'World Creativity & Innovation Day'

Insanity is doing the same thing, the same way, over and over, while expecting different results. We’ve all heard this saying and often apply its wisdom to reasons to change negative life habits. However, this statement can also be applied to the creative process and scientific innovation.

World Creativity and Innovation Day provides people with an excuse to try to solve old problems in new ways–with the potential of finding better and more effective methods to accomplish our goals!

No more hum-drum day-to-day sameness. Instead, it is time to open that creative center, no matter how far inside the mind it has been buried, and try to be part of making the world a better place!



Read more here. . . .



Every year Phoenix Magazine publishes a guide featuring over 685 of the Valley’s best physicians. The doctors are selected through a peer-review survey. The theory is that medical professionals are the best qualified to judge medical professionals.

The survey asks the doctors to nominate those doctors who, in their judgement, are the best in their fields.

Once again, Dr. Lakin has been chosen as a TOP DOC among his peers.

Now standing at 22 years!

(2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2001)

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Lakin &

ask what happened in 2004 & 2002? :)

April 21, 2024

IT’S TIME TO DROP THE ‘COVID’ FROM OUR NEWSLETTER TITLE AND RENAME IT 

‘THE WEEKLY DOCTORDOUG REPORT’!

YES…IT COVERS MUCH THE SAME INFORMATION, BUT AT THIS POINT, WITH COVID LESSENING, WE WILL COMMENT ON GENERAL HEALTH CONCERNS RELATED TO INFECTIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

COVID REMAINS THIS SPRING BUT IS LESSENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY…. BUT STILL …THERE ARE INFECTIONS EVERY WEEK…

ALL DOING WELL.  BE PROACTIVE TO PREVENT NEED FOR HOSPITALIZATION.

• COVID DECLINING..BUT AROUND. 

• IF YOU DON’T WANT COVID FROM TRAVEL…. WEAR A MASK IN THE AIRPORT CROWDS AND ON THE AIRPLANE (UNTIL 10,000 FEET) …. THIS IS NOT AS ESSENTIAL AS IT WAS WHEN COVID WAS MORE PREVALENT…BUT IF YOU WANT TO AVOID INFECTIONS IN GENERAL DURING TRAVEL...IT’S A CONSIDERATION.

• GET BOOSTED IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO…PARTICULARLY OVER AGE 65.  

• IF YOU WERE BOOSTED IN SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER AND OVER AGE 65, ANOTHER BOOST IS WORTHWHILE THIS SPRING.  THAT SAID...IF YOU HAVE HAD COVID IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS YOU CAN HOLD ON BOOSTING.

• FLU SEASON IS OVER… NO MORE FLU SHOTS THIS SEASON

• VERY LITTLE RSV IN THE VALLEY.

IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE A COLD OR RESPIRATORY INFECTION RIGHT NOW…. YOU MAY WELL HAVE COVID. PLEASE DO A COVID TEST TO CHECK AT HOME.  

ALMOST ALL DOING WELL, BUT WE ARE SEEING A FEW PEOPLE NEED THE HOSPITAL TO RECOVER. 

THE CURRENT COVID VACCINE IS AVAILABLE.

  IT IS KEEPING PEOPLE FROM HAVING A MORE DIFFICULT TIME WITH INFECTION AND KEEPING PEOPLE OUT OF THE HOSPITAL.

I RECOMMEND THE COVID BOOSTER GENERALLY FOR THOSE OVER 65. BUT……

• I HIGHLY RECOMMEND A BOOSTER FOR THOSE 80 & OLDER.

• I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE BOOSTER FOR THOSE OVER 65 WITH HEART FAILURE, SIGNIFICANT LUNG CONDITIONS, AND DIABETES.

CONSIDER BOOSTING WITH THE NEW COVID VACCINE TO REDUCE RISK OF COVID AND TO REDUCE COVID SYMPTOM SEVERITY

WEST NILE SEASON IS COMING:

WEST NILE SEASON IS COMING.  PREPARE TO USE PROTECTION.

IF WE HEAR OF NEW CASES…WILL REPORT TO YOU.

