Beach Family Medical

10/19/2022

We are finally in network with EmblemHealth!

And while I'm on here - friendly reminder to get your flu shot!

04/15/2022

Happy 3 Year Anniversary to Beach Family Medical!!!
We opened our doors 3 years ago today and saw our first patients. What a wild ride it has been since then, as none of us could have ever predicted the impending pandemic and what that would bring to this project of mine. Thank you for being on this journey with me and allowing me to grow and pivot as the world has called for in these years. I am truly grateful to be able to do what I love and to be of service and helpful as best as I am able.
To celebrate in that light, I want to announce our new initiative to support BEACH GIVING and our local food pantries. Please consider dropping by any personal amenities, toiletries, feminine hygiene products for donation to our pantries. We will be accepting donations daily and thank you in advance for helping us to continue to support our community at large. ❤️🙏
With Gratitude,
Dr. E

12/17/2021

Just a friendly reminder to book an appointment for your booster at one of our local pharmacies if you have not gotten it yet.
Data is showing that the booster not only increases the amount of antibodies, but the breadth of your immune system response - so the number of antibodies is not the only factor. Data shows a marked increase in protection against Omicron with the booster. There are many factors in the increased spread of Omicron, and we are currently seeing at least 13% of cases in NY are of the new variant and that number is rapidly rising. The best current protection we have is to be boosted.
For evidence-based, up-to-date, easy to understand updates, we recommend following YLE - Your Local Epidemiologist - https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/
She provides excellent summaries of the emerging data for anyone who is interested!

Providing a direct line of science to you

07/14/2021

Hey all! I know so many of you have heard me talking about the movie The Wisdom of Trauma with Gabor Mate. There will be another screening July 28-Aug 1. If you visit www.thewisdomoftrauma.com you can enter your email and you'll receive a link to view the film.
I HIGHLY recommend this film for anyone who has suffered with anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction. Gabor Mate's approach is compassionate and effective and I have learned so much from his books and this film. The film isn't available to the public for distribution yet, so the only way to watch it for now is through the site on these dates, so please check it out it this strikes a chord for you at all. You all know I'm always saying how our mental health is a huge part of our physical health and overall wellness, and this type of work is so important. So enjoy!!

Trauma is the invisible force that shapes our lives. It shapes the way we live, the way we love and the way we make sense of the world. It is the root of our deepest wounds. Dr. Maté gives us a new vision: a trauma-informed society in which parents, teachers, physicians, policy-makers and legal per...

05/11/2021

Attention patients of Beach Family Medical,

There is an outage of Verizon in the area so our internet and phones are down. We will be returning all calls as soon as the service resumes. If you have a real emergency please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

04/13/2021

Let's pause but keep perspective. Please take a moment to read this before giving into panic and fear. The risk of clotting from J&J remains much much lower than in COVID infection, and much lower than from taking birth control or smoking ci******es.
The larger risk remains actual COVID infection. I understand it is hard to continue to trust the process when information is changing so rapidly. But it is all new. And the fact that this has been identified proves the scientific process is working.
And please don't jump to lumping all COVID vaccines together - the mRNA vaccines remain very safe and effective. And it appears that J&J is still quite safe, but let's let the researchers look at the big picture and make a determination. But if you already had the J&J vaccine, there is no need for panic or regret.

J&J Vaccine Pause

***You can read an update to this post here: https://www.facebook.com/friendlyneighborepidemiologist/posts/281397163482940

Today, out of an abundance of caution, J&J vaccines were paused in the US. On a personal note, I received the J&J vaccine.😊 Let me help you sift through these headlines and hopefully calm some fears you might have.

✅ 7 million doses of the J&J vaccines have been administered. Of those, 6 people developed a specific type of a rare blood clot (CVST). Key things to keep in mind:

1. All six recipients were women between the ages of 18 and 48.

2. All clots occurred between days 6 to 13.

3. This is comparable to what was observed with the clots seen after AstraZeneca vaccines in the UK. Those were 4 out of 1 million people, all women between the same ages, and occurred between days 6 to 28 after the vaccine. The J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines are both the same adenovirus type (instead of the mRNA vaccine types) - so, that's why I'm comparing them.



