Summer Health Watch

A thermometer shows high temperatures over blurred sunshine, and a chalkboard sign in grass reads Beware of Ticks, warning about the risks of ticks in warm weather.

July and August bring two of the most consistent clinical challenges of the year — heat-related illness and tick-borne disease. Both are preventable, both are underdiagnosed, and both are worth a proactive conversation with your patients before they show up in your exam room. Heat-Related Illness: Know the Spectrum Heat-related illnesses range from mild presentations…

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36 Years of the ADA: What It Means for Your Practice

Graphic with symbols for sign language, hearing, mobility aid, and wheelchair on a teal background. Large white text reads ADA at 36, marking the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

This Sunday, July 26, marks the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act — a milestone worth noting, especially because several new compliance deadlines affecting physician practices have either just passed or are right around the corner. Under Title III of the ADA, medical offices and hospitals are classified as “public accommodations,” which means…

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The Heat is On: Resources for Patients to Stay Safe This Summer

Text Summer Heatwave Safety over a bright sun with clouds. A thermometer with a sun icon shows high temperature, emphasizing heatwave safety awareness.

The Independence Day heat wave was not just uncomfortable. It was a mass casualty event in slow motion. More than 470 heat-related emergency room visits were recorded during the week of June 28 through July 4 — more ER visits in that single week than in the entire heat period since May. Statewide, there had…

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The Quiet Crisis Affecting LGBTQ+ Physicians and Their Patients

Bold black text reads LGBTQ HEALTH CARE above a series of overlapping rainbow-colored arcs, including traditional and transgender pride flag colors, symbolizing LGBTQ inclusivity in healthcare.

We’re closing MCMS Pride Month coverage for June 2026 with the research that sits underneath everything else we’ve shared this month. Two studies published in the past year document what’s happening to LGBTQ+ people in medicine right now, on both sides of the exam room. The picture isn’t good, and it has practical implications for…

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June is Pride Month: LGBTQ+ Healthcare Resources

Bold text reads LGTBQ Health Care over rainbow and inclusive pride flag arches with diverse, colorful raised hands and silhouettes of people beneath.

LGBTQ+ Health Resources in Montgomery County: A Physician’s Guide Montgomery County has more LGBTQ+ residents per capita than most Maryland jurisdictions, but a 2024 report from the Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) found the County functions as a healthcare “desert” for transgender patients. Only three clinics offer any gender-affirming services, and none specializes exclusively in…

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Polycystic ovary syndrome is more than ovarian

A teal ribbon labeled PCOS is next to an artistic representation of ovaries, with one ovary decorated with white cotton balls and pink flowers, symbolizing women’s health and polycystic ovary syndrome awareness.

Oluyemisi Famuyiwa, M.D. Montgomery Fertility Center The name polycystic ovary syndrome may have unintentionally narrowed how medicine understood one of the most common endocrine disorders affecting women. The ovaries were visible. The deeper physiology was not. For decades, the syndrome was largely framed around irregular ovulation, infertility, excess androgen symptoms, and the characteristic “string of…

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Hantavirus and the Andes Virus Outbreak

The image shows the Maryland state flag with a large, detailed illustration of a virus or viral particle superimposed in the center.

What Maryland Physicians Need to Know An active multi-country outbreak of Andes virus, the only hantavirus strain capable of person-to-person transmission, has prompted the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) to begin monitoring two state residents following potential exposure. While confirmed cases remain far from Maryland and the risk to patients is considered very low, the…

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