Altru Health System

"I Need Care, but Where?" Your healthcare options begin with your primary care provider, but where can you go when he or she is unavailable? WE ASKED JOSHUA DEERE, MD, medical director, primary care at Altru Health System, about the appropriate times to be tested for many common medical problems that cause people worry. "Having a primary care provider who is aware of your overall health and can discuss which screenings may be important is vital," Dr. Deere says. Heart health: Screening age is based on symptoms and risk factors. Caring for your heart is a lifelong process requiring a healthy diet, exercise and maintaining a normal weight. Cholesterol: Have a screening every three years beginning at age 35 for men and age 45 for women. Diabetes: Regardless of your risk factors, get screened annually starting at age 45. Colon cancer: Dr. Deere recommends a colonoscopy every 10 years beginning at age 50. This should be done earlier and more frequently if you're at an elevated risk for colorectal cancer. Lung cancer: Get screened at age 55 if you smoked a pack a day for 30 years or the equivalent. Those who are more proactive about their health have a better chance of detecting serious health conditions during their early stages, improving treatment options and outcomes. Keep Your Health in Check Breast cancer and prostate cancer: "There's a lot of debate about what age to start breast and prostate cancer screening," Dr. Deere says. "This is a good discussion for you and your primary care provider." Stay on top of your health with a primary care provider. Find one that's right for you at altru.org/providers. "HAVING A PRIMARY care provider offers you many benefits," says Joshua Deere, MD, medical director, primary care at Altru Health System. "You can form a relationship that improves your quality of life, reduces your risk of emergency room use and lowers your cost of overall care." Often, patients who find their primary care provider unavailable head to the emergency room, but that's not necessarily ideal. "In general, emergency departments are designed to take care of life- or limb-threatening medical emergencies," says Christopher Boe, MD, chair of emergency medicine and medical director of the emergency department at Altru. "This includes heart attacks, stroke, traumatic accidents, lacerations, broken bones, serious falls, particularly in the elderly and very young, and acute medical illness felt to be life threatening." In addition to primary care providers and emergency care, Altru Health System offers numerous care options for pressing but nonemergency care. These options include: » A walk-in morning clinic, open from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at Altru Family Medicine Center, for coughs, colds and other minor concerns » Same-day acute care appointments available from 5 to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday, at Altru Professional Center » All-day walk-ins with family physicians at Altru Family Medicine Residency » Urgent care at Altru Hospital, available from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., for care that is urgent but not an emergency For more information and locations, visit altru.org. Anytime you need emergency care, dial 911. 7 V1N2 | Tips + Insight from your local experts at Altru Health System

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