All of the physicians on our Top Doctors list have earned the stamp of approval from their peers. They have been chosen through a formal process similar to the informal peer-to-peer process doctors themselves use to connect their patients to the right specialists. Professional Research Services, LLC conducted our survey, then verified the doctors’ credentials and specific areas of expertise. Doctors cannot pay to be included on the list. To learn more about the selection process, go to prscom.com.
Additionally, we asked 10 Top Doctors to address subjects you and your loved ones need to know about, from treating foot fungus to advances in cardiac technology.
The professionals listed herein were selected by their peers in a survey conducted by Professional Research Services Company of Troy, Michigan. Professionals may be screened and selected through the verification of licensing and review of any infractions through various applicable boards, agencies and rating services. For further information visit prscom.com or email PRS at spinkhasova@hour-media.com. To purchase Top Doctors plaques, please see prsawards.com.
Addiction Medicine
Martin Leamon
UC Davis Health – Midtown Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-5846
Daniel Lewis
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 482-1132
Kevin Walsh
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 482-1132
Christopher Zegers
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 482-1132
Adolescent Medicine
Laura Kester
UC Davis Children’s Hospital
(916) 734-3172
Daniel Martineau
Kaiser Permanente – Rancho Cordova Medical Offices
(916) 631-7334
Jonathan E. Thygeson
Sutter Health
(916) 924-8754
Allergy and Immunology
Matthew S. Bowdish
The Allergy Center at Sacramento ENT
(916) 736-6644
Bradley Chipps
Capital Allergy & Respiratory Disease Center
(916) 453-8696
Angelina Crans Yoon
Dignity Health Medical Foundation – Woodland and Davis
(530) 576-5298
Sean Deane
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 627-7500
Asha Desai
The Allergy Center at Sacramento ENT
(916) 736-6644
Victoria Dimitriades
UC Davis Children’s Hospital – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-3112
Gordon Garcia
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 627-7500
M. Eric Gershwin
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2737
Mark I. Grijnsztein
Sutter Health
(916) 478-6555
Rosemary Hallett
UC Davis Health
(916) 783-7109
Marc Ikeda
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 627-7500
S. Rubina Inamdar
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-3303
NaYoung Kim
Kaiser Permanente -Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 480-6500
Binita Mandal
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 536-3500
Joseph T. Marino
The Allergy Station at Sacramento Ear, Nose & Throat
(916) 736-6644
Rajan Merchant
Dignity Health Medical Foundation – Woodland and Davis
(530) 576-5298
Travis A. Miller
The Allergy Station
(916) 238-6238
Chiraag Patel
Pulmonary Medicine Associates
(916) 325-1040
Sunil Perera
Allergy Medical Group
(916) 782-7758
Bruce Ryhal
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Cente
(916) 784-4220
Troy Scribner
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4220
Arif Seyal
Kaiser Permanente – Rancho Cordova Medical Offices
(916) 631-3088
Suzanne S. Teuber
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2737
Anesthesiology
Dondee Almazan
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4000
Richard L. Applegate, II
UC Davis Health
(916) 734-5031
Anitha Ayyalapu
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2574
Karyn D’Addio-Riley
Kaiser Permanente -Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5000
Rajvinder Dhamrait
UC Davis Health
(916) 734-5031
Erin Kong
Kaiser Permanente -Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5000
Elmo Orlino, Jr.
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4000
Catherine Whang
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4000
Update on Addiction Medicine
According to doctors, we have a logical fallacy: We remember the bad—long-lost friends who could never hold down jobs or people passed out on the side of the street—and rarely consider the reality, which is that substance-use disorders are incredibly treatable. People who have recovered and are now productive and successful rarely trumpet their former substance use, which adds to the perception. The bigger problem? Access to care, says addiction psychiatrist Martin Leamon, M.D., of UC Davis Medical Center.
How is addiction defined?
The terminology has changed over the years, which is confusing, but the current term is “substance use disorder.” This is when someone loses control of their substance use—when their rational brain loses the ability to control whether or not they use the substance anymore. There’s a different part of the brain that drives the substance use now, and it drives the use in ways that are irrational and harmful.
What have we learned about substance use disorders recently that has changed the way they are viewed and treated?
Anyone can develop a substance use disorder. Along the lines of diabetes or heart disease, people who develop substance use disorders are not inherently at fault or to blame for the disorder. They’re certainly responsible for getting treatment for the disorder once they have it, but it isn’t always their fault. Substance use disorder can also be different for different people, and have different levels of severity.
Is going away to rehab usually necessary?
We’ve learned how important and effective medication-assisted treatment can be, often alongside things like therapy, peer support and mindfulness, depending on the substance. What we’ve also learned recently is that if the person’s primary care doctor is properly trained, substance use disorders don’t necessarily have to be treated only in specialty settings. Mild to moderate substance use can be treated in the clinical office. Residential treatment for three months isn’t necessary for everyone.
What is a misconception about substance use disorders?
A big misconception is the notion that a use disorder can be controlled by willpower. It’s the idea that if someone “really wanted” to stop, they could. You see this misconception in family members, co-workers and in people with the disorder themselves. They think, “I just have to really want it.” These disorders are very treatable, but the biggest obstacle for many people is access to care. There is supposed to be open access to treatment, but there really just isn’t. There are very significant cost barriers to people getting the level of care that they need for substance use disorders.
Breast Surgery
Richard J. Bold
UC Davis Health – Comprehensive Cancer Center
(916) 734-5959
Joyce A. Eaker
Sutter Health
(916) 262-9404
Samia Foster
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4144
Lisa M. Guirguis
Sutter Health
(916) 733-9660
Joelle Jakobsen
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 536-3600
Margaret Mentakis
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
916-688-2014
Melinda Mortenson
Kaiser Permanente -Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5235
Candice A. M. Sauder
UC Davis Health – Comprehensive Cancer Center
(916) 734-5959
Reid Towery
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4144
Cardiac Surgery
W. Douglas Boyd
UC Davis Health – Cypress Building
(916) 734-3861
Michael Chow
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 733-4100
Joseph Huh
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 733-4100
Michael T. Ingram
Sacramento Cardiovascular Surgeons
(916) 452-8291
Richard Kaplon
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-6850
Robert Kincade
Sacramento Cardiovascular Surgeons
(916) 452-8291
James Longoria
Sacramento Cardiovascular Surgeons
(916) 452-8291
Allen Morris
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-6850
Teimour Nasirov
Sutter Health/Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital
(916) 340-0111
Paul Anthony Perry
UC Davis Health – Cypress Building
(800) 282-3284
Gary Raff
Shriners Hospital for Children
(916) 453-2000
Kapil Sharma
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-6850
Frank Slachman
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-6850
Henry Zhu
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 733-4100
Cardiology
Scott B. Baron
Capitol Interventional Cardiology
(916) 967-4278
Howard Dinh
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-4000
Thomas Fitzpatrick
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-5657
Jonathan A. Hemphill
Capitol Interventional Cardiology
(916) 967-4278
Krisztian Kapinya
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5282
Anuradha Khurana
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-5657
Robert Kirchner
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-5657
Joseph Kozina
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 736-2323
Reginald Low
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-5678
Peter Miles
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-4000
Sandeep Mittal
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-5657
Stephen R. Peters
Roseville Cardiology Medical Associates
(916) 782-2146
Femi Philip
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-5657
David K. Roberts, III
Sutter Health
(916) 887-4040
Jason H. Rogers
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(800) 282-3284
A Sheehy
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5282
Jeffrey Allen Southard
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(800) 282-3284
Garrett B. Wong
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(800) 282-3284
What’s New in Cardiac Interventions
An aortic valve delivered through an incision in your leg? High-def cameras to guide robotic-assisted procedures? It’s all already happening—some of it for the first time in the United States—right here in Sacramento. We turned to W. Douglas Boyd, M.D., professor of cardiothoracic and robotic surgery at UC Davis Medical Center, for details.