4. These specific types of clots (CVST) are very, very rare and the pause is part of due diligence with vaccine trials and roll-out. (Without getting too technical, the combination of CVST plus low platelets are what is being investigated. This combination requires a unique clinical treatment plan different than other clots.) The background rate of these specific types of clots are 2 to 14 per million.

5. Identifying these events and pausing after 6 people shows that the public health vaccine surveillance system in the US is working. Picking out these 6 events out of the 7 million doses that have already been administered should signal to us that our systems are working for safety and transparency.

6. I do not want to downplay these events. But, they do need to be put into context of the overall risk. Blood clots associated with COVID-19 are MUCH higher (see the graphic). 6 out of a million with the vaccine versus 165,000 with COVID-19. The risk is much higher if you actually get COVID.

***Note: The graphic shows the risk for AstraZeneca. These are comparable to the J&J vaccines, but the graphic has not been updated. Also, there are different types of blood clots (which range from rare to common and from non-severe to severe) and the graphic shows all types clumped together. So, it's not completely apples to apples, but it does help us compare risks.

7. Tomorrow the CDC and FDA will jointly examine possible links in a meeting with the outside advisory committee. These pauses are designed to review the data and develop plans going forward.

I know many of you have questions about what you should do if you already received the J&J vaccine. Should you monitor for symptoms? Are the clots only within the first 2 weeks? Should you get another one if you're between those ages and a woman? I do expect those recommendations to come tomorrow after the meeting. I'll keep you updated.

Remember correlation does not equal causation. I hope this post helps squash some of your fears. Many of you are already at an anxious point in the pandemic and I bet these headlines do not help. Stay encouraged, friends. Remember the big picture and the system is working.

-FNE

***Post for non-FB people: https://tinyurl.com/35prkeh3

SOURCE:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/13/us/politics/johnson-johnson-vaccine-blood-clots-fda-cdc.html?fbclid=IwAR24_6l0G2rr5rG5BfroGAfG-RYFchH8BhkSgjYo1o90bl6-YweVSotn5Xw

03/10/2021

Beach Family Medical is proud to welcome Dr. Robert Lanter, D.O., P.C. to the practice. Dr. Lanter specializes in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Sports Medicine, Acupuncture, and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy
💉What is PRP?💉

Blood is made up of red and white cells, plasma, and platelets. Platelets act as clotting agents and also contain a group of proteins called growth factors. Platelet Rich Plasma therapy, PRP, uses your own isolated platelets and plasma which are injected back into your skin or scalp which stimulates cells in the skin to produce new collagen and elastin, and to speed up healing of wounds. PRP can be used for both orthopedic and cosmetic purposes.
💉Orthopedics:
PRP is recommended for a wide range of acute and chronic conditions that haven’t responded to conservative treatments, including:
• Ligament and muscle injuries
• Osteoarthritis pain, especially in the knees, shoulders and hands
• Tendon problems, such as Achilles tendinitis
• Trigger points and muscle spasms
• Conditions like runner or jumper’s knee and plantar fasciitis
PRP can also accelerate the healing time of injuries such as torn rotator cuffs and ACL tears.

💉Cosmetic
• Hair Restoration (Treatment of thinning or balding hair)
• Our PRP Acupuncture Facial combines PRP with the benefits of acupuncture. Platelets trigger collagen production which can help to tighten, smooth, heal and improve skin tone.
• Skin rejuvenation (under-eyes, lips, nasolabial folds, lines on the neck and chest, scarring and cellulite reduction)
• Treating acne scarring, pigmentation, and rosacea
• Treatment of fine lines and wrinkles

01/11/2021

We are getting so many calls about the COVID vaccine that we want to help get some information out there, so please read and please spread widely. We are currently not sure when the small offices such as ourselves will get the vaccine to give to our patients - we are awaiting further information from the DOH.
But our local hospital systems are doing an excellent job at distributing the vaccines. I was vaccinated through CHS/Mercy Medical Center, and they have several vaccination sites that I am sure will be open to the public soon. I will distribute that when I get it.
But as of today, 1/11, Northwell has opened vaccination sites to the public that fall into the category of 1a and 1b: now eligibility goes beyond healthcare to include teachers and education workers, first responders, public safety workers, public transit workers and people aged 75 years and older.
If you are not sure what category you fall into, check out their FAQ page, including a calculator for categories: https://www.northwell.edu/coronavirus-covid-19/vaccine

Once you verify your eligibility through the above link, follow the directions to book your appointment.

