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North Oaks offers array of medical services in Livingston Parish

SATSUMA — North Oaks – Livings-ton provides a wide range of medical services, with four loca-tions conveniently throughout the parish in Satsuma, Walker and Denham Springs.

Health care services offered to Livingston Parish families in-clude Cardiology, ENT & Aller-gy, General Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Orthopaedics, Primary Care, Rheumatology and Urology, all supported by advanced diagnostics and radi-ology, laboratory services, and outpatient rehabilitation.

Dr. Jeffrey LaCour, an Oto-laryngologist (Ear, Nose and Throat specialist) and a fellow-ship-trained sinus specialist with the North Oaks ENT & Allergy Clinic, offers Balloon SinuplastyTM to qualified patients, which is a procedure that addresses chronic sinusitis. Those experiencing facial pain from pressure in the forehead and cheeks, difficulty breathing through the nose, upper dental pain, chronic nasal problems and recurring sinus infections may benefit from an evaluation by Dr. LaCour.

The procedure takes about 40 minutes to an hour and can be performed under local anesthe-sia at the doctor’s office. Blocked sinus passages are opened using a tiny balloon, much like a heart surgeon opens blocked arteries during balloon angioplasty.

Because there is no cutting or

bone removal, patients generally heal faster and with less pain, bleeding, bruising or swelling.

“People with recurring sinus infections (more than four or five times a year) would benefit from an evaluation,” said Dr. LaCour. “I like this procedure because it is a minimally invasive option for select patients who have less severe sinus issues.”

While recovery times vary with each patient, most can return to their normal activities within 24 hours.

Make North Oaks –Livings-ton your source for convenient, quality health care services close to home. We are proud to offer numerous services and exceptional medical providers throughout the parish.

NORTH OAKS HEALTH SYSTEM

Located just off I-12 at the Satsuma exit in Livingston, the North Oaks – Livingston Parish Medical Complex is staffed with an exceptional team of physicians offering primary care and specialty services. Experienced technologists provide advanced diagnostics, laboratory and progressive rehabilitation services. With 1,778 square feet, the well-appointed Conference Center can seat 88 people comfortably for community health education events. Equipped with a premier audiovisual package, this soundproof room has a plasma screen for interactive media presentations.

NORTH OAKS HEALTH SYSTEM

North Oaks Health System President/CEO James Cathey and Executive Vice President/COO Michele Sutton, along with numerous team members, proudly accept the Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 Large Business of the Year award on Jan. 27 at Forrest Grove Plantation in Denham Springs.

NORTH OAKS HEALTH SYSTEM

Practice Manager Rhonda Cardaro-nella and Nurse Practitioner Michelle Civello help children decorate cook-ies at the Denham Springs Kiwanis’ Christmas Tree Lighting in the Antique Village.

NORTH OAKS HEALTH SYSTEM

Dr. Jeffrey LaCour, a fellowship-trained sinus specialist with the North Oaks ENT & Allergy Clinic, treats patients of all ages for a broad range of ear, nose and throat condi-tions.

North Oaks Multispecialty Clinic 17199 Spring Ranch Road, Livingston | (225) 686-4960)

CardiologyNik Abraham MD, FACC, FSCAIJames M. Parker MD, FACC, FSCAI

ENT & AllergyD’Antoni C. Dennis, MDJeffrey B. LaCour, MD

General SurgeryDorothy A. Lewis, MDJodee Bernier, FNP

Rheumatology Carl M. Gauthier, MD

UrologyStephen M. Graham, MDBrad M. Lake, MDNorth Oaks Orthopaedic Specialty Center – Livingston

(17199 Spring Ranch Road, Livingston | (225) 686-4900)Matthew C. Lafleur, MDRobert T. McAfee, MDKaty Morris, MDRandy Herrin, PA-CMarc Pitre, PA-C

Magnolia Obstetrics & Gynecology – Walker(28799 Walker South Road, Suite 1 | (225) 664-3948)

Brianne H. Anderson, MDJaime M. Edwards, MDKimberly N. Guillory, MD

Marya J. Porter, MDApril A. Sandifer, MDDeborah L. Shuman, MD

North Oaks Primary – Denham Springs(31839 LA Hwy. 16, Suite B |(225) 664-8701)

Brandi S. Basso, MD Michelle Civello, APRN, FNP

North Oaks Primary – Livingston(17199 Spring Ranch Road, Livingston |(225) 686-4930)

Gayle H. Beyl, MD Felix L. Torres, MD April McIntyre, FNP-C

North Oaks Walk-In Clinic – Walker(28050 Walker S. Rd., Suite L |(225) 664-2111)

Mark S. Daunis, MDRichard W. Foster, MDAlyssa C. Lyon, MDHoward J. Raphael, MDSidney L. St. Amant, MD

Ideal You Clinic (17199 Spring Ranch Road, Livingston |(225) 686-4880)

Ideal You at North Oaks is an independent Ideal ProteinTM clinic that of-fers a medically-developed weight loss program. Registered Dietitians meet with participants weekly. Free, weight loss seminars are offered at North Oaks Livingston Parish Medical Complex Conference Center. The next seminars are scheduled for Thursday, March 17, at 5:30 p.m., and Thursday, April 21, at 5:30 p.m.To find out more, email idealyou@northoaks.org or call (225) 686-4880.