What’s new with stents?
Stents are small, strong metal mesh tubes that act as a scaffold support to hold the vessel open. They are commonly used with balloon angioplasty to support the coronary vessel wall from the inside. Stenting material continues to be improved so that they are more biocompatible with the blood vessels and are able to keep them open longer. The latest effort involves the implantation of stents that are biodegradable with time, eliminating the foreign body that is the cause of adverse reactions of the implanted stent.
Are there minimally invasive options that people may not even know exist?
With minimally invasive aortic and mitral valve repair and replacement, new aortic valves can be implanted into the heart through small incisions that preserve the breastbone. Mitral valves can also be repaired through small incisions, which avoids artificial valves and the necessity of long-term blood thinners. Another repair option for leaky mitral valves is transcatheter mitral valve repair through the use of a new repair device called a MitraClip. The small device is inserted through a small catheter in the leg and clips damaged leaflets. Finally, another transcatheter procedure is aortic valve replacement. Some patients—usually those deemed moderate- to high-risk for conventional heart surgery—can have a diseased, narrow valve replaced through tiny incisions in the leg or beneath the collarbone. The new valves are delivered through a small catheter, about the size of the finger.
How has technology improved cardiac interventions recently?
Robotics allows us to translate the complex dexterity and movements of the surgeon’s hand into the human chest through small incisions and allows extremely precise, less invasive surgery. We now have new high-definition 3D cameras that allow vision of the surgical field that is even better than what can be seen with the naked human eye.
What is a misconception about cardiac interventions?
That elderly patients with heart problems are too old or too high-risk to undergo a cardiac procedure safely, and that they are unlikely to be helped. Patients in their 80s and even 90s routinely undergo life-changing procedures that improve the quality and length of their lives.
Colon and Rectal Surgery
James M. Conner
Sacramento Colon and Rectal Surgery Medical Group
(916) 966-6121
Linda Marie Farkas
UC Davis Health – Cypress Building
(916) 734-2680
Wissam J. Halabi
UC Davis Health – Cypress Building
(916) 734-2680
Burzeen E. Karanjawala
Sacramento Colon and Rectal Surgery Medical Group
(916) 231-1050
Joshua Kehoe
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4144
Ranganath Pathak
Sacramento Colon and Rectal Surgery Medical Group
(916) 960-0466
Daniel Shibru
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2014
Patrick Sullivan
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4144
Jeanne Yu
Sacramento Colon and Rectal Surgery Medical Group
(916) 231-1050
Critical Care Medicine and Pulmonary Disease
Jason Yeates Adams
UC Davis Health
(916) 734-3565
Muhammad Afzal
Pulmonary Medicine Associates
(916) 325-1040
Shawn S. Aghili
Pulmonary Medicine Associates
(916) 786-7498
Timothy E. Albertson
UC Davis Health
(916) 734-8230
Sherry Andrews
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-5375
Parimal Bharucha
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-3323
Nour Karzoun
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-7618
Yuen Kwan
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-4821
Petey Lao
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-4821
Gregory Marelich
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-4821
Seth Robinson
Dignity Health Medical Foundation – Woodland and Davis
(530) 576-5298
Darshan Sonik
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-7618
Dermatology
Susan Boone
Kaiser Permanente – Elk Grove Big Horn Medical Offices
(916) 478-5671
Alison A. Boudreaux
Calkin & Boudreaux Dermatology Associates
(916) 646-3376
Robert Burns
Kaiser Permanente – Rancho Cordova Medical Offices
(916) 631-2142
Christie Carroll
Dignity Health Medical Foundation – Woodland and Davis
(530) 576-5298
Elbert Chen
Kaiser Permanente – Rancho Cordova Medical Offices
(916) 631-2142
Monica Constantinescu
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2045
Christine Doherty
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 771-7700
Sean Doherty
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 771-7700
C. Stephen Goetz
C. Stephen Goetz MD
(916) 966-6444
Paula Huber
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2045
Sam T. Hwang
UC Davis Health – Cannery Building
(916) 734-6111
Lia Keller
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 771-7700
Jamie McInturff
Kaiser Permanente – Elk Grove Big Horn Medical Offices
(916) 478-5671
Karen Y. Nishimura
Sutter Health
(916) 797-4766
Kory Parsi
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2045
Margaret E. Parsons
Dermatology Consultants of Sacramento
(916) 739-1505
Douglas Patton
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 771-7700
Adam Pettey
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 771-7700
Jasdeep Sharma
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2045
Marc A Silverstein
UC Davis Health
(916) 286-6130
Sima Torabian
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 771-7700
Michael A. Trauner
Sutter Health
(916) 736-3399
Andrea Willey
Andrea Willey MD
(916) 922-7546
Ear, Nose and Throat
Ben Balough
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 525-6350
Arnaud Fassett Bewley
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-5400
Hilary A. Brodie
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-5400
Montague Carr
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5322
Anton Chen
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5322
David Cua
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5322
Vishal Doctor
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5322
D. Gregory Farwell
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-5400
Timothy A. Fife
Sacramento Ear, Nose & Throat
(916) 782-1291
Jamie Lauren Funamura
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-5400
Ben G. Goldwyn
Sutter Health
(916) 262-9456
Eli R. Groppo
Sacramento Ear, Nose & Throat
(916) 736-3399
Anne Johnstone
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 525-6350
Sally Kamal
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-5880
Levi Ledgerwood
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 525-6350
Allen Lue
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 525-6350
Kevin X. McKennan
Sacramento Ear, Nose & Throat, (916) 736-3399
Deanne Nyland
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 536-3500
Randall A. Ow
Sacramento Ear, Nose & Throat
(916) 782-1291
Nima Pahlavan
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5322
Shannon Poti
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5322
Craig W. Senders
UC Davis Children’s Hospital – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-5400
Shoab Siddique
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 536-3600
Toby O. Steele
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-5400
Matthew Zavod
Dignity Health Medical Foundation – Woodland and Davis
(530) 576-5298
What Really Happens in the ER
Which medical TV show is most like the ER? Probably none of them. What’s the craziest thing that has happened in the ER? Well, sharing might be a HIPAA violation. Long wait times? Blame the 50 percent of people who could’ve gone to urgent care—but long wait times might just be the biggest myth of the emergency room, according to Kaiser Permanente’s William Trythall, M.D.
What percentage of ER visits could have been a visit to a person’s GP or urgent care instead?
We admit about 10 percent of patients who come to the emergency room to the hospital. Of the remaining visits, I would say about half could have gone to their general practitioners or to urgent care. We know that access to health care is an issue for many people, and we are trying to help address that through community work.
What is the most common nonemergency reason that people come to the emergency room?
The No. 1 reason for a nonemergency visit is for a medication refill.
What is the most common actual emergency reason that people come to the emergency room?
Pain, particularly chest pain, abdominal pain, headache or flank pain.
What is something about the emergency room that a nonmedical professional would never guess?
People would probably never guess the sheer volume of patients that we see in the emergency room. It’s a busy place, and we’re very focused on making sure that people get the care that they need. (According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are more than 136 million visits to the emergency room in the United States every year.)
What is a misconception about the emergency room?
