Happy to pass this along

Coming Soon! Adult Education Workshop

The Nevada Diabetes Association will be offering an Adult Diabetes Education Workshop in Reno this spring. This workshop will be field trip based one day, every 2 weeks, from February 15th, 2018 to April 26th, 2018.   Please take this anonymous survey so we may provide the best possible workshop for you.  Your feedback will be very helpful in the planning process.     Take this survey

 I am now providing a non-drug treatment for neuropathy, insomnia, anxiety and depression. It is called Alpha Stim. Treatment takes 20-30'. I will have you fill out a neuropathy pain score before and after treatment. These treatments will be $30 per session. I do not bill insurance for treatments alone. If you have a treatment done the same time as your appointment the fee will be included in your office charge. Please call for an appointment. My medical assistant will be providing this service on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
If you want to order one for yourself I will be happy to provide a prescription for established patients only.
http://www.alpha-stim.com/

Live on-line support for T2 diabetes

The American Diabetes Association has a series of live webcasts for T2 diabetes. They are also available as podcasts if you don't have time for the live session. Past sessions are also recorded.
REGISTER TODAY! Visit diabetes.org/experts. Text EXPERTS to 828282 to register for the series.
QUESTIONS? Contact the ADA at 1-855-565-0595 or via email at askada@diabetes.org

Take care of your brain

There are ways to make your brain 'stronger'. This research in 2011 demonstrated visible improvements (on MRI) in brain structure after only 8 weeks of "Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction".

Mindfulness is a concept that started in the 1970's and has grown steadily since then. It is the opposite of multitasking. you focus your mind on a single thing and actively exclude all other thoughts. In practice it is a form of meditation.

You can do the same thing! What makes it easy is the Muse brainwave sensing headband. This device gives you feedback on your thoughts. When you are focused on a single thing, your breath, you hear gentle sounds and even chirping birds. When you are distracted the wind, waves or rain will get louder as a reminder to focus your thought. 

When you buy this device direct from the developer you get a 60 day money back guarantee. You will need a smartphone or Ipad or Android tablet to run the app for the headband. Check to make sure your tablet or phone has the operating system necessary to run the app.

Too busy to blog

A lot has happened in the last 2 years. Here's a summary.

1. Ariana is in law school. My front desk person is Tammy Manke as of Aug 2017.

2. I have a Certified Diabetes Educator, Josh Quinn, 'on loan' from Medtronic. He is here on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month to co-manage people on Medronic/Minimed pumps and those wanting to start on the pump.

3. I have a medical assistant, Kaitlin Shonnard, here each Tuesday and Thursday to get your vital signs, update your medication list and upload your glucose meter or pump. Be sure to bring your meter. She has the app for uploading 26 different meters. 

4. If you need a coach for stress management, see Toni Caruso. The visit will be included with your appointment with me. I also have a device, a Muse headband, that facilitates stress management. You can demo the unit at the office any day I'm open. Bring your smartphone to run the app.

5. I have guest wifi available. Just ask when you're here.

6. I love my Medtronic 670G hybrid closed loop pump. It's reduced my hypoglycemia by 80-90%. Instead of averaging 1-2 h/day under 70 I'm down to 10-15' on the average. I can go days without a low.
7. I have a Facebook page for my office to announce when I'm out of the office, etc. Search For Dan Caruso MD on Facebook to stay up-to-date. Please don't use Facebook to communicate with me about your health care.
8. I also have a Yelp page. I'm not as attentive to it as I am Facebook.

Merry Christmas!

Moana Lane will be my only location for office visits starting Jan 1, 2016

Starting January 1, 2016, I will no longer be a provider at the Renown Diabetes Center. This means changes for my patients at both locations:

      

For my Moana Lane patients: A letter has gone out explaining my new office days and what insurances I will be contracted with starting in 2016. If you have any questions or need to reschedule an appointment, please call the office.

For my Renown patients: My private practice is very small and a major change from the Renown practice. I only have a small refrigerator so I will, unfortunately, not have the room to keep samples as I have been at Renown. This means that I will not be able to provide enough samples to get people through their deductible or doughnut hole.

I do not do the hemoglobin A1c test in the office. I don't have the space or staff to maintain, operate, run quality control and manage inventory for it.  Please go to the lab before your appointment to get it done. You can also go to a health fair lab and order your own A1c if you don't have a lab order. 

I do not have a nurse or an educator or a medical assistant at this office. I am going to miss them dearly.  Unfortunately, this means your refill request may need to wait until the end of the day or if I am out of the office for an extended period of time, it may have to wait until I get back. This is a very important reason to have a primary care provider- to help you get your prescriptions ordered if I am not available. Education will still be available at the Renown Diabetes Center and is also available through Karen Fisher at Nutrition Connection.

Another important service I am outsourcing is influenza vaccine.  Your primary care provider or local pharmacy can help you with your vaccines.

My office policies will stay as they are for the foreseeable future. I understand these are significant differences from the Diabetes Center so please be sure to take all of it into consideration. If these changes are not to the level of care you would like from your endocrinologist, there are several other doctors in Reno who could provide you with the care you need. Please check with your primary care physician or check your insurance provider list.

For ALL my patients: I have officially opened up my 2016 schedule for my Monday through Thursday schedule. If you have any questions regarding scheduling and/or on any of our office changes, please call the office and we can help you. However, also please remember that I am only in the office on Thursday and Friday (excluding Holidays) until the end of the year. Also remember that I only have one receptionist in charge of scheduling. She is getting a high number of calls so if you call during office hours and don’t speak with her, leave a message. It will take her some time to get back to you, but she will return all messages as soon as she can.

you can email me at caruso.patient@gmail.com. Keep in mind this email account is not HIPPA compliant.

Thank you for your understanding and for continuing to utilize me for your health care needs.

change in practice schedule

Beginning August 2015 my office schedule will change and I will be open at Moana Lane on Thursday and Friday.  I will no longer see patients at Moana Lane on Tuesdays starting in August.

I will be working at the Renown Diabetes Center on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Dr Claude Lardinois works at the Diabetes Center on Thursday.  There is full-time staff including certified diabetes educator nurses and dieticians at Renown.  Phone messages are checked regularly at the Diabetes Center.  You are more than welcome to see me at Renown for your diabetes.

If you do not have diabetes and my new schedule does not meet with your needs I will forward your records to another endocrinologist of your choosing.  Your primary care provider may also be able to treat your endocrine condition. Consider discussing this with your PCP.

Thank you for your understanding.