Welcome to the first issue of the Mulholland Medical Group Newsletter. Mulholland Medical Group encompasses four Primary Care Offices and one Urgent Care office, and is a part of a larger group called Integrated Medicine Alliance. Mulholland Medical Group is owned and operated by Dr.Brendan J. Mulholland. These offices are: Red Bank Family Medicine, River Road Primary Care, Shrewsbury Family Medicine, Hazlet Family Care and Hazlet Urgent Care.

What’s Your A1c?

The A1c (also known as a Hemoglobin A1c or Glycohemoglobin) is a very important test to diagnose diabetes and to gauge the level of diabetes in patients known to have the disease. Glucose attaches itself to hemoglobin (the oxygen carrying molecule) that lives in your red blood cells. By measuring the percentage of glucose attached to hemoglobin, a physician will know what your glucose level average is over the past 3 months. With this information, diabetes can be easily diagnosed. Patients with known diabetes can be monitored by following their A1c. Treatment plans are often adjusted based upon one’s A1c level. A level of 5.5 % or lower is normal. At 6.5 or higher, a patient is considered a diabetic. Levels in the 8, 9, 10 and above are poorly controlled diabetics and are at risk for a multitude of health problems including: heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and many others debilitating illnesses. A poorly controlled diabetic patient will undoubtedly have a shortened life span. Many times the A1c will be performed if your physician notices your fasting glucose level is higher than expected. So what’s your A1c? Ask your physician to test you.

If you or someone you're caring for is at high risk of flu-related complications and you suspect the flu, call the doctor. For those at high risk of flu-related complications, there's a greater chance that the flu might lead to pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections and, rarely, hospitalization or death. It can also worsen chronic health problems such as asthma and congestive heart failure. You have an increased risk of flu-related complications if you are younger than 2 or older than 65, or have certain chronic medical conditions, including asthma, emphysema, heart disease, diabetes, neuromuscular disease, and kidney, liver or blood disease

Dr. Sahni completed his residency training in Internal Medicine at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey and he is thrilled to be back home in Monmouth County serving his community in Red Bank at Red Bank Family Medicine. Prior to starting his career in medicine, Dr. Sahni explored life as a musician by composing piano music while earning his Bachelor of Science at The George Washington University. The art of listening and telling a story is integral between doctor and patient, which inspired Dr. Sahni to pursue this passion further until he was awarded with the Doctor of Medicine degree from Ross University School of Medicine. This art of medicine continues to carry forward today in every interaction between Dr. Sahni and his patients.

Most people start a diet by watching portions and cutting calories, but that’s actually the last thing you should do. If you’re eating foods that don’t have all the nutrients your body needs and then trying to eat less of it, you’re just adding hunger to deprivation and it’s a recipe for failure. My suggestion: clean up the quality of your diet first. Feed your body the nutrients it needs to run properly and let it do it’s job (it will!). If the scale isn’t moving after a few weeks, then start looking at portions.

Foods to include:

Vegetables (any and all!)

Fruit (2 per day)

Lean protein Dairy (full fat, limit amount)

Healthy fats (avocado, nuts, seeds, olive oil, grass-fed butter)

Foods to limit:

Bread Pasta

Pastries

Chips

Sugary Drinks

Many adults are at risk for pneumococcal disease. Two vaccines provide protection against this serious and sometimes deadly disease. Talk to us to make sure you are up to date on these vaccines. Two vaccines help prevent pneumococcal disease: PCV13 (pneumococcal conjugate vaccine) PPSV23 (pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine) CDC recommends 2 pneumococcal vaccines for all adults 65 years or older. You should receive a dose of PCV13 first, followed by a dose of PPSV23, at least 1 year later. If you already received any doses of PPSV23, get the dose of PCV13 at least 1 year after the most recent PPSV23 dose. If you already received a dose of PCV13 at a younger age, CDC does not recommend another dose.

Red Bank Family Medicine

Dr. Brendan Mulholland, Dr. Ryan Sahni, Dr. Alexis Totten, APN,

Lexie Ruane, APN, Stephanie Lynch, PA-C

Shrewsbury Family Care

Dana Essner, APN, Lexie Ruane, APN

River Road Primary Care

Dr. Dominic Pamintuan, Dr. Denise Hayward,

Dr. Elizabeth Gredell, Jamie White, APN

Hazlet Family Care

Annmarie Gray, APN, Lexie Ruane, APN

Hazlet Urgent Care

Dr. Ida Caridio, Dr.Frank Migliori, Dr. Zeeshan Kahn, Dr. Michael Noll