I NORTH OAKS IN LIVINGSTON PARISH___

North Oaks Health System Page 2Denham Springs Urgent Care Page 5SuperiCore Page 5Stewart Family Medicine Page 7Pilates Plus Page 7Snap Fitness Page 7Natural Touch Page 9Health Quest Page 9Taylor Clinic Page 9Total Care Page 10North Oaks doctors panel Page 11Spectrum Fitness & Medical Wellness Page 12

North Oaks Health System Page 3Stewart Family Medicine Page 4Denham Springs Urgent Care Page 5Spectrum Fitness & Medical Wellness Page 6Pilates Plus Page 8Snap Fitness Page 8SuperiCore Page 9Total Care Page 10Health Quest Page 11Natural Touch Page 12Taylor Clinic Page 12

Health & You 2016 is an annual publication of the Livingston Parish News that focuses on the ever-growing medical, health and fitness services for Livingston Parish residents.

| About the cover: From left — Dr. Peter Dickinson, D.C., Total Care Chiropractic; Courtney Taylor, Family Nurse Practitioner, Stewart Family Medicine; Dr. Donald St. Angelo, DDS, Advanced Dental Care. Photos by David Normand and design by Paul Hatton.

| Writers: Mike Dowty, Alice Dowty, Lisa Dowty, John Dupont| Photography: David Normand| Advertising sales: Leesha Gleber and Karen Brooks

Contact the News at 225-665-5176

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2016 HEALTH & YOU 3I

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2016 HEALTH & YOU 5I

DENHAM SPRINGS — Denham Springs Urgent Care on South Range Avenue has been treating illnesses and injuries for 18 years, on Saturdays and weekday evenings, as well as regular hours.

From the beginning, Dr. Paul Abide offered top of the line facilities and experi-enced staff. His success continues to inspire the growth of other urgent care clinics.

Dr. Abide established Den-ham Springs Urgent Care with the understanding that many health problems won’t wait for a next-day ap-pointment, yet fall far short of needing the full service attention of a hospital emer-gency room.

Denham Springs Ur-gent Care is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with no ap-pointment needed.

Denham Springs Urgent Care is for people who need medical attention quickly, often because of an accident, or because persistent symp-toms take on a new urgency. Patients are seen on a first come, first served, basis, un-less circumstances dictate otherwise.

The clinic is conveniently located inside the Denham Springs city limits at 1585 South Range Avenue, near

Interstate 12.Nurse Practitioner John

Marino, FNP-C, works alongside Dr. Abide to give patients, age one and up, the quality care that comes with the most up-to-date diagnostic equipment and attention to patient con-cerns.

Approximately 95 percent of the laboratory tests are run at the clinic, so results are completed prior to the patient’s discharge.

The X-ray equipment includes a powered eleva-tion, “floating” table that requires less patient move-ment for proper positioning.

Denham Springs Urgent Care has the resources to quickly confirm diagno-ses on a wide spectrum of non-life threatening complaints associated with sore throat, sinusitis, tonsillitis, pink eye, ear infections, bronchitis, asthma, walking pneumo-nia, pleurisy, vomiting, diarrhea, heart burn, indigestion, urinary tract issues, bladder infections, and heat exhaustion.

Dr. Abide sees patients with strep and staph infec-tions, including Methy-icillin Resistant Staphy-lococcus Aureus (MRSA) infections.

Injuries are also treated at Denham Springs Urgent Care, as long as they are not

life-threatening. The clinic is equipped to treat trauma such as fractures, sprains, and also soft tissue injuries, such as minor cuts.

Evaluation and treatment is also available for sexually transmitted diseases.

Businesses depend on Denham Springs Urgent Care for employee screening and emergency treatment. The clinic assists employers with occupational medicine, including drug and alcohol screenings, physical exams, hearing tests, and pulmo-nary function tests.

Dr. Abide’s patients benefit from digital equipment with minimal X-ray exposure to the patient, operated by nationally registered Radio-logic Technologists.

The clinic also has an in-house COLA-certified laboratory.

COLA is an independent, non-profit, national accredi-tor for regulatory require-ments set by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) for hospitals and regional labo-ratory testing centers.

