All posts by Jeffrey Sterling, MD

November Is American Diabetes Month

November is National Diabetes Month, a time when communities across the country team up to bring attention, to raise awareness, and to improve understanding of diabetes among people with diabetes as well as those who provide care to them.

Did you know that more than 30 million adults and children – that’s one in 10 people – in the United States has type 1 or type 2 diabetes, and another 85 million Americans are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes? Less than ten percent of all adult diabetes cases diagnosed each year is type 1 diabetes. People who are at high risk for type 2 diabetes can lower their risk if they make healthy changes. Examples of healthy changes include eating healthy, getting more physical activity, and losing weight.

Learn more about what you can do to help those with diabetes live a healthy life.

  • Encourage people to make small changes, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
  • Talk to people in your community about getting regular checkups, including getting their blood pressure, and cholesterol checked.
  • Ask doctors and nurses to be leaders in their communities by speaking about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity.

Did you know that adults with diabetes are nearly twice as likely to die from heart disease or stroke as people without diabetes? The good news is that the steps you take to manage your diabetes can also help lower your chances of having heart disease or a stroke.

For more information and resources about diabetes management, Dr. Jeffrey Sterling, MD, encourages you to speak with your family doctor to learn more about what you can do to keep yourself healthy.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Detecting Breast Cancer Early

Each October, we wear pink to show our support for breast cancer awareness. This empowering campaign helps to shed light and bring awareness to this disease that affects one in eight women. Each year, an estimated 250,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are diagnosed in women in the U.S., according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and is the second leading cause of cancer death as well.

There is no known cause for breast cancer, although women with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop breast cancer. Some risk factors, such as drinking alcohol, can be avoided. But most risk factors, like having a family history of breast cancer, can’t be avoided. There is much that we know and much that we have yet to understand. However, we do know that cancer spreads in three important ways: 1.) Damaged cells replicate, creating more damaged cells and tumor growth. 2.) The body’s hormones and chemicals can accelerate the growth of some tumors. 3.) Lymph and blood vessels can carry the cancer to other areas of the body.

Breast cancer can’t be prevented, but you can take important steps to help detect it earlier, increasing your risk of finding it before it spreads. Regular breast cancer screenings are crucial for early detection and treatment. This October, Dr. Jeffrey Sterling hopes you’ll encourage the women you love, especially yourself, ladies, to schedule an appointment with a gynecologist for a routine examination.

Top Benefits Of Hiring A Healthcare Consulting Firm

If you’re in the healthcare industry, be it your own private practice or you’re part of a hospital group, surely you’ve considered utilizing a healthcare consulting firm to help improve efficiency, optimize everyday operations, better meet patient needs, and increase your bottom line. If you’re on the fence about whether you should hire a healthcare consulting group to offer suggestions and solutions for improvements, or to continue as you are without increased efficiency, allow us to explain the number one reason why you can’t afford not to hire a healthcare consultant for your medical practice.

Pinpoint Areas of Improvement
Whether you’re a hospital executive, running a health system, or running your own medical practice, sometimes you’re too imbedded to identify areas that can use revamping and improvement. It can be challenging to determine what is the problem or how to fix it when you’re being pulled in a million directions. Dr. Jeffrey Sterling MD and his team of healthcare consulting professionals can dive into your operations and provide a detailed analysis of how your group is doing compared to best practices and provide a comprehensive improvement plan. This allows you to know, in detail, what you need to improve and how to go about making sustainable changes.

Our services don’t stop there. We offer solutions for administrative, operational, financial, and clinical challenges. Beyond making recommendations, we assist hospitals, clinics, colleges, and other entities in implementing initiatives that bring their provision of care and services in line with established best practice guidelines. Contact Dr. Jeffrey Sterling today to initiate a complimentary evaluation by calling 866-827-4104.

