I picked up a new book at the bookstore last month because the title caught my eye – Compassionomics – The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence that Caring Makes a Difference.   My personality lends itself to an internal response of – “Well, duh!  That’s a no brainer!”   But my internal scientist was curious!   I’d like to see that scientific evidence!   Well it turns out that these 2 doctors – Stephen Trzeciak  (a research physician specializing in intensive care medicine) and Anthony Mazzarelli (an emergency medicine physician, lawyer, and bioethicist) – set out to gather all the scientific data they could find to linking compassionate care with healthcare outcomes.   They wanted to answer the question – Does treating patients with more compassion really matter in measurable ways or is it simply a moral imperative?   And what they found is truly powerful stuff. Compassion matters!  Compassion really matters!   It matters for patients!  It matters for health care providers!  It matters for our world!  Dr’s Trzeciak and Mazzarelli believe that the most pressing problem of our time is the compassion crisis!   The book resonates with me on many levels – as physician, a business owner and employer, as a parent and as a human being. Here’s the thing – I believe I am a compassionate person.   Maybe that’s even why I chose to be a physician.   But compassion has not necessarily been on the forefront of my mind when I show up to work every day.   Until reading this book, I guess I believed compassion was an innate character trait residing in my heart – the authentic desire to help relieve another person’s pain or suffering.    Now, I believe compassion is also an actionable item that can be practiced.  And must be practiced intentionally because it positively changes givers and receivers in meaningful and measurable and transformative ways. Here’s my very personal example.   After reading about a study which showed that the number of hugs a person received over a 14 day period directly correlated to their ability to fight off the common cold, I decided to do my own ad hoc  experiment –...

April 7-13 is World Allergy Week 2019 (www.worldallergyweek.org). This organization has dedicated the 2019 week to raise awareness of the global problem of food allergy. Often, I tend to get so focused on the food allergic patients and families we care for in north Texas that I fail to remember the global impact of food ...

If asthma is affecting your child’s school attendance, our board-certified allergists and staff can provide a personal plan to find relief. “Asthma is the most common chronic illness in childhood, accounting for 13.8 million missed school days each year,” says allergist Todd Mahr, MD, ACAAI president.

There are High concentrations of Grass. Visit the website to get the full report. http://bit.ly/2HAYjEW

Pollen Count Update: There are High concentrations of Grass and Low concentrations of Weeds, Trees (Hickory, Pecan, Mulberry) and Mold. Visit the website to get the full report. pollen.faaccares.com Do you have questions? Our board-certified allergists and staff are here to help. Call 972.539.0086 or contact us.

POLLEN COUNT ALERT: There are HIGH concentrations of Trees (Mulberry, Oak, Pecan, Hickory) and Grass. Visit the website to get the full report. pollen.faaccares.com

If asthma is affecting your child's school attendance, our board-certified allergists and staff can provide a personal plan to find relief. “Asthma is the most common chronic illness in childhood, accounting for 13.8 million missed school days each year,” says allergist Todd Mahr, MD, ACAAI president. “A very low proportion of the children in this study saw specialists such as allergists. In addition, many had undiagnosed hay fever, which can greatly contribute to poorer asthma outcomes, and potentially poorer academic performance. Children who are treated by allergists, who are specialists in treating asthma, have fewer missed days from school because their asthma is better controlled. Kids with asthma – especially in urban areas – need access to specialty care because anyone with asthma should be able to feel good, be active all day and sleep well at night. No one should accept less.” Read more from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). Call 972.539.0086 or contact us to learn how we can help you and your child!

April 7-13 is World Allergy Week 2019 (www.worldallergyweek.org). This organization has dedicated the 2019 week to raise awareness of the global problem of food allergy. Often, I tend to get so focused on the food allergic patients and families we care for in north Texas that I fail to remember the global impact of food allergies. The prevalence and complexity of food allergy has been increasing as well as the severity of anaphylaxis episodes resulting in increased hospital admissions worldwide over the last decade – now that’s a significant public health issue. Eliminating multiple foods due to allergy can lead to growth deficiencies, malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies leading to far-reaching negative consequences for population health. The scientific community is beginning to evaluate the increasing health consequences and associated costs of food allergy. One of the ways Family Allergy and Asthma Care (FAAC) moves the process along is to participate in the Food Allergy Consortium. We enter our food allergic patient data anonymously into a national data bank for the entire purpose of studying food allergies and outcomes of various treatments. This type of participation allows FAAC to accomplish our mission of treating every patient as an individual with unique stories and circumstance, yet contribute to making a difference globally. Public awareness about food allergies is a paramount! So, thanks for reading. Next up, I’ll write about some of the exciting food allergy therapies that are in the pipeline. Contact our office today to speak with our board-certified allergists and staff. We are here to serve you! Call 972.539.0086 or learn more.  

TREE POLLEN ALERT! There are HIGH concentrations of Oak, Ash and Hackberry. Get the full report. http://bit.ly/2Yd5ElL Pollen can also aggravate asthma symptoms, including increased coughing and wheezing. If you have a pollen allergy and breathe in pollen-heavy air, you may experience symptoms such as sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose, watery eyes, itchy throat and eyes, and wheezing.

TREE POLLEN ALERT! There are MODERATE concentrations of Tree pollen (Juniper family, Cedar, Elm, Ash). Visit the website to get the full report. Our board certified allergists and staff are here to serve you. We are focused on continually improving the quality of care we deliver. Don’t let allergies or asthma get in the way of your life. Call 972.539.0086 or contact us online.