Home model.  There is hope in delving into the human condition and sharing intimately with others to clarify our individual and shared humanity.

God did well in our creation.  Will we honor Him on our paths?  (I ask of me and you and us).

Peace to all as we follow the path of 2013.


Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Christmas Day in Our International HQ

Merry Christmas to Dr Synonymous readers who celebrate Christmas.

This year we're starting in my home in Sugarcreek Township just east of Bellbrook, OH (Spring Valley mailing address-sometimes confusing).  Today we'll also visit in Dayton,  Liberty, Springboro and Columbus with Christmas cheer.

It's always special for me.  Last year, we celebrated in Chapel Hill, NC.  In other years: Liberty, OH; Granville, OH; Columbus, OH; Hershey, PA; Manhatten, KS, Milford, KS, Farmersville, OH; Greenville, OH; Hilliard, OH; and Vietnam.  There was no hope for snow in Vietnam and little hope for snow in Chapel Hill, but the many white Christmas days had a special flavor.

The Birth of Jesus, understood in so many ways, holds so many hearts at peace while challenging the Christian mind and soul with a message of love and forgiveness.

May His love hold and guide your heart forever.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Snoring : Be gone- Join the Didgeridoo Hullabaloo

The didgeridoo Hullabaloo is coming.  Fight snoring.  Avoid sleep apnea.  Get your Didgeridoo now!

The Didgeridoo Store

How to play the didgeridoo.

Get your starter kit and get ready for the Didgeridoo Hullabaloo- coming in January, 2013.

Further information will be announced on the Dr Synonymous blog site and the Facebook page of The Center for Innovation in Family and Community Health and IFGHealth.com.  Stay tuned.

Comment below when you have started to learn to play the didgeridoo or when you are playing four days a week.  YouTube submissions of Hullabaloo participants are welcome (even before the formal starting date for the Hullabaloo).

Don't feel like you have to be as good as Didgeridoo Drummer, Andy Graham, to reduce (or prevent) your snoring.

Didgeridoo Drummer- Andy Graham

Monday, December 17, 2012

Direct Primary Care in Blufton and Beavercreek, OH


The Dr Synonymous Show December 18,2012

Coming up in the Dr Synonymous Show on Blog Talk Radio Tuesday December 18 at 9 PM is another interview about Direct Primary Care featuring Dr Sam Heiks of Blufton.  Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a business model that is catching on fast as a way for Family Physicians to refresh their practices and careers.  As I've noted before, www.DPCare.org is a good site for orientation to the concept of DPC.

Dr Sam Heiks of Blufton is a Family Physician who has started DPC at his Creekside Family Practice, recently featured in an article in the Lima News: Dr Sam Heiks .  Author of the article, Kate Malongowski, did a good job of accurate reporting about Dr Heiks and his practice.

She also quoted me accurately about DPC and my approach to it in Beavercreek.  We use the DPC business model in our Direct Family Medicine practice approach at Family Health Connections, Inc. The DFM is the newest aspect of our non-traditional-"Families Only"- Practrice.  It affords us a fresher approach to our new patients who don't use health insurance to cover their Family Medicine needs.  That's right, to be a new patient in our practice, you can't use your health insurance to pay.  Similarly, you can't use your auto insurance to get your car serviced at a dealer or Valvoline.

We'll discuss many of these issues on the show to further clarify how DPC works in Blufton and in Beavercreek.  We'll also mention Direct Ohio Care, a new network for primary care physicians interested in Direct Primary Care in Ohio, similar to the Health Access Rhode Island physician network with seventeen member practices.

Dr Heiks has an interesting background, involving Kansas, Wisconsin and Ohio.  Tune in to hear how he's adding to Family Medicine in Ohio.

Don't worry if you can't tune in live on Tuesday night.  It's saved as a webcast for later download or listening 24/7.




Friday, December 7, 2012

Christmas on the Ball at the BellHOP Cafe


Christmas on the Ball” at the BellHOP Café on  Saturday, 12/8/2012

Public Invited: Bring your exercise ball or just your self for a toning, movement and fitness session.

“Introductions and Welcome by Pat Jonas of BUMC and Heather of BellHOP Café

Overview of Session including Health and Safety Warning and Disclaimer
               Make a Habit of toning, stretching and movement first- fitness later.  PACE YOURSELF
               Standing, Sitting on the ball- with/without bouncing, lying on the ball, lying on the floor
               Helps Heart, Upper Body, Core, Lower Body, Spine and Mood
Opening Prayer

Breathing on the ball.  Without- five whole breaths and five with bounces.

