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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 2017)
4 B SIUSLAW NEWS | SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017 TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH What Kind of Doctor Is a ‘Hospitalist’? DEAR DR. ROACH: I recently spent four days in the hospital for a respiratory infection. I was not admitted to my primary-care doc- tor’s service, but had three names on my wristband. When I inquired as to who they were, I was told that they were hospitalists. They would see me and communicate with my primary-care physician. I did not see the same doctor more than once in my four-day admission. When I saw my PCP after discharge, he did say he had been in contact with the hos- pitalists. Is this common? Who is absorb- ing the cost? Does my PCP bill for consultation? -- M.M.E. ANSWER: Hospitalists are spe- cialists in inpatient medicine. Hos- pitalists typically have no outpatient responsibilities, and spend the entire day in the hospital taking care of ad- mitted patients only. Because they are constantly in the hospital, they SALOME’S STARS ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Re- lationships continue to thrive, but watch for any telltale signs of potential problems. Take needed action now to set things straight before they become troublesome later. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Your powers of persuasion, backed up, of course, by your considerable exper- tise, help you establish your case even to the most dubious decision-makers in your workplace. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) You might still be a bit reluctant to face up to some less-than-pleasant realities. But the sooner you accept the facts, the sooner you can set about making some needed changes. CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Ex- pect to make adjustments, even when usually can see an admitted patient more expeditiously than a doctor with outpatient responsibilities, and they tend to become expert and effi - cient at managing serious illness re- quiring hospitalization. Most studies comparing hospitalists with doctors who do both outpatient and inpatient medicine have shown that hospital- ists facilitate decreased lengths of stay in the hospital and at least as good medical outcomes. The theory is that by specializing in just inpa- tient medicine, one can become ex- pert as well as very effi cient at using the resources available at a particu- lar hospital. The potential downside of hospi- talists is that the personal knowledge about a particular patient isn’t as high. Your PCP knows you -- hope- fully very well, if he or she has been taking care of you for a long time. Although your records may be avail- able to the hospitalists, it isn’t the same as personal knowledge. That being said, with good communica- tion (both ways) between your doc- tor and the hospitalists, the quality of care can be excellent. There is no doubt that the hospi- talist model is increasing in preva- lence in the U.S. and Canada. In answer to your question, your insurance company (or the govern- ment) pays the hospitalist directly. The PCP does not bill for consulta- tion. DEAR DR. ROACH: My hus- band has Meniere’s disease. We can- not fi nd anyone who can help him. Is there any medication for this? -- L.M. ANSWER: Meniere’s disease causes episodes of vertigo, tinnitus and eventually hearing loss. It is caused by swelling in the organ of balance in the inner ear, but the rea- son for the swelling isn’t clear. Before being seen by a doctor, your husband can try to identify triggers for the attacks. Common triggers include a high-salt diet, to- bacco, alcohol and stress. A low-salt diet can dramatically reduce epi- sodes. ENT doctors are usually expert in treating Meniere’s disease. A diuret- ic such as hydrochlorothiazide often is used if diet alone doesn’t help. The booklet on vertigo explains this disruptive condition in detail and outlines its treatment. Readers can order a copy by writing: Dr. Roach -- No. 801W, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Canada with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please al- low four weeks for delivery. things seem locked up and ready to go. But cheer up: At least one change could lead to something you’ve been hoping for. LEO (July 23 to August 22) Th e success of a recent project should do a lot to boost your self-confi dence. You might want to start now to check out ways to make that long-deferred big- ger and bolder move. VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Ease up on the pressure you might be putting on the new person in your life. It takes time for a budding rela- tionship to blossom. Show more pa- tience and understanding. LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) You have lots of inner strength in reserve. Use some of it to resist intim- idation from those who might try to impose on your good nature for their own reasons. SCORPIO (October 23 to Novem- ber 21) Th e good news is that your on-the-job status is improving. Th e one cautionary note, however, in- volves a personal situation you might have been ignoring for too long. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Congratulations. Once again, your sharp Sagittarian “horse sense” helps you work through a com- plicated situation that would leave most people confused. CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Plan on indulging your- self in some well-earned good times through much of the week. Th en be prepared to face some thought-pro- voking issues by the 19th. AQUARIUS (January 20 to Febru- ary 18) Positive factors continue to dominate following a recent change in both your professional and personal lives. Expect to make contact with someone from your past. PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Workplace stability allows you to con- tinue making progress on your proj- ects. But don’t ignore your personal life. Spend more quality time with those special folks. Siuslaw N ews ! AD IT DAY E R TO UNCLE FRANK IS BACK! Frank’s 101 Barber Shop Don’t lie to me or steal from me a nd I will do the sa me! 396 Highway 101, Florence • 541-902-9588 Taking lunch from Noon - 1:00 It is a must! Fra nk is at the Barbershop on Mon, Tues, Thurs a nd Friday, 9-3
