Ginger Krentz is one of MeMD’s board-certified Nurse Practitioners. She received her Masters of Science in Nursing from Southern Adventist University and has over 13 years’ experience in the nursing field! Read on below to get to know Ginger better and discover her tips for staying healthy during the summer months, as well as her insider perspectives on the telemedicine field:
What inspired you to be a nurse practitioner?
I was inspired to become a Nurse Practitioner after dealing with personal health issues at an early age. In those years I developed a passion for wellness, nutrition, and fitness. I learned that so many of the ailments our population faces can be alleviated by simple lifestyle changes and I wanted to be able to help others learn how to achieve wellness. I also quickly realized what a difference a caring and knowledgeable health care provider could make in someone’s life and I wanted to be that caring face for others who were in need.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
My Dad always says “Nothing really really good or really really bad ever lasts a really really long time.” For some reason this bit of advice has always stuck with me. It helps me to stay present and really enjoy the good moments in life, to fully savor them before they disappear. It also helps me in times of stress or discomfort to remember that it can’t last forever and good times will be on the horizon again shortly.
What health-related advice do you give to patients most often?
The bit of advice I give more than any other to my patients isn’t really health advice, per se, but I most frequently tell my patients that if things aren’t improving after our visit within a designated amount of time and they are concerned about their symptoms that they need to consider seeking in-person care. The patient is the one who knows their body and what is and is not normal for them, if they are concerned they should trust their instinct and either call me back or be seen in person right away.
What do you do in your free-time?
I love to go on long walks with my dogs on the beach, train for Ironman triathlons, cook new vegan recipes, travel, and photograph amazing landscapes.
What prompted you to become involved in telemedicine?
Through working in the Emergency Department the last 6 years I have seen how many patients end up in the ED with long wait times for simple illnesses that could easily and quickly be treated if only the patients had better access to care. I feel that Telemedicine really fills that gap in our system and helps patients deal with quick and easy to treat illnesses without the long wait and inconvenience of the Emergency Department or Urgent Care.
Has telemedicine impacted your perspective as a provider?
Telemedicine has definitely expanded my horizons of what is possible. When I was in college in 2005 a friend told me that in the future we would have boxes that you could walk into and a Doctor would be able to do a complete exam from a distance and treat you without ever being in the same room as you. I told him he was crazy! How wrong I was and how quickly the face of medicine is changing! I love being a part of helping people have better access to care and I can’t wait to see how things continue to develop in the next few years.
What question do our patients seem to ask you the most?
Patients frequently ask me how the prescription gets to the pharmacy and how long before they can pick up their prescription. Our prescriptions are sent electronically to the pharmacy, so the pharmacy staff has the prescription in hand within minutes of the visit being completed, sometimes even before the visit is over. As for when the prescription can be picked up, that always depends on whether or not the patient’s chosen pharmacy is a 24-hour pharmacy and how busy the pharmacy is on that day. I always recommend for my patients to give the pharmacy a call to verify a good pick up time.
What tips can you give us to stay healthy during the summer season?
My top 3 tips to stay healthy this summer are:
Remember to apply SPF before leaving the house.
I frequently forget to do this so I keep a small tube of SPF in my purse or the car for those times I have forgotten. You want to have at least an SPF 30 for your face, not only to help prevent skin cancer and sunburns but also to delay signs of aging. The fewer chemicals in a product the better, and I personally love and use the brand Coola for my face.
BBQ healthier this summer.
Opt for grilled chicken or fish rather than beef or hot dogs. If you’re feeling adventurous maybe give Tempeh a try or even stick with mostly veggies – grilled corn is amazing!
Avoid over-intoxication.
It’s great to indulge and enjoy the hot summer days, but if you’re going to be outside most of the day while drinking it can be very easy to become dehydrated. Alcohol causes you to urinate more than normal which isn’t helpful when you’re out in the sun sweating. Be sure to drink water or electrolyte-replacing beverages (my favorite is coconut water since it has less sugar than Gatorade or other “sports drinks”) in-between alcoholic beverages.
Speak with a MeMD board-certified medical provider or learn more about our service by watching this short video!
