The R-Health Experience, Vol. I: The Best Thing to Happen to my Healthcare Toolkit

Last fall, Risa Morris went to the State’s Passport to Benefits event to learn more about the new benefit offerings. While there, she met the team from R-Health and learned that she could join an R-Health doctor’s office for free as part of her state health plan. She was intrigued and she signed up for the R-Health Ewing location, which was set to open in January.

When she heard about R-Health, Risa was excited but she also kept thinking there had to be a catch. Once the Ewing office opened in January, she realized there really was no catch and she was astounded by the level of care she received from Dr. Protter and the rest of her team.

“R-Health is a far superior doctor’s office,” said Risa. “My R-Health doctor helps me manage everything related to my health. She calls me just to answer my questions and I can e-mail with her anytime. It feels great to know that I have access and can just keep in touch on the little things.”

Risa also likes that she doesn’t have to try to remember everything that Dr. Protter tells her during each appointment. She can access a full overview of everything discussed at her appointment through the electronic patient portal and if she still has follow up questions, she just e-mails or calls Dr. Protter to review. Says Risa, “It’s refreshing that I don’t have to keep track of everything on my own.”

One of Risa’s favorite aspects of her R-Health doctor’s office is the ability to get her blood work done onsite, saying, “It’s so nice to have everything done in one place.”

With R-Health, Risa feels like she has her own concierge doctor, but without the added access fees, and of course, with no co-pays. “I used to wait hours to see my doctor and I felt like my time wasn’t as important as theirs. With R-Health, I never wait more than 5 or 10 minutes to see my doctor – it’s a miracle.”

When asked to sum up her R-Health doctor and experience, Risa said “I love Dr Protter. She is caring, warm and friendly, yet very professional and detail oriented. I have recommended her to all my friends. R-Health is the best thing to happen in my healthcare tool kit.”

Risa also thinks it is a great thing the State of NJ is offering Direct Care for those with state health benefits, noting “R-Health is far superior to other doctor’s offices.”

R-Health Recognized as 2017 Healthcare Innovator

Every year, the Philadelphia Business Journal recognizes titans of the healthcare industry that are not only innovative in practice, but transformative with their impact on their industry’s ecosystem. Game changers as they call them, and this year, R-Health was awarded as one of the prestigious HealthCare Innovators.

In recognizing R-Health, the Philadelphia Business Journal noted R-Health’s innovative model of healthcare delivery, which focuses on expanded access to primary care alongside better patient care, lowered costs, with higher patient and physician satisfaction, as opposed to the traditional model of maximizing billing. Not only recognized for Direct Care, R-Health was also acknowledged for our Accountable Care division, which offers commercial and government value-based healthcare delivery.

The entire R-Health team couldn’t be more proud of this award which recognizes the company’s hard work, dedication, but most importantly, our commitment to helping members achieve their best health. We would like to thank the Philadelphia Business Journal for this esteemed award, and hope for many more in the future.

Prostate Cancer Awareness

September is prostate health awareness month. Just in 2017, the American Cancer Society reported over 160,000 new cases. Outside of skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men, affecting about 1 in every 7 during their lifetime. September is a month for raising awareness of prostate health in hopes of encouraging men to get their necessary screenings.

There are a variety of symptoms related to prostate cancer, chief among them are urinary. Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) described these symptoms being a result of the proximity between the prostate gland to the bladder and urethra. The following can be urinary symptoms of prostate cancer:

  • Burning or pain during urination
  • Difficulty urinating (trouble starting/stopping while urinating)
  • More frequent urges to urinate at night
  • Loss of bladder control
  • Decreased flow or velocity of urine stream
  • Blood in urine (hematuria)

Outside of urinary symptoms, other signs and symptoms that may be related to Prostate cancer:

  • Swelling in legs or pelvic area
  • Numbness or pain in the hips, legs, or feet
  • Lingering bone pain that leads to fractures
  • Painful ejaculation
  • Blood in semen

While Men’s Health offers a few tips for a healthy prostate, one of the best methods to prevent Prostate Cancer from affecting your life is to get screened. There is no definitive opinion on when or how often men should get screened, but it is important for the screening to occur.

Research has indicated that typically, men who are aged 40 or older, should be screened for risk factors. The Prostate Cancer Foundation urges all men to be proactive in their prostate health plan, but especially men who are at higher risk (i.e. positive family history or African American men).

There are different prostate screenings, including but not limited to a digital rectal exam (DRE) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. If either of these tests detect an abnormality, doctors may recommend some additional test including:

  • Ultrasound
  • Collecting a sample of prostate tissue
  • MRI

These tests typically aid in confirming the presence of Prostate cancer and the extent to how aggressive it is may be.

As you can see, prostate health is important, especially if you’re at higher risk. Although many prostate cancers grow slowly, it’s best to get your screening sooner rather than later to treat any cases early. As always, your R-Health doctor is available for you to help answer any questions you may have, so reach out to your doctor to help you decide what’s best for you.

Back to Healthy Foods

It’s September and Back to School season. Between the books, school supplies, outfits, and event scheduling, healthy eating is often the last thing people focus on. However, it’s important to stay focused on health, especially as work/school days get longer, activities more vigorous, and time becomes more limited. A healthier diet for children may lead to less stress for parents.

Healthy eating can be very simple if you have the right tips. The Huffington Post published a few Healthy Back to School Tips which we’ll discuss.

  1. Start the day off right – Eating breakfast as a family is not only great bonding experience, but also a time where you can prepare a nutrient-filled breakfast that last children until lunch. I know many adults who skip breakfast. Growing children may do better with a nutritious morning meal.
  2. Nix the added sugarAvoid soda and other sugary drinks (i.e. iced tea, fruit punch) as well as sugary foods/condiments like cookies, ketchup, and sugar sweetened cereals to improve your children’s overall diet and avoid sugar rushes.
  3. Swap juice for whole fruitFruits are rich in fiber with high water content, and can help avoid added calories found in many juice pints.
  4. Pack a healthy snack – Always pack at least one fruit and vegetable. Some great options include apples, pears, bananas, yogurt, hummus, baby carrots, and nuts.
  5. Keep portions healthyIt’s important to serve healthy portion sizes to your children. Proper portion sizing prevents nutrient imbalance, overeating and even mood swings.
  6. Skip the white food – White bread, rice, and pasta are notoriously low in fiber, high in processed carbohydrates and lead to overeating. There are plenty of healthy non-processed alternatives such as white beans, cauliflower, along with most green vegetables that grow above ground such as lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and asparagus
  7. Get moving – Integrating exercise and sports is always a great way to keep your children healthy. Since it’s the beginning of school year, there are always an abundance of activities children can partake in, so make sure they’re active.

These are just a few simple tips to keep your children’s diet in check and healthy especially during frenzied times like the beginning of the school year. We know that a Happy wife means a Happy Life. Well, healthy children make happy parents! If you are searching for more health tips, your R-Health doctors are always available, ready to help answer any questions you may have.