T.J. Samson | Destination Health | June 2021

H ave you visited your primary care provider (PCP) lately? If you don’t have a PCP, or lately you’ve been a stranger, you could be missing out on a critical piece of your health care: an ongoing relationship with a provider who knows you well. “Your primary care physician is a doctor you should see more often than your other specialists and for lots of different things,” says Barbara Kelly, MD, a family medi- cine specialist at the T.J. Health Pavilion. FINDING PROBLEMS EARLY A PCP is a doctor or other medical provider who sees you for most medical needs, including routine checkups. During visits, your provider monitors your health and symptoms for any changes.They also help make sure your vaccinations are up-to-date and that you’re getting any recommended screenings for diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes or cancer. Timely screenings can detect some diseases earlier, when treatment is more likely to succeed. In fact, get- ting screened could even save your life, Dr. Kelly says. She lost her grandmother to colon cancer.That’s one reason why this Kentucky native became a doctor and is passionate about prevention and screening— and not just when it comes to colon cancer. Take high blood pressure, a major cause of heart dis- ease and stroke. “You can feel just fine and have a blood pressure level that’s through the roof,” Dr. Kelly says. To treat you appropriately and give you the best advice for improving your well-being, your PCP needs honest information from you. Your provider will not judge you about things like poor eating hab- its, smoking, or alcohol or drug use. “Physicians are not going to bring that stigma into the room,” Dr. Kelly says. Instead, they stand ready to help. Barbara Kelly, MD Family Medicine Our primary care providers are accepting new patients. Call 270-651-1111 to make an appointment. ALL-AROUND CARE Primary care providers throughout T.J. Regional Health offer a variety of services for you and your family, including: ● Management of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, asthma, thyroid problems and diabetes. ● Care for minor illnesses, such as colds, flu and sore throats. ● Sports physicals. ● Minor office procedures, like skin biopsies and joint injections. ● Evaluations for minor injuries and musculoskeletal problems. ● Referrals to specialty medical care. If you do de- velop a condition that may require a specialty physi- cian, your PCP can refer you to one. Health care can be complicated when you have more than one pro- vider to see. A PCP makes navigating your care with other specialists and testing easier. SEEING YOU IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY Now that COVID-19 is here, it’s even more important to have a PCP, whether you visit in person or virtually through telehealth. Many types of health care visits can be handled (or at least started) virtually via your computer, smartphone or even a regular telephone. One example is virtual sick-care visits for allergy, cold, flu or COVID-19 symptoms—such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of smell or taste, and muscle aches. “You can call the office and ask if your doctor is doing telehealth visits,” Dr. Kelly says. But no matter how you do it, the main thing is to be seen by your PCP, who is there to help you stay in good health. Of primary importance Why you need a primary care provider Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Platteville, WI Permit No. 7 T.J. Samson Community Hospital 1301 N. Race St. Glasgow, KY 42141 JUNE 2021