DermHelpCentral

Virtual Patient Visits

In an attempt to reduce your exposure to, and the community spread of, COVID-19 we are trying to limit the number of patients seen in our office. This insure safe social distancing. At the same time, we recognize the need to evaluate all patients seeking an opinion about, or needing a follow-up for, a skin problem.

To this end, we have created four Patient Encounter Forms.  There may be more and these will need to be fine-tuned.

 

1. New Patient Form
   Download New-dermatology-patient-form NEW
2. Established Patient Form
   Download David J Elpern Established Patient Form
3. Accutane Patient Woman.
   Download David J Elpern Isotretinoin Patient Form for Women
4. Accutane Patient Man
   Download David J Elpern Isotretinoin Patient Form for Men

If you have questions about how to take a picture of your skin problem, here is a link to a guide.  This will be TMI (too much information) for most of you.  The basic rule is take two to three pictures from different distances or angles and take them during daylight, when possible, and not indirect sunlight.

 

You can contact us at:

David Elpern 

Our Office

Office Telephone Number:  413-458-2800

Office Fax: 413-458-4224

Tick-borne illness expert, Nantucket's Dr. Timothy Lepore demystifies Lyme disease.

Tick-borne illness expert Dr. Timothy Lepore demystifies Lyme disease.

 

This was a good article in Nantucket's "N" magazine (August 2019)

When it comes to island treasures, there is the Great Point Lighthouse, the Old Mill, the Nantucket Whaling Museum—and Dr. Timothy Lepore. An enduring icon on Nantucket, Lepore was the subject of a critically acclaimed book titled Island Practice and has earned a following on the island like no other doctor. Beyond Nantucket, Lepore has developed a national reputation for his expertise in Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. Patients suffering from these diseases venture from all over the world to see him. N Magazine sat down with Lepore to help demystify the confusion around Lyme disease, how it is treated, how serious an illness it is and ways in which it could be managed or eradicated on Nantucket.

N MAGAZINE: What is Lyme disease?

LEPORE: Lyme disease is an infection with a spirochete [a type of bacterium] of which the vector is the tick and the reservoir [or carrier] is probably the white-footed mouse, deer mouse and vole. That’s what Lyme disease is. Now, Lyme disease has a series of several different stages.

Link to full article.

Dr, Lepore with giant Nantucket tick

Babesiosis

Jane Brody has an interesting article on Babesiosis in the Tuesday, July 31 NY Times.

"Unlike Lyme disease, which quickly leapfrogged across the country, babesiosis is spreading slowly through the Northeast and Upper Midwest, where it is increasingly recognized as the cause of a flulike summer ailment."

The New England Journal of Medicine review upon which Jane Brody based her article appeared in June 2001: Download Nejmra1202018

World-Wide Distribution of Babesiosis (NEJM article June 21, 2008)

 

Transmission of Babesis (Red Dot) From NEJM article