Denham Springs Urgent Care now has 10 examina-tion rooms, and offers im-munizations and injections as well as vision and hear-ing screens. Most insurance is accepted.

For more information, call 791-0002.

DAVID NORMAND |

THE NEWS

Dr. Paul Abide, Jr., (left) and John Ma-rino, APRN, FNP-C, with Denham Springs Urgent Care, sit between a digital X-ray image computer.

SuperiCore’s advice for weight loss,

energy, total health

18 years of Urgent Care

Making the choice to live a healthier lifestyle is the first step in reaching your weight loss goals. Maybe you’re looking to trim down because of health concerns like diabetes, or maybe you’re looking to get in shape for swimsuit season. Whatever your reasons, embracing this Top 3 List will help you succeed.

A successful diet starts with knowing what NOT to do, not just what TO do. Most dieters fail for a mul-titude of reasons; this Top 3 List will help you get on the path to success.

Top 3 Dieting Tips 1. Excessive Calorie Cutting

Doesn’t WorkA dramatic cut in your

caloric intake is a surefire way to fail on your goal to lose weight. Your body will become deprived of neces-sary nutrients, and you’ll lose muscle rather than body fat. Starvation diets are not healthy or sustain-able. Yes, initially you’ll lose weight quickly, but your weight loss will be pri-marily water weight. Then, your metabolism will slow down; you’ll plateau, your energy level will plummet, and then the food cravings and mood swings will start.

A healthy balanced, low-carb/low-fat diet with safe, doctor-approved appetite suppressants and exercise is always the better way to approach dieting. To be successful, you should con-sider this a lifestyle change vs. a diet because this is a sustainable lifestyle shift, not a temporary fix.

2. Forgive YourselfIf you fall off the diet

wagon, forgive yourself, it happens, and it’s perfectly OK. In fact, most successful

dieters have better results when they veer off the path every now and then. This is true because they allow themselves to indulge in whatever they’re drawn to that particular day. Don’t give up because you feel guilty; try to limit your splurges and get right back on the wagon. The key is to not get discouraged and quit. The best thing you can do is forgive yourself, and get back on the path to health and wellness.

3. Get HelpThe first step in any suc-

cessful weight loss endeav-or is knowing when not to go it alone. Enlist family and friends for support, and seek professional help.

Surprisingly, family and friends can unintention-ally derail the best diet plan. Talk with them, let them know your plan so they can support you every step of the way. Also, get professional help from the experts. It’s important to find a program that works for you and your lifestyle. A program that is easy to follow, that is safe and healthy, with a proven history of helping others obtain their weight loss goals.

We already know fad diets don’t work. What will work is the support you’ll get from a doctor-approved program. A successful pro-gram should consist of all-natural supplements to help you reach your weight-loss and health goals, as well as individualized support on nutrition, exercise, and dieting tricks and tips. The right program will set you up to succeed with lifestyle changes that are truly sus-tainable.

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2016 HEALTH & YOU 7I

Fitness is a Snap where it never closes

Stewart Family Medicine keeps growing

Since regaining own-ership of their clinic in August 2014, the Stew-arts have worked hard to bring their clinic back up to the standards it held before. They’ve continued this process by bringing back some of their original ser-vices, like occupational medicine & in-house lab draws, as well as adding some new services.

Stewart Family Medi-cine added a pediatric Nurse Practitioner this past September.

“We were excited to add pediatric care to our growing list of ser-vices,” office manager Kacie Stewart said.

“Laurie Kinchen is the newest member of our team and she fits in perfectly. Her friendly and caring demeanor and 15 years of pediat-ric experience make her a major asset to our practice,” Stewart

continued.Laurie works 2 full

days each week and is currently taking ap-pointments for new and established patients.

Stewart Family Medi-cine has always treated children, but stayed away from providing primary care to chil-dren under 2 years of age. Now that Laurie has joined the clinic, they can offer primary care to children of all ages, including vaccines for all children.

Stewart Family Medi-cine’s central location makes it extremely convenient. They can provide primary care services to the entire family and offer urgent care services after hours from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Their rare ability to offer both means that patients can almost always be seen the same day when someone in

the family gets sick.The providers and

staff of Stewart Fam-ily Medicine maintain the high standards of providing a friendly and comfortable atmosphere that they have always been known for.

“We feel that the least we can do for patients who are having a bad day, is give them a com-fortable and pleasant place to wait while they get the care that they need,” Stewart said.

The clinic accepts all major insurances, including Medicaid.

Office hours are Mon-day-Friday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. and walk-ins begin at 5 p.m. They are located at 29565 Frost Road, Livingston.

Call to schedule your appointment today at 225-686-1114 or visit their website at www.stewartmedicalcare.com.