NO WEST NILE REPORTED…. BUT PREPARE NOW BY GETTING YOUR MOSQUITO REPELLENT.

PLEASE USE MOSQUITO REPELLENT

WHEN IN HIGH EXPOSURE SITUATIONS.

ARIZONA IS THE PRIME USA LOCATION FOR WEST NILE DUE TO HIGH WEST NILE VIRUS LEVELS IN RAPTOR BIRDS WHO ARE IMMUNE TO WEST NILE ILLNESS, BUT NOT IMMUNE TO CARRYING THE VIRUS. THIS CAN RESULT IN ARIZONA MOSQUITOS WITH PARTICULARLY HIGH VIRUS LEVELS WHEN THEY BITE.

TOP PODCAST DONE WEEKLY

BY DR. MICHAEL OSTERHOLM

(UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA)  

He is a world-renowned epidemiologist who was credited with first elucidating TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME in the 1980’s.

He provides comprehensive and understandable/actionable ideas related to COVID.

Dr. Osterholm Update: COVID-19 Podcast

April 18, 2024

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/episode-155-brighter-days-ahead

"Brighter Days Ahead"

In "Brighter Days Ahead," Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall discuss the latest national and international COVID trends, recent research on long COVID, and measles cases in the U.S. Dr. Osterholm also shares the latest "This Week in Public Health History" segment and interviews two members of the podcast team.

According to Dr. Osterholm……

• GET YOUR LATEST AVAILABLE BOOSTER IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD COVID OR IT’S BEEN LONGER THAN 4 MONTHS SINCE YOU HAD COVID YOURSELF
• A GOOD MASK, N95 OF KN95, DOES HELP REDUCE TRANSMISSION…. USE IT AT HIGH-RISK LOCATIONS
• GOOD VENTILATION IN ROOMS/HOME/BUSINESSES IS A GREAT WAY TO PREVENT TRANSMISSION
• VACCINE, VACCINE, VACCINE…THIS IS OUR PROTECTION.  ALL VACCINES ARE EFFECTIVE AND WITH TIME WE ARE SEEING THAT THE J&J VACCINE IS PICKING UP STEAM AND GIVES SOLID LONG-TERM PROTECTION.
• BOOST, BOOST, BOOST…THIS WILL BE NECESSARY TO PREVENT RECURRING SURGE AND TO RAISE ANTIBODY LEVELS IN THOSE ALREADY SET WITH THE PRIMARY COVID VACCINE SERIES.
• ANTIGEN TESTING IS USEFUL, BUT OF LIMITED VALUE. DON’T DEPEND ON IT…BUT USE IT.

Know that unvaccinated remain a source of potential infection.  Avoiding unvaccinated persons will reduce your risk of COVID.

Protect Yourself and Your Family from Mosquito Bites

Use insect repellent

Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents with one of the active ingredients below. When used as directed, EPA-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective, even for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

• DEET
• Picaridin (known as KBR 3023 and icaridin outside the US)
• IR3535
• Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE)
• Para-menthane-diol (PMD)
• 2-undecanone

Find the right insect repellent for you by using EPA’s search tool.

Tips for babies and children

• Dress your child in clothing that covers arms and legs.
• Cover strollers and baby carriers with mosquito netting.
• When using insect repellent on your child:
• Always follow label instructions.
• Do not use products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD) on children under 3 years old.
• Do not apply insect repellent to a child’s hands, eyes, mouth, cuts, or irritated skin.
• Adults: Apply insect repellent onto your hands and then apply to a child’s face.

Tips for everyone

• Always follow the product label instructions.
• Reapply insect repellent as directed.
• Do not apply repellent on the skin under clothing.
• If you are also using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and insect repellent second.

Natural insect repellents (repellents not registered with EPA)

• We do not know the effectiveness of non-EPA registered insect repellents, including some natural repellents.
• To protect yourself against diseases spread by mosquitoes, CDC and EPA recommend using an EPA-registered insect repellent.
• Choosing an EPA-registered repellent ensures the EPA has evaluated the product for effectiveness.
• Visit the EPA website to learn more.

Wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants

Treat clothing and gear

• Use 0.5% permethrin to treat clothing and gear (such as boots, pants, socks, and tents) or buy permethrin-treated clothing and gear.
• Permethrin is an insecticide that kills or repels mosquitoes.
• Permethrin-treated clothing provides protection after multiple washings.
• Read product information to find out how long the protection will last.
• If treating items yourself, follow the product instructions.
• Do not use permethrin products directly on skin.
• Watch the video, What You Need to Know About Permethrin.

Take steps to control mosquitoes indoors and outdoors

• Use screens on windows and doors. Repair holes in screens to keep mosquitoes outdoors.
• Use air conditioning, if available.
• Stop mosquitoes from laying eggs in or near water.
• Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out items that hold water, such as tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpots, or trash containers.
• Check for water-holding containers both indoors and outdoors.

After you received your COVID or any other vaccination outside our office, please let us know!

We would like to document this information into your chart.



What we need:

1. Your name
2. Name & date of vaccination received
3. Brand name
4. Lot number if available
5. Which dose you have received

**Email your vaccine info HERE

Are some people born creative?



Or to say it another way, are some people born not creative?

I hear this myth all the time. That someone thinks that they are not creative because they see other people who have more talent or skill than they do, and by comparing themselves to these “geniuses”, they believe they do not have the ability to do great creative things.

But how do we find out whether someone can be born with or without creative ability?

Do we inherit creativity from our parents? Or can we develop it at any stage?

In psychology, this is part of the great Nature vs Nurture debate. How much of our lives, our abilities, our beliefs is down to the genes we are born with and which cannot be changed (that “nature” gave us), and how much is down to the environment around us as we grew up, which can change over time (the “nurture” in which we developed).

Read more here

We Are Here to Take Care of Your Healthcare Needs.

We Are Here to Serve!

Our office is using all techniques to reduce exposure to a minimum during your visit. These include: 

·       Temperature checks of all patients and staff.

·       Masks for all people in the office.

·       Cleansing of hands and surfaces repeatedly.

·       Multiple Super-HEPA filters to filter out potential virus and particles in the office.

·       High Level UV light air cleansing in the office to eliminate bacteria and viruses in the air.

OUR OFFICE SCHEDULE

DOORS OPEN     

7AM - 4PM Monday through Thursday

7AM - 11AM Friday

IN OFFICE

APPOINTMENTS: MONDAY – THURSDAY

7AM – 11:15AM & 1PM – 3:30PM

APPOINTMENTS: FRIDAY

7AM – 10:30 AM

DR. LAKIN WILL CONTINUE ‘TELEHEALTH’ VISITS WITH FaceTime, WhatsApp or ZOOM WHEN NEEDED.

SUMMARY OF A COVID KIT & CHECK LIST:

This is what you should have at home to prepare for possible COVID, to monitor yourself if you were to get infected:

DIGITAL ORAL THERMOMETER: MANY BRANDS ARE FINE…HERE IS ONE EXAMPLE:

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Thermometer-Reading-Waterproof-Indicator/dp/B087T3S4TR/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=THERMOMETER&qid=1597159324&sr=8-6

PULSE OXIMETER:  TO CHECK OXYGEN LEVELS. MANY BRANDS ARE FINE...HERE IS ONE EXAMPLE:

https://www.amazon.com/Innovo-Fingertip-Oximeter-Plethysmograph-Perfusion/dp/B07YVGZPRZ/ref=sr_1_20?dchild=1&keywords=PULSE+OXI&qid=1597159388&sr=8-20

OTHER ITEMS FROM THE HOME MEDICAL KIT:

·       TYLENOL, ADVIL, OR ALEVE

·       Sudafed 30mg tablets

·       Chlorpheniramine 4mg tablets

·       Robitussin DM syrup

·       Imodium AD

"The Theory of Creativity"

Duncan Wardle believes everyone is creative but that it's getting harder to convince people of that.

On the TEDxAUK stage, he talks about the importance of creativity and why it will be the one core human element to compete in a world that is becoming automated faster than we can think.