MICHIGAN HEART GROUP INTERGRATES WITH WILLIAM BEAUMONT HOSPITAL

On June 1, 2012 a change occurred at Michigan Heart Group we became integrated with William Beaumont Hospital in the form of a Professional Services Agreement. Our signage will soon read Beaumont Michigan Heart Group, Beaumont Michigan Heart Rhythm Group and Beaumont Western Wayne Heart Group.

This professional agreement will integrate some of the services that we provide with the hospital as well as some of our operations including our outpatient testing and billing, but will allow Michigan Heart Group to maintain operational control of the practice. Management of these operations still occurs locally within Michigan Heart Group. We have not experienced that these changes with Beaumont have disrupted any of the services that you currently receive from your physician.

We believe that with this integration model, we will be best able to provide you with the high quality of care that you have come to expect and deserve from our practice. All of our physicians will continue practicing from their current locations and your records will remain available to your physician without any further actions taken on your part. This is intended to be essentially a transparent change to you, the patient, in terms of how your care is delivered. Such a change has been made necessary after we have experienced years of progressive cuts in insurance reimbursement while our fixed costs have steadily increased. The status quo was no longer a viable option for the future.

You will notice changes specific to billing. Beaumont will bill applicable charges to your insurance. You will receive a billing statement from Beaumont rather than from Michigan Heart Group. You may still call Michigan Heart Group for billing inquiries however questions/determinations will be advised and directed by Beaumont.

We value your loyalty and trust that you have placed in our physicians and staff over the past several years and we continue to look forward to serving you in the future. As we indicated above, we believe that most of these changes will be transparent to your healthcare needs. If you have any questions, please contact our administrator, Darlene Nichols at 248-267-5050, select option 2.

Thank you for choosing Michigan Heart Group, in affiliation with William Beaumont Hospital for your healthcare services. We look forward to serving you now and in the future.

Very truly yours,

Beaumont Michigan Heart Group

CAUSE OF SKIPPED BEATS

A regularly irregular rhythm typically relates to a timed premature beat (either PVC- premature ventricular contraction, or PAC-premature atrial contraction). It can occur spontaneously or as a result of extrinsic stressors than result in adrenalin secretion.

POSTED BY:  STEVEN AJLUNI, MD

CAUSE OF RAPID HEART RATE

Rapid heart rates can be either physiologically appropriate or inappropriate (pathologic). Examples of physiologic appropriate sinus tachycardia might be fast HR due to stress or caffeine. Pathologic tachycardia can involve a wide spectrum of arrhythmias coming either from the atria or ventricular locations.

POSTED BY:  STEVEN AJLUNI, MD

SIDE EFFECTS OF ZETIA

Zetia prevents GI absorption of cholesterol. Most of it side effects are GI --indigestion and changes in bowel habits. As with other cholesterol lowering medications it can occasionally exacerbate muscle aches.

POSTED BY:  STEVEN AJLUNI, MD

BENEFITS OF LOW CHOLESTEROL

Low cholesterol is beneficial in that it reduces long term vascular inflammation and injury which are the hallmarks of atherosclerosis that can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral arterial disease.

POSTED BY:  STEVEN AJLUNI, MD

HOW OFTEN TO MONITOR BLOOD PRESSURE

BP is an important risk factor for vascular disease. If BP is normal, checking it periodically at doctor visits is probably adequate. If BP is borderline or high orif a family risk for htn is great, spot checking or ambulatory monitoring makes sense.

POSTED BY:  STEVEN AJLUNI, MD

MICHIGAN HEART GROUP'S PHYSICIAN LIAISON IS HERE TO HELP YOU

Michigan Heart Group has a Physician Liaison on staff to assist with questions, concerns or problems you, your staff or your patients may have with our office.

Stacie Batur is available Monday through Thursday at (248) 267-5050 (x6509). She is often between two buildings or visiting referring physician offices. If you get her voice mail, please leave a message and she will call you back shortly. If you need to speak to her immediately you can reach her on her cell phone at (248) 765-4466.

HOW ARHTEROSCLEROSIS AFFECTS BLOOD PRESSUE

A thickened atherosclerotic blood vessel becomes less compliant and can therefore result in a higher BP (same volume of blood traveling in smaller and stiffer pipes). Elevated BP is a potent risk factor for accelerating atherosclerosis.

POSTED BY:  STEVEN AJLUNI, MD

CHEST PAIN WITH EXERCISE

Sometimes muscles in the chest wall are strained when doing an exercise like the exercise bike (if certain positions are uncomfortable or if the work is extreme). This is usually a pain that u can reproduce by pressing over the upper rib cage. However, one has to be concerned about a deeper chest discomfort that comes on after exercise, as it could signify a heart problem like angina.

POSTED BY:  STEVEN AJLUNI, MD

ANATOMY OF A VASOVAGAL EVENT

Nervous stimuli of the vagus nerve can lead to low BP (hypotension) and heart rate slowing (cardioinhibitory) reflexes. This vasovagal event can lead to fainting (syncope).

POSTED BY:  STEVEN AJLUNI, MD