DAVID NORMAND | THE NEWS

Pictured is the staff of Stewart Family Medicine & After-Hours (seated, from left) Connie Stewart, Billing Manager; Laurie Kinchen, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner; Courtney Taylor, Family Nurse Practitioner; and Kacie Stewart, Office Manager. Standing are Elizabeth Sibley, Medical Assistant; Nickie Heyer, Patient Care Coordinator; Jillian Billiot, Front Office Coordinator; and Amy Fontenot, Clinical Coordinator.

Pilates Plus, a fitness program for all agesLocated inside Snap

Fitness at 1217 North Range Avenue in Den-ham Springs, Pilates Plus offers small client-focused classes that are structured to not only provide a top-notch physi-cal workout, but support clients throughout their journey with effective motivation and highly skilled instructors.

Pilates Plus utilizes the reformer bed as an alternative to traditional mat pilates. The reformer offers all the famous ben-efits of pilates including overall strength, flex-ibility, coordination and balance.

This form of exercise is gender friendly and suit-able for all ages. Whether you’re a seasoned fitness pro or someone looking for your first fitness expe-rience, this is the work-out for you.

The composition of this training method is sig-nificant in that it encour-ages maximum output while having a low risk of injury. The pilates re-former workout strength-ens the body, tones and elongates the muscles, improves endurance, jump starts the metabo-lism, burns fat, increases flexibility and postural alignment, and restores

the body to its natural homeostatic state.

After consistent use, you will have a lean and powerful body, resistant to the everyday stresses of work and life.

By taking advantage of the many applications the reformer beds provide, instructors at Pilates Plus guide you through intense but rewarding 45 minute sessions that will propel you towards your fitness goals.

The instructors and owners of Pilates Plus are Austin McGraw and Kelly Mallett.

In addition to obtaining a national certificate by Fitour, McGraw has also received a B.S. degree in Kinesiology and Fit-ness Studies from LSU. Austin specializes in custom training routines, functional training, and nutrition. He also brings his unique skills and motivational approach to his pilates classes.

Mallett has been a part of the fitness industry for most of her life and has been a personal trainer for the last eight years. She appreciates fitness and exercise on many levels and believes it is a way of life.

The new monthly unlimited rate is $99.95.

No contracts. There are also individual sessions and package rates avail-able. The New Referral System provides $25 off on monthly member-ship when you bring in a friend who signs up. For two friends, get $50 off. For three friends, receive a full month for free. All new friends who sign up get $25 off their first month of membership.

The Spring Fit Chal-lenge starts March 7 and lasts six weeks. Members can participate in either or both challenges. For the Attendance Chal-lenge, workout three times a week for six weeks and receive a free gift. You will also be en-tered into a drawing for a free month. The Body Fat Challenge will be taken on the state date and upon completion of six weeks. Winner will receive a free month and a gift bag.

Pilates Plus offers numerous morning and afternoon classes on weekdays and morning classes on Saturdays.

For easy signing up, paying for, scheduling or re-scheduling, visit the Pilates Plus website at pilatesplusds.com.

For more information, visit the website or call 225-223-0967.

Snap Fitness, 1217 Range Avenue in Den-ham Springs, eliminates the stress of planning a workout around the hours at the facility, whether it’s 3 in the af-ternoon 3 in the morn-ing.

Snap Fitness never closes.

Members have access to state- of- the- art work-out equipment to help with everything from weight loss to strength and conditioning.

Owner Jay Mallett, who has lived in the area 35 years, knows all the components of a quality workout facility. His love and passion for physical fitness is evident in the way he maintains the integrity of the gym, and he is always eager to help others in their fitness journey.

The training aspect is a family affair at Snap Fitness. His wife Kel-lyanne also works on staff as a fitness trainer. Other certified female trainers include Barbara Smith who brings over 12 years of experience and Cindy Palhang with 18 years of experi-ence. Snap Fitness also has Austin McGraw,

who graduated from LSU with a Bachelors in Kinesiology with a concentration in fitness studies. He trained un-der Tommy Moffit, the strength and condition-ing coach for the LSU football program.

Austin works with many local high school athletes to help them reach the next level in their sport.

“Whether it’s weight loss, adding muscle or learning proper nutri-tion, our personal train-ers are there to make it happen,” Mallett said.

Snap Fitness offers a variety of classes geared toward all ages and needs, such as Zumba with Vanessa, Insanity, Spin classes, Bootcamp, Functional training class, Plyo and more to come.

The great thing is that you don’t have to be a member of the gym to participate in the classes. You can buy a punch card or you can pay per class.

Snap Fitness also offers a full line of supplements and other nutritional items to help get you on the road to a healthier lifestyle.

Even when you’re out of town, you can enjoy the benefits of Snap Fit-ness.

With more than 2,000 locations nationwide and abroad, members can

utilize all Snap Fitness facilities when away on business or vacation.

