SPRING 2006
Many of you already know New Pueblo’s physician assistant Liana Perrian and family nurse practitioner Anita Gallardo as highly skilled health professionals. They see New Pueblo patients throughout the year for eve-rything from urgent care ailments to preven-tive health and self-care issues. But what you may not know is the fascinating life ex-periences and multilingual dimension they bring to the New Pueblo medical team. Anita Gallardo has been New Pueblo’s certi-fied family nurse practitioner since 2004. Bi-lingual in Spanish, she has more than 25 years of nursing experience and has taught nursing. Anita Gallardo, FNP She received her post-master’s family nurse practitioner degree from San Jose State Uni-versity. She chose the profession because it provides an opportunity to teach patients how to lead healthier lifestyles. Anita is new
to Arizona and loves exploring the state’s “many treasures” with her husband and chil-dren. “The desert is a beautiful, peaceful place for us.” Liana Perrian, PA-C A native of Romania, Liana Perrian has been a board-certified physician assistant since 1993. In addition to English, she’s flu-ent in Spanish, French and Romanian. Liana graduated from medical school in Romania. After moving to the United States with physi-cian-husband Alexander Perrian, she com-pleted the University of California-Davis phy-sician assistant program, where she gradu-ated in 1993 and became board certified the same year. When the Perrians relocated to Tucson, Liana spent 11 years with a private internal medicine practice, and in 2002, joined the Tucson Orthopaedic Institute where she pursued clinical research. In her spare time she enjoys travel and has inter-ests in archaeology and anthropology. She joined New Pueblo Medicine last July.
Meet New Pueblo’s Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner
What You Can do to Tame Your Seasonal Allergies
The warm dry winter in southern Arizona signaled an early start of allergy season this year. If you’re among the 35 million Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies, this is not the kind of news you wel-come. Allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, is triggered by allergens or substances that initiate an allergic response, such as pollens or molds. Because they’re light enough to be airborne, pollens and molds cause the biggest problems for most sufferers. Trees, weeds and grass are common offenders. Here are a few tips to help you through the months ahead: ♦ Stay indoors at peak pollen periods – early morning and late afternoon. Keep windows closed at night
to prevent pollens and molds from drifting into your home. ♦ Minimize your outdoor activities during high pollen counts or on windy days. Pollen counts are reported
daily on local TV weathercasts. ♦ Keep car windows closed when traveling. ♦ Use your air conditioners and a humidifier to keep air clean and cool. ♦ Use a paper mask when doing gardening or yard work ♦ Use your clothes dryer to filter out pollens. ♦ Shower after spending time outdoors to remove pollen and mold from your skin. Wash your hair before
going to bed to remove pollen that could be inhaled during your sleep. ♦ Don’t over water indoor plants if you’re allergic to mold. Wet soil encourages mold growth. ♦ Consider scheduling your vacation to more pollen-free areas such as the beach or sea during peak
season. Allergies can lead to other chronic conditions like asthma, so don’t take them lightly. If seasonal allergy symptoms are making you miserable, schedule an appointment with your doctor.
New Pueblo Offers Latest Technology to Diagnose Vertebral Fractures Associated with Osteoporosis
New Pueblo Medicine has acquired state-of-the-art (DEXA) imaging technology that evaluates the spine for vertebral fractures at the same time bone density is measured. These fractures are associated with osteoporosis and are highly prevalent in the elderly population. The new imaging, called VFA, is a critical tool in earlier detection of osteoporosis. VFA identifies vertebral fractures which carry an increased risk of future spine or hip fractures, independent of bone mineral den-sity. That’s important, because in the early stages, osteoporosis can have few, if any, physical effects that are noticeable. As the disease progresses, however, fractures can occur and lead to pain, loss of height and loss of mobility.
It’s estimated that only 20 to 30 percent of vertebral fractures are identified clinically. Often the back pain of a low-trauma vertebral fracture is attributed to other causes, and the patient may not believe it’s severe enough to warrant a visit to the doctor. But undetected vertebral fractures can more than triple the risk of additional fractures. Vertebral fractures also increase the risk for subsequent fractures of the hip. Post-menopausal White women over 50 are at highest risk for osteoporosis-related bone fractures. In fact, they have a 40 percent chance of suffering a fracture during their lifetime. Although the rate is lower for other ethnic groups and males, it may be on the rise in some subgroups, particularly Hispanic women. That’s why early detection is important. If you think you could be at risk, ask your New Pueblo physician about VFA screening.
Your Home Safety Checklist Floors ♦ Arrange furniture so there are open pathways through a room. Move furniture that you must walk around. ♦ Remove throw rugs or use double-sided tape to keep them firmly in place. ♦ Keep tripping hazards off the floor – magazines, shoes, boxes, blankets, etc. ♦ Coil or tape wires next to walls or have an electrician install another outlet to eliminate the need for long extension
cords. Stairs & Steps ♦ Never place objects on stairs, and make certain stairway carpet is not loose or torn. ♦ Make sure you have good lighting on stairways and a switch that operates it at the top and bottom of the stairs. ♦ Fix broken stairs and loose handrails. Add another handrail so you have them on both sides of the stairs. Kitchen ♦ Keep the items you use most often on the lower shelves. ♦ Get a sturdy step stool with a bar to hold on to. ♦ Keep flammable items away from the stove and avoid wearing long sleeves when cooking. ♦ Have a working smoke detector installed in your kitchen. Bedroom ♦ Keep a light or lamp within easy reach of your bed. Make sure there’s a nightlight so you can see where you are
walking at night. ♦ Have a phone next to your bed. Bathroom ♦ Place a non-slip mat on the floor of your tub or shower. ♦ Install grab bars next to and inside the tub – and next to the toilet. ♦ Have a handyman install a chair or stool in the floor of your shower or tub.
Prediabetes: You May Have It, and NOT Know
Before people develop Type 2 diabetes, they almost always have prediabetes – blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. More than 41 million Americans ages 40 to 74 are living with prediabetes, according to American Diabetes Association esti-mates. Most are completely unaware of their condition. The trouble is, when prediabetes is not ad-dressed, it will develop into Type 2 diabetes, usually within 10 years. The term ‘prediabetes’ was introduced in 2002 to replace the former clinical term “impaired glucose tol-erance.” The reason for the name change was to highlight the seriousness of the condition as a precur-sor to Type 2 diabetes and to motivate people to proactively manage their blood glucose so they can delay or prevent diabetes from ever happening. There’s powerful evidence that brisk walking 30-minutes a day can postpone or even prevent further progression to diabetes in people who already are overweight and whose bodies have already started having trouble metabolizing glucose. While it’s impossible to change your family history and age, you can address and control other diabetes risk factors, including excess weight, physical inactivity and high blood pressure. Here’s what to do: Get Screened: The first step is to find out if you have prediabetes. Speak to your New Pueblo Medicine physician about a simple screening – a fasting plasma glucose or a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test. Routine screening after age 45 is recommended. Repeat testing every three years if results are normal.
Exercise: Walk or engage in moderate exercise for 30 minutes at least five days a week Watch Your Diet: Eat a healthy diet built around low-fat, low-calorie foods.
Did you know that New Pueblo Medicine has a diabetes
educator, Suzanne Gould, who has prediabetes herself. She educates patients on ways to manage their condition.
“Diabetes is a 24-hour disease where taking charge is key,“ she said.
Coming Soon!
This summer we’ll be doing a short questionnaire in the reception room to follow up on issues you asked us to address in last year’s patient satisfaction survey. We’ll also ask you what fea-tures you’d like to see and use on a New Pueblo website. Your feedback is valued and will help us continually improve patient services!
