Even though we are living in a pandemic, the need for routine health maintenance has not gone away! Screening for sexually transmitted diseases

I am writing with this week's local health update.

Since my last update, the CDC has updated their guidelines for ending home isolation after being diagnosed with or having symptoms of COVID-19 which differs slightly from what I reported in my last update.

This week, many safety net primary care clinics including the Harris Health System and the Houston Health Department have been forced to temporarily suspend or significantly reduce in-person visits due to staffing shortages caused by the surge in hospitalizations from the COVID-19 pandemic.

I am writing with this week's local health update.

I wanted to share a new resource that I have come across- a local epidemiologist at the UT School of Public Health has a Facebook page in which she reports and provides a fact-based analysis of local and statewide data.

The 12 week period after a child is born is known as the "4th trimester." The 4th trimester is a critical period for new parents and their newborns.

I am writing with this week's local health update.

We are still seeing increasing numbers of patients admitted to the hospital and ICU with COVID-19, but over the last few days the rate of increase is starting to slow. However, my local physician colleagues working in hospitals…

Providing healthcare benefits to employees is known to improve employee retention and job satisfaction, but as health insurance premiums have soared, small businesses…

I am writing with this week's local health update.

In the last week we have continued to see drastic increases in COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations.

Many people have heard of "concierge medicine," but the term "direct primary care" is less well known. When I tell people about my direct primary care practice, often the first question I am asked is "so are you a concierge doctor?"

I am writing with this week's local health update. In the last week we have continued to see drastic increases in COVID-19 case numbers. More concerning however…

As of June 22, Judge Hidalgo has signed an order mandating a Health and Safety policy be adopted by all businesses providing goods and services to the public.

I am writing with this week's local health update. We have continued to see an increase in percent positivity since last week's update. ICU occupancy and overall hospital bed occupancy rates have continued to increase, and ICU occupancy

June is National Men's Health Month and the week leading up to Father's Day is celebrated as Men's Health Week. Men's health is critical to the health of families and communities but often is ignored or postponed as other family or career obligations take priority.

I am writing with this week's local health update. We have continued to see an increase in percent positivity since last week's update. ICU occupancy remains near the warning zone but has not yet passed that point.

Most people believe that having health insurance is necessary to access healthcare. While health insurance is important to limit out of pocket costs in the case of a catastrophic event such as an ICU stay or a cancer diagnosis…

Before I continue with my usual weekly update about the local state of the coronavirus pandemic, I want to expand on the statement I made on social media earlier this week.

Since last week when I reported that Texas had been combining antibody and viral test results, the data has been retroactively updated. You can find this information here.

Vida Family Medicine is a direct primary care practice. Direct primary care is a new concept to most patients (and even doctors!), but the model has been growing over the last several years…

As you may have heard, it was reported yesterday that Texas DSHS has been combining results for viral genetic material (nasal/throat swabs) and antibody tests.

People often ask me how I decided on the name "Vida Family Medicine." The word "vida" means "life" in Spanish. I chose this name for a few reasons.