Karen Kaufman DO, Allergist Immunologist

👉 Meet Dr. Aukstuolis! 🤩

Dr. Aukstuolis joins Kaufman Allergy Asthma and Immunology after moving his family across the country from the Pacific Northwest. He has been dedicated to finding a work home that mirrors his own principles and mission, and has found that here at Kaufman Allergy.💯‼️

Dr. Aukstuolis begins seeing patients full time starting this coming Tuesday, and we can’t be more excited!!

To learn more about Dr. Aukstuolis, check out his bio on the practice website:

📲 https://kaufmanallergy.com/kestutis-aukstuolis-do/

As our Kaufman Allergy team is growing🌱, I wanted to take a moment to celebrate some of our amazing and valued team members who work with us remotely.

Their voices are those that so many hear over the phone day in and day out. They are answering our patients’ questions, registering new patients, scheduling appointments, typing clinical notes, prepping orders for meds and labs, submitting prior authorizations, helping to ensure immunoglobulin replacement therapy and other biologic medications are approved, shipped and delivered, checking patients in during telehealth, verifying insurance eligibility, helping with billing issues…the list goes on (and on).

This crew is all heart❤️, and they are some of the most dedicated and reliable individuals I’ve had the pleasure of working with. They are absolutely essential team members, and their hard work also frees up the time of our in-office team to help our patients in the office, face to face.

👏👏Desiree, Teanne, Faye, Lyma, Rico and Ann, you are all so appreciated!!

🌱Exciting changes are on the horizon at Kaufman Allergy Asthma and Immunology! We’re thrilled to announce our newly updated website, designed to enhance your experience and provide you with the latest information and resources.‼️🖥️💻📱

But that’s not all—starting in September, we will be welcoming our newest double board certified Allergist Immunologist, Dr. Kestutis Aukstuolis, to our team!

Stay tuned for more updates, including a full introduction as we share how Dr. Aukstuolis’ expertise will benefit our patients! Thank you for being a part of our journey!🩺✨

Excited to speak this morning at a virtual workshop for private practice physicians hosted by my business mentor and friend, Dr. Una. She recently published an incredible resource, The Private Practice Playbook that will revolutionize how physicians run private practices.

I am so grateful to Dr. Una and the EntreMD Business School which have inspired me and shaped my life as an entrepreneur. If you’re a physician seeking inspiration, be sure to check out her book and FREE course starting at 10 am.

Link to her book and course in the comments!

A big thank you to a highly admired colleague for noticing and sharing that I was quoted in NPR today. It’s moments like these that remind me how lucky I am to be part of such an amazing and supportive community. Your encouragement means so much! 🙏✨

📸 Had a great time doing a fun little photo shoot with Dr. Eghrari for something exciting that will end up on news stands in November!😉

We even got a sneak peek🫣of the newest double board-certified Allergist Immunologist who is joining our team in September!!😱😆

Exciting times ahead—stay tuned to the practice website for some candid pics of our new physician crew coming soon!

📲 kaufmanallergy.com… And while you’re there, feel free to request an appointment! We are have a schedule open for new patients!

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🌟Meet Dr. Karen Kaufman, Kaufman Allergy Asthma and Immunology Center in Vienna, VA
🔔Dr. Kaufman balances her roles as a mother, doctor, entrepreneur, and leader in our community. She is passionate about providing top patient care, nurturing a skilled staff, empowering others with knowledge, sharing invaluable allergy resources [🥁 new Podcast “Living Allergy Clear” coming soon!] and updates with her community.

Did you know that yesterday was National Private Practice Physicians Day!? Practicing medicine on my own terms has meant creating a practice where patients are truly taken care of in a way they deserve, and physicians and staff can experience the joy of practicing medicine again. It hasn’t been easy, but worth every bit of the work.🩺👩‍⚕️

Even with the start of the school year on the near horizon, summer☀️is still going strong.🥵

Here on vacation, I’ve got my 👒 and 🕶 with me, but my type 2 skin needs the massive reapplication of sunscreen despite a shady⛱️.

