TOVA Community Health
Primary Specialty Care I Neighborhood Medical Home
302-429-5870
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
Sunday, October 4, 2020
TOVA Health Online TV on YOU TUBE is Here: Subscribe
TOVA Health TV
on YOU TUBE
Primary Specialty Care
Neighborhood Medical Home
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
(302) 429-5870 ext. 120
Click Above to View
Aging Gracefully and with Dignity
With our Community Doctor- Stephanie Malleus, MD
Owner of Family Medicine at Greenhill
Patient Centered Medical Home
"Physical Distancing" vs. "Social Distancing"- Subscribe to TOVA Health TV Online to hear from Experts on Your Health Matters
The term “social distancing” has become a regular in all of our vocabulary. From reminders on the news, social media to signs in stores, it’s a fixture in all of our day to day lives. However, the World Health Organization and other health experts prefer that we stopped calling the practice "social distancing." Instead, they're opting for the term "physical distancing." The reason behind this shift? The term "social distancing" can imply a sense of disconnection from loved ones. Something that many Americans are really feeling as the stay at home order is extended in many places. Being physically isolated from others can take a toll on mental health, the World Health Organization wants to emphasize how critical it is for people to stay socially connected.
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While it is important to stay physically distant, staying socially connected is equally important. It is crucial that we all take the time to care for not only our physical, but also our mental health. And for many, social interactions are crucial to maintaining their mental health. It is very important to stay in touch with friends and family that don’t live in your home. Call, video chat, or stay connected using social media. We can also try to replicate in-person gatherings and interactions with technologies such as FaceTime, Duo, Zoom or even the new Houseparty App. By naming the national strategy as physical distancing rather than social distancing, we emphasize the need for human connection, and we can stay safe from the virus but also hold onto the heightened need we all have for one another right now. Caring for relationships with others and reaching out to individuals who may be isolated may be essential to surviving this pandemic. Best, Dr. Nina
TOVA Primary Specialty Care
Primary Specialty Care I Neighborhood Medical Home
302-429-5870 ext. 120
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
What does investing in Health & Wellness for Economic Development mean to you?
Make your Appointment Today!
TOVA Community Health
Neighborhood Medical Home I Primary Specialty Care
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
302-429-5870
Will you greet with a Fist bump instead of a Handshake?
Make your Appointment Today!
TOVA Community Health
Neighborhood Medical Home I Primary Specialty Care
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
302-429-5870
Are you intrigued by Gene Editing Therapy?
Make your Appointment Today!
TOVA Community Health
Neighborhood Medical Home I Primary Specialty Care
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
302-429-5870
Have you scheduled a Virtual Healthcare Visit?
Make your Appointment Today!
TOVA Community Health
Neighborhood Medical Home I Primary Specialty Care
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
302-429-5870
Neighborhood Medical Home expansion in partnership with TOVA at West Center City
Why not a Neighborhood Medical Home in partnership with TOVA as part of the West Center City Community Center in Wilmington, DE.
TOVA envisions the investment from the City of Wilmington and the State of Delaware in a Neighborhood Medical Home.
Support this initiative to improve the health a community in desperate need for high quality care. TOVA envisions to expand the
capacity of our Neighborhood Medical Home Primary Specialty Care clinic to the West Center City Community.
Did you know 60% of youth who live in the West Center City Neighborhood do not graduate from High School.
Did you know that Education is a social determinant that influences health over the course of an individuals lifetime.
TOVA Community Health
TOVA
Neighborhood Medical Home I Primary Specialty Care
213 Greenhill Ave.
Wilmington, DE 19805
(302) 429-5870-phone
(302) 429-9284-fax
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Know Your Sickle Cell Trait Status? Simple Quick & Easy
Did You Know:
1 in 12 African-Americans Carry the Sickle Cell Trait
Make your Appointment Today!
TOVA Community Health
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
302-429-5870
Saturday, August 15, 2020
What's the Deal with Vitamin D?
TOVA Community Health
Primary Specialty Care
302-429-5870
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
Will Dap Greetings become the New Normal?
TOVA Community Health
Primary Specialty Care
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
302-429-5870
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Tips for minimizing Screen Fatigue?
With our daily exposure to screens, increasing to over six hours a day, we are at risk for developing digitally induced ailments such as Screen Fatigue. Due to extended time in front of screens be it at work desks, smartphones, tablets or television, our bodies are taking the hit and becoming fatigued. While this may seem like a novel health condition, the impact has to potential to effect your day-to-day lives both short and long termed. Some symptoms of Screen Fatigue include impaired vision, strained eye muscles, inability to focus vision, neck and shoulder pain, poor posture, and painful headaches. If this condition is left untreated, symptoms will not improve and may likely get worse. Research also shows that too much blue-light exposure from various screens can interfere with the body’s sleep patterns. Here are some suggestions to prevent Screen Fatigue:
· Ensure your room lighting is about the same or slightly dimmer than your screen.
· Organize your workstation for comfort.
· Make your text size bigger.
· Blink often– this helps lubricate the eyes.
· Get regular eye exams.