The biggest misconception about the ER is that you have to wait hours to be seen. Our door-to-doctor time is very impressive, and we have systems in place that result in a patient first being assessed right in the waiting room so that care can quickly begin.
Emergency Medicine
Trevor Cadogan
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2106
Andrew Elms
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2106
Darilyn Campbell Falck
Turnure Medical Group
(916) 624-3500
Nathan Kuppermann
UC Davis Children’s Hospital
(800) 282-3284
Joseph Morris
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-5380
Pankaj Patel
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-5380
Jeff Rodgerson
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2106
William Trythall
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2106
Samuel D. Turnipseed
UC Davis Health
(916) 734-3790
John Wiesenfarth
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-6600
Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Shazia Faiz
Dignity Health Medical Foundation – Woodland and Davis
(530) 576-5298
Sidika E. Karakas
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2737
Joyce Leary
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-4644
Ginger R. McMullen
Sutter Health
(916) 455-3700
Patricia Ostrander
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-3346
Deborah K. Plante
Plante Wellness
(916) 367-4000
Pamela T. Prescott
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2737
Saima Sajid-Crockett
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4004
Alison Semrad
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2737
Craig Smith
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-4644
You Sher Tay
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-6200
Daniel Wong
Sutter Health
(916) 455-3700
Family Medicine
Alicia Lauren Agnoli
UC Davis Health
(800) 282-3284
Rose Arellanes
Kaiser Permanente – Folsom Medical Offices
(916) 817-5200
Megan Babb
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 351-4800
Kimberly Cafarella
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 351-4800
John Chuck
Kaiser Permanente – Davis Medical Offices
(530) 757-7070
Erin Deane
Sutter Health
(916) 865-1140
Dineen J. Greer
Sutter Medical Group
Sutter Family Medicine Residency Program
(916) 451-4400
Karun F. Grossman
Sutter Health
(916) 285-8100
Anthony F. Jerant
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-3630
Sarah Anne Marshall
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-3630
Ryan Nicholas
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 351-4800
Christopher Olson
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 939-8400
Olivier Seban
Dignity Health Medical Foundation – Woodland and Davis
(530) 576-5298
Christopher W. Swales
Dignity Health Medical Foundation – Woodland and Davis
(530) 576-5298
Eric G. Tepper
“Eric G. Tepper, M.D.”
(916) 455-1155
Mark Vaughan
Auburn Medical Group
(530) 886-8630
Don Yokoyama
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-3440
Jojet Zara
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 536-3540
Gastroenterology
Yasser Al-Antably
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2028
David M. Arenson
Sutter Health
(916) 454-0655
Ali Azarm
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5380
John Canio
Capitol Gastroenterology Consultants Medical Group
(916) 965-9650
William Chen
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 536-2596
Gautam N. Gandhi
Sutter Health
(916) 454-0655
Jason Guardino
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2028
Ronald Hsu
Sutter Health
(916) 773-6200
Abdul M. Khaleq
Sutter Health
(916) 262-9370
Rana Khan
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-3370
Linda Lee
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5380
Palaniappan Manickam
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 536-2596
John McCracken
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5380
Christopher Romberg
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-6221
Gurpreet Singh
Sutter Health
(209) 656-6800
Jesse Stondell
UC Davis Health – Midtown Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-0779
Jason Umphress
Dignity Health Medical Foundation – Woodland and Davis
(530) 576-5298
Anastasia C. Waechter
UC Davis Health – Midtown Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-0779
General Surgery
John T. Anderson
UC Davis Health
(800) 282-3284
Yona Barash
“Yona Barash, M.D., FACS”
(916) 863-1805
Michael Beneke
Sutter Health
(916) 262-9404
Richard J. Bold
UC Davis Health – Comprehensive Cancer Center
(916) 734-5959
Thomas Dugoni
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4144
Joelle Jakobsen
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 536-3600
David Kissinger
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2014
Jason Londeree
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5235
Eric Morse
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 536-3600
Kristen Rathbun
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2014
Mark Roberts
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4144
Michael Schlieman
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2014
Sharon Shiraga
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5235
Patrick Sullivan
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4144
Christian Swanson
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 351-4800
Glenn Tse
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4144
Genetics
Marthanda Sastry Eswara
Sutter Health
(916) 887-4827
Kristin Curtis Herman
UC Davis Health – MIND Institute
(916) 703-0300
Mark Lipson
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 614-4075
Madelena Martin
UC Davis Health – MIND Institute
(916) 703-0300
Billur Moghaddam
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 614-4075
Katherine A. Rauen
UC Davis Health – MIND Institute
(916) 703-0204
Kamer Tezcan
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 614-4075
Keeping Cold Sores Away
If you’re an adult in America, chances are you’ll eventually come into contact with HSV-1 (herpes simplex virus)—even if you never show a single symptom. Are cold sores contagious only when you can see them, and, in extreme cases, are cold sores just the tip of the iceberg? Here’s what you should know, courtesy of Erin Deane, M.D., department of family medicine at Sutter Medical Group.
How often do cold sores typically occur?
More than 90 percent of adults in the United States show the presence of antibodies, or having been exposed, to HSV-1 by the time they reach age 70. Most of these individuals will not ever have a cold sore outbreak, however, and recurrence of cold sores can be as frequent as once per month or as infrequent as once or twice per year.
How do you know that it’s a cold sore—could it just be, for example, a pimple near your mouth area?
Cold sores will last up to 10 to14 days with the initial episode, and shorter with subsequent outbreaks. They can often be preceded by symptoms such as tingling, pain and burning in the day or two prior to the outbreak. Cold sores typically are manifested by painful clusters of vesicles, or blisters, near the mouth, lips, nose or even eye area.
Are cold sores contagious only during an outbreak?
Unfortunately, viral shedding, or risk of transmitting to others, can occur both during an outbreak and in between episodes. It is important to not unnecessarily share eating utensils, beverages and cosmetic products with others to help avoid transmission. Some individuals will take antiviral medication to help reduce risk of transmission to others and prevent frequent outbreaks. Outbreaks can occur at any time and can be triggered by stress, sunburn, viral illness, skin trauma, menstruation or dental work. The virus can manifest as much more than a simple cold sore—the virus that causes cold sores can also rarely cause more severe and even deadly conditions, such as hepatitis, brain infection (encephalitis), eye infection and blindness, severe skin rashes, respiratory infections and esophageal infections.
Geriatric Medicine
Calvin H. Hirsch
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2737
Ashkan Javaheri
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-3460
Vanessa Mandal
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 536-2500
Bary Siegel
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 614-4040
Gynecologic Oncology
Priyal Dholakiya
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 556-3164
Kevin Elliott
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 556-3164
Wiley Fowler
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 556-3164
Abby M. Gonik
Sutter Health
(916) 733-4440
Vanessa A. Kennedy
UC Davis Health – Comprehensive Cancer Center
(916) 734-5959
Gary Scott Leiserowitz
UC Davis Health – Comprehensive Cancer Center
(916) 734-5959
Vikas Mahavni
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 614-4055
Jeffrey Skilling
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 614-4055
Nell Suby
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 614-4055
Hand Surgery
Robert H. Allen
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2700
Benjamin Bluth
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 536-2408
David Evans
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5275
Stephen Hankins
Sutter Health
(916) 797-4725
Chetan Shawn Irwin
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2700
Elspeth Kinnucan
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4045
Sean Rocha
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2030
Daniel N. Switlick
Sutter Health
(916) 797-4725
Robert Morris Szabo
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2700
Michael Vance
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5275
Hematology and Oncology
Alborz Alali
Dignity Health Medical Foundation – Woodland and Davis
(530) 576-5298
Kristie A. Bobolis
Sutter Health
(916) 782-5106
I-Yeh Gong
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2086
Richard Guy
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-5626
Julie Hersch
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-5626
Lai Hui
Kaiser Permanente – Downtown Commons Medical Offices
(916) 497-3100
Brian A. Jonas
UC Davis Health – Comprehensive Cancer Center
(916) 734-5959
John M. Kailath
Sutter Health
(916) 962-1544
Dinesh Kotak
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-5626
Lisa Law
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-5626
Sivakumar Reddy
Sutter Health
(916) 782-5106
Sonia Reichert
Dignity Health Medical Foundation – Woodland and Davis
(530) 576-5298
Philip Sardar
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-5626
Shahzad Siddique
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-5300
Stephen Wang
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2086
Hospice and Palliative Medicine
Joi Barrett
Sutter Health
(916) 733-8713
Nathan Paul Fairman
UC Davis Health – Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
(916) 734-3574
Shelly Garone
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-6590
Margaret Leung
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-6590
John F. Macmillan, Jr.
