Wellness Check

Personalized Annual Wellness Exams

Regardless of age, visiting a primary care doctor at least once a year can have a significant impact on your overall health and greatly improve your chances of diagnosing serious conditions early. Your PCP doctor will discuss health screenings that are appropriate for you based on your age, health conditions, and other risks such as family history of heart problems.

Physical Exams

There are a number of standard tests that are typically part of our annual Personalized Annual Wellness Exam:

• A review of your current medical concerns;
• An update of any family or social history that may impact your health;
• A comprehensive physical exam, including blood pressure assessment;
• Laboratory testing, including cholesterol panel and blood sugar; and
• A review of any additional recommended tests such as mammogram and colonoscopy.

Women should also have the following screenings:

• Pelvic exams;
• Breast exams;
• Pap smears, for early detection of cervical cancer; and
• HPV (genital human papillomavirus) screenings.

After the age of 40, men should consider annual prostate and colorectal exams for early detection of cancer.

Vaccines

At your Personalized Annual Wellness Exam, we will review your vaccination status. These are some important vaccines for adults that you may need:

• Td or TDap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis);
• Influenza;
• Shingles;
• Pneumovax and Prevnar 13;
• Hepatitis A & B;
• Meningococcal;
• Chicken Pox;
• MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella); and
• Travel vaccines – typhoid, yellow fever.

Staying Healthy

The goal of preventative medicine is to stop certain medical conditions from occurring, and to identify serious issues early on so that treating them can be more effective. The Personalized Annual Wellness Exam is a large part of this. Your doctor may discuss diet and exercise recommendations as part of your wellness plan. Visiting your doctor at least once a year is essential to staying healthy.