Benjamin V. Dubois, MD

Dear Patient,

Your Health Matters to Us

At Woodholme Cardiovascular Associates, our priority is keeping you healthy, delivering the right levels of care at the right time to keep you at home, and out of the hospital. We are proud to be an integral part of your healthcare team and are excited about introducing a new remote patient monitoring program called “Blip Care.”

What is Blip Care?

Blip Care is a remote monitoring program that will enhance your ability to manage your high blood pressure (hypertension) at home. The device is easy to use, and the data transmits to our portal in real-time, safely, and securely.

As an eligible member in our Blip Care program, you will receive a free blood pressure device that you will use to monitor your blood pressure daily at home. You’ll also have regular contact with a dedicated monitoring technician who can help answer your questions about your blood pressure. This technician, with the assistance of your physician, can also give you guidance, support, extra resources, and can help coach you to better health.

How do I Participate

Patients who are interested should email Ari Weiss at Aweiss@lifebridgehealth.org. Participation in the Blip Care program is optional; however, we do encourage you to participate and take advantage of this free blood pressure monitor. Remote patient monitoring is covered by Medicare and most major insurance carriers. Monthly costs (if applicable) will be discussed prior to enrolling in the program.

Wishing you good health,

Woodholme Cardiovascular Associates

Please note the following policy change: If you are unable to keep your appointment, please call the office at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment. If you miss your follow-up appointment and do not call to cancel, a $25 no-show fee will be applied to your account. If you are a New Patient and fail to show up for your scheduled appointment, a $50 no-show fee will be applied to your account. Thank you for your understanding.

Certain health insurance policies require that you obtain a referral from your Primary Care Physician (PCP) prior to receiving care from a specialist’s office, such as ours. It is the patient’s responsibility to ensure a valid referral is on file prior to the appointment. Please note that failure to obtain the necessary referrals may require alternate payment arrangements or the rescheduling of your appointment.

Thank you for your understanding.

Woodholme Cardiovascular Associates

Dear Patients,

Please note that we have received an alert from another practice that scammers are trying to obtain credit card information by acting like they represent medical offices on behalf of a patient satisfaction survey company. This of course is NOT communication from Press Ganey, the company that represents LifeBridge Health. Please be aware of this scam attempt and please contact the practice right away if you are asked to provide credit card information. As always, we thank you for completing the Press Ganey surveys that you receive either my mail or email.

Recommendations On Who Should Take Aspirin. 

We are aware that the New York Times published an article on October 12th (“Aspirin Use to Prevent Heart Attack or Stroke Should be Curtailed. U.S Panel Says”) and we would like to give our patients perspective and guidance. 

 This article is a summary of information known since 2018 when several trials were published that changed the recommendations on the routine use of aspirin in people without prior history of stroke, coronary disease (with or without prior heart attack), or peripheral vascular disease.  What the research says is that in the absence of those conditions, aspirin to prevent one of these conditions has a higher risk of causing bleeding than preventing a patient from developing one of these conditions. 

People with the following conditions should remain on 81 mg of aspirin: 

• prior stroke 
• heart attack or coronary stent 
• known coronary disease, including having been told you have a positive calcium score  
• peripheral vascular disease or peripheral vascular stent 
• History of TIA or stroke 

Check with your doctor, but people who probably do not need aspirin include people without the above listed conditions, but are taking aspirin: 

• Because they have a family history of heart disease 
• Because they are diabetic 
• Because they think everyone should be on aspirin. 

 In summary, aspirin has shifted from a “why not” drug (“why not take it, it may help”) to a “why drug” (why am I taking aspirin? Do I have one of the conditions listed above?) 

Since we at Woodholme Cardiovascular Associates have been aware of these recommendations for years, you probably have been properly advised. However, if you still have questions, you can contact us. We are not commenting on the recommendations for aspirin use in pregnant women or by gastroenterologists.  

The Doctors at Woodholme Cardiovascular Associates