Procedures & Services

What services does Patients First Family Medicine provide?

We also perform a variety of procedures in Office:

We offer many additional procedures through Allure MedSpa, please click on the link for more information.

For location and contact information, click here

Services we Provide for Prevention and Wellness

Our objective is to help our clients maximize quality of life through the development of customized wellness programs that address nutrition, fitness, psychology, and hormone balancing.

We believe wellness is a state of being where one is in harmony psychologically, mentally, and physically. In today’s society many succumb to the everyday pressures of daily life which takes a toll on overall health and well-being. Most people do not consume an adequate array of wholesome foods, and thus suffer from improper nutrition, weight gain, and the consequences of an over-consumption of nutrient-poor foods. Many people get an inadequate amount of exercise, or if they do exercise, do so improperly, thus increasing their risk of injury. Most people suffer from an inordinate amount of stress. Occupational, social, and financial stresses are the top three. These lead to undue illness and lost productivity.

By crafting an eating plan, an exercise plan, and a winning psychology, one can expect to achieve greater levels of mental, physical, and psychological performance.

Our team of professionals is the most comprehensive in the area, with board certified family physicians, nurse practitioners, clinical and consulting psychologists, clinical nutritionist, massage therapist, and exercise physiologist.

HORMONE ASSESSMENT AND BALANCE

As people age, they experience fatigue, decreased libido, loss of muscle strength and endurance, and more aches and pains, but you don’t have to accept this loss of vitality! We will measure your body’s hormone levels and formulate a unique treatment plan for you. We focus on thyroid disease, adrenal fatigue, and gender specific hormone balancing. With optimal replacement of bio-identical hormones (plant-derived hormones that are an exact match to what your body makes naturally), you will retain or recapture your zest for life.

SMOKING CESSATION

Smoking is the single most preventable cause of premature death! Our program offers an immediate resolution to your nicotine addiction with an anticholinergic injection to block your brain’s nicotine cravings. We combine this with prescription therapy, psychological counseling and training, and nutritional support. We will guide you through your transition to make you a non-smoker for life! To learn more, click on the smoking cessation link (coming soon).

WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMS

Based on your body composition and metabolic rate, we will tailor a successful program to ensure rapid, safe weight loss. We will help you learn habits to maintain your healthier weight, with personalized attention and visits with registered dietitians, exercise physiologists, and physicians.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES

Our mission is to integrate mind, medicine and spirit. We offer medical psychology and psychotherapy, as well as treatment plans for stress management, adult and child weight loss, attention deficit disorder, depression, anxiety, relationship enhancement, and effective parenting.

CIMT ULTRASOUND TESTING

We offer Carotid Intima Media Thickness (CIMT) screenings in order to identify and reduce cardiac and cerebrovascular events in patients. A CIMT test provides patients with an assessment of their individual risk for heart attack, stroke, and other ischemic events. CardioRisk provides this valuable assessment of heart attack and stroke risk at physician offices throughout the United States.

Carotid artery intimal medial thickness testing is a special type of ultrasound test that has been in use for 40 years, but has recently been modified for evaluation for arterial disease in earlier, more treatable stages. Traditional carotid artery ultrasounds look for a specific range of narrowing in the artery from cholesterol plaques (0-50%, 51-69%, 70-79%, 80-89%, or over 90%). That test is helpful in determining if someone needs to have a urgent surgery. No blockage is normal!

The CIMT test can determine plaques as small as 0.5mm in otherwise healthy arteries that are normally 6-8mm in diameter. It also detects abnormal thickening in the wall of the carotid arteries, that can occur from a multitude of risk factors. There is a 96% correlation between plaque in your carotid arteries and plaque in heart (coronary) arteries. If the test results are abnormal, it could lead to recommendations for more advanced cholesterol testing, blood pressure or blood sugar modification, or cardiac stress testing, even if you have no symptoms.

For more information, their website is cardiorisk.com. If you wish to have this testing done, please email laurie@patients-first.com. This test is normally covered by insurance, and we can check with your insurance for you. You do not have to be a patient of the practice to have this test done.

ALCAT testing

The Alcat Test is a blood test that identifies food and chemical sensitivities that can cause problems, such as migraines, aching joints, fatigue, gastrointestinal disorders, eczema, hyperactivity/ADD, asthma, and obesity. This lab test is drawn in our office, takes about 2 weeks for the results to return. You cannot take antihistamines or oral steroids for 2 weeks prior to this testing.

