Hello and welcome to my blog!

This blog is an varied assortment of medical issues, education, stories and other interests.
For more information regarding my business please refer to Joanne Gigi Hardtke
Primarily my medical practice includes seeing physically or mentally disabled patients in their home. I also do guardianship evaluations, chart reviews, lectures, caregiver education, consultations regarding medical issues, and provide an unique expert witness opportunity because of my practice setting. If you wish to schedule appt for these services pls contact my office at 253 212 0093.
Thank you,
Gigi

A way to Score

If you own your own business I strongly recommend going to Score with the Small Business Administration. They will provide you with excellent resources and a mentor to help you guide your business.

Drug Diversion

Unfortunately there is no golden rule to avoid this problem and medical providers are all fooled at times when it comes to the crafty and illegal practice of drug diversion.I have been misled by little old grandmas, physically disabled, and mentally disabled who have lied about their diagnosis and medications needed for pain management. Now I have the patients go through a screening process and sign an agreement.

Expert Witness

I have been an expert witness. The opposing side is looking for opportunity to discredit you in any manor. They may do a thorough back ground check to see if you have any thing that could shadow your motivations or your integrity. You can give your opinion however if it is not comparable to currrent literature or medical guidelines then you may be discounted. Do not embelish and try to limit answers to a few words. Listen carefully to the question and answer only that question.

Hospital readmission

The new medicare health care reform starting 2012, will require hospitals soon to eat the cost of a patient returning to the hospital less then 30 days from their dishcharge date. This opens a lot of possibilities to make an aggreement with your local hospital to help them save costs with return visits. For more information on readmissions see this articlehttp://health.newamerica.net/node/32174

Endometrial infection

A common medical complaint is pelvic pain for females. However pelvic pain can come from a variety of sources and the most common culprit is a simple bladder infection. Other less common reasons are ovarian cysts rupturing, other infection, endometriosis, ectopic pregnancy, cancer, bowel inflammation and so on. It is important to do a complete physical with a gyn and it should to be thorough include: cultures of the cervix, palpation of each organ uterus/ovary/bladder to try to deduce where pain is coming from, and finally ultrasound abdominal/pelvic-endovaginal. It maybe neccessary to do ct scan/mri if ultrasound normal. Additionally labs to rule out inflammatory, hematological, or infectious causes.

Guardians

Incapicitated is the term use for a person in need of a gaurdian. These individuals are dependent on others to provide basic assistance with managing money, medical care and physical needs. Typically incapicitated individuals have a memory or mental impairment that blocks their ability to care for themselves.

Thyroid cancer diagnosis

I like many others have experienced the embarrassment of seeing the doctor and being dismissed as some kind of mental case coming in with an imaginary complaint. I tried seeing more then one provider for the swelling lymphnodes in my neck which at times were very painful. At one point a lymphnode in the right lateral of my neck swelled with extreme pain and developed a line of firmness that extended down from the lymphnode and felt like a cord.

House Calls

House calls are not a thing of the past. Most of my life had no idea such a thing was available. If I ever wanted to see the doctor I had to put up with a rude office staff and an hour wait for two minutes with a distracted doctor. The lack of awareness is huge in that most people are not aware of this service is available in many communities.

who really cares

I am going to court tomorrow to advocate for a wealthy patient that has multiple sclerosis and dementia. Her deadbeat daughters that are bent on drugs want to continue to live in mom's house, take mom's money to pay for their supposed time given in care, but they actually neglected to see to mom's needs. Infact this lady was taken by the state out of this home and placed into a beautiful adult family home where she is treated like a queen. The daughters had already ciphened 100,000 dollars from their mom's accounts. They are now going to court against her court appointed guardian because they want her back in her home because they have no where to live if mom sells the house to pay for her long term care. The mom had to pay 10,000 to get a guardian ad lidem to advocate for her and will have to pay again all of the legal fees tomorrow. Additionally the daughters called in the state to investigate the home which was found to be unfounded.
Unfortunately these situations are too common to count. I understand parents telling kids all I have is yours just take care of me, but unfortunately some kids prefer to eat their parents while they are still alive. It is always best to get it all in writing with an attorney to document all intentions to protect the children of the rich parent and the parent.

medical care

This is just the beginning of a series of comments on our current medical system from a different point of view. I work as a primary care provider in Washington state. I work with home bound and very debilitated patients. The patients I see have little money and no one to advocate for them. I see how the government policies affect those in most need of care.

At this point two main problems are coming to a boil. First specialists are refusing to see medicare/medicaid patients. Second is the state has no money so they are closing prisons and mental health institutions so there is further strain on the system.