Pravan Health Blog

There are currently thousands of people relocating from the mainland to our beautiful island of Puerto Rico. Many of them have become Pravan members, and we have noticed how challenging the relocation process can be. Some people are doing better than others, so we decided to put together this blog in order to give some perspective for those going through this process.

Relocating can be one of the most exhilarating decisions you ever make. Few things are more mentally and physically challenging than packing your belongings and moving to a new place. You are leaving the comfort of the familiar to engage in a new environment with its own culture and history. As you prepared for all the tearful farewells, the thrill of this new adventure was always in the background. Even as you bid your old home goodbye, you felt the rush of possibility and new beginnings. However, once the initial excitement of living in a new city wears off, gnawing feelings of doubt, uncertainty, loneliness and all the stress that come with moving can start to creep in. You might get lost trying to find your way to the supermarket or you might have difficulties communicating with an important vendor. You might find yourself really missing your favorite coffee shop and long lunches with friends. You planned every aspect of your move, except for this. Let’s talk about what to expect once you start settling into your new life.

Do you know the main differences between a traditional medical clinic and a medical concierge practice? In this blog, we explain some of the services that make a concierge medical clinic unique and attractive for some patients that are looking for better access, service and a more personalized medical experience.

As one of the first medical concierge clinics on the island, Pravan Clinic is proud to offer comprehensive support beyond what’s offered in a traditional clinical setting. With a focus on primary care and preventative medicine, we’ve built a model that gives our patients next-level access to our doctors, medical team, and additional supportive services.

Much like a hotel concierge, we give requests the priority they deserve, and provide fast-track access to deliver care with convenience.

This means that Pravan members have access to our medical team 24/7, either at our clinic, through our Mobile App, or via our Urgent Care services. We are also committed to providing the following services:

How are you feeling?
We recently closed the book on an incredibly challenging year, and many of us are still catching our breath. If the thought of scrolling through your feed and seeing one more piece of bad news is almost too overwhelming, you are not alone.

In the past year, the boundaries which separated the different areas of our lives blurred or seemed to disappear. We took on a variety of roles as some of us became teachers, made-to-order cooks, and household managers on top of our usual work and family responsibilities. We honed the art of multitasking. We bought masks, scoured medical blogs, and watched the news relentlessly. We took great measures to protect and nurture our physical health.

As weeks became months, many of us began to feel the emotional toll of a very atypical time that included the double punch of a global pandemic and a divisive election, both on the island and the United States. Almost out of necessity, many of our conversations moved from the merely superficial to a different level of openness as we acknowledged the cumulative psychological effect of what we have experienced. It has become clear that mental health has to a be a priority if we want to make it through to the next chapter of our story and thrive.

As your trusted partner in health and wellness, we’ve decided to flip the script this Valentine’s Day. Don’t get us wrong, we love love, but since it’s American Heart Month we figured we’d take this opportunity to talk about the heart from a different perspective. This year the American Heart Association is putting a lot of attention in women health since Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, killing more women than all forms of cancer combined

While we often hear about what not to do when it comes to heart health, we are here today to focus on five things you can do to show your heart some love!

With January behind us and the rest of 2021 ahead of us, we want to remind you that it’s never too late to set an intention to better your health and wellbeing. Over the past year we’ve seen just what a difference a preventative approach to healthcare can make, and our hope is that if there’s a single takeaway from 2020 it’s that there’s no time like the present to prioritize your health.

As the holidays approach and infection rates of COVID-19 are on the rise, we want to share some information to help you celebrate as safely as possible. The CDC shows that more than 11 million people in the U.S. have now been infected, with more than 1 million infections occurring in just one week in mid-November. This really concerns us, and our priority is keeping you and your family healthy. We hope that you’ll consider the risks when thinking about how you’ll spend time with friends and family during the holiday, as even a small gathering can carry some big risks.

There is an overwhelming body of evidence that connects the food we eat to our overall state of health. Considering this, it's surprising that we don’t have access to basic nutrition education at an early age, since understanding what a balanced diet looks like is critical for our wellbeing.

We believe everyone should have access to a nutritionist as part of basic healthcare. That's why at Pravan Clinic all of our members have access to unlimited visits with our Concierge Nutritionist, who works in collaboration with our primary care physicians to create a personalized health optimization plan, based on your goals and any health condition(s). Our nutritionist will take the time to get to know you, and will educate you on ways to nourish your body, mind and soul.

Whether you’re in need of a total overhaul or just a little fine tuning, we have the tools and resources to see you through your journey. As your trusted advisor, our Concierge Nutritionist can help you expand your knowledge and assist you in:

Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is a highly concentrated collection of plasma obtained from a patient’s own blood. A sample of blood is taken from the patient, then via centrifuge, concentrated down to a collection of platelets, proteins, enzymes, and growth factors that are key in the body’s own regenerative process. This distilled collection can then be injected into an area of injury in order to accelerate healing. It has been used extensively in the world of professional sports, but is also used around the world for patients and athletes of all skill levels.

Before the mass migration to urban cities, there was a time when the doctor was much more integrated in the community. They were a part of the extended family, knew the family background, and developed a relationship with the family members based on trust.

When we started Pravan a few years ago we did so with the belief that the current healthcare system was outdated. Old medical offices with decor from the 1980s and paper files stored in physical cabinets, where you are just a “number” didn’t feel right.