welcome

Welcome to Baylor Family Medicine, the private practice of faculty physicians from the department of Family and Community Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

We offer you and your family expert primary care services to address any and all health concerns, with timely appointments and two convenient locations. We’re also pleased to offer a variety of options for your healthcare visit, including individual appointments and group visits for common health problems.

At Baylor Family Medicine, you’ll benefit from all the medical advantages you’d expect from Baylor College of Medicine, an internationally respected medical and research center known for excellence in education, research and patient care. For 2007 and 2008, U.S. News and World Report ranked Baylor College of Medicine 10th overall among the nation's top medical schools for research and 11th for primary care.

Note to Our Patients about Flu

We are all concerned about this flu season, especially the H1N1 strain. Here at BFM, we strive to provide you with state-of-the-art care that is consistent with scientific evidence and expert opinion. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are releasing regular updates and recommendations (see the most recent CDC recommendations) and we are following them for treatment of flu. These recommendations are based on the fact that we need to save the supply of Tamiflu for really bad cases of the illness and use the medication with caution to prevent the flu virus from becoming resistant to the Tamiflu. We need to use it to save lives, not just shorten illness, and to be sure it will continue to be effective against the virus.

Basically they recommend that people who are generally healthy not be treated with Tamiflu for mild to moderate flu symptoms. People who have flu feel very ill with fever, cough, headache, fatigue and achiness and want to get better fast, but with rest and treatment of symptoms, they will get well without Tamiflu. Tamiflu should be used for people who have serious illness or are at high risk for developing serious illness, as listed below.

We appreciate your cooperation with the CDC recommendations and your understanding that we are trying to provide the best care possible to all of the patients in our practice while helping with the public good.

We recommend you sign up for MyChart so you can communicate with us efficiently through secure e-mail. Thank you for trusting us with your health.

Your Questions about the Flu and Tamiflu

• How do I know if I have the flu?
  At present this is based on your clinician's evaluation of the symptoms you are having, since the rapid testing available in the office is not completely accurate.
• Who does get tested?
  People who are sick enough to be hospitalized are being tested with a sophisticated laboratory test.
• Will I get Tamiflu?
  People who are severely ill (sick enough to be in the hospital) or at high risk of complications will get Tamiflu. High risk people are over 65 or under 2 years old, have serious health conditions like cancer or diabetes, or are pregnant.
• I want Tamiflu but I am not in a high risk group—can I get it?
  No. If your system is strong enough to fight off the flu without medication, we will not prescribe Tamiflu for you. Tamiflu doesn't make a big difference for healthy people, and it can be lifesaving for those who are most vulnerable. We are following the recommendations of the CDC (the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) by following this approach.