Covid-19 Information for Patients

During this pandemic, Prevention First Healthcare is taking the appropriate steps to protect our patients as well as our staff.

Please review our Coronavirus/Covid-19 information for patients.

If you are experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, alteration in taste or smell, body aches, headache, sore throat or diarrhea, please call the office at 215-PRE-VENT and we will direct you how to proceed.
All patients are screened by phone before appointments are scheduled.
In certain circumstances patients are evaluated while they remain in their car. Their temperature is taken and Covid-19 testing may be performed as well, via nasal swab.

Our office remains open to serve our patients with all of their healthcare needs as it always has.
-We see one patient at a time, with no one in the waiting room.
-Our patients are given a mask and gloves upon entry to the office.
-The rooms are disinfected thoroughly between visits and all staff are practicing social distancing, washing hands, using hand sanitizer, and wearing masks & gloves.
-We offer coronavirus antibody testing from blood samples. These are sent to either Lab Corp or Quest to ensure reliability.

It is important to see our patients In-Person.
Many times the diagnosis of medical problems can only be made by performing a physical examination in conjunction with taking medical history.
Often, just looking at a patient is an indication of how ill they may be.
We are also continuing to coordinate ALL aspects of medical care by directly communicating with subspecialists and arranging appointments, even during this period of time where there is limited access to care.

We continue to provide after-hours care as I may be reached directly by my cell phone for urgent problems.

It remains our privilege at Prevention First Healthcare to care for the many people who trust us with the most important thing in their life, their health.

Marc S. Rabinowitz M.D.

How to Stay Healthy in 2020

How to stay healthy as you age.

Remain physically fit.

Find exercise plan that fits into your lifestyle. Strive towards a goal to run a 10K or 5K race or walk, tone your muscles, get stronger and have more balance. Contact Dr. Marc Rabinowitz for exercise ideas at any age.

Talk to us about scheduling a Free Consultation.

Taking Aspirin?

Are you over 70 years old and taking aspirin to prevent stroke or heart attack? The latest studies from the New England Journal of Medicine provides new information to discuss with your doctor. There may not be a benefit to taking aspirin as a preventative measure if you are healthy and over 70.

Maybe You Should See the Doctor?

Even after a week, that nagging cough won’t go away. “Maybe you should see the doctor,” your spouse suggests. The doctor? For a cough? And some sniffling? And an achy throat?

Alright, it’s time to call the doctor. You call….and get a busy signal…again and again. Finally the phone rings and it’s answered…by a machine. When they do call back, there is no opening for 5 days.

The healthcare landscape is changing and it affects us all. Every day, 10,000 people turn 65, further increasing the demands on an already stretched system. Plus, fewer doctors are entering internal medicine. This unfortunately results in longer times in waiting rooms and less time with the doctor.

This is why I created Prevention First Healthcare. Because patients deserve more–more time with their doctor, more research into their specific medical needs and more knowledge on how to live a healthier life. Our mission is not only to get you well, but to keep you well. We do this in many different ways, most importantly providing immediate access to a doctor 24 hours a day. All of my patients receive a special phone number which is answered by a live receptionist during office hours, plus my personal cell phone number for emergencies after hours. And it is our goal to make sure you are seen within one day of your call, if not sooner.

Every patient receives a comprehensive 90-minute physical evaluating every aspect of health and well-being. Through screenings, counseling and testing, we develop a proactive health and wellness plan. By exploring family histories, medical conditions and lifestyle choices, we map out your needs and provide specific remedies such as weight loss and nutritional counseling, exercise programs, smoking cessation and other tools, all tailored to you. All subsequent appointments with me last 30 minutes or longer, ensuring you are receiving the best possible treatment and all of your questions are answered.

Need testing or an appointment with a specialist? Not a problem. Before you leave the office, a member of our staff will schedule your appointment for you, dramatically reducing your wait time and any possible delay in diagnosis.

And in cases where an illness is diagnosed and action is needed, Prevention First Healthcare strives to be there every step of the way, coordinating everything from house calls to hospitalization, if necessary.

Best of all, I am ready to see you as soon as you arrive. We certainly realize your time is just as valuable as ours so we strive to make sure we always stay on schedule.

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Three Little Words Can Do More Harm Than Good

Truth be told, if you don’t see a doctor annually, you may not be looking for trouble, but trouble has a good chance of finding you.

We are taught as parents that one of our primary responsibilities is to make sure our children receive annual examinations and the necessary vaccinations. We spend thousands of dollars to take our pets to the vet and our cars to the dealership for regular oil changes and maintenance checks. And yet, as we get older, we forget that this proactive care is so essential when it comes to our own well-being.

