HEALTHY LIFE
Primary Care Matters The benefits of choosing a doctor who is part of a health care system
WELLNESS
Plan Ahead for Cold and Flu Season Like clockwork, colds, influenza and other respiratory viruses tend to become more prevalent in the fall. However, many of us don’t take the time to prepare for when one of those pesky viruses strikes. “Generally, we start seeing cases start to pick up in November, peak around the first of the year, then generally go down after that,” says Mark D. Shalauta, MD, family medicine physician, Scripps Clinic, Rancho Bernardo. Dr. Shalauta has a few tips on how to get ready for cold and flu season. Get vaccinated. One of the most important things you can do to prepare is prevent infections in the first place. Get vaccinated against the flu (ideally before Halloween), get a COVID-19 booster, if applicable, and look into vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which have recently been approved for certain adults. Also, update your Tdap shot to protect against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, aka whooping cough, if it’s been more than 10 years since your last booster. Keep it clean. The lessons we learned during the pandemic will come in handy during cold and flu season, too. Wash your hands and sanitize often, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, keep household surfaces clean and stay home when you’re sick. Masks, though optional, can still be used to filter out germs in public, and can be especially beneficial for people who are elderly or immunocompromised. Check your tech. Make sure to have access to a device capable of supporting a video visit with a health care provider. Stock up. Pick up pharmacy essentials just in case. Toss out any expired medications and stock your medicine cabinet with ibuprofen or acetaminophen, decongestants (if tolerated) and a general cough and cold medicine. Be sure to check with your doctor first if you have high blood pressure. A thermometer and at-home COVID tests are also good to have on hand, as is good old-fashioned chicken (or plant-based) soup. “Soup’s not really magical, but it definitely helps with hydration,” says Dr. Shalauta. “People with sore throats frequently don't drink enough fluids, and if they have a fever, they're getting even more dehydrated. Soup replenishes the salt and the fluid and makes your throat feel better.”
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ON’T WAIT UNTIL YOU GET SICK or injured to find a doctor. Nearly half of adults ages 18 to 29 don’t have a primary care physician—and while that may seem OK if you’re healthy, having a primary doctor, and a supporting network of hospitals and
specialists on your side, will definitely pay off in the long run. Unlike retail health care services, such as those at retail pharmacies and online membership services, health care systems, such as Scripps, are patient- centered and the physicians are invested in patients’ health throughout the various stages of life. Patients build a trusting relationship with their primary care physician, which can lead to earlier detection of health issues via routine screenings and preventive care, and better health outcomes overall. “You want to be able to look at this as a partnership,” says Anthony Chong, MD, chief medical officer, Scripps Coastal Medical Center. “Primary care physicians focus on long-term health maintenance, prevention, wellness and health stabilization. Having a physician who understands and can work with you will set you up for success.” Doctors attached to a health care system also act as a point of contact to coordinate specialty care when needed, such as orthopedics, cardiology, allergy and asthma, among many other specialists who treat specific conditions. At Scripps, this also means access to nationally recognized specialty care at hospitals and clinics throughout the region. And since your primary and specialty care physicians all operate under the same network, they have access to your medical records to help ensure you receive seamless care. “It comes down to being part of a comprehensive network,” says Siu Ming Geary, MD, vice president, primary care, Scripps Clinic. “If your primary care doctor is part of a system, you have all the resources and the infrastructure behind it to really meet all of your health care needs. There are no gaps in care.” With a primary care doctor who is part of a health care system, you can be sure that you’re receiving expert, trusted information on health and wellness trends and quickly find out which are just hype (and could even be unsafe). Scripps requires continuing education for physicians, so patients can be sure their doctor has the most up-to-date information. Large health care systems, like Scripps, also practice diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. They are committed to caring for everyone,
regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, location or socioeconomic status, and have the expertise to meet each individual’s health care needs. That can mean anything from offering
literature in several languages to having a diverse physician population to represent the variety of patients they serve. “We are committed to caring for everybody equally, with respect, dignity and compassion,” says Dr. Geary. To find a Scripps physician who is right for you, visit Scripps.org/SDDoctor.
6 SAN DIEGO HEALTH | FALL 2023
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