Next stop, Hollywood?

From the Morgan Messenger, 8/22/2012

He isn't just a doctor, he also plays one on TV. Or in this case, in the latest film produced by Roman Pictures, "Signals 2." Although he was originally supposed to have a non-speaking role as described in the photo, Dr Hahn ended up providing medical advice for the film, which was shot in the old War Memorial Hospital in Berkeley Springs. In addition to his "medical training" from the TV show "ER," patients can be assured that he also has a medical degree from George Washington University! Don't  be surprised if the next time you come into the office, you're met with the greeting "Action!"

Check your Sources, please!

During election years, things can get very contentious. No matter whether you're a member of the Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Green Party, or whatever, you must think before you believe! Here's an example. One of my friends on Facebook posted a letter, supposedly from Blue Cross Blue Shield, that states that in 2014 under "Obamacare," Medicare monthly premiums will rise to $247 (more than double what they are now). When I see something like this that even smells like it might be a story, I go to FactCheck.org, a non-partisan website that vets all kinds of stories for factual content. What did it say about the letter from "Blue Cross Blue Shield?"

"Medicare officials project the basic premium will be less than half that. But the law will eventually cause 14 percent of seniors with incomes over $85,000 a year ($170,000 for couples) to pay higher “income-related” premiums, up from 5 percent currently."

And furthermore,

"Actually, only 27 percent of Medicare beneficiaries are paying the basic rate. The rest — 73 percent — are paying less under a “hold harmless” provision triggered by the lack of a cost-of-living increase in Social Security this year or last year. Most are still paying $96.40.

As for the future, nobody can say with precision what the basic Part B premium will be next year or the year after, let alone in 2014. The premium is set each year at a level calculated to pay for 25 percent of the cost of the coverage. Medicare officials do keep close watch on the trends, however. And when we contacted Medicare’s Office of the Actuary, we were given these projections — the most recent available — which are current as of the president’s budget for fiscal year 2012 issued in mid-February:

Medicare Part B Standard Premium (projected, February 2011)
2012 $108.20
2013 $112.10
2014 $117.10

Source: Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Office of theActuary

Please feel free to  bookmark the Factcheck.org site and use it before believing for truth that next chain letter, or worse, before you click the forward button on your email and spread untruths. The truth will set you free!

Happy birthday to us!!!!!

It's our third birthday! We are so happy, and feel so grateful, to be celebrating our third anniversary in this community. Thank you, all, for the support and the trust you've given us. We look forward to serving you throughout many more years.

Congratulations to all!

Congratulations to everyone who ran or walked in the Child Awareness Walk/5K Run on Saturday, April 28th in Hancock. We're proud that many of our patients participated in this event. Several of them placed within their age category: Beth Demory placed 3rd in the 26-35 group; Kirk Layton placed 1st in the 36-45 group; Paul French placed 1st in the 46+ and our own Dr. Hahn placed 3rd in that group as well! We're proud of you all and proud of our community for supporting this cause.

It's official - we're a home!

We wrote last year about our practice becoming a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH). Just recently we earned national recognition from the National Committee  for Quality Assurance. This required our practice to reach and document certain benchmarks. Studies have shown that this model can cut medical costs, and lead to increases quality of care and satisfaction among providers and their patients. The article about Hahn and Nelson's recognition is here, and you can read more about the PCMH model in this article.

Dr Hahn's New Article in Maryland Academy of Family Physicians

In case you weren't aware, not only is your doctor an accomplished medical practitioner, he is also an avid promoter of the Ideal Medical Practice model that Hahn and Nelson Family Medicine exemplifies. His team at Oxbow has developed a state-of-the-art Electronic Medical Record software program that facilitates much of the record keeping at our practice. He's also the Western District Director of the Maryland Academy of Family Practice, and a member of their Technology Committee. And as you can see in this article, he loves to write about what he believes.

Tanning? Think again!

This time of year, I am still startled when I see someone with a golden tan. The first thing I think is, "Wow that person is so lucky - they got to beat the March doldrums somewhere sunny and warm!" The second thing I think is, "I wonder if they know how the sun damages their skin."
Sun damage is the number one cause of wrinkles. TANNING IS A SIGN OF SKIN DAMAGE. It's evidence that the sun has penetrated and damaged the skin's support structure. The ultraviolet rays of the sun damage fibers in the skin called elastin. The weakened elastin causes the skin to lose its elasticity. When the skin is stretched it loses its ability to rebound. The result of this is a wrinkling effect in areas of the face which are most usually stretched, like the eyes, mouth, and nose. This applies to damage your skin received naturally under the sun, or on a tanning bed. If you think tanning beds are safer than tanning under the sun, they aren't. In fact, most tanning beds emit mainly UVA rays — which may increase the risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.


I don't want to appear vain, but people often mention that I look younger than my 56 years. I have used a sunblock for as long as they've been selling them: my skin moisturizer has an SPF of 15, and if I'm going to be out in the sun for more than 30 minutes, I apply a sunblock with at least 30 SPF. 


Now and then I'll use one of those self-tanning creams. The newer ones are good and moisturize your skin at the same time. Here are some reviews. I've tried the Jergen's, and at least for my skin, it looks good. 


So think twice before laying out in the sun or on a tanning bed. Do you really want the wrinkles that are inevitable, and maybe even flirt with skin cancer? The wrinkles will last a lifetime, whereas a tan only lasts a few days.