“Everyone has dif-ferent goals, but most im-portantly it all goes back to promoting a healthier

lifestyle. My favorite saying is, ‘Exercise until your body behaves’!” Mallett said.

For more information on membership, call Snap Fitness at (225)

665 0272.You can also visit the

website at https://www.snapfitness.com/den-hamsprings or check them out on their Face-book page.

DAVID NORMAND | THE NEWS

Owners of Pilates+ of Denham Springs are Kellyanne Mallett and Austin McGrew.

DAVID NORMAND | THE NEWS

Pictured are the staff of Snap Fitness of Denham Springs, (from left) Kade Kepper, office manager; Austin McGraw, head personal trainer; Jay Mallett, owner; Kellyanne Mallett, owner; and Laurie Mitchell, office manager.

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2016 HEALTH & YOU 9I

DENHAM SPRINGS — The Natural Touch Thera-peutic Massage has been serving the Denham Springs com-munity for the past 18 years.

Jackie Wilson, L.M.T., started the practice in 1998 with a vision of helping people with a wide variety of prob-lems, from pain and ten-sion of everyday stress to health conditions that need more frequent

attention.The vision of The

Natural Touch is offer-ing Therapeutic Mas-sage, even though the rare spa treatment and Relaxation Massage are nice, the majority of cli-ents need more frequent Therapeutic Massage worked into their regu-lar healthcare mainte-nance plans.

Jackie and her team of Massage Therapists work on a wide variety

of clients, from infants and children to mature adults, and every age in between. They as-sist clients with their healthcare goals, and working in conjunction with other healthcare providers.

Regular Therapeutic Massages weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly is a benefit to one’s overall health and provides great relief to chronic discomfort. Some

benefits are improving strength, flexibility, co-ordination, and energy. It also relieves muscle tension and stiffness, reduces blood pressure and increases blood circulation, improves posture and decreases stress. Massage can also be beneficial for allergies, arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, car-pal tunnel syndrome, depression, insomnia, pain, sinusitis, sports

injuries and TMJ, just to name a few.

Massage Therapy is beneficial for students, athletes, entrepreneurs, teachers, caregivers, hairdressers, nurses, and everyone, no matter the lifestyle. A variety of techniques are of-fered, including Stress Management, Reflexol-ogy, Sports Massage, Deep Tissue Therapy, Neuromuscular Ther-apy, TMJ Massage,

Prenatal Massage, Lym-phatic Drainage and Relaxation Therapy.

The Natural Touch is located at 1019 N. Range Avenue, Suite B, across from Denham Springs High School, with seven Massage Therapists ready to meet your healthcare needs, avail-able Monday – Saturday with extended and late hours. For your ap-pointment, call (225)791-8154.

Massage therapy for all ages & lifestyles with a Natural Touch

Taylor Clinic provides top care

Health Quest therapies ease painHealth Quest Physical

Therapy has been serving Watson and surrounding communities for 12 years.

Located in Oak Point Pla-za, 35055 Hwy. 16, Suite 1-C, Health Quest offers a wide variety of physical therapy treatment techniques for back and neck pain, sports rehab, pre and post-surgical care, osteoarthritis, and a range of other disorders.

In addition to providing traditional physical therapy, Health Quest services also include new types of ad-vanced treatment to help alleviate pain. Some of these treatments include Functional Dry Needling, Graston Technique, Kine-sio and McConnell Taping, Laser treatments, Anodyne infrared light therapy and spinal traction. Dry Nee-dling, taping techniques and LASER treatments are mostly used for joint pain and soft issue injuries.

The Graston Technique for augmented soft tissue mobilization helps with chronic pain and tendon-itis. The technique uses specially-designed stainless steel instruments, along with appropriate therapeu-tic exercise, to specifically detect and effectively treat areas exhibiting soft tissue fibrosis or chronic inflam-mation. The instruments also are used diagnostically

to follow the kinetic chain, to locate and treat the cause of the symptom as well as the specific area of pain.

Anodyne Light Treatment is most notably for Neuropa-thy to help with pain from nerve damage, increase circulation and reduce pain

and stiffness.Spinal traction is a form

of decompression therapy that relieves pressure on the spine. It can be performed manually or mechanically. Spinal traction is used to treat herniated discs, sciatica, degenerative disc

disease, pinched nerves, and many other back conditions.

Health Quest Physical Therapy provides a hands-on approach and quality care in a friendly environment.

During your initial visit to Health Quest, your Physical Therapist will take your

history and conduct a com-prehensive examination and evaluation of your problem and symptoms.

Your therapist will discuss your injury or problem at length, observe your posture and biomechanics, test you range of motion and joint mobility, and check your soft tissue to determine the cause of pain or disability. Your therapist will then develop a customized treat-ment plan so that you can meet all your personal goals and return to a pain free lifestyle.