UC Davis Health
(800) 282-3284
Jennifer Osborn
Mercy Medical Group
(866) 553-3261
Seth A. Rosenthal
Sutter Health
(916) 781-1225
Infectious Disease
John Belko
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Stuart H. Cohen
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2737
Matthew Eldridge
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-6229
Jose-Mario Fontanilla
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 973-5230
Laura Grigor
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 973-5230
Ranjani Kalyan
Pulmonary Medicine Associates
(916) 786-7498
Brett R. Laurence
Pulmonary Medicine Associates
(916) 325-1040
Lenora Lee
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5230
Andrew McNeil
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-6229
Sriharsha Rao
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-6229
George Thompson
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2737
Angelique Tjen-A-Looi
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5230
Internal Medicine
Joi Barrett
Sutter Health
(916) 733-8713
Bayard W. Chang
Bayard W. Chang, MD
(916) 929-2526
Nelson Chiang
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2106
Sean Deane
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 627-7500
Matthew Eldridge
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-6229
Howard J. Homler
Howard J. Homler MD
(916) 962-2035
Craig Raymond Keenan
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2737
Lisa Liu
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2106
Jane Tsai
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-3400
Morgan Waters
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2106
Scott M. Wigginton
Scott M. Wigginton, MD
(916) 570-2850
Maternal and Fetal Medicine
Nina M. Boe
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-6900
Nancy Terrell Field
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-6900
Matthew Garabedian
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4148
William Gilbert
Perinatal Associates of Sacramento
(916) 862-9900
Herman Locsin Hedriana
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-6900
Sherrie McElvy
Perinatal Associates of Sacramento
(916) 862-9900
Amelia S. McLennan
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-6900
Edward Mentakis
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4148
Kristina Milan
Valley Children’s Medical Group
(559) 353-3000
Carey Moreno-Hunt
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4148
Sima Parmar
Perinatal Associates of Sacramento
(916) 862-9900
Veronique Tache
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-6900
Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine
Kristin Robbins Hoffman
UC Davis Children’s Hospital
(800) 282-3284
Satyan Lakshminrusimha
UC Davis Children’s Hospital
(800) 282-3284
Francis R. Poulain
UC Davis Children’s Hospital
(800) 282-3284
Catherine Anne-Marie Rottkamp
UC Davis Children’s Hospital
(916) 734-0491
Mark A. Underwood
UC Davis Children’s Hospital
(800) 282-3248
Nephrology
Shubha Ananthakrishnan
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-3761
Adarsh Bhat
Summit Nephrology Medical Group, Inc.
(916) 789-1505
Janeline Daubert
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-6988
Burl R. Don
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-3761
Lana Gafter
Summit Nephrology Medical Group, Inc.
(916) 789-1505
Elena V. Gelfand
Capital Nephrology Medical Group
(916) 929-8564
Kai-Ting Hu
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-6988
Jasminder Momi
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-5336
Jose Morfin
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-3761
Tuan Nguyen
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5230
Jignesh Patel
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 973-5230
Roopinder Poonia
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 536-2466
Vijay Rathore
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-6988
Jeffrey Stewart
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5230
Brian Thornton
Summit Nephrology Medical Group, Inc.
(916) 789-1505
Jane Y. Yeun
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-3761
Nick Youssefi
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-6988
Annie Yu
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 973-5230
Franklin Yuan
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 973-5230
Neurology
Paul Akins
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5490
Ryan Armour
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-3372
Jason Chang
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2050
John Geraghty
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-6380
Jeffrey Kennedy
UC Davis Health – Midtown Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-3588
Suzanne Koopmans
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2050
Neuzil Lai
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2050
John Schafer
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 536-3670
Peter Skaff
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 351-4800
Eric Van Ostrand
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5175
Women and Cancer
Men are more likely to be diagnosed with—and die from—cancer, but it is still a leading cause of death of women in the United States. Are cancer rates for women improving? Are any rates rising? And is it too late to get the HPV vaccine? Here’s the latest in gynecologic oncology from Sutter Health’s Abby Gonik, M.D.
Have any cancer rates dropped in the past five years?
Rates of ovarian cancer have decreased over the past 30 years and continue to fall about 1.5 percent each year. One possible reason for this decline is the increased use of oral contraceptive pills since the 1980s. Women who take oral contraceptive pills for at least six years have a decreased lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer.
What is the deadliest cancer in women?
That being said, ovarian cancer is still the leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancy in the United States. There are approximately 22,000 new cases of ovarian cancer and 14,000 cancer-related deaths here every year. Survival from ovarian cancer is related to the stage at diagnosis—if it is found in an early stage, the five-year survival rate is over 90 percent. Unfortunately, over 75 percent are detected at a later stage, and the overall prognosis remains poor. Discovery of an effective screening tool to allow for early detection would significantly impact the mortality rates.
Have any cancer rates risen in the last five years?
Uterine (endometrial) cancer is the most common cancer of the female reproductive tract, with an estimated 63,000 new cases in the United States in 2018. Estimates show that the rates of this cancer are increasing by 1.3 percent each year over the past decade. Several factors may be contributing to this steady increase in endometrial cancer rates, including longer life expectancy (older women have a higher risk of developing this cancer), the worsening obesity epidemic and the prolonged use of tamoxifen to prevent or treat breast cancer.
Very recently, the HPV vaccine was made available to women up until the age of 45. How does this vaccine work now?
Human papillomavirus is a sexually transmitted pathogen that causes virtually all cancers of the cervix, as well as many cases of pre-cancer on the cervix, vulva and vagina. The vaccine protects against nine subtypes of HPV, which together cause over 90 percent of cervical cancers and 90 percent of genital warts. The ideal time to vaccinate is prior to any HPV exposure, so the guidelines still recommend vaccination at 11 to 12 years of age. The recommendation for “catch up” vaccine previously extended to age 26, but it was recently increased to 45 based on studies that showed a continued efficacy rate in patients aged 27 to 46.
