Tag Archive for: PPOA

PPOA Celebrates National Women Physicians Day

February 3 is known as National Women Physicians Day. This day recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of female doctors. At Physician Partners of America, we are proud to support the women that work hard every day to give the best care to their patients.

National Women Physicians Day marks the birthday of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell. She was the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States in 1849 and introduced the movement that helped women gain entry and equality in the field of medicine.

Women have continued making progress within the medical field. Although male doctors continue to outnumber their female counterparts, in 2017 women made up more than half of medical school students for the first time in history.

 

How can you observe National Women Physicians Day?

  1. Help raise awareness. Post on social media with #NationalWomenPhysiciansDay to show your support.
  2. Do you go to or know a female physician? You can show your appreciation and thank them for all they do.
  3. Binge-watch your favorite women doctors. Meredith Grey and Dr. Quinn deserve some love too!

 

Here at PPOA, we are proud of and appreciate our employees every day. Today, on National Women Physicians Day, we would just like to show a little extra gratitude not only to our female medical staff, but to all female doctors that continuously improve other’s lives. We appreciate you.

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PPOA Patient Care Champion- Felicia Lopez

Felicia Lopez: Office Supervisor, Duncanville, TX-

Our employees are all patient care champions, but some go the extra mile and we want to give them the recognition they deserve. They embody the PPOA values known as S.I.T.E. – Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, Empathy – which informs our service to patients and the community through high quality health care.

PPOA’s Duncanville office supervisor, Felicia Lopez, is no stranger to Texas or the health care industry. This Dallas native has dedicated her entire working life to helping people via the health care industry and has no plans to stop any time soon.

“My favorite part of this job is helping the patients,” says Lopez. “I couldn’t do it without my team.”

She oversees six medical assistants in one of PPOA’s busiest offices. She also assists with the clinic flow, patient checkout, billing, and answering the phones.

“As the office supervisor, Felicia wears many hats in the Duncanville clinic. She often faces many difficult situations and is a great listener to patients while working to make their experience a positive one.  She always has a smile for everyone that enters the practice and communicates very well with providers, staff and patients,” says Rhonda Boyson, Regional Director of Clinic Operations

A native of Dallas, Lopez grew up with two passions: helping others and playing soccer. Her innate desire to care for others was channeled toward nursing by a favorite aunt who had pursued that career. After graduating from Duncanville High School, Lopez was able to follow both paths. At Richland College in Dallas, she earned her Medical Assistant certification and helped the college’s soccer team win the 2006 NJCAA National Champion of Woman’s Soccer.

After receiving her certification, Felicia Lopez immediately launched her career in health care. She began working at Capstone Pain and Spine Group, now owned by Physician Partners of America, five years ago, and has been a part of the team ever since.

“Felicia works very closely with her practice manager to complete daily tasks and prioritizes her work in a way that puts patient care first,” says Boyson. “She’s a true patient care champion.”

Lopez plans to continue her education and is currently working toward a Bachelor of Science in nursing at Dallas county Community College. Soccer, too, continues to be part of her life. She and her husband play on a co-ed team. She also enjoys arts and crafts and spending time with the couple’s three children.

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Top 7 Health Resolutions for 2020

A new year brings new goals, a new outlook and the opportunity for a fresh start. There are many resolutions to strive for, and we understand that. With health being a main priority for many people, if you are struggling with mild to severe pain, finding pain relief should be at the top of your list this year.

Below are 7 New Year’s resolutions to help you get closer to pain relief in 2020.

1. Set attainable goals

Setting manageable goals is important when making a New Year’s resolution because you do not want to set yourself up for disappointment. How do you know when a goal is realistic? One way is to use the S.M.A.R.T. method.

  • Specific – Be as detailed as possible. Instead of “drink more water,” your goal should look more like “drink 2 liters of water each day.”
  • Measurable – Come up with a way to measure your success. “Exercise more,” is not measurable; “exercise 30 minutes per day” is.
  • Attainable – Make sure you are setting yourself up for success and you can reach the goals you set.
  • Realistic – Your goal should provide a challenge for you, but still be achievable. “Never smoke a cigarette again” may be less realistic than “stop smoking cigarettes by April 2020.”
  • Timely – Set a clear timeframe in which you want to reach your goal. Deadlines provide motivation and will help you reach your goal in a timely manner.

 

2. Stop Smoking

Did you know smoking contributes to back pain? Nicotine, an addictive substance found in all tobacco products, is a vasoconstrictor, meaning it narrows blood vessels. Therefore, if any blood vessels are exposed to nicotine, they narrow and carry less oxygen. Optimal blood flow is necessary when trying to heal pain or discomfort.

