Amanda Wilde (Host): I only go to the doctor if I really need to. Sound familiar? Well, it's wrong, because the fact is routine health screenings save lives. Board-certified family nurse practitioner, Jennifer Murdza, answers the what, where, how, and why of health screenings next.

Welcome to Healthier You from Cumberland Healthcare. I'm Amanda Wilde. And welcome to the podcast, Jennifer.

Jennifer Murdza: Hi there, Amanda. How are you today?

Host: Great. Great to have you here.

Jennifer Murdza: Thanks for having me.

Host: Given the importance of preventive healthcare that we know, if I know I am healthy, why do I need to come in?

Jennifer Murdza: So, a lot of patients I have come in don't like to come to the doctor or they'll come in just for urgent issues. Preventative healthcare is an important aspect. It actually leads to significant improvements in overall health. It's a good idea to establish care with someone you really trust, someone you're able to bond with and who understands you. We're all individuals. We all have different issues. We have had declining preventative healthcare ever since COVID started, darn COVID. But it is still important and we need to get you back into the clinic.

Host: And have someone who can follow your progress and know who you are.

Jennifer Murdza: Absolutely. Studies show if you have that bond with your physician, your provider, you trust them, your health maintenance, longevity of life is going to increase.

Host: Well, of course, the idea of a screening is to catch something early when it is more easily addressed medically. Can you take us through the process of a routine health screening? What exactly is that? What does the screening include?

Jennifer Murdza: So, initially, we'll get your health history. What's your family history? What's your health history? We'll get some good vital signs, maybe some blood work to rule out diabetes, rule out high cholesterol. We'll have a talk with you depending on your age. "Hey, are you due for a mammogram?" We recommend that starting at age 40, having that discussion one on one.

One in eight women will develop breast cancer at some time in their life. But the earlier we catch it, the key is prevention to help you so you are able to overcome it. Cervical cancer screening, we want that to be started at age 21. Colon Cancer Screening, we keep pushing that age younger and younger. You know, a long time ago, maybe we didn't do that until we're 60, then 50, now 45. Nobody likes to get a colonoscopy, so nobody likes to have that talk, but again, one out of ten people will be diagnosed with colon cancer under the age of 50. And we do have easier screening tests. We have what's called the Cologuard. It's a nice little box. We can ship it to your house, you send them a little sample. And if it's negative, every three years. Now, if it does come back positive or you have a high family history or high risk factors for colon cancer, we may still recommend that colonoscopy. But again, lifetime risk of colon cancer, one out of every 23 men and one in every 26 women, that's the lifetime risk overall. So again, the key is prevention. The earlier we catch that atypical polyp, we see something concerning underlying, we get rid of that. Earlier is better, we're finding.

Also, lung cancer screenings. Hey, we have a lot of people that still like to smoke out there. They like their cigarettes or cigars. So, we would have that nice talk with them about increased risk of lung cancer. Maybe do some earlier screening so we're able to catch that earlier. Prostate cancer for men we want to start talking about that at age 50. Bone density screening, we should start that at age 65 and maybe even earlier if you've had a fracture. Maybe you're frail and even men can get bone density screenings. Hypertension, like we talked about, we're going to check your blood pressure. We're going to talk about are you a smoker? What's your diet like? What's your activity like? Do you get up? Do you move around or are you a truck driver sitting all day?

Lifestyle, immunizations, too. We'll talk about immunizations. We know no one likes to get shots, but talk about getting your annual flu shot, get your tetanus every 10 years. We have an RSV vaccine now for those 60 and older. We're seeing that that's starting to affect older people. Pneumonia vaccine, get your pneumococcal vaccine. And STD testing for those at risk too. Just having that one on one talk with someone you're comfortable with to help keep you healthy.

Host: So, does this all start with your primary care physician? We were speaking earlier about someone who's kind of following you and knows who you are and knows your lifestyle, your age, your health history, has that information on your vaccines. Is that the first point of contact for getting these screenings?

Jennifer Murdza: Absolutely, that should be your first point of contact. Talking to them, maybe they need to refer you to a specialist, to someone else, but having that one person you can always call who knows about you, who's familiar with you, to answer any questions or concerns and to do what's best for you. Absolutely.

Host: Do you also look at mental health as part of these screenings?

Jennifer Murdza: Absolutely. Mental and physical health are equally important components of overall health. For example, depression increases the risk for many types of physical health problems like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Similarly, the presence of chronic conditions can increase the risk for mental illness. Say I have pain, that may cause depression in Itself. So, having that talk with the patient, screening them, seeing how is their mood, are they getting out, are they isolated because of COVID, and helping them with that.

Host: Are the screenings we're talking about covered by insurance?

Jennifer Murdza: Absolutely. These should all be covered by your insurance. Mammograms, colonoscopy, even the physical itself. Now, you may want to check with your insurance company to see if you have a high deductible. If you don't have insurance or you do have a high deductible, the Wisconsin Cancer Collaborative actually has assistance for mammograms, for PAPs. You would just need to either have a high deductible insurance or no insurance and you would fill out an application and you could get those done on an annual basis. Blood tests should also be covered as part of that annual visit. Again, unless you have a high deductible or something else.

But we do offer direct access labs here at Cumberland Healthcare, which are a lot less in cost. We have a nice list. So say, for thyroid, cholesterol, or even ruling out diabetes, you would pay cash, maybe $20, $25 to get these tests done. And then, you would forward them to your provider to review.

Host: So, that sounds really reasonable and accessible, which is really important. How often should we adults come in for these routine screenings?

Jennifer Murdza: So, I recommend adults come in at least every year. Things change. Let's make sure we're monitoring your blood pressure. Let's say you're overall healthy, maybe every other year. But I still think it's nice face to face every year. And this should be something that's covered by your insurance.

Host: And what about our children? Should they be doing routine health screenings? Of course, we keep them up to date on various parts of childhood, but then things kind of drop off sometimes.

Jennifer Murdza: You should bring your child in at least every year. Now, babies will need to come in more frequently. We'll want to monitor their weight, their height, make sure they're growing okay. They may need to come in every few months. But typically, about the age four to five, they can come in every year and we'll make sure they're meeting milestones, make sure they're eating okay, and then just giving you that guidance and helping you with any questions you might have. Every child is different.

Host: And it's really a good habit to get into for a lifetime, isn't it?

Jennifer Murdza: Absolutely. It is a great habit. Prevention is key.

Host: I know what it's like to think, "Oh, I just don't have time" or, you know, not to prioritize something that seems so routine, but a moment of inconvenience or discomfort can really prevent a very non-routine health condition.

Jennifer Murdza: That is correct. Studies actually show that lifestyle changes are more effective. So just talking to your doctor about that, maybe doing some diet and exercise, cutting back on some salt, talking about weight loss, or getting some good healthy exercise in. We screen for things, we ask questions. But we also try to give you a lot of guidance and education, too.

Host: That's a really great form of support. And just seeing someone yearly or more if it's necessary brings your health and self-care to the front of your mind. And it's just good to know someone's got your back, so you're doing this together.

Jennifer Murdza: Correct. We're here for you. You have any acute issues, we can get you in same day. Sometimes we'll want to see you every three months, sometimes every year.

Host: Well, Jennifer, thank you so much for the scoop on why routine health screenings are so essential for optimum health.

Jennifer Murdza: Well, thanks so much for having me, Amanda.

Host: It was a pleasure. That was family nurse practitioner, Jennifer Murdza. For more information, visit cumberlandhealthcare.com. If you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out our full podcast library for more topics of interest. This is Healthier You, the podcast from Cumberland Healthcare.