Primary Care

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

If your love runs deep, rich and delectable, let your Valentine know it with a gift of dark chocolate. Unlike its milky cousin, dark chocolate generally contains higher amounts of cacao, which is rich in the kinds of  substances that lets your Valentine know your relationship is a healthy one: Heart disease and blood pressure. … Read More

Cervical cancer affects more than 14,000 U.S. women a year and is responsible for more than 4,000 deaths. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the leading cause of cervical cancer and is also the culprit behind five other cancers. The good news? There is a safe and effective HPV vaccine, and a large study of vaccinated … Read More