Neurosurgery
Amit Banerjee
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5490
Indro Chakrabarti
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5490
Samuel F. Ciricillo
Sutter Health
(916) 454-6850
Cully Cobb, III
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-3401
Huy Duong
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5490
Kern Guppy
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5490
Brian Jian
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5490
Sean McNatt
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2600
David Moller
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5490
Praveen Prasad
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-3401
Kiarash Shahlaie
UC Davis Health – Midtown Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-3588
James Silverthorn
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5490
Nuclear Medicine
Jason B. Cohen
Sutter Health – Sutter Imaging
(877) 515-0053
Erno Gyetvai
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5720
Andrew Klonecke
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5720
Vicki Nagano
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2029
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Victor K. Chan
Sutter Health
(916) 744-2620
Mitchell D. Creinin
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-6900
Douglas Gillott
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4148
Jocylen Glassberg
UC Davis Health
(530) 747-3000
Laurie Gregg
Sacramento Women’s Health
(916) 927-3178
Matthew W. Guile
Sutter Health
(916) 262-9414
Christine Jang
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2055
Vanessa A. Kennedy
UC Davis Health – Comprehensive Cancer Center
(916) 734-5959
Darcy C. Ketchum
Sutter Health
(916) 262-9414
Sanjeev Khurana
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4148
Kim Kopecky
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4148
Judith Mikacich
Sacramento Women’s Health
(916) 927-3178
Bahareh M. Nejad
UC Davis Health
(916) 783-7109
Clara Paik
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-6900
Kathleen Rooney
Sacramento Women’s Health
(916) 927-3178
Michael Trifiro
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-6363
Occupational Medicine
David Caretto
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-3390
Harinder Dhir
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-6455
Evelyn Fainsztein
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 351-4801
John Forsyth
Dignity Health Medical Foundation – Woodland and Davis
(530) 576-5298
Meredith Tallman
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-6455
Ronald Whitmore
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2005
Ophthalmology
Robert Bellinoff
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-3311
Jacob W. Brubaker
Sacramento Eye Consultants
(916) 649-1515
Mark Drabkin
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 525-6400
Richard A. Jones
Eye Site Sacramento
(916) 452-8105
Louis Klieger
Kaiser Permanente – Rancho Cordova Medical Offices
(916) 784-4185
Samuel H. Lee
Sacramento Eye Consultants
(916) 649-1515
Richard A. Lewis
Sacramento Eye Consultants
(916) 649-1515
Jennifer Y. Li
UC Davis Health – Cadillac Drive Facility
(916) 734-6650
Michele C. Lim
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-6602
Mark J. Mannis
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-6602
James Martel
Martel Eye Medical Group
(916) 564-9990
Sang-Rog Oh
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 614-4015
Arun C. Patel
Retinal Consultants
(916) 454-4861
Robert R. Peabody, Jr.
Medical Vision Technology
(916) 731-8040
Joel A. Pearlman
Retinal Consultants
(916) 454-4861
J. Brian Reed
Retinal Consultants
(916) 454-6191
Christian L. Serdahl
Eye Site Sacramento
(916) 452-8105
Patricia B. Sierra
Sacramento Eye Consultants
(916) 649-1515
Tony Tsai
Retinal Consultants
(916) 454-4861
Robert T. Wendel
Retinal Consultants
(916) 454-4861
Peter Wu
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 614-4015
Orthopedic Surgery
Amy Black
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2030
William Bragg
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-5700
Christian Bromfield
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2030
Mark Dillon
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5275
Jonathan G. Eastman
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2700
Holly Haight
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5275
Domingo Hallare
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2030
William Junglas
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 536-2408
Eric Otto Klineberg
UC Davis Health – Cannery Building
(916) 734-7463
Raphael Klug
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4045
Mark A. Lee
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2700
Holly Bee Leshikar
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2700
David Manske
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2030
Richard A. Marder
UC Davis Health – Cannery Building
(916) 734-6805
Ravi Ramachandran
Ravi Ramachandran M.D. – Folsom Spine
(916) 245-3322
Marty Reed
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5275
David W. Tai
Sutter Health
(916) 732-3340
James Voigtlander
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4045
Jason Zemanovic
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4045
Osteopathic Medicine
Ernestina T. Agresti
Sierra Rose Family Physicians Medical Group, Inc.
(916) 786-5908
Linda M. Agresti
Sierra Rose Family Physicians Medical Group, Inc.
(916) 786-5908
Pain Medicine
Michael Bicocca
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-6353
David J. Copenhaver
UC Davis Health
(916) 734-5031
Heather Davids
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 536-2442
B. Kelly Hunt
Hendrickson & Hunt Pain Management Physicians
(916) 984-3899
Sharon G. Leano
Roger B. Stephens Medical Group
(916) 564-3377
Andrew Linn
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-5844
Gagan Mahajan
UC Davis Health
(916) 734-5031
Vinay M. Reddy
Spine and Nerve Diagnostic Center
(916) 419-9900
Lee T. Snook
Metropolitan Pain Management Consultants, Inc.
(916) 568-8338
Kevin Walsh
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 482-1132
Rod Youssefi
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-6353
New Thinking on Concussions
Concussions aren’t just for football players or weekend warriors in a community soccer league. Car accidents, falls and violence are major causes of injury to the brain. And the biggest shock? You don’t have to sustain a blow to the head at all or “black out” to have a concussion, says Kaiser Permanente’s Paul T. Akins, M.D., Ph.D.
After hitting your head, how do you know if you should see a doctor?
If you have a minor bump or scrape, you probably do not need to seek professional medical help. If you have trauma like scalp lacerations, then you should see a doctor. It’s important to know that if you are having trouble thinking after hitting your head, you need to take it seriously. Symptoms of concussions include decreased attention and short-term memory, poor balance, slowed responses to simple questions (such as “Where do you live?”), increased emotions, headaches, and light and sound sensitivity. Rarer symptoms include the inability to retain any new information, seizures and persistent loss of vision—not just a brief time of “seeing stars.”
What happens to the brain during a concussion?
During a concussion, the head suffers an impact. Sometimes, this is a direct blow to the head, but it can also occur with abrupt rotational and acceleration/deceleration forces. The brain is shaken and slaps around within the skull, similar to a boat bouncing up against a dock during a storm. At a microscopic level, the axons that transmit information from one brain region to another are injured, as well as more widespread changes in brain function.
What are the biggest causes of concussions?
Motor vehicle accidents, falls, occupation-related injuries, recreation- and sports- related injuries, and violence. Falls are the leading cause in older adults, and recent statistics indicate that 20 percent of high school football players sustain brain injuries each season.
What is the risk of repeated concussions? Are there any long-lasting effects of concussions?
A premature return to activities (while the athlete is still having concussion-related symptoms) increases the rate of recurrent concussions. Each concussion increases the risk of another. With multiple concussions, there is a risk for cumulative traumatic brain injury, which includes chronic traumatic encephalopathy and the serious second-impact syndrome. While ongoing symptoms after the concussion are common, only a minority of patients will be left with long-term effects. Repetitive concussions, however, increase the risk for irreversible brain injury.
What is a misconception about concussions?
Many people don’t realize that you can get a concussion without being hit in the head. Indirect brain injury occurs as the brain is shaken around during a rapid acceleration/deceleration/rotation. Early in my career, loss of consciousness was a requirement for a concussion diagnosis, but we now know that only 10 percent of people with concussions truly experience blacking out.
