Doctors Corner/Blog

 

Kenneth W. Cartaxo, MD

 

Upon completion of my Family Practice Residency I began a full time career in Emergency Medicine. After 15 years of shift work in the ER I noticed that the long hours, especially at 4 and 5am were taking their toll. By then I had a small part time practice in Nutritional Medicine, treating patients with diet, nutraceuticals and IV vitamin and mineral cocktails. About this time I was introduced to the work of Thierry Hertoghe and bio-identical hormone replacement. Fascinated by the subject I studied and began treating myself as well as my patients. I soon discovered the stress, fatigue and moodiness I had been experiencing working those long and early morning hours in the ER were no longer present. By replacing my waning hormones I could now function as I had 10 to 20 years earlier. I abandoned the idea of leaving the ER and continued another 8 satisfying years in Emergency Medicine at Pascack Valley Hospital until its unfortunate closure in November 2007.

With hospitals closing and ER overcrowding getting worse I saw the need and opportunity for a house call service that could care for people night or day in the comfort of their home, office or hotel room. With the proper equipment, supplies and medication I could treat 80% of what I had in the ER, at a fraction of the price and without the patient ever having to leave their home or office. The patient could avoid the wait, hassle and exposure to communicable diseases that comes with the ER, and I could spend the time to provide the kind of care that I would wish to receive. Thus began URGENT CARE HOUSE CALLS. I have incorporated my nutraceutical therapies in the house calls and offer bio-identical hormone replacement as well. I am excited to have the opportunity to provide compassionate personalized care in a manner satisfying to both the patient as well as the doctor.