Family physicians at Summit Medical Group treat all aspects of whole family health. In addition to diagnosing and treating a range of illnesses and conditions, your family doctor can provide routine health checkups and counseling. He or she can help you make healthy lifestyle choices, improve and maintain your health, and prevent illness.
Tune in to SMG Radio to hear Dr. Afshan M. Khan discuss Preventive Care in Family Medicine at Summit Medical Group, and learn the advantages of working with a doctor who really gets to know you and your family for outstanding personalized care.
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Preventative Care in Family Medicine
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Learn more about Afshan M. Khan, DO
Afshan M. Khan, DO
Afshan M. Khan, DO, specializes in family medicine. Dr. Khan has practiced with the Family Health Center of Montclair, New Jersey, since 2013. Dr. Khan also has practiced with Urgent Care New Jersey. She is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and New Jersey Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons.Learn more about Afshan M. Khan, DO
Transcription:
Preventative Care in Family Medicine
Melanie Cole (Host): Family physicians at Summit Medical Group treat all aspects of whole family health. In addition to diagnosing and treating a range of illnesses and conditions, your family doctor can provide routine health checkups and counseling. He or she can help you make healthy lifestyle choices, improve and maintain your health, and prevent illness. My guest today is Dr. Afshan Kahn. She’s a family medicine practitioner with Summit Medical Group. Welcome to the show, Dr. Kahn. So, what is a family physician or a family medicine practitioner?
Dr. Afshan Kahn (Guest): Hi, Melanie. Thank you for having me. Family medicine is unique in that unlike any other specialty. We have the opportunity to establish a close personal relationship with an entire family over a prolonged period of time. And, that gives us a different sense of every patient and we can really evaluate a family together. And, that’s what makes it unique.
Melanie: So, is it like going back to the older days in a medical home situation where, really, you get to know everybody and we feel very comfortable with our physician throughout the lifetime?
Dr. Kahn: Exactly. That’s our basic goal, is to take it back to the good old days where we had general practitioners that did everything. And, really, that’s what we want to accomplish is to see the whole family grow with them. And, that way, when something changes, we know right away because we know your whole persona.
Melanie: So, you’re treating the whole person and the whole family. Tell us about preventive medicine. What do you feel are the most important bits of preventive medicine and health and well-being for families?
Dr. Kahn: Yes, exactly. We want to treat things before or we want to try to prevent any illness before it even occurs. So, when we see patients for routine physicals, we go over all the preventative aspects of medicine that they may need, whether it be a vaccine to prevent the flu or any other illness. We make sure those are up-to-date. We also provide routine gynecological care. So, when you’re due for your Pap smear, we can perform a Pap smear. Or, if you’re due for a mammogram, we can provide that service as well to prevent any kind of cancers from coming on.
Melanie: So, what do you tell you know parents? Let’s start with some kids, about vaccinations. And, do they have questions for you about vaccines and the schedule?
Dr. Kahn: Oh, yes, definitely. We have parents and both children that always have questions about vaccines. We go over the risks and benefits and we also go over the schedule with them. And, we can also work with them to space it out or pick the vaccines that are most important, needed first and give those as they’re age-appropriate and set a schedule with the parents and work with them.
Melanie: And, there are also vaccines that are recommended for adults, for teens and adults as well, yes?
Dr. Kahn: Yes, exactly. So, we go over those vaccines. So, I see many teens who come in right before college and we’ll go over the important vaccines if they’re going to be dorming or living on campus. So we make sure that they get their meningitis vaccine. That’s helped a lot of patients, especially since there have been outbreaks. And, we also go through vaccines that adults need into as they get older. There are vaccines that they need. For example, the Tdap, which protects you from whooping cough, that’s needed every ten years.
Melanie: And, in terms of health and family wellness in this age of childhood obesity and the obesity epidemic in the country, Dr. Kahn, how do you work with families if you see that a child is obese or their BMI is too high? And, you look, and the parents are obese as well. How do you work with the family together to try and get them healthier?
Dr. Kahn: Yeah, that’s why I love it when families come in together because we can discuss all of the habits that go on at home. For example, if I see a child whose BMI is very high for their age and they’re above the normal curve for their age group, we can sit down with the family and discuss the lifestyle changes that we can make at home. And, usually the parents are really open to working with us to prevent those kinds of things. Even with some of these children, it puts them at risk for higher blood pressure and childhood diabetes and those things can be prevented when we come up with a plan together. Usually, we start with a great nutrition plan and exercise program for them to try to help prevent these things from coming on before it gets worse.
Melanie: When you say nutrition program, what are you telling them every day because they might go to the produce department and look and not know what to do with all of these new healthy vegetables? They don’t even know what to do with them in some cases.