Pediatric Cardiology
James Hill
Capital Pediatric Cardiology
(916) 750-2328
Andrew Juris
Pediatric Cardiologists of Northern California
(916) 452-5391
Naveen Manohar
Capital Pediatric Cardiology
(916) 750-2328
Luz Natal-Hernandez
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Jeanny K. Park
UC Davis Health – Pediatric Heart Center
(916) 734-3456
Andrew Nicholas Pelech
UC Davis Health – Pediatric Heart Center
(916) 734-3456
Ernesto Rivera
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Lance Shirai
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Sherzana Sunderji
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-3456
Luca Trento
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Stanley Wright
Capital Pediatric Cardiology
(916) 750-2328
Jay Yeh
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-3456
Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
Robert Alisharan
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4190
Anne Camerlengo
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4190
Constantine Dimitriades
UC Davis Children’s Hospital
(800) 282-3284
Daniel A. Falco
Sutter Health
(916) 887-0360
Kevin Haug
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4190
John Holcroft
UC Davis Children’s Hospital
(800) 282-3284
James P. Marcin
UC Davis Children’s Hospital
(800) 282-3284
Stephanie Nicole Mateev
UC Davis Children’s Hospital
(916) 734-7840
Theresa Murdock-Vlautin
UC Davis Health
(916) 734-2011
Michael Myette
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4190
JoAnne E. Natale
UC Davis Children’s Hospital
(800) 282-3284
Jennifer L. Plant
UC Davis Health – Ticon II Building
(916) 734-5177
Viyeka Sethi
UC Davis Health
(916) 734-7840
Craig Swanson
Sutter Health
(916) 887-0360
Pediatric Dermatology
Smita Awasthi
UC Davis Health – Cannery Building
(916) 734-6111
Pediatric Endocrinology
Christina Chao
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Stephanie Crossen
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-3112
Mirna Escalante
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Nicole S. Glaser
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-3112
Francis Hoe
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Lindsey Loomba-Albrecht
UC Davis Health
(916) 734-5177
Ulhas Nadgir
Center of Excellence in Diabetes and Endocrinology
(916) 426-1902
Gnanagurudasan Prakasam
Sutter Health
(916) 426-1902
Sudha Reddy
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Dennis M. Styne
UC Davis Children’s Hospital – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-3112
Pediatric Gastroenterology
Yinka Davies
Sacramento Pediatric Gastroenterology
(916) 332-1244
Michael Durant
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Sunpreet Kaur
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-3112
Pratima Kodali
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Johann M. Peterson
Sutter Health
(916) 887-4780
Daphne Sy Say
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-3112
Edward Talya
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Danielle Usatin
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Developments in Vision Correction
For those who reach for their glasses every morning or pluck contact lenses from their eyes every night, the promise of never having to do so again is enticing—but, intrinsically, there’s just something a little concerning about a laser shining in your eye. What’s new with LASIK, and is it a virtually safe procedure that can be completed in less time than an episode of “House Hunters”? Jennifer Li, M.D., assistant professor of clinical opthalmology at UC Davis Medical Center, explains.
What is the LASIK procedure like?
LASIK surgery is an in-office procedure that takes less than 30 minutes. You are lying flat for the procedure and the eye is numbed with topical anesthetic (eye drops). Your eyelids are gently opened with an instrument so that there is no concern that you might accidentally blink in the middle of a procedure. A flap is created with a laser (a femtosecond laser) on the surface of the eye (the cornea). This takes about 20 seconds. The flap is then lifted back to allow for a second laser (an excimer laser) to reshape the cornea. Once the reshaping process is complete, the flap is placed back in its original position. Patients are usually able to return back to work one or two days after the procedure, but it may take three to six months for vision to fully stabilize.
How has the surgery changed recently?
At UC Davis, we use the latest technology, which has continued to improve. We have seen the transition to an all-blade-free surgery at UC Davis, and this improvement in technology has nearly eliminated the risk of having a complication during flap creation for LASIK. Additionally, we continue to provide Wavefront optimized treatments with advanced eye tracking to all of our patients.
Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
Scott Adams
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Jong Hee Chung
UC Davis Health – Comprehensive Cancer Center
(916) 734-5959
Jonathan M. Ducore
UC Davis Health – Comprehensive Cancer Center
(916) 734-5959
Kent Jolly
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Sonali Lakshminarayanan
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Christina Lettieri
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Marcio H. Malogolowkin
UC Davis Health – Comprehensive Cancer Center
(916) 734-5959
Anjali Pawar
UC Davis Health – Comprehensive Cancer Center
(916) 734-5959
Aarati Rao
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Pediatric Infectious Disease
John Belko
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Dean A. Blumberg
UC Davis Health – Ticon II Building
(916) 734-5177
Natasha A. Nakra
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-3112
Elizabeth Helen Partridge
UC Davis Health
(916) 734-3557
Jean A. Wiedeman
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(800) 282-3284
Pediatric Nephrology
Ari Auron
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Lavjay Butani
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-3112
Maha N. Haddad
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-3112
Arundhati Kale
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-3112
Stephanie Tram-Anh Nguyen
UC Davis Health
(916) 734-3112
Pediatric Neurology
Shailesh Asaikar
Child and Adolescent Neurology Consultants
(916) 649-9800
William Steven Benko
UC Davis Health – Midtown Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-3588
Celia H. Chang
UC Davis Health – Midtown Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-3588
Michael G. Chez
Sutter Health
(916) 773-8711
Richard Friederich
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4190
Shannon N. Liang
UC Davis Health – Midtown Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-3588
Brian Masselink
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4190
Gregg Nelson
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4190
Pediatric Neurosurgery
Samuel F. Ciricillo
Sutter Health
(916) 454-6850
Sean McNatt
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2600
Marike Zwienenberg
UC Davis Health – Midtown Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-3588
Pediatric Pulmonology
Diana Go
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Sanjay Jhawar
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(800) 282-3284
Kiran Nandalike
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(800) 282-3284
Myrza Perez
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Wan Tsai
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Progress in the Field of Joint Replacement
From the ability to recover from surgery in the comfort of your home to the longevity of your new joint, large strides have been made in joint replacement surgery. Still, experts say that artificial joints can’t fully replicate the joint you were born with—and, sorry to disappoint, but a superhero-esque bionic knee probably isn’t on the horizon. We turned to orthopedic surgeon Holly Haight, M.D., of Kaiser Permanente for more information.
What has been the biggest recent breakthrough in joint replacement?
Home recovery. Patients can now be discharged the same day as their procedure and recover in their own homes. They get home physical therapy, and we have a stellar nurse who keeps in close contact the next day and for any needs or questions that they have. Patients eat and sleep better at home, and the infection risk is lower at home.
Knee and hip replacements are common, but what other joints can be replaced?
Hips and knees are the biggest and the simplest, so they have the longest track record and are the most successful. Almost any joint can be replaced, though—shoulders, elbows, ankles, small joints in the hand and even discs in the back. More complex joints, such as joints that have motion in multiple directions (such as small joints in the spine) or have odd shapes (between the small bones of the wrist and foot), cannot be replaced. It’s important to remember that even with the simplest joints like hips and knees, it’s still nearly impossible to fully replicate the biomechanics of the native joint.
What is the rehabilitation and recovery process like after a joint replacement?
Some joints, like knees, shoulders and elbows, require extensive physical therapy to restore strength and motion. Other joints, like the hip, require less intense therapy. Some soft tissues take as long as a year to completely heal, so although the patient may have about 90 percent of the recovery within the first three months, there may still be soreness, stiffness and aching for many months after surgery.
With new and emerging technology, what can we hope to see in the future?
Materials are probably where technology will make the most progress. Joint replacements can now last anywhere from seven to 30 years, and hopefully we will be able to extend that life span.
What is a misconception about joint replacements?
A new joint can help a person remain independent by maintaining the ability to walk, shop and engage in low-impact exercise and activities of daily living. Artificial joints are not designed for high-level athletic pursuits, so if that’s the expectation, it’s better to stay with a native joint.
