HEALTH + WELLNESS
THE IMPORTANCE OF
WELL VISITS story by Donna Tracy, Communications Coordinator, HopeHealth
You wake up with a sore throat and headache. You feel worse than you’ve ever felt before. So, you call your health care provider and schedule a sick-visit appointment. It’s an important part of your health care. But did you know it’s just as important to visit your provider when you are well? What is a well visit?
Well visits help:
Well visits are appointments with your primary care provider that focus on your overall health. Typically, the visit includes a review of medications, as well as personal and family medical history, routine vaccinations, blood pressure and vital sign checks, blood tests, lifestyle screenings, age-appropriate screenings, depression screenings, and more.
• set health goals • track wellness • adjust medications • stay up to date on immunizations • identify appropriate screenings • catch potential issues earlier
Who should get a well visit? Well visits are recommended for everyone – from newborns to seniors. “An annual, complete physical exam, or well visit, is the most important thing an individual can do for his or her health,” said Nicolas Licari, a family nurse practitioner at the HopeHealth Medical Plaza in Florence. “Our goal is to keep you healthy, prevent future illness and disease, and to help you manage any existing chronic health conditions. Well visits let us get to know you, your health history, and your overall health and medical condition.”
• manage chronic conditions
Who do I see? Do you need a primary care provider who specializes in your age group? Some providers will see patients of all ages. Others focus on specific life stages: • general practitioners see patient of all ages • family medicine providers see patient of all ages • pediatricians care for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults • internal medicine providers generally see only adult patients age 18 and older • geriatric providers specialized in senior care
Women can also opt to choose a gynecologist who focuses on women’s health as or in addition to her primary care provider.
360 NORTH IRBY ST. FLORENCE 843.667.9414 | HOPE-HEALTH.ORG
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VIPMagSC.com
June 2020