The toll that injuries and physical pain take on your body can cause frustration and anxiety. Profession-als at Health Quest try to ease the process for you by having you work with the most experienced and professional team of thera-pists and therapy assistants. The friendly staff at Health Quest strives to make all patients feel like members of an extended family.

Health Quest Physical Therapy offers convenient appointments to include extended hours, a variety of payment options and accepts most insurances.

Should you need additional information, please feel free to call the Watson location at 225-791-7770 or the Cen-tral location on Greenwell Springs Road at 225-275-9293.

DAVID NORMAND | THE NEWS

Pictured are the staff of Health Quest located in Watson, (from left) Samantha Curtis, P.T. Tech; Darla Mc-Call, Office Manager; Eddy Johnson, P.T./Owner; Clayton Dugas, P.T.A.; Jennifer Overman, P.T. Tech; and Kayla Dantzler, P.T. Tech.

DENHAM SPRINGS — The Taylor Clinic, conveniently located at 8369 Florida Blvd., Suite 9, in Denham Springs, offers the best individual and family medical care to the Livingston Parish community.

“Our job is to determine the rel-evance of vast amounts of data, as it applies to the individual. We do this by developing long-term personal relationship with patients,” Dr. Jim Taylor said.

Dr. Taylor has practiced in Livingston Parish for the last 11 years. Formerly em-ployed by a hospital system, he is now focused on the patient-centered principles of family medicine.

A native of New Orleans, Dr. Taylor graduated from LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans in 2001 and completed his residency in Family Medicine in 2004. He has 12 years of experi-ence in rural emergency medicine.

Dr. Taylor has spent the last several years in govern-mental affairs, advocating persistently for the rights of patients and their family physicians as Chairman of Legislative Affairs for the Louisiana Academy of Fam-ily Physicians (LAFP). He was also recently installed as President-Elect of LAFP.

“We don’t treat injuries and illnesses, we treat people,” Dr. Taylor said.

From minor irritation to severe pain, The Taylor Clinic high-quality healthcare by planning, listening, and thinking before acting.

“We will not run more tests simply to increase our clinic revenue,” Dr. Taylor said. “In fact, we may do less testing than to which you are accus-tomed, and we may order a test previ-ously unknown to you.”

Taylor Clinic Operations Manager Courtney Altazin was born and raised in Livingston Parish and is a Live Oak High Alumna. She attended the Louisiana Technical College

classes at the Livingston Parish Literacy and Technology Center and graduated with a Patient Care Tech certification during her senior year of high school. Since then, she has ob-tained extensive training, including Healthcare Administration (includ-ing Six Sigma), Medical Assistant CEC’s, and Patient Centered Medical Home.

Taylor Clinic Medical Assistant Tina Schroeder was born in New Orleans and grew up in Kenner. She attended Archbishop Chapelle High School in Metairie, and later attend Delgado Community College and Jefferson Technical Institute. She has worked in the fields of Internal Medi-cine, OBGYN, Pediatrics, and most recently General Surgery with a con-centration on breast health issues.

The Taylor clinic accepts most ma-jor insurance carriers and Medicare Advantage plans.

To make an appointment or for more information, call The Taylor Clinic at 225-243-6997.

‘We don’t treat injuries and illnesses, we treat people. We will not run more tests simply to increase our clinic revenue. In fact, we may do less testing than to which you are accustomed, and we may order a test previously unknown to you.’ Dr. Jim Taylor

Taylor Clinic

I10 HEALTH & YOU SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2016 ___Total Care uses holistic chiropractic

DENHAM SPRINGS — Total Care is a chi-ropractic clinic with over 16 years serving the greater Baton Rouge area, and close to 10 years in Liv-ingston Parish.

Conveniently located at 516 North Range Avenue in Denham Springs, Total Care focuses on treating symptoms originating from the spine. Some examples are low back pain, neck pain, headaches, sci-atica, numbness into the arms, mid back pain, and sacroiliac pain.

Total Care offers chiropractic spinal manipulation, on site x-rays, physiotherapy exercises, and cervi-cal and lumbar spinal decompres-sion therapy.

Other active and passive modali-ties used are moist heat, cryothera-py, interferential therapy, electrical stimulation, Kinesio Taping, myofas-cial release, and extremity adjusting.

Total Care was founded by Dr. Jay Perniciaro in 1999. Dr. Peter Dickin-son serves as the clinic director for the Denham Springs location since 2007.

“We primarily treat patients that have recently been injured or are in pain,” Dr. Dickinson said. “We especially treat those who have been injured at work, auto injuries, sports injuries, and musculoskeletal inju-ries around the home.”