Pediatric Sleep Medicine
Diana Go
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Sanjay Jhawar
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(800) 282-3284
Kiran Nandalike
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(800) 282-3284
Myrza Perez
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Wan Tsai
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Pediatric Surgery
Lisa P. Abramson
Sutter Health
(916) 887-4220
Thomas Curran
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2600
Diana L. Farmer
UC Davis Health – Cannery Building
(916) 734-7844
Stephen K. Greenholz
Sutter Pediatric Surgery
(916) 733-6050
Shinjiro Hirose
Shriners Hospital for Children
(916) 453-2000
Jennifer E. Keller
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2600
Douglas Miniati
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2600
Chirag V. Patel
UC Davis Health
(800) 282-3284
Amy Rahm
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(800) 282-3284
Payam Saadai
Shriners Hospital for Children
(916) 453-2000
Rebecca A. Stark
UC Davis Children’s Hospital
(916) 734-7844
Pediatric Urology
Andrew Huang
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4160
Eric A. Kurzrock
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2222
Jennifer H. Yang
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2222
Pediatrics (General)
Thomas A. Bullen
UC Davis Health – Midtown Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-5846
Robert S. Byrd
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-3112
Diane Chan
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4190
Gregrey Cohen
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 536-3520
Sean Cooke
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-6800
Kevin Patrick Coulter
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-3112
Eric Joseph Crossen
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-3112
Albina S. Gogo
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-3112
Michael C. Lucien
UC Davis Health – Midtown Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-5846
Ashley Sens
Dignity Health Medical Foundation – Woodland and Davis
(530) 576-5298
Jonathan E. Thygeson
Sutter Health
(916) 924-8754
Rachel Weinreb
Sutter Health
(916) 262-9002
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Ryan Carver
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 771-6611
Steven Chan
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-7481
Loren T Davidson
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-7041
Maya Capoor Evans
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-7041
Lawrence Manhart, Jr.
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Craig M. McDonald
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-7041
Vinay M. Reddy
Spine and Nerve Diagnostic Center
(916) 419-9900
Joel Schaffer
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2036
Akshat Shah
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2036
Mark Tyburski
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 771-6611
Jeremy Wren
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-3373
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Christa Clark
Christa Clark MD, FACS, Granite Bay Cosmetic Surgery
(916) 246-6122
Jesus Garcia
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5515
Lynne A. Hackert
Sutter Health
(916) 878-4948
Karly Kaplan
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5515
David Kaufman
Kaufman Plastic Surgery
(916) 943-4714
Gerald Khachi
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2045
James Kim
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2045
Alan Y. Lim
Sutter Health
(916) 733-9588
Shahriar Mabourakh
Shahriar Mabourakh, MD, FACS
(916) 984-8585
Kenneth Phillips
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5515
David E. Sahar
UC Davis Health – Cannery Building, (916) 734-7844
Jeffrey Sweat
J. Sweat Plastic Surgery
(916) 400-0822
Travis Tate Tollefson
UC Davis Health – Glassrock Building
(916) 734-2347
Granger B. Wong
Centre for Plastic Surgery
(916) 791-7088
Michael S. Wong
UC Davis Health – Cannery Building
(916) 734-7844
Podiatry
John Benson
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4045
Dana Cozzetto
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 536-2408
Carla Docharty
Capital Foot and Ankle
(916) 453-8900
Amy Duckworth
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4045
Matthew Garrison
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-3359
James J. Kinchsular
James J. Kinchsular, DPM
(916) 454-3668
Roya Mirmiran
Sutter Health
(916) 262-9464
Damon Namvar
Sutter Health
(916) 262-9464
Beth Noe
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4045
Lindsay Russell
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2030
Michael Scatena
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5275
Tanya Singleton
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2030
Michael Starkweather
Dignity Health Medical Foundation – Woodland and Davis
(530) 576-5298
Gregory Tovmassian
Sacramento Foot & Ankle Center
(916) 459-4398
Kirsten Van Voris-Scatena
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5275
Daniel Lee
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2030
Preventive Medicine
Cheree Dunbar
Northern California Wellness, Inc.
(916) 790-5352
Psychiatry
Arlene Burton
Kaiser Permanente – Elk Grove Big Horn Medical Offices
(916) 478-5850
Nathan Paul Fairman
UC Davis Health – Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
(916) 734-3574
Pain Management in an Opioid Addiction Era
Opioid overdoses result in more deaths than car accidents, so should they ever be prescribed? What can be done for those who have become dependent on opioids to manage their pain, and is there a better way? We posed these questions to David Copenhaver, M.D., M.P.H., director of cancer pain management and pain medicine telehealth at UC Davis Health.
When is managing pain with an opioid necessary, and when should it be avoided?
We’ve learned that chronic opioid therapy has very limited evidence in terms of efficacy, but its risks are well-defined. Risk factors such as an untreated psychiatric comorbid disease, history of substance abuse, active substance abuse or a family history of substance abuse all add substantial risk for aberrant behavior surrounding opioid therapy. That said, there are patients who may benefit from opioid therapy after appropriate risk stratification.
What percentage of people who are prescribed an opioid will develop a dependency or addiction?
It’s hard to say, but a report by the Institute of Medicine suggested that 116 million Americans meet criteria for chronic pain, and one could argue that 10 percent of the population carries the proclivity or genetic predisposition for addiction. Therefore, over 10 million people could have a predisposition for addiction and experience chronic pain. Many physicians have taken the approach of a universal precaution: suggesting all patients may carry the predisposition for addiction.
How can people who have previously been dependent on opioids use new methods of pain management?
There are many non-opioid or opioid-sparing pain strategies. These strategies are the mantra at UC Davis. There are specialized implantable devices that allow for substantial and sustained relief, and various interventional procedures that can alleviate pain. There are also non-opioid prescription medications (SNRIs and anticonvulsants) that treat pain coupled with acupuncture, therapeutic massage and restorative physical therapy.
What is a misconception about opioids?
We have recently seen opioid prescriptions reduce, so we would have expected that as prescriptions trended down, opioid-related deaths would have also reduced. Unfortunately, we are not seeing this trend. Even in the face of reduced prescriptions, opioid-related deaths continue to escalate, which highlights the complexity of the problem in the United States regarding illicit drugs and synthetic fentanyl entering society.
