Posts by Philip M. O'Halloran, MD
Coronavirus update
As the Coronavirus epidemic spreads across the country, patients deserve guidance on how to protect themselves. Village Health follows and refers to the CDC Guidelines [https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html] as the most up to date source for information on this serious infectious disease threat. How can we distinguish between common colds, bronchitis, community-acquired pneumonia and Coronavirus? We start…
Read MoreCoronavirus Testing Guidelines
As Michigan’s COVID-19 case count rises, patients want to know when they need to be tested for the virus. As recently as last week, the answer would have focused on questions about known exposure from recent air travel, cruises and contacts with known Coronavirus positive cases. As the virus spreads across our state (110 cases…
Read MoreRemembering Dr. Borland
The passing of Village Health’s long time night shift doctor, Thomas R. Borland, MD, has left a void in our practice and also our lives. Those of us who knew the Metro area ER legend agree that “TBâ€, as he was affectionately known, was more than just a journeyman emergency physician who’d been around for…
Read MoreA word about antibiotics
Upper respiratory infections usually don’t require antibiotics In fact, as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warns, inappropriate antibiotic use might cause an unintended — and unwanted — consequence. Examples include the appearances of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (so-called superbugs), an anaphylactic allergic reaction, which is immediately life-threatening, or a C. Difficile enterocolitis infection, which is a…
Read MoreCheck out our billboard!
We are up in lights on electronic billboards in Utica. In order to better spread the word about our 24/7/365 family, urgent and occupation health services, we’ve started a new form of advertising for VH. You can see Dr. Mika on the giant screen at the northwest corner of M-59 and M-53 (it’s in front…
Read MoreThe Shape of Care to Come
In recent months, the vague outline of a new Telemedicine system, that will allow doctors to diagnose and treat patients online, has come into sharper focus. This is just one of many advances that are in the pipeline of the medical entrepreneurial community. Let’s consider the future landscape, the shape of care to come, if…
Read MoreShould doctors prescribe exercise?
A study recently published in the prestigious British Medical Journal would seem to indicate that the answer is “yesâ€. To the layperson, the benefits of exercise would seem to be quite obvious but the scientific world needs data — and lots of it! Well, the treasure trove of encouraging evidence just got bigger. Using a…
Read MoreIs Direct Primary Care the Answer?
Direct Primary Care: can it reduce Obamacare cost inflation? The sticker shock of the Affordable Care Act, (aka “Obamacareâ€) has arrived and patients are now face to face with much higher insurance deductibles. Of course, that means that routine “day-to-day†health care needs are being paid for out of pocket by more and more Americans.…
Read MoreSome like it hot?
As the mercury breaks thousands of records across the country and hits 100 degrees here in Michigan (99 as I write this), it’s important to be aware of the health risks for you and your family. The range of dangers runs from mild dehydration to heat exhaustion and heat stroke – a life-threatening illness. As…
Read MorePoison Ivy: herein lies the rub
We’re well into the poison ivy season at Village Health and I’ve been wanting to review what we all need to know in the event that persistent itch and classic pink, course “sandpaper†rash appears on our limbs, trunk or face. A quick overview: for the purposes of this discussion, poison ivy, oak and sumac…
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