“We focus on getting patients back to their regular activities as quick and efficiently as possible without the use of medications or invasive surgery,” Dr. Dickinson said.

There is a significant and very im-portant difference between the way chiropractors and medical doctors approach health ailments.

When evaluating and treating pa-tients, chiropractors take a holistic approach which includes identify-ing and correcting the cause of the patient’s health ailment. In contrast, the medical approach tends to focus more on the treating the symptoms of a condition rather than focusing primarily on the actual cause.

Chiropractors believe that cor-recting the cause of the problem provides significant long-term benefits over only treating the symptoms.

Using a number of unique and highly refined skills, the patient’s spine is checked for any misalign-ments, fixations or other abnor-malities. If subluxations or other abnormalities are detected, the chiropractor will generally apply a

gentle force in a corrective manner to the affected spinal area.

Dr. Dickinson received his bach-elors degree from LSU, and received his Doctorate of Chiropractic from Texas Chiropractic College. He

is currently working towards his advanced certification in Whiplash biomechanics and traumatology from the Spine Research Institute of San Diego.

Most major insurances are accept-

ed at Total Care. They also accept workman’s comp, personal/auto injury, Medicare or self pay.

Call 225-665-3969 and staff mem-bers will promptly schedule an ap-pointment for you.

‘Total Care focuses on treating symptoms originating from the spine. Some examples are low back pain, neck pain, headaches, sciatica, numbness into the arms, mid back pain, and sacroiliac pain.’

DAVID NORMAND | THE NEWS

Dr. Peter Dickinson, D.C., is adjusting a patient at his Range Avenue office. Dickinson has served as the clinic director for the Denham Springs location since 2007.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2016 HEALTH & YOU 11I

By Mike Dowty The Livingston Parish News

DENHAM SPRINGS — Livings-ton Parish residents are surprised sometimes to find out how much they have in the way of medi-cal services.

While the parish has long been conditioned from its past to seeking health care in the near-est city, there exists a growing array of special-ties right in the heart of our community now.

North Oaks Health System, with a campus off I-12 in Satsuma, has been engaged in out-reach to raise awareness of what’s here.

The North Oaks–Liv-ingston Parish Medical Complex is staffed with an exceptional team of physicians offering pri-mary care and specialty services. Experienced technologists provide advanced diagnostics, laboratory and pro-gressive rehabilitation services.

Among the specialties at the Satsuma campus and facilities in Walker and Denham Sprigs facilities are Cardiology, ENT & Allergy, General Surgery, Orthopaedics, Primary Care, Family Medicine, Rheumatology and Urology

Thursday at the Den-ham Springs Kiwanis Club, two doctors and the director of Diagnos-tic Services held a panel discussion and question and answer session in front of club members and about half a dozen Denham Springs High School Key Club mem-bers there as guests.

Dr. Brandi Basso, a Denham Springs High School graduate, had the students very atten-

tive to descriptions of her practice and some expressed interest in a possible future medical career themselves.

“Always push your-self,” she advised them. “If you’re offered things in honors or advanced placement classes, take them. Do the most

and be the best you can because that’s going to make you a well-rounded individual to pursue whatever you want to do.”

Basso herself chose Family Medicine, a specialty that relates to her own life as a work-ing mom.

Other panel members were Internal Medicine specialist Dr. Felix Torres and Chris Vac-caro, who runs the X-ray, ultrasound, MRI and CT scans available at North Oaks.

“Everything that we do changes every six months,” Vaccaro

related. “The CT scan-ner that we have, the nuclear medicine table we have produce images at the highest resolution possible.”

The doctors noted that they are lifelong students of medicine too, constantly staying current with medical

knowledge through coursework, conferences and private study.

“Patients come in sometimes that don’t fit a specific pattern,” Basso said. “We update our-selves all the time. We’re always learning.”

Torres said doctors are required to have 20 hours a year of continu-ing education, but most don’t limit themselves to that.

He also had some ad-vice to the students who might be grappling with decisions about a future medical career: Be open.

“You change your mind frequently in medi-cal school as you learn things,” he said.

Torres, a native of Puerto Rico, sees his field of internal medi-cine as a means of ad-dressing virtually every type of adult medical problem.

Basso said the chosen course of a medical student is less important than a commitment to hard work and the key to that is motivation.

“You have to have a passion for it,” she said.

The audience asked nu-merous questions about current medical issues ranging from the cost of drugs and Obamacare to specific conditions and child and teen vaccina-tions.

North Oaks Family Medicine Clinic Man-ager Rhonda Cardaro-nella, a Kiwanis mem-ber and past president, said North Oaks doctors and staff frequently engage the community with outreach events so residents become more aware of the expertise that is now right in their back yard.