· Stay Hydrated-eye tissue is predominately water. If you’re dehydrated, your eyes will be extra dry as well.
· Take a break of about 15 minutes after every 2 hours on a device.
If you change how you use your smartphones, computers, tablets and other screen devices, you can keep from straining your eyes. Talk with your healthcare provider about your daily computer use and vision needs too.
TOVA Primary Specialty Care
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
302-429-5870 ext. 120
Thursday, July 9, 2020
Tips for Adjusting to the COVID-19 New Normal. Start by Knowing your Numbers!
Reckoning with COVID-19 and ensuring access to care at the right place and right time is evermore pressing! Did you Know, African-Americans are more likely to have underlying medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity and are less likely to have a primary care provider. Another element of concern is that African-Americans and Hispanics are more likely to suffer poor outcomes from the coronavirus and are less likely to be insured. Having a relationship with a primary care provider is important for access to preventative health care which can help manage medical conditions in order to help individuals live a healthy life. During the pandemic, our practice quickly mobilized and switched to telemedicine visits (virtually) with the aim to flatten the COVID-19 curve, use protective equipment judiciously, offer flu and coronavirus screenings and all the while continuing to keep office hours available. As we reckon with this historic pandemic, access to preventative health visits for blood pressure & weight (BMI) checks, diabetes and cholesterol screenings are ever more important. At the very least, Know your Numbers!
#preventativehealthmatters
All the best,
Dr. Nina
TOVA Primary Specialty Care
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
302-429-5870 ext. 120
TOVA's Health & Wellness Inspirational Quote by the legendary Author Ashe
TOVA’s Health & Wellness Inspirational Quote
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
Author Ashe
TOVA Primary Specialty Care
for the Whole Family
for the Whole Family
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
302-429-5870 ext. 120
Monday, June 29, 2020
View the World Sickle Cell Day Forum hosted by Dr. Nina with Sickle Cell Experts Dr. Hsu, Dr. Carroll
Virtual Community World Sickle Cell Day Recording on
June 19, 2020
Copy & Past Link to Click On & View,
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/35ZaC4va9U1LHafX9k_DaKgvWd7rX6a82iZM_6dbmRkTGsYWrAiQF3ZpEZatpFLh
Thank you to the Volunteers of the We LoveU Foundation
International WeLoveU Foundation
TOVA Primary Specialty Care
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
302-429-5870 ext. 120
In Service, Dr. Nina
Message from Dr. Nina: Reckoning with COVID-19
Reckoning with COVID-19 and ensuring access to care at the right place and right time is evermore pressing! Did you Know, African-Americans are more likely to have underlying medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity and are less likely to have a primary care provider. Another element of concern is that African-Americans and Hispanics are more likely to suffer poor outcomes from the coronavirus and are less likely to be insured. Having a relationship with a primary care provider is important for access to preventative health care which can help manage medical conditions in order to help individuals live a healthy life. During the pandemic, our practice quickly mobilized and switched to telemedicine visits (virtually) with the aim to flatten the COVID-19 curve, use protective equipment judiciously, offer flu and coronavirus screenings and all the while continuing to keep office hours available. As we reckon with this historic pandemic, access to preventative health visits for blood pressure & weight (BMI) checks, diabetes and cholesterol screenings are ever more important. At the very least, Know your Numbers!
#preventativehealthmatters
All the best,
Dr. Nina
TOVA Primary Specialty Care
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
302-429-5870 ext. 120
TOVA Sickle Cell Anemia Access to Care Brief
TOVA started the adult Comprehensive Specialty Center for people living with Sickle Cell Anemia because there was no center or a Hematologist in the state that sub-specializes in treating adults. The partnership with John Hopkins Sickle Cell Center and project ECHO has been a valuable resource to obtain expertise and recommendations from a team of knowledgeable Sickle Cell experts across the region and globally. Dr. Nina is an entrepreneur who helped create a Telehealth model in partnership with John Hopkins allowing her clients access to specialty care. TOVA’s model early on leveraged Telehealth resources through project ECHO to collaborate and manage clients here in Delaware. Working side-by-side with renown Sickle Cell expert providers, Dr. Nina, as the state lead, aimed to improve sickle cell care in a collective state-wide effort. According to the ISLR Institute, there has been a steep decline of small businesses at least part of big companies/institutions use their resources to undermine their smaller counterparts and exclude them from the markets. Transitions of care from pediatric to adult care providers and access to care throughout the lifespan still pose a dire unmet need.
Unfortunately, local relationships and partnerships have been halted. Though, TOVA has made lots of strides and is anxiously waiting for the seeds to blossom. For these reasons, Dr. Nina still believes that meaningful collaborations and partnerships can provide a valuable collective impact! TOVA at Family Medicine at Greenhill is one example of a collaborative partnership that provides access to personalized care for the entire family including individuals living with complex chronic conditions like Sickle Cell Anemia/Trait.
Dr. Anderson was named Delaware Woman-Owned Business of the Year, NAACP Health Advocate and Wilmington Holistic Medicine Practitioner of the Year.
