Primary Care

If you’ve recently turned 40, happy birthday! Enjoy your cake and ice cream… and then schedule your mammogram. “Most women should get their first annual mammograms beginning at age 40, though high-risk women may be advised by their doctor to begin earlier,” said January Lopez, M.D., a fellowship trained breast imaging specialist, board-certified diagnostic radiologist … Read More

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D., recently outlined a national framework to combat the loneliness epidemic in the United States. He noted four important facts about loneliness and social isolation: Being lonely is as bad for your long-term health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day! People who are lonely are 26% more likely to die … Read More

Dear Neighbors, I am pleased to inform you that the California Department of Public Health has ended the mask mandate for health care settings effective April 3, 2023. Health care staff, patients/residents and visitors should consider wearing a mask based on personal level of risk, the CDC COVID-19 Community Levels and Hoag’s policies. The CDC strongly recommends … Read More

As he works to expand world-class health care in Irvine, Hoag President and CEO Robert Braithwaite is deploying a strategy inspired by Irvine’s Master Plan. “The Irvine framework really did help,” Braithwaite said in a recent interview to discuss Hoag’s $1 billion expansion on Sand Canyon Avenue. “We looked at how Irvine is configured and … Read More

This Sunday it’s time for the start of daylight saving time, so clocks will spring forward an hour. And if you get a case of the Mondays following the start of daylight saving time, there may actually be medical evidence for it. Not only are we losing an hour of sleep by springing forward, but … Read More

You wouldn’t hike barefoot (we hope). So why would you bike, skate, play football or ride a horse without a helmet? The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 1.5 million Americans survive a traumatic brain injury every year, and 176 people a day die from TBI. “There is no such thing as … Read More

Spring forward, fall… asleep at your desk? Daylight saving is just around the corner, and Hoag neurologist and renowned sleep specialist Jose Puangco, M.D., suggests preparing your body now for the under-appreciated effect that a shift in time can make. “Sleep is a function of the brain, and the brain needs time to adjust to … Read More

It’s February, and romance is in the air… so, show your heart some love by keeping 5 things in mind. “Make an investment for your heart and keep it consistent,” Itchhaporia, M.D., M.A.C.C., F.A.H.A., F.E.S.C., Eric & Sheila Samson Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Health and medical director of congestive heart failure and telemetry programs. “Keeping … Read More

Feeling good? Great! Keep it up by getting the routine screenings and exams that your doctors recommend every year. Why get a checkup if you’re not feeling sick? Routine tests, screenings and exams give you and your doctor a baseline for your health and can help identify any looming medical issues. Make an appointment with … Read More