What changes when we become adults? Well, for starters, many of us start leading much more sedentary lifestyles, with little to no exercise and absolutely zero regard to what we are eating between work and shuffling our kids to school, dance recitals, and soccer practice. The results are downright fearful with two-thirds of our population overweight, and one in every three people suffering with some form of diabetes. The onset of chronic illness such as heart disease and cancer runs rampant as our age increases, leading to 70% of all deaths. Snore at night? That heavy breathing should not be taken lightly—it may be a sign of sleep apnea, which could increase your chance of a stroke by 30%.

The fact is NOW MORE THAN EVER you need to see a doctor regularly, even when you think you are on top of your game. When was the last time you had an annual physical examination? For most of us, it was a lot longer than a year ago. And when we say a physical, we mean much more than blood work and an EKG. An adult patient deserves an adult evaluation.

This includes:

-A comprehensive review of your family history, including parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins, to determine which ailments and illnesses run through your family tree.

-A lifestyle evaluation, reviewing your daily diet and level of activity. We examine everything from how many steps you take in a day to the number of fruits and vegetables you consume (or in most cases, don’t consume).

-An Epworth sleep evaluation to screen for sleep apnea and identify any needs for treatment.

-A mini mental evaluation which will explore the potential for memory loss and a Zung depression analysis, which will screen for any undiagnosed depression.

-An extensive review of your occupational history where we look at all of your work settings and determine the need for any specific health screenings as a result of your job(s). If we do locate a form of illness or cancer, it is far more treatable in its earlier stages.

-Lastly, a comprehensive exam while undressed which includes necessary rectal exams, prostate exams for men, and breast exams for women.

Is the annual exam a pleasant experience? I doubt it will ever top of the list of your favorite activities. However, by taking the time to have yourself checked out regularly, you can assure yourself that you will be able to continue to enjoy your favorite activities. From this exam, we put together a wellness program to make sure you feel fine for a long to come.

You don’t wait until your car breaks down before you get the oil changed. Why would you wait for your body to break down before you go to the doctor? By seeing a doctor on an annual basis, you not only add years to your life, but most importantly, you add life to your years.

February is American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month

Heart Month is an annual observance dedicated to raising awareness about heart health and cardiovascular diseases.

Learn more about heart disease and its risk factors.

Heart Disease in the United States

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States.¹
One person dies every 33 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease.¹
About 695,000 people in the United States died from heart disease in 2021—that’s 1 in every 5 deaths.^1,2
Heart disease cost the United States about $239.9 billion each year from 2018 to 2019.³ This includes the cost of health care services, medicines, and lost productivity due to death. (https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm)

Are You Heart Smart?

What to Know for a Healthier Heart

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. One in five deaths is due to heart disease, even though the disease is largely preventable.[1]

Keeping your heart healthy starts with living a heart-healthy lifestyle. But first, you need to get smart about your heart. Knowing what causes heart disease, what puts you at risk for it, and how you can reduce those risks can help you make informed decisions to protect your heart and keep it strong.

Want to test your knowledge? Take this short Heart Smart Quiz:

Heart Smart Quiz

True or False? High blood pressure is also known as hypertension and occurs when your blood pressure is consistently 130/80 mm Hg or higher.
True or False? Your body mass index, or BMI, shows if your weight is in a healthy range for your height and is one measure of your future risk for heart disease.
True or False? Cholesterol helps make hormones, vitamin D, and substances to help you digest foods. Your body needs it for good health, but in the right amounts.
True or False? Eating lots of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, using fat-free or low-fat dairy products, and limiting foods high in saturated fat or sugar-sweetened beverages are all part of a heart-healthy diet.
True or False? Not getting enough sleep or getting poor quality sleep on a regular basis increases the risk of having high blood pressure, heart disease, and other medical conditions.
True or False? To strengthen their heart, adults should aim to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as brisk walking each week.

Answer Key: All answers are True.

How did you do? Knowing your own risk factors for heart disease can help guide your lifestyle choices, so talk to your healthcare provider to make sure you’re clear. Just as important: know your numbers. Your weight, waist size, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels all affect your heart. If they aren’t where they should be, make a pledge to begin improving them.

Adding more physical activity to your day, eating a heart-healthy diet, managing stress, getting enough quality sleep, and not smoking can put you on the path to better heart health.

Learn more about heart disease prevention from The Heart Truth® at www.hearttruth.gov and download the Heart Smart Basics fact sheet to improve your knowledge about heart health.

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm

An Apple A Day Won’t Make Me Go Away

With medical care becoming overly frustrating for most Americans, new medical recommendations coming out practically every month so it seems and the busy, crazy lives all of us lead, I do my best to simplify the complicated for my patients.

