Get Screened
It all starts with an annual exam with your primary care provider. As early as two years of age it is essential to visit a primary care provider annually to ensure you are up to date on vaccines, discussing preventative measures for your future and addressing any health concerns you may have. To see if you are up to date on current vaccines, click here.
Who is a primary care provider?
A primary care provider (PCP) should be your first source for routine, nonemergency medical care. You also can see a PCP by appointment when you are sick. Having a PCP is important because:
- Your provider knows you and your health history.
- PCPs help patients establish healthy lifestyles that can prevent illness.
- Having a PCP is cost-effective and efficient.
- PCPs include Family Medicine, Internal Medicine and Pediatric Providers.
If you already have a primary care provider, click here to visit our Patient Portal and set up an appointment. IIf you need to establish care with a provider, check out our provider profile on the Find A Provider page. Please note, not all providers are accepting new patients.
The Importance of Screenings
Health screenings are effective for detecting specific conditions or diseases, even when an individual has not experienced any signs or symptoms. Early detection allows you to get the right treatment at the right time, which often leads to improved outcomes.
- Recommended for women 40+ years of age.
- Women who are 40 to 49 should talk to their healthcare provider about when to start and how often to get a mammogram.
- Mammograms detect abnormalities in the breast tissue that could be cancer. The lifetime risk of a woman in the U.S. being diagnosed with breast cancer is more than 1 in 8 or 12%.
- Early detection leads to more successful treatment options.
- Women who have breast cancer screening mammograms are much less likely to die from the disease.
- Recommended for men and women 45 to 75 years of age.
- Adults 75+ should talk to their healthcare provider about screening.
- People at an increased risk of getting colorectal cancer should talk to their healthcare provider about when to begin screening, which test is right for them and how often to get tested.
- A colonoscopy is a screening test for colorectal cancer.
- Colorectal cancer is the third most common cause of cancer-related death for both men and women. However, if it is caught early, colorectal cancer has a 90% survival rate.
- It allows the surgeon to remove any polyps during the procedure before they become cancerous, making it one of the only screening tests to prevent colon cancer.
- Recommended for women who are 65+ and for women who are 50 to 64 with certain risk factors.
- A bone density test tells you how strong your bones are and whether you have osteoporosis or weak bones.
- Women with osteoporosis have a higher risk of breaking a bone. Women are at higher risk than men for osteoporosis and it increases with age.
- Finding and treating the disease early can keep you healthier and more active - and help lower your risk of breaking bones.
- Recommended for men who are 55 to 69 years of age.
- The PSA blood test measures the protein in your blood called prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
- A PSA test can detect cancers that may be at risk of spreading to other parts of your body.
- The PSA is not used alone, your provider may want to also do a digital rectal exam to diagnose and create a treatment plan for any abnormalities.
- Recommended for women starting at age 21 with a follow up every three years.
- Women 65+ should talk with their healthcare provider about screening.
- A pap test detects cervical cancer, abnormal cells in the cervix, the lower part of the uterus, often before cancer appears.
- Cervical cancer is highly curable if detected early.
- Over 90% of cervical cancers are caused by a human papillomavirus (HPV).
- Skipping tests raises your risk for invasive cervical cancer.
- For men and women of all ages.
- The U.S. Preventive Screening Task Force recommends screening for depression in all adults 19+, including postpartum and pregnant persons, as well as older adults, regardless of risk factors. They recommend screening for anxiety disorders in adults 19-64.
- Commonly used assessment tools for adults include the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ).
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends depression screening for adolescents starting at age 11.
- For men and women 18+, annually for anyone over the age of 40.
- Screening is conducted during your annual exam and consists of blood pressure measurement using a blood pressure cuff. It measures how hard your heart is working to pump blood through your body.
- Left untreated, high blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other serious heart conditions.
- High blood pressure has no symptoms and is sometimes called the "silent killer"; which is why it is important to have it checked on a regular basis.
- For men and women over the age of 45 or earlier for anyone with multiple risk factors including being overweight, family history of diabetes, high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol.
- During your annual exam, be sure to request a fasting glucose test - a blood test that measures the amount of sugar in your blood.
- Prediabetes means you have higher than normal blood glucose levels, but not high enough for a type-2 diabetes diagnosis.
- Annual eye exams are recommended for all ages.
- Adults should have a baseline eye disease screening at the age of 40.
- This exam provides greater chance for early treatment and preservation of vision.
- According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a person's first cholesterol screening should occur between the ages of 9 and 11 and then be repeated every five years after that.
- At the age of 45 for men and 50 for women, it is recommended to be screened for cholesterol every 1-2 years.
- Those who have heart disease, diabetes or a family history of high cholesterol, need to get their cholesterol checked more often.
- A complete cholesterol test is also called a lipid panel. It is a blood test that measures the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood.
- High cholesterol puts you at risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Recommended for men and women 18+ at least once in their lifetime. Adults with recognized exposures should be tested more often.
- Chronic HCV infection does not cause symptoms in most people but can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer.
- Hepatitis C can be cured if diagnosed and treated.