- Behavioral HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogMost of us wouldn’t think twice about seeing our doctor for stomach pain, a sports injury or the flu. But many people don’t get help for mental health concerns. Sometimes it’s the fear of a label, cultural stigma or worry over not getting the right treatment. Whatever the hesitation, it’s important to see a doctor who will treat both your physical and mental healthcare needs. According to Raymond Hoffman, MD, medical director of the Division of Mental Health and Substance Use, your first call for mental health concerns can be to your primary care provider. “A primary care doctor can prescribe medications for many common mental health issues,” says Dr. Hoffman. He or she may also act as the point person for additional care, such as referring you to a therapist. Regardless of who ultimately treats you, Dr. Hoffman notes that addressing mental health concerns involves entering into a trusting relationship with your healthcare provider, who supports healing and recovery. Many of us think of mental healthcare as treating psychiatric illnesses such as bipolar disorder, major depression and psychosis. But it’s just as important to give attention to everyday concerns such as stress, seasonal depression and anxiety. Medical conditions such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and heart disease can worsen depression or anxiety — and vice versa. That’s why it’s so important to seek treatment that takes your whole health into consideration. Erasing the Mental Health Stigma MYTH: Mental health conditions are uncommon. FACT: Mental illness is more common than most think. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five Americans will experience mental illness in their lifetime, and one in 25 will experience a serious mental illness that interferes with their life. MYTH: Mental health conditions are untreatable. FACT: Many mental health conditions are not lifelong challenges and might only require treatment for a short time. With advances in modern care, you can successfully manage even chronic mental health conditions. MYTH: Mental health conditions aren’t real medical conditions. FACT: Just like heart disease and diabetes, mental illnesses are medical conditions. Primary care doctors and specialists can effectively treat them. Where to start with mental health help You don’t need to suffer through a mental health condition alone. Unless you’re dealing with a severe mental health issue, a good place to start is your primary care doctor. Your doctor will review your medical records, talk with you about new symptoms or concerns, and work with you to create a treatment plan. If you already have a good relationship with your doctor, you may feel most comfortable talking to him or her. Your doctor may also better understand what stressors you’re dealing with at home and work, and how they affect your physical health. In many primary care offices, a medical assistant screens patients for depression as part of the yearly well visit using a standardized screening tool. This two-question tool can provide information for a doctor to follow up. Doctors can use a more in-depth tool if the initial screening points to depression. The good news for mental health The good news is that mental health conditions are treatable. If your doctor identifies a mental health condition, he or she may provide brief counseling in the office, prescribe medication or refer you to a specialist. Your doctor may also suggest individual or group therapy. According to Dr. Hoffman, “The evidence shows that if most people who are suffering because of symptoms from mental health problems or substance abuse get help, they can be in less distress and function better.” Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services at AAMC AAMC offers a range of services, such as: The J. Kent McNew Family Medical Center, a 16-bed mental health hospital for adults, is opening in March. Pathways, AAMC’s substance use and co-occurring mental health treatment facility Partnerships with the Department of Health and local mental health and substance use providers to connect patients to resources Anne Arundel Medical Group Mental Health Specialists, an outpatient mental health clinic for ages 3 and up AAMC Psychiatric Day Hospital, a partial hospitalization program The Recovery Navigator Program, which provides screenings and referrals in the primary care setting Introduction of mental health consultations in primary care offices Learn more about AAMC’s range of mental health and substance use services, from outpatient group therapy to partial hospitalization. Author Raymond Hoffman, MD, is the medical director of the Division of Mental Health and Substance Use. Originally published Dec. 5, 2016. Last updated Feb. 10, 2020.0
- Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogWe’ve all heard about the precautions we must take to avoid catching and spreading COVID-19. Practice the 3Ws. Wash your hands. Wear a mask. Watch your distance. But what if you’ve had COVID-19 – and recovered? You may wonder if you need to keep following those guidelines. The short answer is yes. Here’s what we know right now. COVID-19 immunity doesn’t last forever. Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said people who have recovered from COVID-19 may be immune for 90 days. But a study the CDC released in January found otherwise. The study looked at 156 U.S. health care workers who had COVID-19. They took an antibody test about a month after developing symptoms, then a second one 60 days later. The study found 94% of the participants had fewer antibodies at the 60-day mark, while 28% experienced a major decrease in antibodies. And, people who have had a mild case of COVID-19 often don’t develop a detectable antibody response at all. So, don’t assume you’re immune to COVID-19 just because you already had it. You still need to do your part to protect others from getting COVID-19. Staying away from other people is important when you’re sick with COVID-19 – but how long do you need to isolate yourself? Consider how long it’s been since you had COVID-19, if you had symptoms, and how severe they were. The CDC says you can be around other people 10 days after symptoms first appeared, you’ve had 24 hours without fever (and you aren’t taking fever-reducing medications) and other symptoms are improving. But, if you became severely ill with COVID-19, you might need to isolate for up to 20 days after you first started to have symptoms. And people who have compromised immune systems might need testing to determine when they can see others again. If you fall into this category, talk to your health care provider to learn more. If you tested positive for COVID-19, but don’t have any symptoms, the CDC says you can be around other people 10 days after testing positive – as long as you continue to have no symptoms. The COVID-19 vaccine is here—but it’s going to take time to distribute it to everyone who wants it. The approval and release of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in late 2020 was a spark of hope—and more COVID-19 vaccines are on the horizon. We’re optimistic that the vaccines will help us end the pandemic. And we do recommend that you still get the vaccine if you’ve already had COVID-19. But it’s going to take time – possibly months – for the vaccine to be available to everyone who wants it. So, until then, you still need to practice the 3Ws. This March marks a year since Maryland saw its first COVID-19 case. We can see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, but we’re all going to need to keep working together to end the pandemic. Authors Michael Remoll, MD, is director of Emergency Services at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center. David Press, MD, is associate chief medical officer at Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center.0
- PediatricsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogLearning to juggle the demands of work with the needs of your new family is hard no matter how you feed your baby. Pumping at work allows you to continue the special breastfeeding relationship you established and reap the health rewards for you and your baby. Legally, your employer must provide break time and space for mothers to pump breast milk. Getting familiar with your rights as an employee and the logistics of pumping can help you feel more confident in your decision to continue breastfeeding. Prior to Returning to Work Learn how to juggle it all. AAMC’s Breastfeeding and the Working Mother class will teach you the secrets to maintaining a good milk supply, the proper use of your breast pump and proper feeding of baby while away from mom. Get familiar with your pump. At least two weeks before you plan to return to work, get your pump out of the case and figure out how to make it work. Check to see if the maker of your pump has a helpful online tutorial. Remember, most insurance companies now cover the cost of your pump. Talk to your insurance company for their policy. Start freezing. Don’t stress thinking you need to stockpile frozen milk before you return to work. Ideally, each day you will pump enough milk at work to feed your child the next day. Having some frozen milk can be helpful though. Before you return to work, find a time you can pump each day. Pumping after your morning feeding, when you tend to have the most milk, is recommended. Freeze the milk in the amount your baby takes in a bottle. Get familiar with tips for storing, freezing and thawing breast milk. Discuss logistics. Talk to your employer about where you will pump and store your milk. Remember, the law is on your side. Legally, the space for you to pump must be functional for expressing milk, shielded from view, free from intrusion, available as needed and NOT a bathroom. Back to Work Block off your schedule. If you control your schedule, block out 30-minute time slots every three hours. Try to estimate when you will last feed your baby before heading to work, and go from there. Consistency in your pumping time will help you maintain your milk supply and help pumping become part of your routine, but your body can be flexible. The most important thing is to not skip pumpings. The number of times you pump will depend on how many feedings you miss while you’re away from your baby. Find support. Get support from other women who are working and breastfeeding. Talking about the challenges, offering tips to simplify the process and sometimes just laughing about how you’d like to throw your pump out the window will keep you motivated. Join AAMC’s Back to Work and Breastfeeding Support Group or AAMC Smart Parents on Facebook to connect with other moms. If you’re not sure if you want to continue breastfeeding after you return to your job, it could be helpful to set up a ‘trial period’ for yourself. Trying it for a set amount of time will give you a chance to get familiar with a routine and help you make the ultimate decision of how long you’d like to continue. Author Kim Knight is a board-certified lactation consultant with Breastfeeding Works which offers home consultations and workplace lactation support. She has provided support to thousands of breastfeeding moms during the course of her career. Kim is a busy mother of three, teaching AAMC’s Breastfeeding Basics and Breastfeeding and the Working Mother classes in addition to leading the Breastfeeding Support Group. Breastfeeding Resources Breastfeeding Basics Class: Learn how to prepare for breastfeeding, how to hold your baby, how often and how long to feed, how to avoid common problems and much more. Breastfeeding Warm Line: Anne Arundel Medical Center's lactation staff is available to answer any questions you might