Do I recommend an apple a day? Sure.
Should I tell you to eat bread every day like Oprah to lose weight? Um. This one we should tackle when you come in for a visit or call.

Obviously, there is so much more to patient care.
Take for example the most recent study by the National Institutes of Health. A study was released finding that the systolic blood pressure once defined for high blood pressure as 140 is now being recommended and lowered to 120. What I do with my preventative and personalized care medical practice is listen to my patients and their concerns. When they read about the blood pressure study and call me to be seen, I listen, take their blood pressure and make recommendations based upon the findings.

I always take blood pressure readings both sitting and lying down and also when my patient is standing up. I look for Orthostatic Hypotension — also called Postural Hypotension —a form of low blood pressure that happens when you stand up from sitting or lying down. Orthostatic Hypotension can make you feel dizzy or lightheaded, and maybe even faint.

What do we do when we find there is high blood pressure?
There are 3 steps every American can take to diminish their risk for high blood pressure, which is prominent in 1/3rd of the population over the age of 50.

Weight Management
When you bear more weight on your body, more blood has to be pumped throughout your system. This puts great stress on your heart. Watching your weight is very important to your overall health; something we promote very strongly in our preventative and personalized medicine practice. Eat healthy, exercise regularly and reduce your caloric intake.

Salt
Be conscious of your salt intake. I usually recommend for the average patient to keep your salt intake no higher than 4,000mg per day, if not closer to 3,000. Salt increases fluid in your body and bloodstream and causes blood pressure to rise. Read food labels and try to be aware when you eat out how much salt is in your food. If you have a weak heart, restrict your diet to 2,000mg/day of salt. If you have good kidneys, light salt is another option. Light salt contains a percentage of potassium which counteracts the effects of salt.

Medication
Prescription medication has proven to help those with high blood pressure. But prescriptions also cause some uncomfortable side effects. Speak with your prescribing doctor if you have any side effects from blood pressure meds. There are many options out there, so an adjustment may be necessary.

If you take prescribed medications to help with your blood pressure, patient compliance is crucial. Take your medicine the same time every day and do not miss a dose. Pack it with you on vacation and store your medication in a cool, dry location, out of the reach of young children.

What is the best solution to high blood pressure? Being seen regularly by an accessible and knowledgeable doctor concerned with your overall health and wellness would be my number one prescription… Along with the Apple a Day Keeping the Doctor Away!

The world of healthcare may be rapidly changing for many, but hundreds who choose to put prevention first are clearly adding years to their life and life to their years. Why don’t you join them today? To schedule your FREE consultation, call 215.PREVENT (215-773-8368) or visit www.215prevent.com.

Dr. Marc S. Rabinowitz
Prevention First Healthcare

The Doctor is Ready for You…Or is He

Even after a week, that nagging cough won’t go away. “Maybe you should see the doctor,” your spouse suggests. The doctor? For a cough? And some sniffling? And an achy throat? Alright, it’s time to call the doctor. You call …and get a busy signal …again and again. Finally the phone rings and it’s answered …by a machine. When they do call back, there is no opening for five days.

The healthcare landscape is changing and it is affecting all of us. Every day, 10,000 people turn 65, further increasing the demands on an already stretched system. Plus, fewer doctors are entering internal medicine. This unfortunately results in longer times in waiting rooms and less time with the doctor.

This is why I created Prevention First Healthcare. Because patients deserve more—more time with their doctors, more research into their specific medical needs and more knowledge on how to live a healthier life. Our mission is not only to get you well, but to keep you well. We do this in many different ways, most importantly providing immediate access to a doctor 24 hours a day. All of my patients receive a special phone number which is answered by a live receptionist during office hours, plus my personal cell phone number for emergencies after hours. And it is our goal to make sure you are seen within one day of your call, if not sooner.

And in cases where an illness is diagnosed and action is needed, Prevention First strives to be there every step of the way, coordinating everything from house calls to hospitalization if necessary.

Best of all, I am ready to see you as soon as you arrive. We certainly realize your time is just as valuable as ours so we strive to make sure we always stay on schedule.

For less than $4 a day, which may be tax deductible or reimbursable through a Flexible Spending Account or Health Savings Account, you can make an invaluable investment in a healthy future. With many studies indicating that personalized concierge medicine reduces hospitalization and costs of medication, joining Prevention First could actually save you significant money.

Isn’t it time you make yourself a priority? I invite you to join the hundreds of people who have added years to their lives and life to their years by putting PREVENTION FIRST.

To schedule a complimentary consultation, call 215.PREVENT(215.773.8368) or visit www.215prevent.com.