Radiation Oncology
Allan Chen
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 771-2871
Rachel Chou
Kaiser Permanente – Rancho Cordova Medical Offices
(916) 631-2730
Megan E. Daly
UC Davis Health – Comprehensive Cancer Center
(800) 362-5566
Ruben Fragoso
UC Davis Health – Comprehensive Cancer Center
(800) 362-5566
Roger M. Gilbert
Sutter Health
(916) 781-1225
Christopher U. Jones
Sutter Health
(916) 781-1225
Derrick Koo
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 771-2871
Vincent Lee
USCMC – South Sacramento Cancer Center
(916) 683-9616
Shyam Rao
UC Davis Health – Comprehensive Cancer Center
(800) 362-5566
Seth A. Rosenthal
Sutter Health
(916) 781-1225
Derrick Schmidt
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 771-2871
Ellen Wiegner
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 556-3131
Radiology
Matthew Bobinski
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(800) 482-3284
Cynthia Dirkx
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 817-5250
Brian Gunter
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2029
Jeffrey S. Kuo
Sutter Health – Sutter Imaging
(877) 515-0053
Charles H. McDonnell, III
Sutter Health – Sutter Imaging
(877) 515-0053
Tan Nguyen
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2029
Narasimhachari Raghavan
Sutter Health – Sutter Imaging
(877) 515-0053
Michael J. Silberstein
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 817-5250
Arvind Sonik
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 817-5250
Reproductive Endocrinology / Infertility
Lisa Cookingham
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 614-5005
Curt Klooster
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 614-5005
Laurie P. Lovely
Northern California Fertility Medical Center
(916) 773-2229
Michael J. Murray
Northern California Fertility Medical Center
(916) 773-2229
Kenneth Vu
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 614-5005
Ernest J. Zeringue
California IVF Fertility Center, (530) 771-0177
Rheumatology
Michael Barger
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 691-8500
Anupama Savithri Bhat
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4000
Gurtej S. Cheema
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2737
Arshia Islam
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-5616
Lloyd Ito
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2330
Anand Lal
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-5616
Diana Lau
Dignity Health Medical Foundation – Woodland and Davis,
(530) 576-5298
Joy Mombourquette
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 474-2250
Minhchau Nguyen
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2330
Thitinan Srikulmontree
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 409-1400
Kenneth Wiesner
Sacramento Rheumatology Consultants Medical Group
(916) 343-8538
Sleep Medicine
Shawn S. Aghili
Pulmonary Medicine Associates
(916) 786-7498
Richard Beyer
Dignity Health Medical Foundation – Woodland and Davis
(530) 576-5298
Kapil Dhawan
Pulmonary Medicine Associates
(916) 325-1040
Robert Dias
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-5700
Swapna Parikh
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-7618
David Tzeng
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-4821
Lydia M. Wytrzes
Lydia M. Wytrzes MD
(916) 564-3610
Sports Medicine
Jason Brayley
Kaiser Permanente – Elk Grove Promenade Medical Offices
(916) 544-6160
Biljinder Chima
Rocklin Family Practice and Sports Medicine
(916) 624-0300
Brian A. Davis
UC Davis Health – Cannery Building
(916) 734-6805
Susan Joy
Kaiser Permanente – Sports Medicine Center
(916) 326-8200
Richard A. Marder
UC Davis Health – Cannery Building
(916) 734-6805
Scott Meier
Kaiser Permanente – Elk Grove Promenade Medical Offices
(916) 544-6160
Alberto J. Panero
SAC Regenerative Orthopedics
(916) 573-2595
Gloria Rho
Kaiser Permanente – Sports Medicine Center
(916) 326-8200
Michael Shea
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 733-5700
Jeffrey L. Tanji
UC Davis Health – Cannery Building
(916) 734-6805
Brandee L. Waite
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-7041
Craig Ziegler
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4045
Thoracic Surgery
Matthew Agnew
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2014
W. Douglas Boyd
UC Davis Health – Cypress Building
(916) 734-3861
Lisa M. Brown
UC Davis Health – Comprehensive Cancer Center
(800) 362-5566
David Tom Cooke
UC Davis Health – Cypress Building
(916) 734-3861
Costanzo Di Perna
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 536-3665
Joseph Huh
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 733-4100
Michael T. Ingram
Sacramento Cardiovascular Surgeons
(916) 452-8291
Robert Kincade
Sacramento Cardiovascular Surgeons
(916) 452-8291
James Longoria
Sacramento Cardiovascular Surgeons
(916) 452-8291
Stephen D. Maxwell
Sutter Health
(916) 773-8750
Rick Peng
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5235
Paul Anthony Perry
UC Davis Health – Cypress Building
(800) 282-3284
Gary Raff
Shriners Hospital for Children
(916) 453-2000
Brian Rezvani
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2014
Henry Zhu
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 733-4100
Transgender Health
Christopher W. Swales
Dignity Health Medical Foundation – Woodland and Davis
(530) 576-5298
Urology
Carolina Alvayay
Sutter Health
(916) 797-4720
Aron Bruhn
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4160
Marc A. Dall’Era
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2222
Jonathan Eandi
Sutter Health
(916) 262-9386
Christopher P. Evans
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2222
Suzanne Generao
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5355
Brian N. Naftulin
Capitol Urology Medical Group
(916) 983-5557
Michael Novotny
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5355
Jennifer Rothschild
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-2222
Carmen Stapp
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4160
Scott Troxel
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4160
Alice Tsao
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2081
Jared Whitson
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2081
Vascular / Interventional Radiology
Matthew Danielson
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 817-5250
Mark M. Davidian
Sutter Health – Sutter Imaging Sacramento
(916) 453-9999
Brandon Doskocil
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 817-5250
Farhad Farzanegan
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2029
Jonathan Hartman
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5490
Christopher J. Laing
Sutter Health – Sutter Imaging Sacramento
(916) 453-9999
Derek Vien
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 817-5250
Patrick M. Vogel
Sutter Health – Sutter Imaging Sacramento
(916) 453-9999
Vascular Surgery
Christopher Abbot
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2014
John Brawley
Kaiser Permanente – South Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 688-2014
Charles T. Brownridge
Sutter Health
(916) 262-9400
Richard Florio
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4144
Dmitri V. Gelfand
Sutter Health
(916) 773-8750
Misty D. Humphries
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-3800
Addison McMurtry
Kaiser Permanente – Roseville Medical Center
(916) 784-4144
Brian D. Park
Sutter Health
(916) 262-9400
Thomas C. Park
Sutter Health
(916) 262-9400
William C. Pevec
UC Davis Health – Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
(916) 734-3800
Handel Robinson
Mercy Medical Group
(916) 536-2584
Victor M. Rodriguez
UC Davis Health – Cypress Building
(916) 734-2680
Ali Tajlil
Sutter Health
(916) 733-6890
Eric Williams
Kaiser Permanente – Sacramento Medical Center
(916) 973-5235
Keeping Your Toenails Fungus Free
About 10 percent of Americans have it—and up to half of Americans over the age of 70 have it, too. What is it? It’s toenail fungus, and, if left untreated, it can eventually destroy your toenail and spread to surrounding nails. Matthew Garrison, D.P.M., of Mercy Medical Group gives us the scoop—and tells us how to prevent it from happening.
What exactly is toenail fungus?
Toenail fungus is an infection involving the nail plate and bed with dermatophytes, molds and yeasts. Signs of toenail fungus are nail discoloration, brittleness, thickness, odor, nail shape change and pain.
Is it contagious? What is the most common cause?
It’s contagious, but not in the same way as bacterial or viral infections spread. That’s not to say one should share toenail clippers, socks, shoes or showers with someone known to have toenail fungus—certainly don’t do that. Fungus thrives in a warm, dark and moist environment, which is why it affects toenails more than fingernails. The most common causes include wearing shoes with closed toes often, having sweaty feet, using nail polish on the toenails and having routine pedicures, or exercising in shoes and causing micro-injuries to the nail plate complex, which allows fungus the opportunity to enter underneath the shell.
Once you’ve had toenail fungus, are you more susceptible to getting it again?
Not necessarily, but there is no vaccine, so repeat infections definitely occur. People over the age of 65 or people with an immunocompromised condition are more prone to developing recurrent fungal infections.
How do you treat it?
The only way to “cure” it is to have a permanent nail removal, which is a common procedure for a lot of people. Treatment for toenail fungus includes topical medicines (such as home remedies like tea tree oil or white vinegar soaks) as well as over-the-counter and prescription options. Another option is oral medication, which typically requires a blood test to monitor liver and kidney health while taking the medication and not recommended to those who may be taking other medications or who have medical conditions known to possibly damage those organs. Laser treatments are also available, but those are typically not covered by insurance. Combining treatments is also an option, which commonly includes temporary nail removal and topical and/or oral medication during the nail regrowth phase.
There are also preventive strategies: Leave shoes that have been worn all day or exercised in to sit outside in sunlight and air; never shove socks inside the shoes for a lengthy time; consider anti-fungal sprays in shoes when you store them; change your socks frequently if there is a high moisture concentration; and alternate wearing work or exercise shoes.