have about breastfeeding. You can reach our consultants seven days a week via our Warm Line at 443-481-6977. Simply leave a message and they’ll return your call between 9 am and 4 pm the same day. You can also e-mail our lactation staff anytime at [email protected]. Breastfeeding Support Group: Breastfeeding mothers are welcome to this gathering on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. The group is led by Kim Knight, a board-certified lactation consultant. The group is very informal and welcoming to breastfeeding mothers regardless of experience or degree of commitment. Bring your baby! Find a Lactation Consultant: A board-certified lactation consultant can help address your breastfeeding concerns or challenges. You can find one in your area through the United States Lactation Consultant Association directory. Back to Work and Breastfeeding Support Group: Discuss questions and concerns common to nursing moms who returned to work. Share your experiences and hear new ideas on how to continue to work and breastfeed successfully. This group meets the first Friday of every month at the Big Vanilla in Pasadena. AAMC Smart Parents: Join our Facebook community focused on the journey of parenthood. This is a safe, non-judgmental group to ask questions and get answers from local moms and dads, and AAMC experts. Originally published April 15, 2016. Last updated Aug. 5, 2019.0
- Heart CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogDid you know that 610,000 people in the United States die of heart disease every year? That’s one in every four deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And did you know that every year about 735,000 Americans have a heart attack? There are many factors contributing to these statistics. There are more people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and who smoke, which are all key risks factors for heart disease. But among those are other factors like diabetes, excessive alcohol use, obesity, physical inactivity and poor diet that also take a toll. Focusing on the last three – obesity, exercise and diet – gardening could help you tackle these risk factors in one go while engaging in an activity that just requires a little bit of patience in exchange for a healthier life. “The trend in our society has been towards what is expedient, what is convenient, what is fast,” says Salvatore Lauria, MD, cardiologist at Anne Arundel Medical Group (AAMG) Cardiology Specialists. “Gardening provides somewhat of a counter-balance by slowing things down and getting back to what’s more natural, more organic and ultimately, healthier.” Dr. Lauria practices the healthy lifestyle changes he preaches to his patients. He himself lives in a rural neighborhood where he grows his own produce and raises chickens. And although he also leads a busy lifestyle, he enjoys using this time to slow down and harvest healthier, fresher food. Learn your risk for heart disease with our free online heart health profiler at askAAMC.org/HeartHealth and take the first step toward having a healthy heart for life. Clean eating When you buy frozen food or eat at restaurants regularly – especially fast-food restaurants – you end up consuming more processed foods. Yes, it’s convenient to have someone cook for us because of our busy schedules. But in doing what’s easy you pay the price of eating a lot of things that you don’t know about. “That speaks to the benefit of growing it yourself,” says Dr. Lauria. “When you plant your own produce – such as green peppers, carrots, kale, beets and spinach – you know what you’re eating. Plus, there’s a sense of satisfaction that comes in knowing that you put all the effort into growing it yourself.” You also get to choose the fertilizers you want to use, whether they are organic or not. When you garden, you’re in control of when to harvest your own food. Vegetables that ripen in your garden tend to have more nutrients and antioxidants compared to the ones you buy in a store. No gym? No problem It can be physically demanding. But between weeding, planting and harvesting, you’re getting a full-body workout and possibly getting more squatting done than at the gym, says Dr. Lauria. “Be mindful of staying well hydrated,” he adds. “But also know that just the act of gardening itself is a healthy habit to develop.” And all of this while you’re performing an activity that will further contribute to your health! In addition, backyard gardening can inspire you to learn more about the food you eat and help you make better choices about what you put on your plate. By being more aware of your choices, you’ll likely be eating more vegetables and fruits in general. You’ll become your family’s snack connoisseur This is just an added bonus, really. Instead of buying snack bags at the grocery store, full of trans fat, sodium and sugar, you can turn to your very own veggies. You can dry your carrots, beets or kale and divide portions into small bags as snacks for the week. This, in turn, can help you save money. Snacks labeled as organic or as containing less sodium tend to be more expensive. “Grab a few veggies from your backyard, dry them or bake them, bag them and you’re done,” says Dr. Lauria. “No need to keep spending money on snacks that you can make yourself at home, and you control the ingredients used.” It sounds laborious but in reality, it’s really simple. Anyone can grow his or her own tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and other basic kitchen crops in their backyard. Growing your own food, with no additives, and using organic practices is a healthier way to go for you and your heart, according to Dr. Lauria. In addition, it provides a healthy balance to the frenetic paced lifestyle you may sometimes lead, and it gives you the satisfaction of knowing that you put the effort into creating our own produce. Year-round crops Planting crops can be done at any time, but there are fruits and vegetables that taste better when they’re in season. Here’s a list of the best crops to plant year-round, according to Maryland’s Best, a program managed by the Maryland Department of Agriculture: Cucumbers Herbs Lettuces Mushrooms Tomatoes Spinach Onions Radishes Author Salvatore Lauria, MD, is a cardiologist with Anne Arundel Medical Group (AAMG) Cardiology Specialists. To schedule an appointment, call 443-481-6700. Originally published March 2019. Last updated February 2020.0
