They were childhood sweethearts. Married for almost 60 years and inseparable. Their neighbor was ill and hospitalized. Because of the COVID-19 crisis and hospital policy, they could not visit. She died, alone. When I talked with them on the phone, both were ill. Cough, shortness of breath and fever....

Earthquake, fire, epidemic, pandemic are all real disasters. Are you ready? Have you prepared? Take a look at how you’re faring in the middle of this viral pandemic. If you’re still running to the store every other day, you’re not prepared, and you could be opening yourself up to infection. What...

Before they initiated a one-hour senior head start at the groceries when toilet paper disappeared, all I wanted was Gatorade. Shelves were cleared of almost everything, even things like “get-the-wrinkles-out” spray starch … gone. There were only a few Gatorade bottles left, so I grabbed 10 of...

I run … slooow. Being athletic as a youth and growing up in smoggy Los Angeles meant daily discomfort. attempting to take a deep breath. Fast-forward to today after air pollution regulations improved some of the problem. Unfortunately, the Santa Clarita Valley lies between two major freeways, generating...

Photo: Nurses singing “We Need PPE’s” (personal protective equipment) in Oakland   Hospital healthcare professionals are dying – many because they do not have adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, masks, gowns, shoe booties, etc. Countless hospitals for...

I make house calls. Most of my patients are older than 65. Some are bedridden and immobile. They could be susceptible to COVID-19. Many healthcare professionals make house calls: nurses, physical and occupational therapists, wound care specialists, nutritionists, social workers, psychologists and case...

CASTAIC, 1957 (or thereabouts) – I lived on Church Street, west of Highway 99. It is Interstate 5 today. I remember walking up the street past Cherry Drive and into the open fields that are now all houses. There was a little hill – we called it “Little Hill” – and I could climb to the top of...

I have been in private practice in the Santa Clarita Valley for 32 years. I run a small business, have employees, pay taxes, and follow the laws that govern medical care in the state. My stock in trade has been an office with geriatric medical expertise, providing house calls in the community to improve...

We were at war. Yet, there was a second battle against an airborne virus plaguing the army as well as citizens. Those in charge of quarantined soldiers kept them isolated from communities and inoculated as many as they could. Thirty percent of the population died. In July 1776, Gen. George Washington...

Think you’re old school? Think again. I usually get a chuckle when I read a Facebook page about “Old School SCV.” It is like a couple of younger generations are just discovering the old places and parts of the Santa Clarita Valley. What they look at as strange or unusual is really some old part...