Family Medicine and Wellness Visits for a Healthy Future
The family medicine practice at Urban Health is devoted to the comprehensive health care of the family unit, from early adulthood to the geriatric stages of life. Some of the benefits of having a long-term relationship with a family medicine practice are that the physician is aware of your:
- Health history
- Family dynamics
- Lifestyle choices
A family practitioner typically provides well patient services as well as handling simple and complex medical diagnoses.
Urban Health, in Clermont, Florida, is a well-established and trusted family medicine practice that is committed to providing quality care for adult patients. We diagnose and treat a broad scope of health issues.
As your primary care practitioners, Dr. Gonzalez, Dr. Moreno strive to provide:
- Guidance
- Monitoring
- Treatment for the betterment of your health
Research indicates that patients who develop a relationship with a family physician have better overall health outcomes.
Wellness Visits are Crucial to Detect Early Symptoms of Disease
Wellness visits are the foundation of a healthy future and a time to assess risk factors and establish a personalized prevention and treatment plan. During a wellness visit, the medical staff at Urban Health will update and discuss your health history, to assess any changes that may have occurred for you or your family members since your last visit.
For example, a patient may need to have a specific health screening due to a family member’s new diagnosis, as many diseases are genetically linked. Or a patient may be experiencing new symptoms that need to be further investigated.
Allergies related to medications, foods, and the environment are addressed, with a possible recommendation for immunotherapy treatment. Current medications, pharmaceutical supplements, and their effectiveness are reviewed, as well as an immunization schedule.
It is Important to Establish a Plan for your Health
A wellness visit at Urban Health can include a myriad of health screenings, depending on your:
- Age
- Risk factors
- Gender
During an exam, a medical practitioner will check many systems of the body through diagnostic tools and a patient interview to assess any underlying issues. This is the time to ask questions that you may have regarding your overall health.
We can coordinate the patient’s care if a specialty referral is warranted. A wellness visit is often required for participation in employment, sports, or school.
There are environmental and lifestyle choices that can have a detrimental impact on health. In a wellness visit, a medical practitioner’s dialogue will include:
- Current stresses in the patient’s life
- Review of drug and alcohol usage
- Smoking habits.
Recommendations for an appropriate exercise program and proper nutrition may be discussed. Urban Health is the first family practice office in the country to have a full-time primary care dietician nutritionist on staff.
Wendimere Reilly, RDN LDN can counsel patients on the benefits of lifestyle choices to promote health and manage chronic diseases.
Wellness visits may include a review of Advanced Directives, Immunizations, and Mental Status Assessments
During a wellness visit, it is appropriate to review Advanced Directives for health care. These legal, medical documents are in the form of a:
- Living Will
- Health Care Surrogate
- Do Not Resuscitate Order
These documents are your voice during periods of incapacity or end of life. By naming a trusted person to be your agent for medical care when you are unable to make decisions, you can be confident that your wishes will be followed.
As a patient’s health status changes, a review, and update of Advanced Directives is recommended.
Assessing mental status changes in senior patients during a wellness visit is a useful tool to identify cognitive loss or a reversible health condition. In addition to the onset of dementia, there can be various possible causes for mental status changes. It can be the result of a:
- Medication side effect
- Depression
- Metabolic or infectious process.
Some causes can be reversed with treatment, but for those that are not curable, it can prepare the family for predictable changes and needs for care. Early detection in the diagnosis of dementia allows caregivers to prepare for potential safety issues and to ensure that the patient has an informed caregiver to assist in the community with medical and functional concerns.
Updating vaccinations can prevent serious health consequences. During a wellness exam, a physician may recommend immunizations. Vaccines are a combination of immunization that includes tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. The annual influenza vaccine is an effective way to fend off illness, given before the start of the flu season.
The pneumonia vaccine is recommended for persons over the age of 65, or for those with lung ailments or smokers. The shingles vaccine is recommended for most adults, age 60 or older. A hepatitis B vaccine is given to prevent liver disease if you are a health care worker or have a condition that affects the immune system.
The HPV vaccine is available to adult men and women to protect against certain forms of cancer, caused by human papillomavirus.
Family Physicians are your Advocates for Health Care
At Urban Health, the medical practitioners want to build a relationship with you and your family through all the adult stages of your life. We are here for your physical, mental, and emotional health concerns and want to assist you with making the right choices, to secure a healthy future. Some of our comprehensive services include:
- Acute and chronic care management
- Pain management
- In-office diagnostic testing
We have specialized programs for:
- Prevention and treatment of allergies
- Weight loss management
- Nutritional counseling
- Dermatologic conditions
Our Goal is to Protect and Improve your Health
The founder of Urban Health, Dr. Jaime C. Gonzalez, has been a trusted member of the Clermont, Florida community for more than twenty-five years. Dr. Jose A. Moreno, quality health care providers strive to provide a caring and supportive environment for their patients. At Urban Health, each patient is treated as a unique individual, as the medical staff assesses their symptoms and offers treatment options with compassion.
Most health insurance companies will pay for a yearly wellness exam as they are aware of early detection’s benefits in preventing future disease and disability. Contact our Office Manager, to discuss any questions you may have regarding the practice or your insurance coverage.
We accept Medicare and most insurance plans, including Managed Care and Medicare Advantage plans. Call for an appointment in our Clermont, Florida office, with one of the medical practitioners, and start on the pathway to a healthy tomorrow. We can be contacted at 352-394-5535.
