Boulder Peak Family Practice, Inc.

Would you give us the gift of a testimonial?

boulderpeak — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:45:31 +0000

Everyone loves to give an opinion, and readers appreciate feedback before making a purchase or trying a service. We humbly ask that you do the same for your experience at Boulder Peak Family Practice. There are a few websites that offer physician and medical practice ratings. If you’d be so kind, click on some of the rating websites and share your experience: Yelp, Healthgrades, Vitals, your own Facebook or Twitter account, or RateMDs.com. Thank you, referrals are the greatest compliment we can receive.

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month

boulderpeak — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:49:35 +0000

Now that the Colorado sun is once again intense, it’s time to think about skin care. Be sure to take steps to protect yourself and loved ones from sun damage as suggested on the Skin Cancer Foundation website. Beyond simply using sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or higher, they recommend:

Seek the shade, especially between 10 AM and 4 PM
Do not burn
Avoid tanning and UV tanning booths
Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses
Use a broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day. For extended outdoor activity, use a water-resistant, broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher
Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating
Keep newborns out of the sun. Sunscreens should be used on babies over the age of six months
Examine your skin head-to-toe every month
See your physician every year for a professional skin exam

Take it from Dr. Wisner’s wife, who had a pesky mole removed and found out it was basal cell carcinoma, any skin abnormality is worth having checked out!

9News Health Fair

boulderpeak — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:42:32 +0000

Many of our patients visit the 9News Health Fair, held at locations across the metro Denver area over the next few weeks. It’s a good entry point for those looking for free or inexpensive health screenings and assessments. Take your health plan one step further by bringing your Health Fair results to your next office visit. Dr. Wisner will gladly review the findings with you and address any concerns or next steps you should take.

Stop smoking with help of Quit Now hotline

boulderpeak — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:07:47 +0000

Lungs begin to heal after quitting

Have you seen the recent TV commercials featuring real lives and bodies damaged by tobacco? Named the Tips from Former Smokers campaign, this series offers smokers needing support with the 1-800-QUIT-NOW telephone service. Info on the campaign, including profiles of the former smokers, campaign resources, and links to the ads are found at www.cdc.gov/Quitting/Tips.

Smoking stinks. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control:

The average male smoker lives 13.2 years fewer and the average female smoker lived 14.5 years fewer than they would have if they did not smoke
Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States, killing more than 443,000 Americans each year
Cigarette smoking costs the nation $96 billion in direct medical costs and $97 billion in lost productivity annually
More than 8 million Americans are living with a smoking-related disease
If you smoke a pack a day and your packs cost $6 each, the annual total is $2190 (equating to a nice trip to Hawaii)

The good news:

According to the American Cancer Society, within 12 hours of quitting smoking, the level of carbon monoxide in your blood is the same as a nonsmoker
After a decade of not smoking, your risk of developing many types of cancers, suffering from a stroke or developing heart disease is similar to that of a nonsmoker

70 percent of smokers say they want to quit, and half make a serious quit attempt each year. It’s hard, but you’ll have greater success with outside support. The Tips from Former Smokers campaign provides motivation, information, and resources to help you: www.smokefree.gov offers information and call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) to get the help you need for a successful smoke-free lifestyle.

Boulder Peak Now Offers Supplements

boulderpeak — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:26:41 +0000

Dr. Mark Wisner, DO, was so impressed with the purity and researched efficacy (capacity to produce an effect) of Ortho Molecular Products‘ nutritional supplements, he has decided to carry the health care brand at Boulder Peak Family Practice. Only available through licensed health care professionals, Ortho Molecular uses “research-based formulation and uncompromising raw materials to develop efficacious supplements intended to help get patients better, faster.” In fact, if a patient is unsatisfied with their results, the company will offer a full refund on returned product.

Dr. Wisner carries a select offering of product, focusing on the supplements he routinely recommends for his patients. If your individual health care needs could be improved by nutritional supplements, he will discuss options with you. If you currently take another brand’s supplements, we are happy to research whether Ortho Molecular offers the same product and order it for you. Efficacy matters.

Pass the salt – 9 in 10 get too much

boulderpeak — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:49:29 +0000

The Centers for Disease Control reports that 9 in 10 Americans consume too much salt every day. “Too much sodium raises blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke,” said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “These diseases kill more than 800,000 Americans each year and contribute an estimated $273 billion in health care costs.” According to their findings, 10 types of foods are responsible for more than 40% of typical sodium intake. Culprits include breads and rolls, luncheon meat, pizza, poultry, soups, cheeseburgers and other sandwiches, cheese, pasta dishes, meat-based dishes, and salty snacks such as potato chips, pretzels and popcorn. While bread tops the list and each serving doesn’t contain a lot of sodium, multiple meals containing bread per day adds up.