 

3. Minimize alcohol intake

Excessive amounts of alcohol can lead to kidney and other organ issues. Kidneys, located in both sides of the lower back, filter toxins out of alcohol; but they can get overwhelmed. If they can’t do their job properly due to an overabundance of alcohol, you may feel pain in this part of the back.

 

4. Exercise regularly

Exercising for just 30 minutes a day can provide many benefits. It can improve your sleep and your mood, provide weight control, reduce your risk of heart disease, strengthen your bones and muscles, and even increase your chances of living longer. If you have a hard time finding the motivation, grab a buddy and bring them along. Make your workouts fun.

 

5. Improve posture

Over time, bad posture puts stress on your spine and causes back problems in your muscles, discs, and joints. To help maintain good posture, try sitting with proper support, use correct posture when working out or lifting, and walk tall.

 

6. Be proactive with your health

Between kids, jobs, friends and family, we understand it is hard to find time for yourself. However, your health is not something that should be compromised. Make 2020 the year you get those nagging pains in check. Physician Partners of America offers same-day appointments, making it easy and convenient to fit evaluation and treatment into your schedule.

 

7. Maintain a well-balanced diet

Nutrition is important when setting goals. Most health-based goals require a well-balanced diet as a necessary foundation because most things stem from what you are putting into your body. Did you know there are actually foods you can eat to help reduce back and joint pain?

 

Twenty-twenty is the year for your health. Get your most enjoyable life back with Physician Partners of America. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

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Your Sleeping Position Could be the Cause of your Back Pain

Did you know your sleeping position could have a negative effect on your lower back?

Stress or strain from bad posture, awkward sleeping positions, and other lifestyle habits are a couple of the leading factors of lower back pain. While there are sleeping positions that should be avoided, there are some sleeping positions that can help relieve tension within the lower back area.

 

1. Sleep on your back in a reclined position

This position is beneficial for your back because the reclining position creates a bend between your torso and legs, therefore, taking pressure off of your spine. A good way to set this up is either with an adjustable bed, or putting pillows in strategic places that feel good to you, such as under the back of your knees and your feet.

 

2. Sleep in the fetal position

Although you have to switch sides once in a while to prevent any imbalances, this position is great, especially for someone with a herniated disc.

Why specifically for people with herniated discs you might ask? Your spine is made up of bones called vertebrae. Your discs are jellylike substance which are in-between some of the vertebra which allows your spine to move around and bend.

If a disk between two vertebrae starts slipping out of place, it can irritate the surrounding nerves and cause the herniated disk.

 

3. Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees

Sleeping on your side will not relieve back pain. The pillow is what helps to align your hips, pelvis, and spine, therefore alleviating stress and pressure within your back.

Although these sleep positions might reduce lower back pain, if you are experiencing chronic pain, our doctors at Physician Partners of America are here to help. Please call us today to schedule a same-day appointment, so you do not have to be in pain any longer 888 616-5110.

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PPOA Patient Care Champion- Cierra Eson

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Our employees are all patient care champions, but some go the extra mile and we want to give them the recognition they deserve. They embody the PPOA values known as S.I.T.E. – Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, Empathy – which informs our service to patients and the community through high quality health care.

 

Although Cierra’s Sundays are reserved strictly for football, her week days are filled with hard work and dedication here in the revenue cycle at Physician Partners of America.

Cierra Eson was born and raised in Zephyrhills, FL, not far from PPOA‘s headquarters. There, she attended Zephyrhills High School where she played the saxophone in band. Since she turned 18, Cierra has worked in several healthcare occupations including being a pharmacy technician, referrals for primary care, and pain management. She loves working within the healthcare industry because she enjoys working with people and giving them the best care possible.

“Working in healthcare is good opportunity to give people the same care that I would want,” says Cierra.

In her 7 months here at PPOA, Cierra Eson has become a high dollar implant coordinator with the revenue team. Here, she focuses on spinal cord stimulators and pain pumps. She completes purchase requisitions and obtains insurance authorizations for our spinal cord stimulator/pump team.

“I really like the stance we take on pain medication,” she says, “it is very rewarding to see people get their life back because of the services we provide.”

It is not an easy task, and is not for everyone, but Cierra loves what she does and it does not go unnoticed.

“Since joining PPOA in December, Cierra has greatly attributed to assisting us reach our goal of over 100 implant cases two months in a row,” says Yoany Gonzalez, associate director of revenue cycle, “this is a HUGE accomplishment for PPOA, as we were previously performing about 30 cases a month last year prior to Cierra joining the team,” she says.

In Cierra’s spare time, she continues to play the saxophone, she loves the beach, spending time with family, and as mentioned before, watching football (“Go Patriots!”).

“She takes great pride in her work and strives for excellence.” – Yoany Gonzalez

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