#MindPHL together is a joint initiative by the City of Philadelphia and Blue Cross. There is a number to call if you are experiencing a mental health crisis.
Health Fact Friday: 6 Tips for Safe Grocery Shopping
Health Fact Friday: 6 tips for safe grocery shopping during the coronavirus crisis.
List of Philadelphia Churches Livestreaming Easter Services
List of Philadelphia Churches that are streaming Easter services on Sunday, April 12, 2020.
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) FAQs
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) FAQs from the State of Pennsylvania, includes information on the CARE Act related to COVID-19 epidemic.
Contact Tracing
The process of closely monitoring those who are exposed to an infected person. It includes identifying contacts of the infected person, listing and informing those contacts of the infected person, and following up to check up on contacts’ infection and symptoms.
Get to Know Your Words: Referral
Referral – A direction from a more general professional, like a primary care physician, to a specialist for further action
Get to Know Your Words: Asymptomatic, Presymptomatic, Mildly Symptomatic
Refers to people who carry the active COVID-19 virus, but do not develop symptoms
Masks: What to do?
The CDC now recommends wearing masks or face coverings when outside the home to help prevent community spread of coronavirus.
Get to know your words: Cortisol
Cortisol The body’s primary stress hormone Cortisol levels in the blood affect the regulation of many parts of the body, like blood pressure, sleep cycles, and blood-sugar levels. Continuous stress, and therefore chronically higher levels of cortisol, can lead to headaches, weight gain, sleep disturbances, depression and anxiety, and heart disease.
Get to know your words: Some Coronavirus Terminology
COVID-19: an infectious disease in the coronavirus family. It is called “new” or “novel” because it is recently discovered.COVID-19
Mental Health and Quarantine
Adjusting to the quarantine efforts and stay-at-home order has been difficult. There has been a lot of change in a very short amount of time. Taking care of physical health is important in the face of COVID-19, and now taking care of mental health must be a focus in the face of social isolation due…
Dr. Cruz is a board-certified pediatrician who serves as the Medical Director for our Pediatrics and Adolescent Health Center. He has presented and/or published in the fields of community violence and domestic violence prevention, quality improvement, behavioral health, curriculum development, and mentorship.