Island Primary Care: A clinic update

||| FROM RACHEL LAMBERT for ISLAND PRIMARY CARE |||

CLINIC UPDATE
Summer 2024

Back to School: Are Your Kids’ Vaccinations Up To Date?
As summer starts to wind down, many parents are looking at their to-do lists for getting children ready for school in September. Don’t forget to include an appointment to ensure vaccinations are current. Island Primary Care – Orcas can also complete any sports physicals your kids might need for fall sports. Call or text us today to schedule an appointment: 360.376.2561. Read more about the importance of back-to-school check-ups here: https://islandhealth.org/ensuring-a-healthy-start-the-importance-of-back-to-school-check-ups/

What is a Medicare Annual Wellness Exam? Why Should You Have One?
The easiest way to answer these questions is by listing what will be done at your Medicare Annual Wellness Exam (MAW):

• Recording of your complete health history
• Screenings to detect depression, your risk for falling and other risks such as dementia
• Recommendations for other wellness and preventive services, and healthy lifestyle changes
• Review of your Advance Directives

If you have had Medicare Part B for longer than 12 months, you should have your MAW so your provider can review where you are with your preventive care. This visit isn’t a hands-on physical exam. Deductibles and co-insurance are waived for the MAW as long as no additional tests or services are ordered. It is essential to understand that you cannot address any medical issues with a “problem diagnosis” attached to them—this will turn the visit into a “problem-focused visit,” and additional charges may be incurred.

Medicare wants you to be WELL with this visit; therefore, the best advice is to follow the Health Risk Assessment paperwork you are given and answer the questions you are asked—if you try to sneak in anything else or ask for referrals, medication refills, or discuss any other problems that you may have, you are no longer having an MAW. However, you can make an appointment to address any health concerns at your next visit.

Mammograms at the Orcas Senior Center
Assured Imaging continues to offer mammogram screenings at the Orcas Senior Center. Next dates are September 18–20, from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. All major insurances are accepted, and no referral is necessary for an annual mammogram screening. The U.S. Preventive Task Force Services updated their mammography screening recommendations that all women get screened for breast cancer every other year, starting at age 40 and continuing through age 74. To schedule an appointment for your mammogram, visit https://assuredimaging.com/orcas/ or call 1.888.233.6121.

You can also continue to schedule your screening mammogram at Island Health either online through the myIslandHealth Patient Portal, or by calling 360.299.1315

Healthy Recipe: Curry Roasted Cauliflower
When it comes to nutrition, cauliflower is a superstar. It’s high in vitamins C and K, and is also a good source of folate, which supports cell growth and is essential during pregnancy. Cauliflower is fat-free, cholesterol-free and low in sodium. This recipe capitalizes on that versatility with a combination of spices that will warm you up from the inside out this fall. https://islandhealth.org/healthy-recipes/curry-roasted-cauliflower/

Family Medicine vs Emergency Care
Due to our remote, rural location, Island Primary Care – Orcas offers same-day appointments; however, please remember we are a family medicine practice. The following points below are important to remember in case of an urgent or emergent health issue.

• Island Primary Care – Orcas has same-day openings available for medically necessary, urgent needs. If you are triaged to be seen on the same day, there may be a wait.
• Our Triage Nursing staff will refer you to 911 if you are having symptoms that need to be addressed in an emergency department.
• If you are having a life-threatening event, such as heart attack or stroke, please call 911 immediately.
• Island Primary Care – Orcas is not federally designated as an urgent care clinic and is not an emergency department; this can affect billing for visitors.

As a friendly reminder, please note that firearms are prohibited in the clinic.

We love hearing your feedback! Kudos to the entire Orcas clinic team and Dr. Wilson for this five-star Google review:

Saw Dr. Bob Wilson. As a retired physician myself, I was extremely impressed by the
thorough, patient and incisive discussions, exam, explanations, testing and treatment plans.
Everyone I encountered in the clinic was friendly and welcoming while being clearly professional
and efficient. Well done and thank you!

Leave us a Google review: https://g.page/r/CRNDIvOCIGhAEAE/review