72 Hours Life Time Management Tools

We can all use some extra motivation and inspiration to stay focused and on task, whether that’s at home, with our children, or at work. If only there were more hours in the day to get everything accomplished, then we might feel more productive. But what if there was a way to squeeze 72 hours into your day? It seems impossible, but it’s not. Dr. Jeffrey Sterling, MD, has developed the 72 Hours Life plan that helps you to manage your time, energy, and resources better so that you can be more productive and efficient.

We all only have 24 hours in a day. No one has the power to slow down time, but we all know that person that can get the most out of every minute of the day. What they do, however, is understand how to properly manage their time in order to make the most out of each day.

The same rules apply to increased time efficiency, whether you’re looking to fit in more time at work or home. A few time management steps that can help you get the most out of your time are: creating a time audit, which includes finding out exactly where your time goes; setting a time limit for each task, which prevents you from getting distracted or procrastinating; using a to-do list, and never abandoning tasks; planning ahead; and getting organized.

Dr. Jeffrey Sterling and the 72 Hours Life will provide you with proven tips for increasing productivity. As a productivity and healthcare motivational speaker, author, and consultant, Jeffrey Sterling, MD, has what it takes to help you live the 72 Hours Life.

Back To School Tips For A Healthy Transition

Back to school season is an exciting time for children of all ages, from preschool through college, as they head into a new academic year full of new experiences, lots of learning, and time with new and old friends. Unfortunately, back to school time can also mean germ and sick season for your home. As you prepare your children for the start of school, you can also ensure a healthy transition back to school, so they’re physically ready for the challenges ahead, by considering these tips provided by Dr. Jeffrey Sterling, author of 72 Hours Life, for a healthy start to your child’s new school year.

  1. Wash Hands: It may seem obvious, but the most effective way to avoid spreading and catching germs is hand washing. For little ones, encourage them to make sure they’ve spent enough time on this essential task by singing the alphabet song as they wash the front and back of their hands and in-between fingers.
  1. Immunization: Make sure your children are up to date. Every state requires certain vaccinations at different grade levels, so check with your physician before the start of the new school year.
  1. Check-ups: An annual physical exam will ensure your child is in good health before the start of the new school year. You’ll also want to schedule an eye exam to ensure they can see well and a hearing test, if necessary.
  1. Proper Nutrition: Providing healthy meal options for your children, including breakfast, helps students to be more alert. The right food combinations, as well as the right amount of rest, will help their bodies fight off infection.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month

We highlight the importance of vaccinations for people of all ages each August during National Immunization Awareness Month. This is the perfect reminder for you, your family, and friends to stay up to date on these life-saving shots. Vaccines aren’t only important for children but adults as well as they help to prevent dangerous and sometimes deadly diseases from spreading rampantly. Vaccines offer the power of protection for yourself and your family against serious diseases, like the flu, measles, whooping cough, cancers caused by HPV, pneumonia, and many more.

Immunization Facts
Vaccines are among the most effective ways to protect against serious diseases. Many vaccine-preventable diseases are no longer common thanks to vaccines, which are tested to ensure they are safe and effective for children and adults to receive at the recommended times. As children head back to school this month, make sure vaccination is at the top of your checklist.

National Immunization Awareness Month is the perfect opportunity to talk to your doctor or other healthcare professionals to ensure you, your children, and your family are up to date on the recommended vaccines. Dr. Jeffrey Sterling encourages you to talk to your primary care physician about the vaccines you need to be protected against serious diseases.

Increase Your Productivity With The 72 Hours Life

Whether it’s in your personal life, at your job, or as a parent, each of us is looking for ways to be more productive. We all have the same 24 hours in the day to fit in all of the things we need to do, but there never seems to be enough time also to do the things we want to do. What if that doesn’t have to be the case? What could you accomplish with 72 hours in your day?

Dr. Jeffrey Sterling, MD, is the author of this remarkable book filled with accessible tips and tricks for maximizing your time. There Are 72 Hours In A Day isn’t just full of positive affirmations. It is packed full of real, clear, actionable steps that can help you be the most organized and efficient version of yourself, giving you the extra hours in your day to focus on your greatest priorities.

