Five Reasons to Make That Well Visit Appointment
2/23/2021
Mooresville, N.C. --- If you’ve put off seeing your doctor for fear of catching or spreading the COVID-19 virus, Dr. Amber Hicks-Thibodeau, of Lake Norman Medical Group, Family Medicine Tall Oaks, wants you to know it’s safe and important to come in.
Precautions for your safety include the option of eliminating the waiting room by waiting in the car or utilizing telehealth from the comfort of your home, scheduling well-visits in the morning, masking of all patients and providers, checking temperature of all clinic visitors, screening clinic staff multiple times during the shift, asking that only the patient comes in unless a support person is needed, and enhanced cleaning of commonly touched surfaces and socially-distanced chairs in waiting areas. For any patients experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, Lake Norman Medical Group first schedules a telehealth visit followed by an outdoor, drive-through rapid test for additional precaution.
“We want our patients and community members to know we understand their concerns and that we are doing everything we can to allow them to feel comfortable seeking health care," said Dr. Amber Hicks-Thibodeau. "Although it’s been a year of unique challenges, we want to maintain our ongoing partnership with our patients to help them stay on board with their current and long-term health goals.”
Here are five reasons to make an appointment for your next well-visit or check-up without delay.
- Check on your general health. The clinic has a record of your health metrics over time, including cholesterol, blood sugar, weight and others. If any numbers are trending in the wrong direction, your doctor can help you make a plan to get back on track with lifestyle changes, diet or medical treatment.
- Manage chronic conditions. Ongoing medical concerns, whether diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or others require regular monitoring by a provider to keep them from progressing to life-threatening levels. Regular checkups can help you avoid a medical crisis.
- Identify issues early with routine screenings. The practice keeps records of your screening exams to help you remember when it’s time to get your colonoscopy, mammogram, bone density test, prostate exam and other screenings. Early identification of many illnesses can give you the most options for treatment and better outcomes.
- Stay current on vaccinations for your protection. While you’re hearing plenty of news about the COVID-19 vaccine, there are a number of other vaccinations to prevent disease as your immune system weakens over time. Flu shots annually. Tetanus shots every ten years. Vaccines for shingles and pneumonia and more. The practice will remind you when it’s time to get your immunizations.
- Keep prescriptions updated. Bring a full list of your medications, including any over-the-counter, so your physician has a complete picture of what you’re taking. An annual review can identify possible side effects or medication conflicts.
Of course, the best reason of all is peace of mind about your health. Lake Norman Medical Group has more than 30 providers in convenient locations including Mooresville and Denver to make it easy for you to access care.
If you need help finding a primary care physician, visit LakeNormanMedicalGroup.com to be connected with one of Lake Norman Medical Group’s qualified family medicine or internal medicine physicians.
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