Grundy County Memorial Hospital | Live Well | Winter 2022

WI NTER 2022 5 Learn more about the hospital’s support for you to live well and re-energize your prevention efforts. Inside Prevention: The best medicine Let’s be honest. Navigating a pandemic and its effects on your daily life has taken a toll—and paying attention to healthy habits and regular health care visits may not be a priority. “Having a provider who truly cares and wants to help you make informed decisions about your mental and physical health can help take away some of your stress in these tough times,” says Samantha Bissen, DO, family medicine physician with UnityPoint Clinic, Grundy Center. The doctor’s advice for 2022? “Let us help take care of you. A good place to begin is catch- ing up on preventive health services.” Begin by scheduling a primary care visit. Your primary care provider (PCP) is aware of your health history and any risk factors you may have and stays on top of the preventive measures and health screenings that apply to you. Pick up the phone or log in to your personal health portal to make an appointment for your annual wellness visit now—while it’s fresh in your mind. Don’t have a PCP? There are UnityPoint Clinic family med- icine clinics in Conrad, Eldora, Grundy Center, Parkersburg and Reinbeck. Preventive care and screenings Your PCP will empower you to stay up-to-date on your health screenings, following guidelines based on your age and health risks. These include breast cancer screenings for women, prostate cancer screenings for men and colon cancer screenings beginning at age 45 for both men and women. Avoiding problems like heart disease and diabetes includes monitoring your blood work. Preventive screenings are available at Grundy County Memorial Hospital, where you are assured of award-winning patient care, convenient scheduling and little wait time. Tools for prevention and well-being Your routine checkup may include advice from your provider to lower your risk for disease, and the hospital offers help through a variety of coaching and classes. ● Has your doctor told you that your screening shows you have pre-diabetes? The hospital’s Diabetes Preven- tion Program provides proven results to help you avoid the disease—and new virtual and online classes offer you options. ● Is weight management a goal in 2022? Sign up for the Healthy Lifestyle program, which avoids dieting in favor of intuitive eating. Most health plans cover preventive care services; you may check with the hospital to learn how your insurance plan covers the tests that are recommended for you. Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians; HealthCare.gov Support for you to live well “Focusing on your preventive health has always been important, but it can easily fall out of focus in times like these,” says Samantha Bissen, DO, UnityPoint Clinic family medicine physician (at left). Read below for a prescription for 2022!