An MDVIP Patient Turns His Gratitude Into Art

Greg Ferrara, MD
By Greg Ferrara, MD
September 28, 2023

When you enter the waiting room of MDVIP affiliate Dr. Greg in Baton Rouge, you might think you actually walked into an art gallery. The warm and welcoming waiting room boasts a one-of-a-kind, original artwork made by a local artist. Created by a longtime MDVIP patient and titled “Doc’s Curbside Service,” the drawing features Dr. Ferrara caring for a patient in the tumultuous early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.  


About the Physician
Greg Ferrara, MD

My goal is to manage and anticipate your unique healthcare needs. As an MDVIP-affiliated doctor, I will partner with you on a personal level to help you achieve the optimal health we all value. We will closely collaborate on what it takes to stay on the path to wellness. You will feel welcomed by the relaxed, individualized attention you will receive from everyone in our office.

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Long-Term Lyme Disease Associated with Particular Bacterial Strain

Janet Tiberian Author
By Janet Tiberian, MA, MPH, CHES
October 5, 2023

Ticks are known for causing a wide range of illnesses, with the most common being Lyme disease - a bacterial illness that affects hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there are about 475,000 new cases of Lyme disease each year in the U.S.; however, only about 36,000 cases are reported to the CDC.  


About the Author
Janet Tiberian Author
Janet Tiberian, MA, MPH, CHES

Janet Tiberian is MDVIP's health educator. She has more than 25 years experience in chronic disease prevention and therapeutic exercise.

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Does the Flu Knock You Out for Weeks? Boost Your T-Cells

Janet Tiberian Author
By Janet Tiberian, MA, MPH, CHES
October 4, 2023

It’s common for people to experience the flu differently. In some people, the flu triggers strong cold-like symptoms, while other people develop life-threatening issues. 

Influenza is a virus responsible for about 9 million illnesses, 4 million medical visits, 10,000 hospitalizations and 35,000 deaths each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


About the Author
Janet Tiberian Author
Janet Tiberian, MA, MPH, CHES

Janet Tiberian is MDVIP's health educator. She has more than 25 years experience in chronic disease prevention and therapeutic exercise.

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Colder Temperatures Can Affect Your Blood Pressure

Janet Tiberian Author
By Janet Tiberian, MA, MPH, CHES
October 2, 2023

With winter less than two months away, now is a good time to prepare yourself for colder temperatures, especially if you have health conditions affected by lower temperatures.

Circulation, in particular, can be impacted by winter weather. Colder air narrows blood vessels in your toes, fingers and skin, causing heat loss. In turn, the heart works harder to pump blood throughout the body to maintain your body temperature. And when it does, it also raises the heart rate and blood pressure.


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About the Author
Janet Tiberian Author
Janet Tiberian, MA, MPH, CHES

Janet Tiberian is MDVIP's health educator. She has more than 25 years experience in chronic disease prevention and therapeutic exercise.

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How Primary Care Doctors Work with Specialists

From annual physicals to acute care for minor injuries and illnesses that come up, primary care is an essential part of healthcare. But what happens when you need care beyond what a primary care physician or PCP can provide?


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New Study Highlights Importance of Inflammation Marker

Dr. Andrea Klemes, Chief Medical Officer MDVIP
By Dr. Andrea Klemes , MDVIP
September 15, 2023

If you’ve taken part in the MDVIP Wellness Program, you may have had your blood tested for myeloperoxidase or MPO. It’s one of the tests that may be included when your doctor draws blood. MDVIP added this option so physicians would have an additional tool to better identify heart disease risk — elevated MPO levels are linked to heart attack risk.