You can continue making your endless to-do lists, but are they helping you to reach your peak productivity levels? Or how about all of that caffeine that keeps you going? Is that transforming your life? The 72 Hours Life will teach you to be more strategic, to focus on a single task at a time, to help you form new habits to improve your efficiency and focus, as well as how to control your ambitions so you aren’t feeling overwhelmed each day.

Achieve greater success in work, finance, personal relationships, health, and more with the practical advice found inside the pages of There Are 72 Hours In A Day. Order yours today.

Stay Sun Safe During UV Protection Month

Every July, we bask in the warmth of the sun’s rays. For some parts of the country, it’s a much-anticipated welcome from the long, cold months of winter. Although, even if you’re fortunate to live in a warm and sunny climate all year long, July ushers in even warmer days as the sun moves closer to Earth.

While we celebrate these glorious days of summer by spending as much time outdoors as possible, soaking in those rays poolside, along the beach, or hiking, it’s important to remember to protect your skin and eyes from the damaging effects of the sun during UV Safety Awareness Month.

As you likely already know, the sun emits radiation known as UV-A and UV-B rays. UV-B rays have short wavelengths that reach the outer layer of your skin. UV-A rays have longer wavelengths that can penetrate the middle layer of your skin.

By taking proper precautionary steps to protect yourself and your family from UV rays, everyone can enjoy the sun and outdoors safely without damage to your eyes, premature skin aging, or skin cancer. Minimize the risk that comes with sun exposure by following these three simple guidelines by Jeffrey Sterling, MD, a national leader in community-based medicine, healthcare, and public health.

  1. Choosing the right sunscreen is so important. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that your sunscreen have a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15, and should protect against both UV-A and UV-B rays.
  2. Apply your sunscreen frequently. When out in the sun, it’s important that you apply at least one ounce of sunscreen every two hours. You should apply it more often if you are sweating or swimming, even if the sunscreen is waterproof.
  3. Cover up with a wide-brimmed hat and UV-protective clothing to shade your skin.

By taking proper precautions, you can enjoy the beautiful, sunny days of summer without fear of sun damage to your skin and eyes.

Healthcare Consulting Services from Dr. Jeffrey Sterling, MD

At Sterling Initiatives, we provide and implement solutions for administrative, operational, financial, and clinical challenges for state governments, healthcare systems, hospitals, and contract management groups. When your organization needs help to rectify ongoing issues or is looking to streamline and improve your operations, we can help.

Sterling Initiatives healthcare consulting firm will not only thoroughly assess your healthcare institution or delivery organization’s infrastructure in order to identify your challenges, and beyond only making recommendations for change, we assist hospitals, clinics, colleges, and other entities in implementing initiatives that bring their provision of care and services in line with established best practice guidelines.

Administrative Services: We offer short and long-term administrative and staffing services to clients for transitional leadership, permanent leadership placement, administrative and staffing services to clients, infrastructure development, and protocol and policy development.
Clinical Treatment Management: We provide solutions for addiction, assisted living, behavioral health, home health, LTACH and post-acute, as well as skilled nursing services.
Emergency Excellence: SI-STEMS is the emergency medicine contract management division of Sterling Initiatives. SI-STEMS works with your hospital to analyze the operations of your emergency department to implement best practices and facilitate performance at or above the standard of care.
Healthcare Consulting and Projects: We focus on the development and implementation of programs, processes, procedures, performance metrics, and outcome measures.
Hospital Management: Our experts cover the spectrum of hospital management function, including providing CEO services, department management, staffing, and financial reengineering.
Preventative Health Offerings: SterlìngMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) is an online personal healthcare consulting company that provides health and medical information to subscribers on demand, 24 hours a day.
Primary Care Offerings:  We use a public health approach to assess and coordinate the entire care needs of a community.

To learn more about Sterling Initiatives healthcare consulting firm, and to receive a complimentary evaluation of your environment, contact us at 844-724-7754.

