Healthy Living

Murali Ramaswamy, MD

[Greensboro, NC], May 15, 2018 – The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) announced today it has expanded its nationwide Care Center Network with the selection of 15 additional sites, including LeBauer HealthCare at Cone Health. The PFF’s Care Center Network, a collection of medical centers with expertise in accurately diagnosing and treating individuals with pulmonary fibrosis (PF), now has 60 sites in 30 states. The 15 new sites will help fill a treatment gap, increasing access to quality care and services that are critical to the local PF community.

“Our partnership with the PFF reflects our commitment to integrating world-class care and cutting-edge research into the overall disease management for patients, caregivers, and loved ones,” said Dr. Murali Ramaswamy. “At LeBauer HealthCare, our team of experts in pulmonary medicine, rheumatology, radiology, and pathology will provide life-enhancing treatments to people living with PF while researching the cause and cure for the disease.”

You just saw your doctor yesterday, and she recommended you begin checking your blood pressure twice a day. She also suggested contacting her if your blood pressure stayed over a certain level for more than a day. However, you’re confused about the best times of day to take the blood pressure readings, and you’re not sure you remember her directions correctly. You could call the office, leave a message, and wait for the nurse to call you back. Or, if your doctor’s office offers an online health portal, you could log into your account and check the summary of your visit. You could also send a message to the doctor and be notified by email when he or she sends a response.

April 3, 2018 – IBM Watson Health released its 2018 Top 100 Hospitals list, which includes Greensboro’s own Cone Health! LeBauer HealthCare is proud to be a part of the Cone Health network; we share a vision for providing our community with the most advanced care. We also share the support system to make it happen.

Samantha Worley, PA, started helping patients achieve a healthy balance before she even completed her physician assistant training. She began her career as a registered dietitian, offering medical nutrition therapy for Cone Health patients for three and a half years.  She helped patients meet specific medical and health goals through nutrition counseling.

“I wanted to widen the scope of how I could treat patients and find other avenues of preventive care in addition to diet,” says Worley of her decision to pursue a career as a physician assistant.

Flowers and chocolate may be the hottest selling items around Valentine’s Day, but the celebration isn’t confined to romantic relationships. It’s a great opportunity to spend time with anyone you love – from Grandma to your children to close friends. And research shows that people who have several healthy social or family relationships actually enjoy better health.

Dr. Michael Rigby enjoys living a healthy and active lifestyle. Outside of his work, he spends time with his wife and three children. He enjoys most outdoor activities and mountain biking. Rigby’s passion for health transfers to his love for his patients in sports medicine and rehabilitation.

“‘Objects in motion remain in motion,’ is not only a law of physics, but also of the human body. Finding opportunities to remain in motion throughout the day combined with a plant-based, well balanced diet is critical to staying well and healthy,” Rigby said.

The blasts of arctic cold temperatures we’ve had in North Carolina this winter have been especially hard for anyone who has asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Both of these respiratory conditions can be made worse by the cold weather. In fact, a six-year research study showed a direct link between cold weather and an increase in hospital admissions for COPD patients.

REMINDER: Patients calling with flu-like symptoms can do an e-Visit, video or phone visit from the comfort of their own home. These options are all available via connectnow.conehealth.com.

A Focus on Patient Relationships

Dr. Erica Wallace grew up in a small town in northeast Georgia. She looked up to her local doctor,who treated almost everyone in town. “Since the age of 7, I knew I wanted to be a physician,” she said. Now, Wallace aspires to get to know her own patients as well as he did. “I enjoy taking care of the entire family, including multiple generations.”

Wallace is a graduate of the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her residency at Cone Health Family Medicine and worked for Kernodle Clinic in Burlington, NC, for five years. She currently resides in Greensboro, NC, with her husband and two children.

Dr. Renee Kuneff, board-certified family practice doctor at LeBauer HealthCare at Oak Ridge, started gaining insight into the patient experience long before she began medical school. She worked as a labor and delivery nurse and surgical scrub nurse for 14 years before deciding to go to medical school.

“I wanted to do more for patients and be more involved in their care,” says Kuneff of her motivation to become a doctor. “I believe my background in nursing made me into an even better doctor, giving me insight and experience into the medical field and providing me with the tools to give my patients compassionate, personal care.”