Contact dermatitis to common sunscreen ingredients (fragrance, common preservatives, and the chemical blockers that absorb the UV rays) is also so common!🧴

Before booking an appointment for patch testing, here are a few simple tips to get you started:

1️⃣ Wear sun protective clothing, a wide brimmed hat, and find a seat in the shade.
2️⃣ Choose sun protective products that use physical blockers like zinc or titanium, and avoid chemical blockers in sunscreen.
3️⃣ Check out web resources like SkinSafeProducts.com to help select products that don’t contain common contact allergens.

📲 Then when the time is right, make an appointment with your friendly community allergist.

We can help you get to the source of the problem, identify what ingredients to avoid, and help you get back to enjoying life’s outdoor pursuits again!!

KaufmanAllergy.com to request your appointment!💚

⚠️🚫💉 Breaking News: FDA Approves Neffy for Anaphylaxis!

Yesterday, the FDA officially approved Neffy, a new, needle-free treatment option for anaphylaxis👃. This groundbreaking advancement offers another life-saving tool for those with severe allergies over 66 lbs‼️

🎙️What a privilege it was to be interviewed by thought leader, visionary, and Vienna mom, Vanessa Edjlali 💕 this afternoon for her Vienna Visionaries interview series. What a memorable experience!

Once it goes live, I will be so happy to share it here, but { spoiler alert }, I dropped a couple of breadcrumbs during this interview!!🙊

I said it out loud for the first time publicly (so therefore it must be true) 🔜 I’m going to be launching a NEW PODCAST!!🤩 Thank you, for your continued encouragement!

👉 Even the fastest man on earth is not sidelined by his allergies or asthma.💯

If yours are not under control, it’s time to come see a board-certified allergy and asthma specialist. We will help you to get your life back, and then think about all of the possibilities of what you could do?! 💭🤔🏃🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

We are accepting new patients! Call our office or visit our website to request a new patient appointment online!

📲 kaufmanallergy.com

The most AMAZING healthcare experience always involves the most caring and dedicated staff,👩‍⚕️🧑‍⚕️👨‍⚕️and our practice is GROWING.📈

➡️ WE ARE HIRING ⬅️

📌 Ceryified Clinical Medical Assistant
📌 Medical Receptionist

What are the qualities of team members who we looking to hire❓

✔️ friendly, polite and kind
✔️ reliable with an attitude of service
✔️ great communication skills
✔️ efficient, organized, and proficient in multiple task management
✔️ a strong work ethic
✔️ performs all duties with excellence
✔️ self-motivated
✔️ able to work independently
✔️ looking for a “work home.”

We have a great team who value one another and foster a conducive environment to provide excellent service.

Our company culture is woven into all aspects of our practice, with vital elements of kindness, respect, teamwork and collaboration.

🗣Here’s what our patients are saying about our staff on Google:

“Dr. Kaufman hand picked her team to include the most incredible and welcoming nursing staff (who all seem to genuinely love being there too) and also designed a gorgeous office.”
- Marisa

“You can tell that Dr. Kaufman has been intentional in forming her new practice with the right personalities and creating an environment that she would want her own family to experience.”
- Kaitlin

📲 kaufmanallergy.com

Reach out to us via email?
📩 [email protected]

What a week!! Feeling so humbled!😊👩‍⚕️

Honored for Kaufman Allergy Asthma and Immunology to be recognized as the Best Allergy Immunology practice in the Best of the City article in DC Modern Luxury magazine’s July/August issue!!🏆

Thank you to our incredible patients and community for your unwavering support. This recognition is a testament to our amazing team’s dedication to exceptional care and service to community.💕

We truly have the best team!! Grateful to work along side of Dr. Jackie Eghrari-Sabet, Elaine McSorley-Gerard, DNP, Ashley Scott, DNP, our outstanding nurses, medical assistants and administrative staff.

Honored and grateful to be named one of Arlington Magazine’s Top Doctors for the first time! Thank you to my incredible team and patients for their trust and support. Here’s to many more years of dedication and care!

Happy 4th of July from all of us at Kaufman Allergy! Wishing you a day filled with joy, celebration, and the spirit of independence.

🎉 Celebrating my great friend and colleague, Dr. Rachel Rubin, at the spectacular grand opening of her new office for her Urology and Sexual Medicine practice. In addition to having a gorgeous office to showcase, she had a full lineup of speakers providing educational content, and the place was packed with providers, patients, and vendors! Kudos to you, friend! So happy for you!!

✌️I’ve got those Friday vibes that come along with receiving this brief, but very sweet note.

