Fall 2014
Paseo Family
Physicians
You’re Not Sick,
But Are You Truly Well?
At Paseo Family Physicians, we
want to see you well! But what
does that mean? Wellness is more
than simply the absence of disease
or sickness.
According to the World Health
Organization (WHO), “Health is a
state of complete physical, mental
and social well-being.”
How can you achieve wellness in
your own life? Use the following
questions to help evaluate your
health and decide what areas
you can improve to achieve total
wellness:
Are you a healthy weight? Losing
only 5-7 percent of your body
weight can have a huge impact on
lowering your risk for diabetes, improving your cholesterol levels and
decreasing your blood pressure.
Do you smoke? Quitting can
greatly reduce your risk for premature death, lung cancer, heart
disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and infertility.
Are your vaccines current?
Adults need vaccines too, and
many adults are not properly
vaccinated.
Have you had the preventive
testing you need? Finding and
treating health issues early can
help prevent more serious complications.You can find a list of
important preventive tests on the
right side of this page.
If you need help to lose weight,
stop smoking, make sure your
vaccines are current or navigate
what preventive tests you need,
schedule a time to talk with your
provider.
It’s easy to postpone an Annual
Physical when you don’t feel sick,
but preventive visits can help improve, and possibly prolong, your
life. If it’s been more than a year
since your last exam, call us at
602.547.8184 to make your appointment today.
At Paseo Family Physicians, we want to see you well!
Find us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/PaseoFamilyPhysicians
Dedicated to providing the healthcare you need, when you need it.
Hours: Monday – Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Saturday 8 a.m. to noon
18275 North 59th Avenue • Building K, Suite 162• Glendale, Arizona 85308
602.547.8184 • www.paseodocs.com
STAY WELL:
SCHEDULE CHECKUPS
Routine checkups can find many treatable health problems early and help you
prevent more serious complications. But
do you know when and how often you
need the most common screenings and
immunizations?
EXAM
FREQUENCY
Blood Pressure Test
Check at routine physical
Cholesterol Screening
Check at routine physical
Type 2 Diabetes Test
Discuss with your Doctor
at routine physical
Colorectal Cancer Test
Every 5-10 years,
starting at age 50
Mammogram (women only)
Every 1-2 years,
starting at age 40
Pap Test (women only)
Every 1-3 years,
depending on risk
Pre- and postmenopausal
women and patients at risk
for osteoporosis
Bone Density Test
Tetanus Booster
Every 10 years
Shingles Vaccine
Once after age 50
Pneumonia Vaccine
Once after age 65
staff profile
TREATING
PATIENTS LIKE
FAMILY
Family is important to
Julie Akers, one of our
receptionists at Paseo.
This is part of the
reason our patients
rave about her.
“My favorite part of
the job is getting to know the patients,”
says Julie. “I treat them the way I would
want my own family to be treated.”
Patients tell us they enjoy Julie’s kindness
and warm smile, which have been staples
in the front office for nearly 12 years.
“Julie has gone the extra mile to either
get me in ASAP or work with my schedule,” says one Paseo patient. “She’s the
best.”
When she’s not at the office, Julie enjoys
spending time with her daughters. Her
oldest lives in San Diego and her youngest is a high school senior. Julie’s favorite
pastimes include decorating and watching
her youngest daughter cheer and play
softball.
HOLIDAY HOURS
Thanksgiving
Closed Nov. 27-30
(Thursday–Sunday)
Christmas Eve
Open 7 a.m. – noon
Christmas Day Closed
New Year’s Eve Open 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
New Year’s Day Closed
Should you need to speak to a provider
urgently on one of these days, please call
602.547.8184 and ask for the doctor on
call.
Top Four Questions about
Medicare Wellness Visits
If you’re age 65 or above, are you
taking advantage of the preventive services provided by your
Medicare coverage? Medicare covers an Annual Wellness Visit – at no
cost to the patient. These are the
four most common questions we
receive about the Annual Wellness
Visit and its purpose:
Does Paseo Family Physicians
accept Medicare?
Yes. We are also accepting new
Medicare patients. If you have questions about your specific plan, call
us at 602.547.8184.
What is an Annual Wellness Visit?
According to Medicare, the purpose of an Annual Wellness Visit is
to “develop or update a personalized prevention plan to prevent disease and disability...”
A wellness visit is not used to
address new or existing medical
concerns. Please make a regular appointment if you have a health issue
you are concerned about.
What happens at an Annual
Wellness Visit?
Your provider will review medications and supplements you are taking,
medical conditions that run in your
family and personal habits that could
contribute to your risk of disease.
Based on this information, your provider will work with you to establish
a list of recommendations for improving your health.
Is an Annual Wellness Visit the
same as an Annual Physical?
No. According to Medicare, an
Annual Wellness Visit and an Annual
Physical are two different things. A
physical is not covered or paid for
by Medicare whereas your Annual
Wellness Visit is covered at no cost
to the patient.
Five Easy Steps to Stay
Healthy this Holiday Season
It’s the most wonderful time of the
year, and possibly the worst possible time of the year to get sick.
through airborne droplets. Be sure
to wash your hands or use hand
sanitizer regularly!
Between holiday shopping, decorating and events there’s simply
no time for cold or flu symptoms. Follow these five steps to
keep yourself healthy this holiday season:
Snack wisely – Take healthy
snacks with you when you shop
and run errands to prevent an
impulse treat purchase.
Make time to sleep – A recent
study found people who sleep at
least eight hours each night are
nearly three times less likely to
catch a cold than those who sleep
less than seven hours a night.
Wash Your Hands – Cold viruses
are more likely to spread through
hand-to-mouth contact than
Prevent overeating –
Overeating can be easy to do
with so many goodies around. Eat
a healthy breakfast rich in protein to help prevent overeating
the rest of the day.
Drink Sparingly – Try to limit
yourself to one or two alcoholic
beverages at holiday events, and
alternate them with a full glass of
water.