As we get more information on when we can carry the vaccine and make this more convenient for our patients, we will update you, but as many of you are understandably anxious to get going, please utilize our area hospital systems, which are doing an excellent job.

Get COVID-19 vaccine information including vaccination eligibility, as well as vaccination locations throughout Northwell Health.

12/23/2020

Today I was able to take the first step toward protecting us, personally and as a community. I am so grateful to Mercy Medical Center for making this vaccine available, and to the awe-inspiring scientists who brought this miracle to reality.
Many of you have been calling with questions regarding when and how the vaccine will be made available to the general public. The short answer is we don't know yet. I did apply to carry the vaccine a couple of weeks ago, but am waiting to hear from the state when and what vaccine we will be approved for. There is much still to figure out, but we will try our best to provide the vaccines as they are made available to us, or to advocate for our patients however the state decides vaccines will be made available. We will send out an email blast when we know more and post updates here.
As you all know by now, numbers are increasing rapidly across Long Island. Please please exercise the utmost caution if deciding to see family that does not live in your household this holiday season. Thanksgiving created quite a storm for COVID cases, and we expect the same will happen from the remaining holidays - but the system is being stretched thin, and we are seeing many positive cases every single day at this point. The beginning of the end is here, so please hold on for a few more months and do your part to slow the spread and keep your loved ones safe.
After working almost every day since March, we will be closed to patients the 24th-26th for a little respite, but will be answering phones the 24th and 26th during business hours.
Stay safe and Happy Holidays!!!! 🎉🎄

10/01/2020

The women of Beach Family Medical got their flu shots today! Have you gotten yours? Call us to schedule!
Remember, the flu can also be a deadly virus and not only does the vaccine decrease community spread of the flu, but it also prevents the severest of symptoms, hospitalization, and death from the virus.
This year in particular, we are facing a challenging winter ahead with COVID-19 as well as influenza, RSV, and the many respiratory viruses that circulate. Lets prevent and protect where we can.
Please keep up with your mask wearing and hand hygiene as we find our way through these times together.
Sincerely, your Beach Family Medical Team

06/27/2020

Dear Long Beach Community,
We know everyone has really experienced a great deal of challenges recently and that tensions are running high throughout the community. We have seen increased fighting in general in our Long Beach Community Facebook groups. We have heard from so many patients in distress. We want to reassure you that we are here for you and we will get through this together as always. Bad times don't last!
As the needs of our community have temporarily increased, we are experiencing an exceptionally high volume of patient visits and calls. In order to get through this and to give all of you the individualized attention that your health deserves, we need to work together. I want to remind everyone that blood results can take up to 7-10 days to get back from the lab, review, write notes, and upload into your portals. It is not an automated process. It takes time and expertise to compare to your prior results, analyze in light of your complaints, adjust medications, etc. If there is anything at all emergent, we will call you. And we WILL get your blood work up within 10 days, but often this takes place on the weekend after I have finished face-to-face patient care. But please be patient with us as we are attending to many needs of our patients during a tenuous time. Your patience will help us so much to get through everything as quickly as possible and continue to navigate these stormy waters together.
Thank you for your trusting us and it is most certainly our honor to serve this community and we are grateful to have been able to stay open and help through these trying times.
Enjoy your weekend!! Please stay safe!
Dr. English and Shana

04/20/2020

Help me wish a happy happy birthday to our Tabitha!! We couldn't do it without her! Happy birthday Tab - we miss you so much in the office with us, but know you are working so hard behind the scenes to keep us up and running until we can all be back to business as usual!!! Hope your day has been amazing!! Tabitha Dwyer