Healthcare Directory

2021 Medical & Dental Directory | 9 The Barkman kids, including daughter Mandy Barkman Middleton, called family friend Brian Rose, a physician assistant with Valley Cardiology & Vascular Clinics. He advised they get their dad to the emergency room right away for a chest X-Ray. Barkman wound up being admitted to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in cardiac distress from the effects of flu and subsequent pneumonia. "He was so lucky we caught it in time," said cardiologist Dr. Augustine George. "If you have shortness of breath, don't ignore it." Doctors performed cardioversion to "reset" the rhythm of Barkman's heart. Rose drove from Pinehurst, where he and his wife were celebrating their wedding anniversary, to check on his friend in the hospital. "He was so sick so quickly," Rose said. "When someone presents with heart failure, you don't always know how things are going to play out. Aggressive care goes a long way. It's a good thing his children were on top of things." According to American Heart Association statistics, heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. Prompt recognition of symptoms is critical. They include shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, swelling and nausea. Barkman's symptoms were severe despite the fact that he and his wife Karen had flu vaccinations, just as they do every year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu shots are especially important for people with cardiac issues. "I'd never been in the hospital before," Barkman said. "I can't say enough about the staff and the care I received. Once the heart issue was taken care of, I felt fine. All the pain and achiness were gone. "I've been walking every day for two years now," he said. "I consider myself as having recovered completely." n Cardiologist Dr. Augustine George warns, "If you have shortness of breath, don't ignore it." Staying Well in the New Year Medicare offers a free annual wellness visit — have you had yours? By Lia Tremblay THE SOCIAL DISTANCING OF 2020 MAY HAVE ERASED A LOT OF THINGS OFF YOUR CALENDAR: A DREAM VACATION, YOUR HIGH SCHOOL REUNION, EVEN A FAMILY THANKSGIVING. But even as you do your best to avoid contracting and spreading COVID-19, good preventive health care should still be a part of your routine. Annual checkups are a must—and if you have Medicare, you can get yours at no cost. What is the Annual Wellness Visit? Medicare covers a wellness visit every 12 months, starting as soon as you make a wellness appointment with your primary care provider. Your first "Welcome to Medicare" wellness visit will be a comprehensive review of your health and any risk factors you'll want to keep track of. To give your provider a complete picture for this process, you may want to bring some things along: • details of your family health history, to identify any hereditary risks • a list of prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, vitamins and supplements you are taking • any medical records, including immunization records, that detail your treatment history You will have the opportunity to discuss these details, answer some questions about your overall lifestyle and habits and get updated numbers on your weight, blood pressure and other routine measurements. Using all of this information, the provider will work with you to develop a personalized prevention plan. Based on your current health and risk factors, this will help to keep preventable causes of disease and disability at bay. After the First Visit Each year, this prevention plan will be updated to reflect any changes in your health status, and you will get updated guidance that is tailored to those changes. You may also get a cognitive impairment assessment, which can lead to early detection of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, and can also reveal reversible causes of cognitive decline (like a change in medication or lifestyle). Depending on your current health and risk factors, your provider may suggest additional screening or preventive services, such as cancer screenings or nutrition therapy. Medicare covers a wide variety of these services as part of the visit, at no cost to you. There may be circumstances in which your provider recommends a service that isn't completely covered by Medicare, so be sure to ask questions about why it is recommended and what the cost may be. Getting Started Whether you are new to Medicare or just new to this annual habit, the first step is to make an appointment with a primary care provider. Cape Fear Valley Health's primary care physician offices are located throughout Cumberland, Hoke, Robeson, Bladen and Harnett counties, and offer a wide variety of Medicare-covered services. You can see a full list at www.capefearvalley.com/ practices to find one near you. Before your first appointment, a visit to medicare.gov can get you better acquainted with the annual visit and other preventive services covered by Medicare.If the annual wellness visit is not already part of your routine, let 2021 be the year you make self-care a priority. It is an easy way to monitor and manage your health, and to live your post-pandemic years to the fullest. n

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