No symptoms when dog sitting = life-changing!

💕🐕‍🦺🐾

Have you thought about attending an Alpaca happy hour?🍷🍻
What about hiking with alpacas?🏕️
Alpaca yoga?🧘‍♀️
Maybe invite some alpacas to your birthday party?🥳

Well, apparently this is a thing in the DC area.🤔

has all the 🦙 details!

So if you ever find yourself in the company of these charming creatures, but are struggling with congestion, itchy eyes and repeated bouts of sneezing, remember, your friendly community allergist is here to help!🙋‍♀️

📲kaufmanallergy.com to make your appointment

Kudos to my amazing team for persevering a building power outage from 3pm onward!🪫⚡️

Our team still managed to provide the highest level of care for our afternoon patients being seen in the office and on telehealth, and those who came in for allergy shot visits.

Our patients were all so gracious and understanding while sitting in a half-dark waiting room, as Dominion Power was working to get us back on the grid. There were even smiles and laughs after Fairfax County Fire Department opened up an elevator that was stuck between the floors.

What a crazy day!😳🤪🤨 Feeling thankful for a Wi-Fi hotspot that kept us going and temperature sensors in all of our medication refrigerators!

As I was riding the elevator up to the office this morning sipping my coffee, a dad walked in with his two boys just before the doors were about to close.

“Good morning!” (We shared pleasantries.)

As dad told me they were heading to the physical therapy office on the floor above my office, his voice was almost drowned out by the sounds of sneezing, sniffing, and snorting coming from the kids.

🤧🤤😮‍💨😤🫤

These are unfortunately the common sounds of spring, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

“There’s a great allergist on the third floor”, I said with a smile.

Dad’s response? “Yeah, I think we need that!”

💚💚💚

The lesson here? Don’t let anything get in the way of your (or your kids’) quality of life. There are solutions, and the only step to take is to ask for help by making an appointment.

📲kaufmanallergy.com to request an appointment.

Happy Friday, friends!

Welcome, May and National Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month!🤧

It’s peak season for tree pollen…🌳

(which is SO evident in my picture from tonight’s game)

It is such a tough time for so many people here in Northern Virginia.

❌ Runny nose, congestion, postnasal drip
❌ Puffy, itchy, red eyes
❌ Brain fog, headache, sinus pressure
❌ Night cough, morning throat clearing

I’m sure you get it. The list goes on and on.

But despite the typical spring misery, there are patients in my office who are thriving!!

Earlier this week, I received the best testimonial during a follow up visit. This patient has been building up on allergy shots💉and is now almost at her maintenance dose.

She told me that for the first time in over THIRTY years 😱 she finally felt like her head was no longer in a cloud.😶‍🌫️ She had not needed her inhaler, and her husband stopped complaining about her snoring because that was gone too. Her nose was clear, and her eyes didn’t bother her any longer.🧘‍♀️🪷

“My life is completely different.”

Life like this was unrecognizable because in years past, she would avoid going outdoors because of how bad she felt, and that has all changed for the better.
🌥️⛅️🌤️

“I have a brand new life.”❤️❤️❤️

She was so overwhelmed with the emotion of this experience that tears rolled down her cheeks.😭 Of course, joy like that is completely contagious, and as she hugged me in gratitude, I told her this is why we do what we do.🫶

The right treatment can be life-changing.

After three decades of feeling like she could barely exist with pollen, for the first time, that feeling is gone.

Amazing transformation!!

(This could be you!🤩)

📲kaufmanallergy.com to request an appointment.

🛫It’s a travel day for me as Dr. Eghrari is holding down the fort in the office. So blessed to have the support of an amazing team who continue to provide unmatched care and service to our patients while I’m gone.

I’m heading down to Atlanta for the EBS Business Makeover Mastermind, which is an incredible event where physician CEOs make tremendous breakthroughs on their innovative and impactful businesses.‼️

Being a physician entrepreneur is not only challenging, but an opportunity to create the healthcare experiences that our patients need and our physicians deserve. By prioritizing personalized care and a patient-centered approach, we excel where private equity owned practices fall short.

