Don’t Put Your Health on Hold: Preventative Care During a Pandemic

By Allison Hamburger, PA-C at Steamboat Signature Specialty Clinic

Allison Hamburger, PA-C

UPDATE: The Steamboat Signature Specialty Clinic no longer offers primary care services. Dermatology, podiatry and ENT services are still offered. Learn more here.

Putting our health first has never been more important.

While you should always prioritize preventative care, the pandemic has enforced the value of regular check-ups. Preventative care allows your healthcare provider to detect disease and other medical problems before they become serious.

In order to protect yourself from severe illnesses, you can’t let your health fall by the wayside. We all know we need to exercise, eat healthy and get enough sleep, but there are many other factors that contribute to optimal health. Tips I offer my 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 the 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. For example, cholesterol tests can reveal conditions like diabetes and hypertension, or help prevent them from worsening. Getting a routine mammography or colonoscopy prevents your chances of developing life-threatening breast or colon cancer. Don’t delay these types of labs — especially if you are at risk.
  • 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.

So, how do you access preventative care? 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.

At our Steamboat Specialty Clinic, scheduling a health check-up is as easy as calling our office and asking for a well-visit or a well-child visit. We offer telehealth and virtual visit options to add another factor of convenience and safety.

If you’re sick, we can offer same-day care to ensure you don’t have to live in misery with your symptoms. We can help determine if you have COVID-19, the cold, flu or something else. We anticipate offering COVID-19 vaccination clinics to our community soon and work closely with our pharmacy and visiting specialists to ensure all of our patients’ needs are met.

MRH separates sick visits from well-visits to keep our patients safe. Sick visits are completed car side, and if the patient needs further assessment or treatment, they enter through a separate entrance and are led to a designated room.

The key to a happy, thriving community is ensuring we all stay safe and healthy, which begins with preventative care. To schedule a primary care appointment at the MRH Steamboat Specialty Clinic, call 970-826-8440.