Dr. Zaydman Featured in Minnesota Monthly Magazine
Valley Medical and Wellness’ own Dr. Svetlana Zaydman is featured in a two-page article in the September/October Top Doctors issue of Minnesota Monthly magazine. The article outlines Dr. Zaydman's journey from working in a clinic with a medicine-first approach to founding her own clinic, with Dr. George, with a care model that combines osteopathic manipulation, nutrition, lifestyle modification, physical therapy, mental health support, and medication management.
“I decided I wanted to do it my way,” she told the interviewer.
In the article, Dr. Zaydman explained that a care model that facilitates time, trust, and connection between the patient and provider is essential for generating successful outcomes.
“Pain is the symptom of something,” she said in the article. “The most important thing a doctor can do is to understand what’s actually causing the pain. I teach my providers to use all the tools in the toolbox to understand a patient. With this understanding comes the best treatment plan. One size doesn’t fit all.”
Dr. Zaydman was also named as one of Minnesota's Top Doctors for Pain Management, The 2022 Top Doctors list is based on a survey of more than 10,000 licensed Minnesota physicians who nominated peers based on their professional expertise.
Dr. George and Dr. Zaydman Named Top Doctors by Minnesota Monthly Magazine
Valley Medical and Wellness' Dr. Ashwin George and Dr. Svetlana Zaydman were named Top Doctors in the categories of Addiction Medicine and Pain Management by Minnesota Magazine. The 2022 Top Doctors list is based on a survey of more than 10,000 licensed Minnesota physicians who nominated peers based on their professional expertise. Doctors were asked, "If you or a loved one needed medical care, which doctor would you recommend?" Physicians who received the highest number of votes from their peers in each specialty were selected.
Minnesota Monthly begain publishing its annual Top Doctors list in 2014. Being named as one of the magazine's Top Doctors is a high honor and one that Dr. Zaydman and Dr. George have worked hard to achieve.
VMW Featured in Sun Thisweek Newspapers
The launch of Valley Medical and Wellness was featured in the Burnsville-Eagan community newspaper Sun Thisweek. From the article:
New practice mixes pain management, addiction treatment.
Two doctors have opened a joint practice in fields with unfortunate connections — pain management and addiction.
Drs. Svetlana Zaydman and Ashwin George opened Valley Pain Relief and Wellness Center May 5 at 2428 E. 117th St. in Burnsville.
The doctors, who are a couple living in Eagan, say their unique blend of complementary specialties is a response to the growing problem of addiction to pain-killing drugs.
Zaydman is in charge of pain management, and George handles the addiction treatment. Zaydman previously worked as medical director at Britton Pain Center in St. Paul. George, who earned his board certification in addiction medicine last year, is also a doctor at Regions Hospital in St. Paul.
“Being exposed to her, I saw that a lot of patients that come to her for pain are actually having addiction problems,” said George, 38. “She doesn’t want to see them, but these people need help.”
Zaydman said she’s able to identify addicted patients through drug testing and prescription-monitoring procedures.
“If she thinks these patients need more addiction treatment rather than pain management, then she sends them to me,” George said.
VMW Featured on MentorMate's Website
Valley Medical and Wellness' COVID-19 testing was featured on the MentorMate website. From the article:
Today, we’re showcasing Valley Medical and Wellness, who quickly sprang into action to help with COVID-19 testing in their Minnesota community.
With several locations across the Twin Cities, Valley Medical and Wellness specializes in chronic pain and addiction care. As part of that work, they already have a high-complexity toxicology lab.
“Since we already had an in-house lab, it was easier for us to expand and meet the incredible demand for COVID-19 testing,” says Valley Medical Clinic Manager Jerald Mackey. “So when the pandemic first started, we began looking at what upgrades we needed to make and got them done in just four weeks.”
As the lab was getting upgraded to be able to start testing, Valley Medical had to figure out how to test patients as safely, quickly, and efficiently as possible. Drive-up testing is by far the safest method as it offers minimal contact in a very ventilated area. However, the registration process drastically reduces speed and efficiency.
That’s where Valley Medical enrolled MentorMate’s help.
“We could’ve easily just settled for only testing 20 people a day and not changing our current model,” says Mackey. “But that doesn’t do very much to help meet the huge testing demand or help our community and society as a whole. MentorMate was able to help us expand to new heights.”
Click here to read the entire article.
VMW Featured on RiverTowns.net
The opening of VMW's Woodbury clinic was featured on RiverTowns.net and its sister newspapers. From the article:
New Woodbury clinic treats addiction and pain
When Dr. Pawan Patel developed debilitating lower back pain, he braced himself for surgery.
But a specialist intervened: he could actually receive an injection in the muscle.
Days later, he was walking again.
“Sometimes you need an expert,” Patel said.
The specialist, Dr. Svetlana Zaydman, is the medical director at Valley Medical and Wellness in Woodbury, which opened this fall. Zaydman said her clinic differentiates itself by focusing on both addiction and pain in its approach.
Valley Medical and Wellness aims to provide a space for safe opioid prescriptions and assistance with tapering off the drug.
Over the years, the majority of the clinic’s patients had previously been prescribed pain medication, often opioids, by a general practitioner, and then dropped after developing an addiction or problem because of the medication, said Dr. Aswhin George.
The clinic still prescribes opioids in necessary situations, George said, but maintains a focus on long-term patient functionality.
“There’s a safer prescription of pain medications, that’s one goal, and the second goal is to make sure the patients are functioning,” he said.
VMW Featured in Fairview Physician Associates
VMW was featured by Fairview Physician Associates as a new member of the Fairview Health Network and for its ability to help patients manage opioid addition and pregnancy. From the article:
Toward more happy beginnings: Managing opioid addiction and pregnancy
New Fairview Health Network practice establishes record of successful deliveries
Katie Yanez, 28, delivered two healthy boys before she became addicted to Percocet® prescribed to treat severe migraines. Unhappy in her marriage, Katie started using heroin. The next few years became a downward spiral. Her marriage ended, methadone treatment proved ineffective, and Katie ended up in jail.
Last year, 376 women who sought treatment for opioid addiction in Minnesota were pregnant. While in treatment for her addiction, Katie became pregnant with her third child.
The three providers at Valley Wellness know first-hand that treating pregnant women with opioid addiction presents unique challenges. But the story can have a happy ending—and a happy beginning.
With locations in Burnsville and Minneapolis, Valley Wellness is one of the few clinics in Minnesota to offer Suboxone® treatment. Suboxone contains buprenorphine combined with naloxone. Suboxone can control opioid effects and cravings, while allowing the patient to taper off the medication without symptoms of withdrawal.
"Nearly 50 percent of our patients come to us for addiction medicine,” says Ashwin George, MD, Addiction Medical Director at Valley Wellness and a Diplomat of the American Board of Addiction Medicine.
On July 24, 2017 Katie delivered Noah via C-section. Valley Wellness’ Svetlana Zaydman, DO, board certified both in physical medicine/rehabilitation and pain medicine, coordinated Katie’s care with her obstetrician.
“Communication with the ObGyn in each trimester ensures we’re all on the same page,” says Zaydman.
Katie is among a growing number of women who have successfully delivered or who currently are pregnant and in treatment at the clinic. George attributes success to close communication with the ObGyn provider and very careful monitoring.
“We see our pregnant patients weekly during their first trimester, then once every two weeks thereafter," he says.