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Colder Temperatures Can Affect Your Blood Pressure / By Janet Tiberian, MA, MPH, CHES / October 2, 2023
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About the Author
Dr. Andrea Klemes, Chief Medical Officer MDVIP
Dr. Andrea Klemes, MDVIP

Dr. Andrea Klemes is the Chief Medical Officer of MDVIP. She also serves as the executive and organizational leader of MDVIP’s Medical Advisory Board that supports quality and innovation in the delivery of the healthcare model drawing expertise from the affiliated physicians. Dr. Klemes oversees MDVIP’s impressive outcomes data and research including hospital utilization and readmission statistics, quality of disease management in the MDVIP network and the ability to identify high-risk patients and intervene early. She is instrumental in the adoption of the Electronic Health Record use in MDVIP-affiliated practices and the creation of the data warehouse. Dr. Klemes is board certified in internal medicine and endocrinology and a fellow of the American College of Endocrinology. Dr. Klemes received her medical degree from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed an internal medicine residency at Cabrini Medical Center in Manhattan, New York and an Endocrine and Metabolism Fellowship at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. Prior to joining MDVIP, Dr. Klemes worked at Procter & Gamble in the areas of personal healthcare, women’s health and digestive wellness and served as North American Medical Director for bone health. She spent 10 years in private practice specializing in endocrinology and metabolism in Tallahassee, Florida. In addition, Dr. Klemes held leadership roles with the American Medical Association, Florida Medical Association and as Medical Director of the Diabetes Center in Tallahassee and Panama City, Florida, as well as Chief of the Department of Medicine at Tallahassee Community Hospital. She has been a consultant and frequent lecturer and has completed broad clinical research in diabetes and osteoporosis and published extensively.

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Can Vegetarianism Help Maintain Your Heart Health?

Janet Tiberian Author
By Janet Tiberian, MA, MPH, CHES
September 13, 2023

Vegetarianism has gotten a lot of hype over the last 15 years. A lifestyle once written off as earthy crunchy, went mainstream around 2010.

There are many reasons people go vegetarian, with the most popular being health. Studies suggest a vegetarian lifestyle may help: 
•    Lower the risk for certain cancers
•    Manage weight 
•    Forestall type 2 diabetes
•    Prevent metabolic syndrome
•    Improve heart health


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About the Author
Janet Tiberian Author
Janet Tiberian, MA, MPH, CHES

Janet Tiberian is MDVIP's health educator. She has more than 25 years experience in chronic disease prevention and therapeutic exercise.

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11 Surprising Causes of Fatigue

We all feel tired some of the time, and often it’s nothing a few restful nights of sleep can’t cure. Fatigue is also common when you’re suffering from allergies or fighting an illness or infection.

Medical conditions such as autoimmune disorders and fibromyalgia can also cause ongoing tiredness, and treatments like chemotherapy are major culprits of fatigue. Fatigue can also be a symptom of long COVID, when tiredness is typically accompanied by other indications.


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Do You Really Need a Continuous Glucose Monitor?

Janet Tiberian Author
By Janet Tiberian, MA, MPH, CHES
August 16, 2023

A future version of the Apple Watch may include the ability to measure blood sugar without a finger prick. While this is good news for people with diabetes who must regularly test their blood sugar, it’s also a response to the rising trend of Americans keeping tabs on their blood glucose levels.

Monitoring blood sugar has been part of diabetes management for decades, but it’s recently become associated with weight management and high-end athletics, too. In fact, many people are embracing a new kind of blood glucose monitoring technology, whether they really need it or not.


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About the Author
Janet Tiberian Author
Janet Tiberian, MA, MPH, CHES

Janet Tiberian is MDVIP's health educator. She has more than 25 years experience in chronic disease prevention and therapeutic exercise.

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Afternoon Workouts Can Help People with Obesity, Diabetes

Janet Tiberian Author
By Janet Tiberian, MA, MPH, CHES
August 15, 2023

There’s a new term for an epidemic you’re probably aware of: Diabesity. It probably sounds a little melodramatic, but it is the largest epidemic in human history, according to a study published in Clinical Diabetes and Endocrinology.


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About the Author
Janet Tiberian Author
Janet Tiberian, MA, MPH, CHES

Janet Tiberian is MDVIP's health educator. She has more than 25 years experience in chronic disease prevention and therapeutic exercise.

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