MEET OUR TEAM: Practice Manager, Renece Holland

It only seems appropriate to introduce Renece Holland on her one-year anniversary as Practice Manager for Dr. Hulon Crayton of The Arthritis & Infusion Center.

Renece has been in some level of customer service all her life – first, in Atlanta, and then for a digital imaging company here in Panama City. It was at that local business where she first became acquainted with Dr. Crayton.

“We became business associates and when I decided to make a change in my career, it just so happened that he needed a practice manager right at the same time,” said Ms. Holland.  And, her career wasn’t the only thing that needed adjustments. “This has been a year of great change within the practice, but where we are now makes all the blood, sweat, and tears all worthwhile. Now, we have a great team that works extremely well together in the best interest of the patients, practice, and Dr. Crayton. Everyone ‘has each other’s back’.”  This fact becomes quite obvious when observing their group dynamics.

Individually, Renece is a person of faith, which is displayed in how she walks her walk:

“For the past six years, I’ve been a caregiver to my mother and am a devoted wife to my wonderful husband. Plus, I’m a loyal friend who loves to laugh,” she said.

Renece’s philosophy regarding her leadership role within the practice is simple, yet profound:  “I want everything to run smoothly and for all the patients to be happy as well as pain free,” she said. “However, medicine is changing due to all the federal government’s new policies, so it becomes a challenge to balance all the regulations, while at the same time taking the best care of the patient. My ‘end game’ every day is to make certain that we have provided the most exemplary customer service possible.”

This life-long focus on others is what makes Renece Holland all the more valuable as a team member on Dr. Crayton’s staff. “If patients ever have issues, I’d like them to know they have a compassionate advocate working on their behalf,” she said.

Because, like Dr. Crayton, Renece also understands that pain is not normal.  “We stand ready to help in any way possible.” That sentiment isn’t just a slogan … it’s a promise.

Women's Symposium

Don’t miss The Arthritis & Infusion Center’s booth at The Women’s Symposium, Friday, June 14th, at Florida State University Panama City’s Holley Academic Center from 7:30-3:00 PM. Click here to find out more about this event. 

The Arthritis & Infusion Center Announces Association with Darr McKeown, M.D., Radiologist

Dr. Hulon Crayton, Medical Director and owner of The Arthritis & Infusion Center, is very

pleased to announce the association with Darr McKeown, MD, Radiologist.

“I chose to work with Dr. McKeown because he is highly technical, thorough, and in my opinion is, hands down, the best in his field in the Southeast United States,” said Dr. Crayton. “I know if he gives me his professional opinion on a diagnosis, it is official.”

Darr McKeown, M.D. was raised in the Atlanta area. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Oglethorpe University and received his M.D. from the Medical College of Georgia. He completed his residency at Memorial Medical Center in Savannah and returned to Atlanta to begin private practice in 1986. He is Board Certified and licensed to practice in Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. Dr. McKeown often lectures on the differences between X-ray and MRI.

Drs. Crayton and McKeown have been friends, and professional colleagues, since 1999.  The following Q&A with Dr. McKeown explains the significance of this new partnering of services:

Why are your services so critical to the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis and other connective-tissue disorders?

“Dr. Crayton bases his diagnosis and treatment plans on the discoveries I make with certain abnormalities found in MRI or ultrasound exams. There are new and improved treatments for arthritis all the time, and Dr. Crayton stays current on these options; however, without a specific diagnosis, he doesn’t know if the condition is a food allergy, sprain, or a true arthritis,” said Dr. McKeown. “If my diagnosis is arthritis, this condition will require strong medications that can be effective in slowing, or curing, some types of this disease.  However, without knowing which arthritis you are dealing with, it’s like taking your car to the mechanic without anything being checked under the hood to find out what is wrong.”

With current technology, it is no longer necessary for a radiologist to be in the immediate area to read X-rays or MRIs. How is this information transmitted between you and Dr. Crayton?

