Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
Many people can’t remember the last time they had a doctor’s visit. They may say they never get sick or they just don’t have any risk factors. However, sometimes the problem is not always visible on the outside or perhaps has only just begun, but could be avoided all together if prevented. Annual Wellness visits with your primary care provider are made to create or update a personalized prevention plan. This plan may help prevent illness based on your current health and risk factors. It is not a head-to-toe physical.
An annual wellness visit for a Medicare patient consists of taking the vital signs, reviewing their medications, confirming their current physicians and subspecialists. Although there is no direct physical examination Physicians Regional Medical Group’s providers do go over questionnaires regarding their memory recall and a neurologic questionnaire. This includes depression screening, reviewing current medical issues and clarifying any questions they may have regarding treatment plans. Lastly, the physicians review the current preventative medicine topics. For example, ensuring patients have had a yearly eye exam, a current mammogram, and a colon cancer screening done per guidelines.
One of Physicians Regional Medical Group’s Internal Medicine physicians, Dr. Anthony Scola, M.D., suggests that an annual wellness visit is a good chance for both the patient and provider to review and assess health risks and as a result come up with a prevention plan to keep you healthy and moving forward.
“In order to develop a prevention plan that is personalized for you, your provider needs to determine where your personal health risks are,” Dr. Scola explains, “The Health Risk Assessment is a questionnaire, and one of the main tools your provider will use to do this.”Your primary care physician can help keep you on track with your annual checkups that can help ensure that chronic diseases resulting from uncontrolled hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes can be prevented. Exams are typically recommended 12 months of the patient obtaining Medicare. They are yearly exams in addition to routine follow-up and management of the patient’s chronic medical problems.
Physicians Regional Medical Group’s Internal Medicine physician, Dr. Jozsef Piri, M.D., recommends that anyone above the age of 50 should be receiving annual physical exams. Below the age of 50 annual exams can be done on a 2-3 year basis depending on the patient’s chronic medical conditions.
Dr. Piri also ensures that recommended routine screenings are current. This has a major impact on reducing breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer.
“I always ensure that when the patient has a new diagnosis that they have a clear understanding of the potential causes, treatment and what they can do to mitigate worsening symptoms. I confirm they are on a correct treatment plan,” Dr. Piri states, “and I encourage them to follow-up with the subspecialist if recommended.”
Anyone is a candidate for annual wellness visits and Medicare encourages patients to have an annual checkup each year. It doesn’t matter how sick, or how healthy you are: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Dr. Piri and Dr. Scola are located at our NEW Founders Square location – 8831 Founders Square Drive, Naples, FL 34120. Dr. Scola is also located at Physicians Regional – Regional Medical Arts Building, 8340 Collier Blvd., Naples, FL 34114. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Piri or Dr. Scola call (239)-348-4221 or visit PhysiciansRegionalMedicalGroup.com.