U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day, or 1,500 mg per day for people aged 51 and older, anyone with high blood pressure, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease, and African Americans. How much does the average person consume? Over 3,300 mg a day. Your best game plan: cut out sprinkling table salt on your food, look for no- or reduced-salt options, and avoid salty snacks.

Dr. Wisner Honored as Electronic Health Record Meaningful Use Vanguard

boulderpeak — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:32:15 +0000

Dr. Mark Wisner, D.O., was named an inaugural Meaningful Use Vanguard, or MUVer, by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology during the program’s first recognition ceremony on January 12. In Colorado, only about 275 of more than 2,500 primary care providers and two Critical Access Hospitals have adopted and achieved “Meaningful Use” of electronic medical records. Meaningful use, initiated in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, requires that medical providers attest that they meet standards, set forth by the Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services, demonstrating they are using certified EHR technology in ways that can be measured significantly in quality and in quantity. The three components of meaningful use include using certified EHR technology in a meaningful way (such as e-prescribing), in electronic exchange of health information, and in submitting data to meet clinical quality measures.

The nationwide network of Regional Extension Centers, together with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), established the Meaningful Use Vanguard (MUV) program to honor and connect health care providers who demonstrate their commitment to significantly improve the quality of patient care through the use of certified health information technology. Dr. Wisner, who opened Boulder Peak Family Practice in September 2009, immediately implemented electronic records in his medical office. MUVers are an exclusive group of EHR early adopters with meaningful use that serve as local leaders, advisors and role models in the move toward an electronically-enabled health care system.

Electronic health records are an improvement over paper-based recording. The technology-based system has proven to provide a reduction in errors, accessibility of records and data, reminders and alerts, clinical decision support, and e-prescribing/refill automation.

Not enough time to work out? Traveling? No money for a gym? Here are 3 solutions.

boulderpeak — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:19:27 +0000

Time, money, and space are all excuses that sabotage your activity levels, which in turn can negatively impact your health. It’s a catch 22 – you need energy to work out, yet working out will boost your energy. So tune out your internal saboteur and get moving. Here are 3 solutions that stop your excuses, bust your gut, and will help improve your energy levels.
1. Add a workout app to your phone, such as Nike Training Club. It’s free, the workouts can be done in a small space (think hotel room), and don’t need much or any equipment. Choose a 15, 30, 45 or 60 minute version. You do have 15 minutes, no excuses.
2. Stair climb. You can see improvement in energy and fitness level even with minimal time input. Live in a highrise, staying in a hotel, or work on the 8th floor? Take 10 minutes to walk up and down the stairs during a break. Move your arms for an even quicker heart accelerator.
3. Get off the couch. While watching TV shows, get on the floor and stretch. During commercial breaks, lunge with alternating legs through the 2 minute ads. Stretch during the show. Next break, squats. Stretch again. Commercial time, run in place with high knees. Repeat. Your favorite 30 minute show will fly by and you won’t feel like you worked out.

Remember, the point is to be more active, not necessarily a world class athlete. Keep moving and you’ll feel better.

Holiday Schedule

boulderpeak — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:01:32 +0000

Happy holidays to our patients. We wish you a healthy, fun-filled season. Our holiday office hours are as follows:

Friday, December 3: morning appointments only
Monday, December 26: office closed
Tuesday – Wednesday, December 27 – 28: office is closed, but we will fielding phone calls and scheduling future appointments
Thursday – Friday, December 29-30: normal office hours
Monday, January 2: office closed

Study: Fitness May Lower Death Risk Even Without Weight Loss

boulderpeak — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:37:06 +0000

Researches at USC found that men who maintain or improve their activity level, even without losing weight, can increase their overall fitness level. Published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, researchers found that within the 14,000 study cases, even when they did not lower their weights they sustained their fitness level and had about a 30 percent decreased in their risk of dying from certain cardiovascular diseases or from any other diseases. Those study participants who continued to sustain their fitness level in 10 additional years had 40 percent reduced health risks. In short, even if you’re not losing weight, having an active lifestyle improves your long term health outlook. Get out there and get active.