BERKELEY HEART LAB

One of the great mysteries of cardiology is the fact that 50% of people with coronary artery disease have cholesterol levels similar to those of people who do not develop the disease. In fact, a published study of over 17,000 people with low LDL cholesterol levels showed that a surprising number of them still developed heart disease. In other words, the majority of people at risk of having a heart attack may be unaware of this risk and may not be taking appropriate preventative action. The stories of people surprised by sudden heart attacks are becoming more common and it is perplexing that these patients had not been identified as at risk for heart disease. Obviously, today’s routine cholesterol tests are failing to identify the majority of people who are at risk for heart attacks. The limited focus of these tests on “good” and “bad” cholesterol is simply not good enough when it comes to identifying individuals at risk.

Fortunately, the prevention of coronary artery disease has taken a big step forward. Berkeley Heartlab offers a panel of tests that can detect inherited abnormalities that are beyond the reach of conventional HDL and LDL analysis. For the first time, a comprehensive panel of tests can be run that helps doctors to personalize treatment that halts and in some cases reverses the progression of heart disease. Berkeley HeartLab patients also have access to the 4myheart Program for cardiovascular disease risk reduction at no additional cost or obligation. Berkeley offers the services of a registered dietician for free to help formulate a meal plan for you based on your testing.

How do I know if a Berkeley HeartLab test is appropriate for me? If you have had two or more of the following, a Berkeley HeartLab test should be considered:

• Heart disease or a heart attack (This counts as two)
• Diabetes (This counts as two)
• Family history of either heart disease or a heart attack before the age of 55
• Total cholesterol > 200 mg/dL
• LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) > 130 mg/dL, or
  LDL cholesterol > 100 mg/dL if you have had a heart attack
• Triglycerides > 150 mg/dL
• HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) < 40 mg/dL
• Systolic blood pressure (the top number) > 140 mmHg
• Diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) > 90 mmHg
• Obesity
• Cigarette smoker
• Physical inactivity

For more information, please visit www.4myheart.com.

GENOVA DIAGNOSTIC TESTING

Headquartered in Asheville, N.C., Genova Diagnostics is a global specialty clinical laboratory, pioneering a systems approach in the personalized treatment and prevention of chronic illnesses. Unlike traditional labs that focus on disease pathology, Genova specializes in comprehensive panels that combine standard and innovative biomarkers to provide a more complete understanding of specific biological systems. As more patients take an active role in managing their health and as more clinicians focus on prevention, our diagnostic tests provide the most complete picture of health that can help identify problems before chronic conditions and diseases develop. Chronic illnesses are often complex and Genova’s system-based testing helps physicians develop targeted, personalized treatments for their patients. Easy-to-read color graphic reports synthesize test results into actionable information and facilitate physician-patient communication.

For more information, www.genovadiagnostics.com.

BOTOX

Dr Berland has completed expert training in the administration of botox, and has been performing cosmetic procedures since 2004. He has performed and supervised injections on over 1000 patients, and has instructed other physicians and residents in his techniques. He currently offers botox only for cosmetic purposes. If you are interested in botox for treatment of hyperhidrosis (overproduction of sweat), muscle spasm, headaches, or other medical conditions, please ask and we will refer you to several specialists who will treat for insurance approved conditions.

SPECTRACELL TESTING

Vitamin deficiencies aren’t just a reflection of diet. Since we are all biochemically unique, nutrient deficiencies will vary from patient to patient, and do not necessarily correlate directly with nutrient intake, even among those with similar health conditions. Many factors beyond diet determine whether nutrient function is adequate. These include biochemical individuality, genetic predisposition, absorption and metabolism, age, disease conditions and medications. The spectra-cell blood test can check for over 25 vitamins, minerals, and overall antioxidant function. For most PPO insurance carriers there is a $75 copay. For some plans and for most HMO’s, the service is not covered. Our staff can help with your insurance questions.

Arthritis, Parkinson’s, alcoholism/substance abuse, behavioral disorders, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic fatigue, macular degeneration, diabetes, immune disorders, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and osteoporosis have been linked to nutrient imbalances. Studies published in 2002 in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirm the connection between nutrient deficiencies and disease processes.

Spectra-cell also has a test that is called LPP+ (Lipoprotein particle). This test takes a very detailed look into cholesterol particle size, indications of inflammation in your body, and other risk factors, such as increased insulin, homocysteine, C reactive protein levels, and helps physicians to better understand your risk for heart disease and other dangerous inflammatory disorders. This is often covered by medicare, and almost all PPO insurance plans charge a nominal copay. HMO plans and certain insurance carriers do not cover it, so please inquire about your cost when considering this testing.

At Patients First, we are always looking for cutting edge tools and services to maximize your health potential. Please feel free to ask us what is new, and visit our website often!