Risks of Sun Exposure and Skin Cancer

The sun on our skin feels good and provides us with a healthy dose of vitamin D. That sounds like a good thing, right?  Well, the truth of the matter is that despite how much we love getting outside to enjoy the warmth of the sunshine, the exposure to the sun’s rays, over time, are harmful, including increasing your risk for developing skin cancer.

When you’re young, you typically don’t think about the long-term effect of sun exposure. As we age, we assume that many of the skin changes we see are all a natural part of the aging process. However, regular exposure causes most of the wrinkles and age spots on our face later in life. Over time, the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light damages the fibers in the skin called elastins. When these fibers break down, the skin begins to sag, stretch, and loses its elasticity. While sun damage to the skin may not be apparent when you’re young, it will definitely show later in life.

Skin Cancer Prevention Tips
Dr. Jeffrey Sterling,  MD, from the international healthcare consulting firm, Sterling Initiatives, offers this important advice: it’s never too early or too late to protect your skin. While nothing can undo sun damage that has already happened, the skin can somewhat repair itself with consistent sun protection.

  • Apply sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or greater 20 minutes before sun exposure and every 2 hours or more if you are sweating or swimming.
  • Wear a wide-brimmed hat to shade your face and neck, and select clothing, swimwear, and sunglasses with UV protection.
  • Avoid direct sun exposure during peak UV radiation hours – between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
  • Perform skin self-exams regularly to familiarize yourself with moles and marks, and to notice and monitor any changes.
Sterling Initiatives logo

The Benefits of Our International Healthcare Consulting Services

Sterling Initiatives logoAs a healthcare institution, you’re always looking for better ways to serve your patients. How well you balance and optimize the many aspects of your operation can make life-changing differences for real people, and you need to know exactly where and how to improve if you want to stay on the cutting edge of the field. That’s where international healthcare consulting comes in.

This thriving industry partners with colleges, clinics, hospitals, and more to provide insight into key elements of their service, including:

  • Administrative
  • Operational
  • Financial
  • Clinical

But how do you find the right consultant for your needs? First, look for the same thing you would in a medical professional – expertise. Nothing substitutes for experience and successful projects. Next, you need a company with vision, ready to take the initiative and go above and beyond for your organization. Finally, don’t hesitate to compare your options and inquire about the scope of each consulting firm’s services.

The right team should be customer-focused, offer versatile strategic and operational solutions, and factor in cost concerns to give you the best quality and sustainability. In addition, you want to work with someone who believes in outcome-based solutions. After all, results matter when health is on the line.

As both a doctor and healthcare consultant, Jeffrey Sterling, MD, has the knowledge and experience to help you make it in the healthcare industry. Contact him today at 715-518-4914.

There are 72 Hours in a Day by Jeffrey Sterling, MD

Discover the 72 Hours Life

There are 72 Hours in a Day by Jeffrey Sterling, MDAll too often, it feels like you just don’t have enough time in the day to get things done. Projects go unfinished, deadlines loom, and hours slip away without accomplishing the goals you set for your day. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. There are 72 hours in a day, and with the right tips for productivity, you can take advantage of all of them.

How do you turn 24 hours into 72? By taking advantage of practical, actionable strategies for getting more done. Some of these include:

Scheduling – So simple that it often gets overlooked, the ability to plan your day down to the minute makes sure you’re never wasting time. That doesn’t mean refusing to relax or being so rigid that you can’t adapt. Set aside time for rest and be open to adjusting your schedule as priorities shift throughout the day.

Multitasking – An hour isn’t just an hour. When you have multiple tasks to do, but many of them involve waiting or downtime, you can multiply your productivity by using some activities to fill the space between the stages of others. This is where scheduling can really shine, too – when you know how much time you have to spend, you can prioritize effectively.

Reviewing – At the end of each day, looking back at your schedule and thinking about how your actual life lines up with your plans helps you refine your approach for the next day. Do this every night, and you’ll be living the 72 Hours Life before you know it.