Standing:  Five reps each of twist (p117)*, front bend and side bend (p118), hug and 30 seconds of drape over ball (p115)

Recovery for two minutes

Sitting:  100-150 bounces with music, Hip Release (124), Pelvic tilt (p34), crunch (p36), back stretch (p35)

Water, fluids, bathroom break, ball repair/ reinflation 5-7 minutes
Health Tip:  Dr Synonymous (aka, Dr Jonas) Stress Reactions, Cortisol, and the Ball

Lying on ball: back toner (p50), rise and shine (p52), push up (p46)

Lying on floor: five reps each-lower body toner (p68), lift ball, squeeze bal
l
Sitting on ball: 2 minute bounce with music

Recovery, refreshments from BellHOP menu, fellowship

Next formal session 7 PM January 10 at BUMC (followed by 7PM Jan 14th at BUMC)
Next informal session:  Your place- three times weekly 2-3 each standing, sitting, lying (five reps or 30 seconds-depending). Bouncing 2-4 minutes depending on energy and comfort.
More exercises at www.Ball-Exercises.com

We'll see you in Bellbrook!

*From Sculpt Your Body with Balls and Bands by Denise Austin, 2004 by St Martin’s Press



Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Weekly Reflections of Dr Synonymous on Blog Talk Radio

December 4, 2012 Dr Synonymous show Dr Synonymous Show

After introductions and the usual disclaimer, Dr Synonymous (aka, A. Patrick Jonas, MD) noted that he has an acute upper respiratory tract infection with sneezing and rhinorrhea (runny nose).

This resulted in a viewing of Dr Will Sawyer's award winning site Henry the Hand for a quick refresher on infection control.  Interestingly, this is National Handwashing Awareness Week , which is very timely as Family Physicians are seeing more patients with respiratory infections at this time of the year in the colder states (I don't know what's happening in the warmer areas).

Patient blog via Medical Mojave's blog site was Final Trick, with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and more.  The featured blog in my review  What's in Your Gut

Dr S/J mentioned articles in Family Practice News of November 15 including the SGR (Sustainable Growth Rate) formula that determines physician reimbursement under Medicare (which also is used by many other health insurance carriers to determine reimbursement) which mandates a 26.5% reduction in physician reimbursement on Jan 1, 2013.  Fourteen times in the last ten years, a temporary fix was passed by Congress to avoid the SGR "Fiscal Cliff".  Many fear that we will go over that cliff on Jan 1st with the nation riding the same wave downward on the larger Fiscal Cliff. www.Familypracticenews.com

Dr Jonas reviewed the weekly American Medical News making comments about employed physicians and independent physicians (36%).  The employed physicians who work for hospital systems are being squeezed and the AMA delegates approved five Principles to Address Conflicts of Interest.

Letter to Board of Directors of American Academy of Family Physicians  from Dr Mike Sevilla of Family Medicine Rocks fame (and the "King" of social media in Family Medicine)

Another important story is "Insurance Exchanges Emerge as Red vs. Blue" commenting on the insurance exchanges mandated by the Affordable Care Act that have to be ready for open enrollment on October 1, 2013.  Many states opted in, many opted out, many are confused and many want to split the responsibilities with the federal government.  All Americans will be affected by the exchanges in one way or another. www.amednews.com

Importantly, Direct Primary Care is an approved component of the exchange system IF combined with an indemnity (hospitalization) policy.  Many physicians are adding a DPC component to their practices as mentioned in this blog and on my Dr Synonymous Blog Talk Radio Show.  Newest in Ohio is Dr Sam Heiks,  a Family Physician in Blufton.  There was a nice article in the Lima News sritten by Kate Malongowski (a thorough, accurate and delightful reporter/journalist) about Dr Heiks DPC activity, including quotes from Dr Jonas (with reference to my Direct Family Medicine model of DPC)  Dr Sam Heiks and Direct Primary Care

The Dr Synonymous Show continued with a review of Dr Kenny Lin's blog Common Sense Family Doctor and "In Health Care Little Details Make all the Difference"

Dr Jonas further mentioned A Brief History of Everything by Ken Wilbur, interesting book about a model for everything in the universe, including the mind of God.

Lastly, this is Army-Navy week culminating with the Army Navy football game on Saturday.  Go Army!

We lost a great West Point graduate last week- Jay Tieber, class of 1957.  RIP Jay.  Our prayers are with Maxine and your family. Jay Tieber, obituary