Dr. Kahn: Yes, exactly. So, we actually make a list and give them handouts of exact foods that we want them to eat more of. And, usually, it’s pretty basic. As long as you’re sticking to anything green that you like and will eat, that’s a really big key--not only just the vegetables but a lot of it is eliminating the bad foods. I find that a lot of children get into the habit of eating snacks and sodas like chips and Coke. They seem to be doing it either at home or at school because it’s a quick, easy grab. So, I really encourage parents to not even shop for those items to prevent them from even having it in sight so then they won’t be tempted to eat or drink those items.
Melanie: So, it really is all about role modeling, yes?
Dr. Kahn: Yes, exactly. That’s the other thing that we speak about with them because sometimes I’ll have parents who are making wrong choices and so that way we can work together with the parents as well and tell them to start by making changes with their lifestyle and promote them to even go for exercise like go for a walk or run with their kids--whatever they like to do.
Melanie: Where does mental and behavioral health fit into family medicine?
Dr. Kahn: That’s another important aspect of family medicine, is that a lot of people, especially, you know, with the current climate changes and things that are happening politically, people are really going through a lot of anxiety and depression. So, they can use us as a source; to go through us to find sources of help whether it be starting therapy or starting some sort of medication that people may need or we can just be support for some people. I provide a lot of talk therapy for my patients so that we can come and talk about all of the issues going on that may be causing a source of anxiety or depression for them.
Melanie: I think that that’s lovely when you feel that you can talk to your doctor. And, what about the teens, Dr. Kahn, do they feel comfortable talking with you? Do you give them a sheet they fill out about sexual habits and drug use, that sort of thing?
Dr. Kahn: Well, I don’t personally use sheets but I’m really a big proponent of just talking to teens. The other big thing that people don’t realize is that teens can come to us privately and ask us questions that they may have if they don’t feel comfortable doing it with their parents. So, instead of filling out a sheet, I just directly talk to patients and I talk to the teens, especially, because that’s where prevention starts and it’s all about talking to them. So, first I ask them questions about all of those things, whether they have friends involved in smoking, drugs, or alcohol. And then, I talk about them and if they’ve had experiences with that and how important it is to try to be safe and avoid certain things so that they aren’t tempted to even try those things.
Melanie: It’s such great advice. In the last few minutes here, wrap it up for us. Give your best advice to families about choosing a family physician, what they should look for, what questions they should ask, and why they should come to Summit Medical Group for their care?
Dr. Kahn: I mean, I think it’s very important for everyone to just feel comfortable with their doctor and really feel like they can ask them any sort of question without feeling embarrassed or judged. That’s what we’re here for. I think Summit Medical Group is a great organization that really promotes equality and rights for all patients. We really want to be an advocate for every patient and do what’s best for them. They can really use us as a good source to guide through the healthcare profession, whether they need a specialist or even more detailed care. We can provide that for them and we’re the great first step for them to prevent any illness. So, I encourage them to talk to their doctors and just feel comfortable. That would be the most important thing.
Melanie: Thank you so much for being with us today, Dr. Kahn. You’re listening to SMG Radio. For more information, you can go to www.summitmedicalgroup.com. That’s www.summitmedicalgroup.com. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
Preventative Care in Family Medicine
Melanie Cole (Host): Family physicians at Summit Medical Group treat all aspects of whole family health. In addition to diagnosing and treating a range of illnesses and conditions, your family doctor can provide routine health checkups and counseling. He or she can help you make healthy lifestyle choices, improve and maintain your health, and prevent illness. My guest today is Dr. Afshan Kahn. She’s a family medicine practitioner with Summit Medical Group. Welcome to the show, Dr. Kahn. So, what is a family physician or a family medicine practitioner?
Dr. Afshan Kahn (Guest): Hi, Melanie. Thank you for having me. Family medicine is unique in that unlike any other specialty. We have the opportunity to establish a close personal relationship with an entire family over a prolonged period of time. And, that gives us a different sense of every patient and we can really evaluate a family together. And, that’s what makes it unique.
Melanie: So, is it like going back to the older days in a medical home situation where, really, you get to know everybody and we feel very comfortable with our physician throughout the lifetime?
Dr. Kahn: Exactly. That’s our basic goal, is to take it back to the good old days where we had general practitioners that did everything. And, really, that’s what we want to accomplish is to see the whole family grow with them. And, that way, when something changes, we know right away because we know your whole persona.
Melanie: So, you’re treating the whole person and the whole family. Tell us about preventive medicine. What do you feel are the most important bits of preventive medicine and health and well-being for families?
Dr. Kahn: Yes, exactly. We want to treat things before or we want to try to prevent any illness before it even occurs. So, when we see patients for routine physicals, we go over all the preventative aspects of medicine that they may need, whether it be a vaccine to prevent the flu or any other illness. We make sure those are up-to-date. We also provide routine gynecological care. So, when you’re due for your Pap smear, we can perform a Pap smear. Or, if you’re due for a mammogram, we can provide that service as well to prevent any kind of cancers from coming on.
Melanie: So, what do you tell you know parents? Let’s start with some kids, about vaccinations. And, do they have questions for you about vaccines and the schedule?
