News | Medical Group of Pennsylvania

Safa Farzin, MD, Medical Group of Pennsylvania Chief Executive Officer

There are now new options for central Pennsylvania businesses trying to hold down insurance costs while assuring options for quality health care for their employees. A strategic partnership between the Medical Group of Pennsylvania (MGP) and Highmark was announced on September 8, 2017. This partnership and Highmark’s True Performance Plus program will open the door for patients to receive quality health care, often at a lower cost, from independent physician practices that will now be in-network providers.

Written by MGP Member Christopher French, MD, Sinus Specialist at Associated Otolaryngologist of Pennsylvania  

Nasal and sinus issues are very common in Central Pennsylvania. Symptoms can include:

• Trouble breathing through your nose
• Blowing your nose frequently or having a drippy nose
• Postnasal drip causing you to clear your throat or cough frequently
• Sinus headaches
• Problems with your sense of smell

If you suffer from any of these symptoms for more than a couple weeks, you may have rhinitis (inflammation inside the nose) or sinusitis (inflammation that extends into the sinuses).  The good news is that there are effective treatments for these diseases.

Typical treatment begins with steroid nasal sprays that help reduce the swelling inside your nose. If these don’t lead to improvement, further evaluation by a sinus specialist can be beneficial. The sinus specialist may perform a nasal endoscopy (a quick painless office procedure to look inside your nose with a camera) or order a sinus CT scan. The results of these studies can help narrow down the cause of your symptoms so you can be more effectively treated with medical or surgical measures. 

~ Written by Kristi Witt, Speech Language Pathologist at MGP Member Group, ENT Surgery Group, PC

Stroke is the #5 cause of death in the U.S., and a leading cause of disability.  ​Aphasia effects over 2 million people, but most people don't know what it is.  It is a language disorder, usually caused by stroke, that can drastically impair one’s ability to communicate.

Aphasia can diminish one’s capacity to use language in basic daily activities, and can lead to depression, social withdrawal, and erosion of relationships.  A certified Speech Language Pathologist can evaluate aphasia, determine which communicative mechanisms are affected by this disorder, and plan appropriate treatment strategies.