Importance of Preventative Care

Do you see a healthcare provider every year? If not, you should consider a St. Joseph’s/Candler Physician Network primary care physician for preventive care.

Visiting a healthcare provider once a year, along with a balanced diet and exercise, can have a positive impact on the overall quality of your health.

By having an annual wellness visit, your physician reviews your health risk assessment and creates a list of preventive services from which you may benefit. It’s also a great opportunity to talk to a healthcare provider about your family’s medical history and any health concerns or nagging symptoms you may experience. Annual wellness checks are typically 30 minutes or less and include checking your vital signs, such as blood pressure and heart rate; reviewing annual lab work; education on medications, diet, lifestyle and screenings; and referrals for any prevention or specialty services.

The benefits to preventive care are many such as:

• Having lab work done on a regular basis can show any changes in health status including early detection of chronic medical conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease. 
• Completing preventive health screenings can detect certain cancers, such as breast, colon, prostate and lung.
• Completing a questionnaire on health status changes, such as hearing, vision, memory, balance and mood, on a yearly basis can alert your physician on the need to evaluate these health status changes or refer to a specialist or service.
• Reviewing the need for immunizations, such as pneumonia and the flu. If taken, these vaccines can help prevent infection and hospitalization from serious illness.

If you are looking for a healthcare provider, St. Joseph’s/Candler Physician Network has primary care offices around the region from Savannah to Bluffton to Statesboro to Richmond Hill. Find an office near you.