AT FRANCISCAN CARE CENTER, we understand that keeping up a healthy diet is important to aging in a healthy way. Protein intake is especially important for seniors for several reasons. It plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health and well-being, and here are some key reasons why it is important for older adults:

What does the skin on your face, neck, chest, and hands reveal about you? Will the fine lines, brown spots (age spots), large veins on the hands, and sagging jowls and neck portray you as tired, withered, and older than you look or feel? Consider a painless and no-downtime cosmetic procedure to reduce your aging, sun-damaged, and sagging facial skin and minimize brown spots. Allow Dr. Handler to evaluate and personally recommend a skin-rejuvenation program designed specifically for you to reduce the signs of aging. Rejuvenate your skin and look as young as you feel!

WALKING IS AN IDEAL OPTION in terms of physical activity. It requires no special skill—everyone knows how to walk. And it’s low-impact and safe. Sure, life is probably hectic, and staying in bed a few minutes longer seems like a better idea than suiting up to go outside for a walk, but getting that walk in is worth it.

Occasional bouts of sleeplessness are a fact of life for most people, but for some, a good night’s sleep seems almost unattainable. They may have difficulty dropping off to sleep every night, or, if they are able to fall asleep, they may wake up at some point (or several points) during the night and find that they are unable to regain their restful state. Chronically tired as a result of their insomnia, these weary souls stumble through the day in a fog. Work suffers, relationships are strained, and the vicious cycle of sleeplessness spins on and on.

BLOOD PRESSURE CHECKS are such a routine part of medical examinations that we seldom give them a second thought. You enter the exam room, a nurse or medical assistant places the cuff on your upper arm, you feel that familiar tight squeeze and gradual release as the cuff is pumped up and slowly deflated, a quick note is made in your medical record, and it’s on to the next test. But what does this vital sign really tell your doctor, what is the significance of that fraction, and what difference does it really make if the numbers are too high?

IN THE REALM OF ONCOLOGY, there are three traditional tools that can be utilized either individually or in various combinations to treat cancer—surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. In recent years, these mainstay therapies have been augmented with other leading-edge treatments, such as immunotherapy, hormone therapy, and others.

FOR MANY, CANCER IS the most dreaded word in medicine. However, heart disease remains the leading cause of death in America, claiming nearly 700,000 lives annually— almost a full 100,000 more than all forms of cancer combined.

WE ALL TAKE BREAKS during the winter. From the start of Thanksgiving right through to Valentine’s Day, the world seems filled with temptations and long, cold, lazy nights. Still, something starts around this time of year that gets us stirring. I think it is in our DNA. With spring around the corner, we want to get moving. And I can safely say that as an urgent care physician, this time is ripe for injury.