Dr. Kahn: Oh, yes, definitely. We have parents and both children that always have questions about vaccines. We go over the risks and benefits and we also go over the schedule with them. And, we can also work with them to space it out or pick the vaccines that are most important, needed first and give those as they’re age-appropriate and set a schedule with the parents and work with them.
Melanie: And, there are also vaccines that are recommended for adults, for teens and adults as well, yes?
Dr. Kahn: Yes, exactly. So, we go over those vaccines. So, I see many teens who come in right before college and we’ll go over the important vaccines if they’re going to be dorming or living on campus. So we make sure that they get their meningitis vaccine. That’s helped a lot of patients, especially since there have been outbreaks. And, we also go through vaccines that adults need into as they get older. There are vaccines that they need. For example, the Tdap, which protects you from whooping cough, that’s needed every ten years.
Melanie: And, in terms of health and family wellness in this age of childhood obesity and the obesity epidemic in the country, Dr. Kahn, how do you work with families if you see that a child is obese or their BMI is too high? And, you look, and the parents are obese as well. How do you work with the family together to try and get them healthier?
Dr. Kahn: Yeah, that’s why I love it when families come in together because we can discuss all of the habits that go on at home. For example, if I see a child whose BMI is very high for their age and they’re above the normal curve for their age group, we can sit down with the family and discuss the lifestyle changes that we can make at home. And, usually the parents are really open to working with us to prevent those kinds of things. Even with some of these children, it puts them at risk for higher blood pressure and childhood diabetes and those things can be prevented when we come up with a plan together. Usually, we start with a great nutrition plan and exercise program for them to try to help prevent these things from coming on before it gets worse.
Melanie: When you say nutrition program, what are you telling them every day because they might go to the produce department and look and not know what to do with all of these new healthy vegetables? They don’t even know what to do with them in some cases.
Dr. Kahn: Yes, exactly. So, we actually make a list and give them handouts of exact foods that we want them to eat more of. And, usually, it’s pretty basic. As long as you’re sticking to anything green that you like and will eat, that’s a really big key--not only just the vegetables but a lot of it is eliminating the bad foods. I find that a lot of children get into the habit of eating snacks and sodas like chips and Coke. They seem to be doing it either at home or at school because it’s a quick, easy grab. So, I really encourage parents to not even shop for those items to prevent them from even having it in sight so then they won’t be tempted to eat or drink those items.
Melanie: So, it really is all about role modeling, yes?
Dr. Kahn: Yes, exactly. That’s the other thing that we speak about with them because sometimes I’ll have parents who are making wrong choices and so that way we can work together with the parents as well and tell them to start by making changes with their lifestyle and promote them to even go for exercise like go for a walk or run with their kids--whatever they like to do.
Melanie: Where does mental and behavioral health fit into family medicine?
Dr. Kahn: That’s another important aspect of family medicine, is that a lot of people, especially, you know, with the current climate changes and things that are happening politically, people are really going through a lot of anxiety and depression. So, they can use us as a source; to go through us to find sources of help whether it be starting therapy or starting some sort of medication that people may need or we can just be support for some people. I provide a lot of talk therapy for my patients so that we can come and talk about all of the issues going on that may be causing a source of anxiety or depression for them.
Melanie: I think that that’s lovely when you feel that you can talk to your doctor. And, what about the teens, Dr. Kahn, do they feel comfortable talking with you? Do you give them a sheet they fill out about sexual habits and drug use, that sort of thing?
Dr. Kahn: Well, I don’t personally use sheets but I’m really a big proponent of just talking to teens. The other big thing that people don’t realize is that teens can come to us privately and ask us questions that they may have if they don’t feel comfortable doing it with their parents. So, instead of filling out a sheet, I just directly talk to patients and I talk to the teens, especially, because that’s where prevention starts and it’s all about talking to them. So, first I ask them questions about all of those things, whether they have friends involved in smoking, drugs, or alcohol. And then, I talk about them and if they’ve had experiences with that and how important it is to try to be safe and avoid certain things so that they aren’t tempted to even try those things.
Melanie: It’s such great advice. In the last few minutes here, wrap it up for us. Give your best advice to families about choosing a family physician, what they should look for, what questions they should ask, and why they should come to Summit Medical Group for their care?
Dr. Kahn: I mean, I think it’s very important for everyone to just feel comfortable with their doctor and really feel like they can ask them any sort of question without feeling embarrassed or judged. That’s what we’re here for. I think Summit Medical Group is a great organization that really promotes equality and rights for all patients. We really want to be an advocate for every patient and do what’s best for them. They can really use us as a good source to guide through the healthcare profession, whether they need a specialist or even more detailed care. We can provide that for them and we’re the great first step for them to prevent any illness. So, I encourage them to talk to their doctors and just feel comfortable. That would be the most important thing.
Melanie: Thank you so much for being with us today, Dr. Kahn. You’re listening to SMG Radio. For more information, you can go to www.summitmedicalgroup.com. That’s www.summitmedicalgroup.com. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.