- General Page Tier 3BlogMoms often describe the hours, days and weeks following their babies’ arrival as a wonderful yet overwhelming time. It’s also an important time to surround yourself with helpful information and support for breastfeeding success. A rewarding breastfeeding experience starts with education, like AAMC’s Breastfeeding Basics class. Getting familiar with the basics will help you get off to a good start. The Early Weeks You may feel like all you’re doing in the first week of your baby’s life is nursing – and it’s probably true! This is how your baby helps your body create a plentiful milk supply. Newborns generally nurse eight to 12 times a day. Nursing this often doesn’t mean your baby isn’t getting enough milk. Rather a newborn’s stomach, just like the rest of them, is tiny! At day three, it’s about the size of a walnut. At two weeks, it’s about the size of a large egg. Newborn Stomach Size from Medela In the early weeks of frequent nursing remember that all your hard work is encouraging your body to create a good milk supply. Breastfeeding is a supply and demand activity. Your body learns to supply exactly what your baby is demanding. Nursing your baby at the first sign of hunger cues– rooting, smacking lips, stirring, hands in mouth—also helps minimize engorgement that can happen two to five days after birth when your milk “comes in” or increases in supply. Some moms worry about their milk supply. If your baby is gaining weight and having frequent wet and dirty diapers, then your baby is getting enough milk. In those early days and weeks, remember you’re learning something new. Like all new skills, it may take some time to feel like you’ve gotten the hang of it. Trust your body, your baby and yourself. And don’t be afraid to ask for help! Importance of Skin-to-Skin Studies prove that skin-to-skin contact, which you may also hear called ‘kangaroo care,’ offers many benefits. Among them, skin-to-skin can help regulate your baby’s temperature, heartbeat, breathing and blood sugars. It can enhance bonding with parents (Yes, dad can do it too!) and reduce baby’s cries. Babies who are kept skin-to-skin immediately after birth may latch better, and are more likely to nurse sooner and longer. Getting a Good Latch A good latch is key to baby effectively and comfortably removing milk, and helps create a successful and enjoyable breastfeeding experience. A good latch can look different to every mom. To latch your baby: Sit comfortably in a slightly reclined position, supported by pillows if you’d like. Have baby lie belly down on you with their nose aligned with the nipple. If baby is not rooting with a wide mouth, tickle baby’s top lip with your nipple to stimulate rooting. As baby opens wide, allow baby to self-latch or guide baby on so that most of your areola is covered by the baby’s mouth, especially at the bottom lip and chin. Watch for signs of sucking from baby’s jaw motion and ear movement, and for periods of swallowing. If you’re experiencing pain, break the latch by inserting your finger into the corner of baby’s mouth and re-latch as needed. Persistent pain should be assessed by a lactation consultant. Images from La Leche League International Breastfeeding should feel comfortable and you should be able to hear sounds of swallowing. Don’t worry if it feels awkward at first. Before long getting baby to latch will feel so second nature you’ll be able to do it with your eyes closed– or at least in a dark room, say around 2 am. For more information, I recommend the Latching and Positioning Resources from Kelly Mom. Author Kim Knight is a board-certified lactation consultant with Breastfeeding Works which offers home consultations and workplace lactation support. She has provided support to thousands of breastfeeding moms during the course of her career. Breastfeeding Resources AAMC offers several breastfeeding support classes, all of which have gone virtual due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. See a complete schedule here. Breastfeeding Warm Line: Anne Arundel Medical Center’s lactation staff is available to answer any questions you might have about breastfeeding. You can reach our consultants seven days a week via our Warm Line at 443-481-6977. Simply leave a message and they’ll return your call between 9 am and 4 pm the same day. You can also e-mail our lactation staff anytime at [email protected]. Find a Lactation Consultant: A board-certified lactation consultant can help address your breastfeeding concerns or challenges. You can find one in your area through the United States Lactation Consultant Association directory. AAMC Smart Parents: Join our Facebook community focused on the journey of parenthood. This is a safe, non-judgmental group to ask questions and get answers from local moms and dads, and AAMC experts. Originally published April 14, 2016. Last updated Aug. 10, 2020.0
How can we help?
Common Searches
Common Searches
Log in with MyChart
Access personalized site features & view your health records.
Learn more about MyChartDon’t have a MyChart account?
Your Account
View your Dashboard
Messages
Billing Summary
Find Care
Schedule Appointment
My Care Team
My Record
Appointments
Medications
Insurance Summary
Log in with MyChart
Access personalized site features & view your health records.
Learn more about MyChartDon’t have a MyChart account?