The doctors are in for candidpanel discussion at Kiwanis

NORTH OAKS HEALTH SYSTEM

MIKE DOWTY | THE NEWS

The Thursday, Feb. 25, meeting of the Denham Springs Kiwanis Club featured a panel question and answer session with North Oaks doctors Felix Torres and Brandi Basso and head of diagnostic services Chris Vaccaro. Among the audience were several Key Club members from Denham Springs High School who expressed an interest in a medical career.

I12 HEALTH & YOU SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2016 ___

By Bill Gvoich, M.S. Medical Wellness Program Director

The Health of Our Nation

The benefits of regular exercise and a healthy diet are well researched.

Most health risk fac-tors such as high blood pressure, abdominal obesity and high blood sugar are lifestyle relat-ed. We are in a midst of an obesity epidemic and a national health crises, and the main cause is our modern lifestyle: too little exercise and too many calories from processed foods and bev-erages.

Lack of energy, loss of strength and physi-cal ability, poor body shape, joint and muscle pain, and poor health are a normal way of life for many people. Use of medications are com-mon and often overused.

Less than 15 percent of people meet the minimum require-ment of 30 minutes of

daily exercise, intense enough to improve cardiovascular health. Over 70 percent of the adult population is overweight and child-hood obesity is at an alarming level.

Health Clubs are designed to help people lead a more active lifestyle, but over 85 percent of adults do not participate or belong to any type of fitness center.

A New Fitness ModelSpectrum Fitness

and Medical Wellness Center has partnered with Peak Performance Physical Therapy to create a new fitness/wellness model that bridges fitness and medical health care.

Spectrum is a fam-ily fitness center that provides facilities, pro-grams and staffing for all age groups. Every-body fits in, no matter what their age, shape or fitness level.

The environment is relaxing and non intimidating. The staff is qualified and sup-portive.

Programs Women’s fitness needs

are unique. Spectrum offers a wide variety of group exercise classes that are fun and suitable for all fitness levels. Par-ticipants also have access to a fully equipped gym.

It is challenging for mothers to find time to work out! Spectrum pro-vides child care services for children, 8 weeks to 3 years old in one area, and 4 to 12 years old in a separate area.

Get Fit! Have Fun! is a Kids Fit program for children 3 to 12 years old supervised by a trained instructor.

Men have full access to a complete gym, with exercise machines de-signed for safety and ease of use. A free weight and functional fitness area can challenge even the most fit member!

The Silver Sneakers fitness program offers group classes for Seniors, to improve their physical strength and balance. It also helps expand their social network and strengthen friendships.

The On Ramp Get

Started Program, helps new members learn how to use the resistance exer-cise machines and cardio equipment properly, dur-ing their initial fitness program.

Certified Personal Trainers take the guess work out of exercise pro-gramming. They provide one on one supervision, encouragement and expertise to help mem-bers achieve maximum training results.

Spectrum recog-nizes that exercise and a healthy diet are equal partners for better health. Choices is a Diet program that teaches members how to make healthier food choices, manage their portion control and change their

behavioral cues towards food. Choices has an exercise component to help the body lose excess fat, and raise its resting metabolic rate, to help burn more calories while at rest.

Fitness From Inside Out: Are You At Risk?

R-Xercise is an individ-ualized exercise and diet program, that identifies specific Metabolic Risk Factors based on the member’s fitness profile and blood work. The de-greed exercise specialists are part of a team which includes a physical thera-pist, nutritionist and the physician. The program goal is to identify the risk factors such as abdomi-nal obesity, high blood pressure, high blood

glucose, high triglycer-ides and low level of HDL (good cholesterol) and to lower the risk levels with exercise and weight loss, in conjunction with medical care offered by a personal Physician.

Peak Performance Physical Therapists of-fer a free consult when needed and help with the exercise program design for the safest, result producing training outcomes.

Spectrum is a leader in innovative exercise program design and services. It addresses each individual’s specific fitness and health needs, with a team approach and a full continuum of fitness and wellness services.

Spectrum: A new model for fitness and wellness services

Bill Gvoich, M.S., Medical Wellness Program Director

‘We are in a midst of an obesity epidemic and a national health crises, and the main cause is our modern lifestyle: too little exercise and too many calories from processed foods and beverages.’ Bill Gvoich, M.S.

Medical Wellness Program Director

I SPECTRUM PROGRAMS___|Get Fit! Have Fun! (Children)

|Full access-complete gym & group exercise classes (Men and women)

|Silver Sneakers (Senior citizens)

|On Ramp Get Started Program (New members)

|Certified personal trainers (Men and women)

|Choices (Diet & exercise)

|R-Xercise (Medical wellness program)

‘Spectrum is a leader in innovative exercise program design and services. It addresses each individual’s specific fitness and health needs, with a team approach and a full continuum of fitness and wellness services.’