Dr. Heidi J. Syropoulos
I joined Independence Blue Cross in 2015 after practicing Geriatrics for nearly 30 years. In my current role I function as the medical liaison to our Government markets team, serving as a subject matter expert on clinical medicine and healthcare delivery. What I love about my new position is the opportunity to help an entire population of people through the benefits of their health plan.

Handwashing: The Secret to Good Health

An adult and kid wash their hands.
The easiest way to protect yourself against illness? Handwashing. It seems too simple to be true, but a mere 20-30 seconds of proper handwashing, following the CDC’s handwashing guidelines, is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of germs and disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 80 percent of infectious diseases are transmitted by dirty hands....
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Why It’s So Important to Take Care of Your Kidneys

A woman holds models of kidneys.
It took years for me, as a primary care doctor, to fully appreciate the many challenges patients face with chronic kidney disease. I still remember one of the first patients I ever admitted to the hospital when I was an intern. She was a dialysis patient who was in the hospital for cancer treatment. Seeing her condition made me realize how much I had to learn about chronic kidney disease....
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Take Control of Your Health with Preventive Medicine

Close-up of a doctor pointing to a tablet, with a patient sitting in the foreground.
It’s difficult to find someone who hasn’t been affected by cancer — whether themselves or a loved one. Unfortunately, experts are predicting cancer deaths will rise over the next decade. But there’s hope because so much can be done with the power of preventive medicine. That is one reason why the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) started a world awareness day every February 4....
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Facing Alzheimer’s Disease as a Patient or Caregiver

An elderly man listens to a younger man on the couch
Even if you don’t currently know someone with Alzheimer’s disease, it’s likely that you will eventually. Alzheimer’s disease affects nearly 6 million Americans, and that number is projected to rise as the population ages. Did you know that… Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. It’s also the only cause of death in the top 10 that cannot be prevented,...
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Palliative Care: A Team Focused on Improving Your Quality of Life

Have you been diagnosed with a serious illness and wish you had more help? You’re not alone. Many times, people with serious health problems have doctors to help them with their medical condition, but they don’t know who to turn to for extra support and care. Hospice care may be an option for some, but what if you don’t need or want hospice yet?...
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Addressing the Growing Issue of Malnutrition in Older Adults

A senior woman receives a delivery of food from MANNA
Philadelphia-based MANNA delivers healthy meals and provides nutritional counseling to seriously ill people in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. Should you eat a different diet if you’re sick? Do you have the same nutritional needs when you’re 80 as you do when you’re 30? I ask these questions because nutrition is such a hot topic in our culture....
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How Can Seniors Stay Strong? SilverSneakers!

During a recent train ride into work, I experienced the funniest reminder about exercise. For those of you who don’t take the train, let me set the scene… The sun hadn’t come up quite yet, and the weather was cold and dreary. The train car was filled with early morning commuters who were bundled up and,...
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A Critical Medical Advancement that Protects Young and Old: Immunizations

Immunizations are one of the most important public health advances in our nation’s health history
Many aspects of modern medicine are probably thought of as being routine in our part of the world. For example, when was the last time that getting an X-ray or taking an antibiotic impressed you? There was a time, however, when advances like these were transforming the world of medicine. Some other health care game-changers: anesthesia,...
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Managing Congestive Heart Failure, Getting Back to Normal

While managing congestive heart failure isn’t easy, you can still live a full and healthy life if you’re willing to make some important lifestyle modifications.
Being diagnosed with a chronic disease is markedly different than being diagnosed with an acute illness.  What do I mean by this? An acute illness, such as pneumonia, appendicitis, a kidney stone, or a broken leg, has a fairly short duration of symptoms and is typically resolved within days to weeks. Certainly, it has the potential to evolve into a chronic,...
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Keeping Seniors Safe in the Summer Heat

Did you know the elderly are more vulnerable to hot weather? Dr. Heidi Syropoulos gives her tips for keeping seniors safe in the summer heat.
Like many of you I wasn’t sure winter would ever end here in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Considering I was born and raised in Minnesota, you would think I’d be used to that weather. But honestly, the longer I live, the more difficulty I have with winter and all its inconveniences. One of my favorite things about Philadelphia is the length of spring — in the upper Midwest,...
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