WATCH: MRH Physician Assistant Kelsie Bond explains why preventative care is important, how the pandemic affected this type of care and why a primary care provider plays such an important role in a patient’s health.

Putting your health first has never been more important. And while it’s important to always prioritize preventative care, the pandemic has enforced the value of regular check-ups.

Kelsie Bond, PA-C

This past year, many individuals delayed or entirely put off their healthcare, which might have put them at greater risk for illness or disease. Prioritizing preventative care allows your primary care provider to detect disease and other medical problems before they become serious and also keep your current state of health on the right track.

According to a study done by health insurance company Cigna, about 45 percent of Americans admitted to not knowing they should have an annual check-up, and half didn’t realize that with insurance, an annual check-up is free. In order to protect yourself from severe illnesses, you can’t let your health fall by the wayside and should have a go-to primary care provider as your healthcare quarterback.

“Having someone who can look at preventative care, coordinate needed care and has followed a patient for a while prevents long-term disease and the disastrous consequences of those diseases,” said Dr. Larry Kipe, family medicine physician at Memorial Regional Health. 

Importance of a primary care provider

Primary care providers are on the frontlines of healthcare and are typically the first point of contact for a patient regarding their health. According to a comparative study in the National Library of Medicine, adults who have a primary care provider have 19 percent lower odds of premature death than those who only see specialists for their care.

“Annual physicals are essential to ongoing health, as they are the best way to identify and treat health issues before they lead to something worse,” said Kelsie Bond, physician assistant at Memorial Regional Health.

Dr. Larry Kipe

Providers can address a patient’s inherited risk from their individual gene pool to prevent future health problems. One health problem might indicate another or could lead a patient to others in the future. For example, a patient with hypertension may have high cholesterol that could create other issues and lead to a stroke or heart attack later in life.

Physicians can also help treat ongoing or chronic health problems, such as stomach pain or frequent headaches. These are the conditions that build over time and are not sudden, acute or emergent, which is when a patient should seek emergency room care or visit a Rapid Care provider.

“Rapid Care and emergency medicine are structured to treat a problem that has happened today,” Dr. Kipe explained. “They stomp out the fire burning today rather than manage the forest to prevent the fire of tomorrow.”

Your preventative care checklist

Our goal is to help ensure you stay healthy all year long. The best place to start to take charge of your health is with your annual physical; during this exam, your primary care provider will inform you of any other tests or exams you should schedule depending on your age, gender and family history.

Speak with your provider about developing an individualized checklist that highlights when you should receive certain immunizations, tests and other types of care throughout the year. Each year, revisit your checklist with your provider to see if anything needs to change.

For a general checklist, Sharp Health provides helpful, print-ready checklists for women, men, adolescents and children here.

How the pandemic affected local patients

The first few months of the pandemic were difficult for everyone, and many people were hesitant to step foot inside of hospitals and healthcare facilities in fear that they may contract the COVID-19 virus. Bond said one of the biggest consequences of the pandemic was patients delaying their visits necessary for medication refills, resulting in symptoms and issues the medication was helping to resolve.

Eventually, Bond said patients became used to the new way of receiving care, including receiving their care virtually.

“Initially, it was challenging to adapt a physical visit to a telehealth visit, but it didn’t take long for my patients to enjoy it,” she said. “They were able to still receive the same quality of care from the comfort of their home.”

The pandemic also reinforced how important overall good physical health is. Those who were more vulnerable to the virus included people with ongoing medical conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, COPD and obesity. If infected with COVID-19, the individuals in these at-risk groups typically had worse outcomes.

“This is a time we need to continue to educate patients on ways to stay healthy and the importance of annual physicals to identify and treat health issues before they get worse,” Bond said.

Preventative care tips

We all know we need to exercise, eat healthily and get enough sleep, but many other factors contribute to optimal health. Tips offered by Memorial Regional Health providers for patients to maintain or improve their health include:

• Schedule your annual physical exam. During this exam, your provider will check your blood pressure, heart rate, BMI and other numbers to ensure your health hasn’t drastically changed in the past year. If something has changed, they can work with you to determine next steps right away.
• Check in with your mental health. Your mental health affects your physical health and vice versa. Neglecting your mental health can lead to physical issues such as heart disease, a weakened immune system, obesity, high blood pressure and other chronic conditions.
• Have necessary screening labs performed. Screening tests help detect potential health disorders or diseases in people who don’t show symptoms, especially for those at risk. For example, routine mammography or colonoscopy can catch life-threatening breast or colon cancers through regular screenings, allowing for earlier treatment.
• Get your immunizations. Many studies have proven that vaccines save lives and are safer than getting the diseases they are intended for. Ensure you and your children get your recommended vaccinations on time.