TOVA Community Health
Primary Specialty Care
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
302-429-5870 ext. 120
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Blood Donors are Needed
Over the years, TOVA has hosted Sickle Cell Blood Donor drives to improve the diversity of the blood supply- especially for patients with blood disorders who need regular transfusions. One of my patients has severe antibodies and can only get genotyped matched blood. Otherwise, he may experience a life threatening transfusion reaction and his body might attack the donor’s blood as foreign. Though there are many reasons for which some communities such as Hispanics & African-Americans are hesitant to donate, many lives are saved every day. Though less than 1% of African-Americans donate blood, they are likely to be an ideal match for persons living with sickle cell anemia. Blood transfusions are life sustaining in chronically transfused patients. For every 1 unit of blood donated, 3 lives are saved! Blood donation is simply a practice of love. For more information about BloodDonors, go to tovacares.blogspot.com.
www.weloveuusa.org delmarvablood.org redcrossblood.org
TOVA Community Health
Primary Specialty Care
302-429-5870 ext. 120
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
Friday, April 3, 2020
Virtual Visits during COVID19 help improve access to care and ease the ER Burden
TOVA Community Health
Primary Specialty Care
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
302-429-5870
TOVA is an Affiliated Partner of Project ECHO: John Hopkins University School of Medicine
TOVA Community Health
Primary Specialty Care
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
302-429-5870
TOVA Cares Spring Newsletter
TOVA Community Health
Primary Specialty Care
302-429-5870
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
Saturday, March 14, 2020
Thursday, March 12, 2020
TOVA Coronavirus Update
TOVA Community Health
Primary Specialty Care
302-429-5870
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
Saturday, January 18, 2020
Pets can improve your Heart Health
Owning a pet can bring on more responsibility, but the benefits for one’s overall health and wellness can be a game changer! Coming home from a busy day at work and getting greeted by a dog wagging its tail is like experiencing unconditional love everyday. When dogs and cats interact with humans the body releases a hormone called oxytocin– also known as the “cuddle hormone.” And the real benefit of owning a pet is that you just might live longer than people who do not own a pet. Drawbacks are that you will also have to clean animal hair off your clothes and your house more regularly. A study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, suggest that dog ownership was linked to a 21% reduction in the risk of death – over the 12-year study period for people with heart disease. Other studies also support the link of pet ownership to good health. Owning a dog can reduce blood pressure and improves one’s cholesterol levels-which may help improve cardiovascular (heart) health. One reason for this outcome is that owning a pet increases one’s physical activity. Regardless of the weather and other excuses for staying inactive, getting out regularly to walk the dog is simply good for your health. For those suffering from depression, walking the dog is a good way to socialize and meet with other people in your neighborhood.
For those who have never owned or fear owning a pet, there are many breeds of cats and dogs that may fit your lifestyle and personality. Talk with a pet expert, your primary care provider or a veterinarian before you decide on adopting a pet. Do not let the cost of pet ownership be a barrier to adopting a pet. Local organizations like the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), the state and county have low cost vet clinic programs to help. When growing up, my father would take our dog ‘Mageddo’ and cat ‘Fuzzy’ to the fire station every year for their check-up and shots. Animal Health Center clinics provide low cost vet care that can spay/neuter your pet, administer shots (vaccinations) and offer animal check-up wellness packages. That being said, pet food can be expensive too but buying in bulk is a good way to keep costs down. Overall, pets can improve your overall quality of life.
TOVA Community Health
#tovacares
Primary Specialty Care
302-429-5870
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
TOVA Support Group is cancelled for January 15th & résume back in February. Stay Warm!
TOVA Community Health
302-429-5870 ext. 120
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Managing Stress during and after the Holidays
Tis the Season to be Jolly? The holiday season often brings unwanted emotional stress, grief and depression. Often the demands of shopping, parties, baking, cleaning and entertaining guests and family can be overwhelming. Especially for individuals suffering with a chronic medical condition or an illness. Minimizing stress that accompanies the holidays can make the season more jolly. Although not an easy task, set a realistic budget for shopping. Then try to stick to it. Remember, you can never buy another person’s happiness. Homemade gifts made from the heart can also go a long way. Have a back-up plan if a dish does not come out as intended.
2020 Resolutions
Remember, spending time with family & friends is most important. Donate to a charity in memory of a loved one who has made a difference in your life. Or, volunteer some time at a local non-profit that is making a difference in your community. Other tips to help manage stress include: learn to say no, get plenty of rest, and try not to overindulge at gatherings. January is a good month for scheduling a Wellness Exam with your Primary Care Provider too. For more tips, go to tovacares.blogspot.com.
2020 Resolutions
Remember, spending time with family & friends is most important. Donate to a charity in memory of a loved one who has made a difference in your life. Or, volunteer some time at a local non-profit that is making a difference in your community. Other tips to help manage stress include: learn to say no, get plenty of rest, and try not to overindulge at gatherings. January is a good month for scheduling a Wellness Exam with your Primary Care Provider too. For more tips, go to tovacares.blogspot.com.
TOVA Community Health
Primary Specialty Care
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
302-429-5870
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