“With our advanced technology, we can push images across the street or around the world.  This digital equipment allows doctors to partner with specialists who don’t have to be geographically situated nearby,” explained Dr. McKeown. “In fact, many doctors in Northwest Florida use my services because my many years of experience allow me to know exactly what they need, and I have a reputation for very detailed analysis of the exams.  I focus on the precise diagnosis and tell the physician what he wants to know, narrowing all the options to help them make an educated decision on treatment.”

Dr. Crayton uses both MRIs as well as musculoskeletal ultrasounds. What are the advantages of ultrasounds?

 

The important things for the lay person to remember are that ultrasounds are:

1) Cost effective

2) Significantly cheaper than an MRI or CAT scan

3) Quick, easy, and totally painless

“Radiologists are at the mercy of the expertise of the ultrasound tech, but Dr. Crayton’s technologist is highly credentialed, so I know the patients are getting a thorough reading,” said Dr. McKeown. “Plus, there is no heat, pressure, or radiation with ultrasounds. MRIs do not use radiation either, but this option is not very comfortable, is very expensive, not to mention time consuming; however, sometimes, it is the physician’s only option due to herniations or tears of tendons, etc. Ultrasounds, on the other hand, can be performed right in the office, to monitor the progress of treatment, and without any waiting times.”

Regardless of the choice in technology – MRIs or Ultrasounds – the expertise offered by Drs. Crayton and McKeown provide patients with confidence in knowing the exam is going to be done well.  Dr. Crayton has built a team of experts within his practice to ensure exemplary care combined with compassion.  Remember:  “Pain is not normal.  We can help.”

Fibromyalgia is REAL! Four ways to manage this disease

Within the medical field, not all physicians believe in the condition referred to as Fibromyalgia, but at The Arthritis & Infusion Center, when a patient tells Dr. Hulon Crayton that they hurt, he believes them! Unfortunately, there is no definitive way to diagnose Fibromyalgia, because there are no lab tests or x-rays that can determine this insipid disease. Therefore, Dr. Crayton does a thorough history of the patient in combination with a good physical. After reviewing the data, he listens to what the patient has to say about their symptoms and then asks them the right questions to finalize the most accurate assessment.

What IS Fibromyalgia? According to many medical experts, Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes muscle pain and body stiffness, which may be combined with feeling tired all the time. Another interesting fact is that this condition is most common in women under the age of 50. Dr. Crayton will examine your joints and muscles trying to determine tender points that are linked with this health condition. (It is not unusual for a patient to have between 11 and 18 tender areas within their body.) 

Symptoms include:

• A burning, or throbbing pain, in many parts of the body, which can vary during the day 
• Stiffness, or aching, all over the body
• Constant fatigue, even after a good night’s sleep, with a lack of energy 
• Tension or migraine headaches 
• Bowel issues

How can you manage this disease? According to The Arthritis Foundation,

1. Take tests to check your iron levels, vitamin D deficiency, and thyroid problems.

2. Follow your doctor’s orders! Depending on the test results, Dr. Crayton may suggest getting more exercise or starting certain supplements. What is most important is to follow the recommended course of action, but communicate with Dr. Crayton if the symptoms worsen or if you have a reaction to any part of the treatment.

3. Dr. Crayton often recommends that patients take over-the-counter pain relievers for discomfort. However, before he prescribes any medications, he needs to know ALL

medications you are currently taking to ensure there are no drug interactions.

4. If the condition is not diagnosed and treated early, symptoms can go on indefinitely, or they may disappear for months and then recur.

While the symptoms of Fibromyalgia may never totally go away, we try to work on the triggers within the patient’s environment to relieve some of their anxiety and pain. If you feel you may be a candidate for a consult regarding this “stealth disease”, we’d like to encourage you to call our office so that Fibromyalgia won’t be able to steal any more of your life. Remember what Dr. Crayton tells all his patients: “Pain is not normal. Let us help.”