👉Just read the headlines of 2 articles I read this morning:

🆘 “Half of private equity-owned physician practices are resold within 3 years”

🆘 “About 1 in 5 healthcare bankruptcies in 2023 owned by PE firms”

Look, physician owned practices are not only alive and well, but thriving! I am so grateful to have an amazing business mentor and the most brilliant CEO colleagues who inspire me. I could not be more excited for the next two days at the Business Makeover Mastermind to learn, network and get to grow!📈

Venturing outside feels like diving into a sea of pollen today. Anyone else feeling it??

🌳🌳🌳🥺😤😮‍💨🤤😵‍💫🤧

Hang in there…it’s not going to be over anytime soon. 📈

📲kaufmanallergy.com to request an appointment.

✌️I’ve got those Friday vibes! Feeling so great after an amazing week of forward-thinking wins!

It really blows my mind just how much personal growth I have experienced since I decided to open a practice in the town where I live in order to better serve my community. Such a small idea at first, but now I can hardly wrap my mind around the ripple effect that has occurred!🌀

I truly believe that our practice is the best place to work, practice medicine and receive care!💚

I love this article I came across this afternoon!📱Did you see the subtitle??

Drawing inspiration from the positive company culture at Southwest Airlines✈️, our allergy practice thrives on teamwork, empathy, and a commitment to excellence. Just like Southwest’s legendary team spirit, our staff fosters a supportive environment where every member plays a vital role in delivering exceptional care to our patients.

👉None of this is by coincidence.🎤💥

{Did you know that our family is actually part of the Southwest family?!👨‍✈️👩‍⚕️ }

As my role in medicine changed from clinical physician alone to the CEO, leader, mentor and lead physician of my organization, I have cultivated a company culture that is unrivaled in our field. Together, we soar above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of those we serve.

So today, I’ve got those Friday Vibes✌️ in celebrating my amazing team! So much LUV to serve our patients along with them!❤️💙💛

Batter up! ⚾ It’s that time of the year again – the start of Little League baseball season! There’s nothing quite like the excitement of watching our kids take to the field, giving it their all, and chasing their dreams. Every game is a journey filled with endless possibilities and unforgettable moments. I love this for them.❣️

But amidst the cheers and laughter, let’s do our best to keep our players on the field! The game gets much harder when the eyes are swollen and watery and the sinuses are constantly draining.🤧😮‍💨🤤😵‍💫

So here’s to the thrill of the game, the resilience of young athletes, and the knowledge that there is help for kids and adults right here in Vienna!🌱

(And just in case you forget, your reminder is on the outfield fence !🤔🥰)

Who’s ready to hit a home run against allergies⁉️⚾

Now that we survived the solar eclipse, we can get back to our focus of how to handle our spring allergies!🤣

This is the week you want to tune in because everything is about to turn yellow!💛💛💛

I will be speaking with 💟 Vienna Moms, Inc. this Thursday evening on Zoom. For all those Vienna Moms out there, please register?! This is valuable information for both parents and kids, plus lots of opportunities for Q&A!

Of course, we are just as happy to see you in the office and answer your questions here!

VA

The 2️⃣nd annual Vienna Health Expo was a wildly successful event again this year, and was such a nice opportunity to talk with members of our community about some of the things I love to talk about most:
👉 allergies, asthma, and recurrent infections.🌱

In addition, with the help of our medical assistants Brisa and Nani, we also were able to add convenience to their lives by registering them as new patients and booking their appointments right then and there!! No need to take time out of their busy weekdays to call us back. Win win!🙌

In between opportunities to engage with members of our community, Brisa, Nani and I spent some quality time talking with one another about professional development! Both of them have big ambitions to further their education in professional schools in the future🎓, and as the leader of my organization, I place the highest priority on helping them to be as prepared as possible when that day comes.

Lastly, I have so much gratitude to share with and for organizing such a spectacular event!💕 I thoroughly enjoyed networking with some amazing community leaders and business owners!🙏 Thank you!!

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Today is the day! Vienna Health Expo from 10-2🌱‼️

Kaufman Allergy will be at table 12, right in the middle of the Auxiliary Gym.

❓ All of your allergy questions answered
🫁 FREE asthma screenings
💻 New Patient Registration
🗓️ Appointment Scheduling

We will be located with all of pediatric services, but don’t forget, we see adults too!💕

In between your kids’ spring sports, grocery shopping, or getting some exercise on the W&OD Trail, stop by and say hi!👋