Three Little Words That Can Do More Harm Than Good

There is a certain comfort that comes with the words “I feel fine.” The phrase provides a security blanket that assures us that if we are not feeling certain symptoms, we are “safe” for the time being. And if I am feeling fine, why do I need to see a doctor? I am not looking for trouble.
Truth be told, if you don’t see a doctor annually, you may not be looking for trouble, but trouble has a good chance of finding you.

A comprehensive review of your family history, including parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins, to determine which ailments and illnesses run through your family tree.
A lifestyle evaluation, reviewing your daily diet and level of activity. We examine everything from how many steps you take in a day to the number of fruits and vegetables you consume (or in most cases, don’t consume).
An Epworth sleep evaluation to screen for sleep apnea and identify any needs for treatment.
A mini mental evaluation which will explore the potential for memory loss and a Zung depression analysis, which will screen for any undiagnosed depression.
An extensive review of your occupational history where we look at all of your work settings and determine the need for any specific health screenings as a result of your job(s). If we do locate a form of illness or cancer, it is far more treatable in its earlier stages.
Lastly, a comprehensive exam while undressed which includes necessary rectal exams, prostate exams for men, and breast exams for women.

A Number With The Power To Save Your Life

In a world of super-sizing and excessive indulgence, the term “Body Mass Index” can sound like a real bummer. But this simple number is much clearer than a crystal ball when it comes to seeing your future.

Your body mass index is easy to compute; take your weight and divide it by your height (in inches) squared, then multiply that number by 703. Remember that 1 foot = 12 inches. Let’s say that you are 5 foot 9 and weigh 165 pounds. Your BMI would be 165 divided by 69 x 69 (4761) x 703, equaling 24.4.
Ideally, we determine a normal body mass index at 25. Anything over 25 is labeled as overweight and anything over 30 is classified as obese. If your body mass index is over 25, you are not alone. Two out of every three Americans is labeled overweight. The scary thing is that studies have proven that for every five points you accrue above 25, you could be shortening your life by two years. Obesity can lead to high cholesterol and high blood pressure, and it is the number one leading factor when it comes to contracting chronic illnesses, such as heart attacks, sleep apnea, strokes, certain cancers and diabetes. A six foot, 300 pound man could be shortening his life span by 8-10 years if he does not change his habits.

John is the perfect example of this. A patient of mine for many years, I watched as he packed on the excess weight, eventually carrying many more pounds than he should. As expected, with the excess weight came the arrival of sleep apnea, swollen legs, high cholesterol, and continuous fatigue preventing him from completing everyday activities. John identified the issue and put prevention first. How? We started with nutritional counseling. This is not dieting; this is not deprivation; it’s healthy eating, It involves figuring out delicious heart-smart substitutions for his favorite foods and correcting portion sizes. Then, we taught him simple, easy steps to increase his everyday activity—for example, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking at the end of the lot. John hates exercise, but by following these tips, he was getting fit without even knowing it.

Just by making simple changes in his diet and his life, John lost 50 pounds over an eight-month period. His sleep apnea improved significantly, meaning better sleeping patterns and less fatigue. His cholesterol went down, meaning no more expensive medications. His legs are no longer swollen and he feels as though he can accomplish so much more in a day than ever before. Naturally, both he and his wife are overjoyed at the difference in his quality of life.

The result is wonderful, but not at all surprising. I recently returned from a conference on personalized preventative healthcare presented by the National Institutes of Health. Through many extensive studies, the NIH concluded that while genetics will always play a role in the onset of chronic illness, obesity plays a huge factor as well. Furthermore, they have found that exercise and healthy eating have proven to be just as effective as expensive medications, if not more so, in battling diseases such as diabetes. While those who have stock in the pharmaceutical companies may not find this news so enlightening, it certainly reinforces those who invest in their own healthy lifestyles.

Try it for yourself. Start by cutting out sugary sodas and lattes, many of which can pack 200 calories or more on your daily diet. Also, walk an extra 500 steps a day. Just by following these two tips daily, you should see a positive result in a matter of weeks.

My practice, Prevention First Healthcare, offers exercise and nutritional counseling to all of our patients. We also provide healthy treats, including whole grain muffins and dark chocolate, and information on how to shop heart-healthy. By fostering healthy lifestyles, we have found that people look at healthcare more as a pleasure and not a chore. Our practice is geared around proactive care to ensure a longer, better life, all for less than your average monthly cable bill. It may sound too good to be true, but I can assure you that John and many of our other patients can attest to the power of putting prevention first.

Prevention First Healthcare

Category: Articles By Dr. Marc