New! Aromatherapy for Beautiful Skin
Series of 5 Workshops
This document outlines Glastonbury Naturopathic Center LLC, Dr. Helene Pulnik and its healthcare providers’ Policy related to use of Social Media. Please read it to understand how I conduct myself on the Internet as a Naturopathic Physician and Acupuncturist and how you can expect me to respond to various interactions that may occur between us on the Internet. If you have any questions about anything within this document, I encourage you to bring them up when we meet. As new technology develops and the Internet changes, there may be times when I need to update this policy. If I do so, I will notify you in writing of any policy changes and make sure you have a copy of the updated policy.
FRIENDING
I do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former patients or clients on any social networking site (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc). I believe that adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise your confidentiality and our respective privacy. It may also blur the boundaries of our doctor/patient relationship. If you have questions about this, please bring them up when we meet and we can talk more about it. I keep a Facebook Page for my professional practice to allow people to share my blog posts and practice updates with other Facebook users. All of the information shared on this page is available on my website. Note that you are able to subscribe to the page via RSS without liking the page and without creating a visible, public link to my Page.
FOLLOWING
I publish a blog on my website and I post health and wellness news on Facebook and Twitter. I have no expectation that you as a client will want to follow my blog or Twitter stream. My primary concern is your privacy. Use your own discretion in choosing whether to follow me. Note that I will not follow you back. I only follow other health professionals on Facebook and Twitter and I do not follow current or former clients on blogs, Facebook or Twitter. My reasoning is that I believe casual viewing of clients’ online content outside of our doctor/patient relationship can create confusion. In addition, viewing your online activities without your consent and without our explicit arrangement towards a specific purpose could potentially have a negative influence on our working relationship. If there are things from your online life that you wish to share with me, please bring them into your sessions where we can view and explore them appropriately, during the office visit.
INTERACTING
Please do not use SMS (mobile phone text messaging) or messaging on Social Networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn to contact me. These sites are not secure and I may not read these messages in a timely fashion. Do not use Wall postings, @replies, or other means of engaging with me in public online if we have an already established doctor/patient relationship. Engaging with me this way could compromise your confidentiality. It may also create the possibility that these exchanges become a part of your legal medical record and will need to be documented and archived in your chart. If you need to contact Dr. Pulnik or any of our health care practitioners between office visits or sessions, the best way to do so is by phone. Please contact the main office at 860-657-4105 during normal office hours, which are Monday Thru Saturday from 10am-5pm.. If you have a true medical emergency after office hours, please go directly to your nearest Emergency Room or call 911.
SCHEDULING
To schedule or change appointments with Dr. Pulnik or any of our health care practitioners, the best way to do so is by phone. Please contact the main office at 860-657-4105 during regular business hours, Monday - Saturday 10am-5pm.
CONCLUSION
Thank you for taking the time to review my Social Media Policy. If you have questions or concerns about any of these policies and procedures or regarding our potential interactions on the Internet, do bring them to my attention so that we can discuss them.
-
-
Get Outside This Spring Spring is finally here! The weather is warming up, which means it’s time to begin planting flowers in the garden, doing lawn preparation or just spending time outside enjoying the warm weather. It is lovely to be surrounded by all of the plants and trees that are in full bloom at this time of the year. However, if you are like the millions of people in the US who suffer with seasonal allergy symptoms, the downside of spending time outside can be the itchy eyes, running nose and sneezing that can take out the fun out of enjoying this time of year Allergies are pretty common. Both genes and environmental factors play a role. The immune system normally protects the body against harmful substances, such as bacteria and viruses. It also reacts to foreign substances called allergens, which are generally harmless and in most people do not cause a problem. But in a person with allergies, the immune response is oversensitive. When it recognizes an allergen such as pollen, it releases chemicals such as histamines. which fight off the allergen. This causes allergy symptoms. Common springtime allergy symptoms include: Sneezing Itchy, red or watery eyes Runny nose Congestion Fatigue Headaches Skin reactionsSome individuals with severe allergy sensitivities may experience rashes, hives and breathing problems as well. Tree pollens are already in the air. Grass pollens and then weed pollens will follow them. Windy, sunny or clear days will often be worse for people with seasonal allergy symptoms than wet, cloudy or windless days because pollens travel more easily when there is no dampness in the air. Keep this in mind as you prepare for outdoor yard work or play. Even garden-variety flowers and flowering trees such as apple trees, oak trees (acorn flower) produce large amounts of pollen every year and can cause severe allergic symptoms. Many pollens that are carried by the wind are usually very lightweight and almost invisible to the eye but can pack a serious punch on the sinuses. A major issue with pollens these days is that the majority of plants, trees and shrubs planted in urban areas are male. Male plants produce the pollen grains that cause the majority of seasonal allergy symptoms. Homeowners and developers select the male plants because they are low maintenance and do not produce seedpods or fruits that leave such a mess in yards and surrounding areas. The most intensely pollen producing plants are being planted simply because they don’t make a mess. With more urban development occurring and more male pollen producing plants being planted, allergy symptoms will continue to rise. Compounding the pollen issue in the spring is the fact that greenhouse gases are having a big impact on increasing pollen production, contributing to the global increase in allergy symptoms. As things heat up, pollen production increases as well. Plant pollens are not the only trigger for gardeners as they prepare their lawns. Mold and mildew play a big role in seasonal symptoms because their spores affect people in the springtime as well as year round. Mold can be found in the new soil that is brought in for yard plantings or in the mulch that is used in garden beds. Also please remember, if you are composting, molds are in the compost pile as well. Springtime is a great time of year and should be enjoyed by everyone, even people who suffer with symptoms associated with allergies and sensitivities. At Glastonbury Naturopathic Center, we offer Advanced Allergy Therapy that can help relieve or significantly reduce the symptoms associated with the springtime pollen season. This treatment is non-invasive and does not include needles, supplements or medications. It is completely pain-free and available to all ages, including infants. If you suffer from springtime allergy symptoms, please call Glastonbury Naturopathic Center today at 860-657-4105 and find out how we can help!
Member Login
