Services
As primary care physicians, we would like to improve our patients' health
by preventive medicine. Included in this scope are screening exams
(checking for early signs of problems before they arise), advising on
healthier lifestyles, and providing immunizations. The following are
some of the common health maintenance tasks that we provide.
Annual physical exams for women, which include breast exam and PAP smear, if indicated.
Annual physical exams for both men and women over age of 50.
Periodic examinations as indicated by age and risk factors for men and women under age 50.
Advise and arrange for colon cancer screening.
Comprehensive new patient evaluation to identify any risk factors even if you are not in the above groups.
Blood tests to check for cholesterol, diabetes, thyroid, prostate or other conditions when appropriate.
Internists were once called "diagnosticians," meaning that we are
trained to investigate various symptoms and findings and determine
the diagnosis, before deciding on the form of treatment. This seems
to be a lost art these days, since advances in medical technology
have given us the illusion that blood tests and X-ray machines can
detect just about anything that is wrong in the body, all at the
push of a button. There may come a day when this will be true,
but at the present time, over 80% of the information that leads
to a diagnosis still comes from obtaining an accurate history of
symptoms and careful examination of the patient. This is what
we do. After this, appropriate tests will be used to
confirm the diagnostic impression.
Many health conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes,
cholesterol problems, asthma, heart disease, stroke and
dementia, require ongoing medical care. The best approach
to treatment for these conditions also changes and evolves
as scientific research brings us new discoveries.
As internists, we are trained to treat these problems.
We stay current with new developments. We help you make
sense out of the sea of data from all the research findings
and devise the best individual plan based on your health
condition and your choice. Having an internist as your
primary care physician gives you someone to coordinate
all of the treatment plans given for your various health
concerns. This will help you avoid conflicts in multiple
treatment regimens. In some cases, it will simplify your
care as your internist can manage some problems which might
otherwise require a visit to one or more specialists.
Acute illnesses happen unexpectedly, ranging from minor illnesses,
such as a cold or the flu, to severe illnesses, like a bleeding
ulcer or heart attack. For severe illnesses, the most appropriate
place of care may be at the emergency room or in a hospital, and
we work with
Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center. We consult and
coordinate with the emergency room doctor when our patients are
treated in the emergency room. Of course, if you are admitted
to the hospital, we will be involved in your in-patient care.
For the less severe but still urgent problems, we will arrange
to see our patients in the office, or when appropriate, we
will make treatment recommendations over the phone.
We perform office-based protime INR measurement for patients on
coumadin (warfarin) for anticoagulation to help keep the blood
thinning at the desired level. We use a point-of-care INR checker
which produces INR result within less than a minute, and Dr. Lin
has developed computer program to calculate optimal coumadin (warfarin)
dosage based on the reading on the spot. He also oversees all the
adjustments and decides on the ones that deviate from the text book.
Consultants:
We have established relationships with specialists in all areas of
medical care, who are well-trained in their areas of expertise.
Most of them practice primarily in the Gresham and East County
community and many of them are located on campus of
Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center.
Due to differences in benefits and coverage, not all consultants
accept every insurance plan, so you need to consult your member's handbook to be certain.
For links to consultants with a website, please go to our
useful links page.
While we perform electrocardiograms (ECG) and limited lab tests
in our office, the lab and radiology departments at the
Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center
provide full service for all laboratory and imaging needs, including:
Routine screening blood tests and specialty tests
X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, CT scan, mammogram
We are also able to refer to other laboratory and imaging services when it is appropriate to do so.
