Newnan, Ga. (May 23, 2023) – Life can be hectic—the hustle and bustle of your work week, or even your exciting weekend plans, can make it all too easy to forget to stop, take a moment and check in on yourself. And even when you do make time to pause, there are just so many ailments that aren’t very distinguishable from general fatigue. By the time it’s very clear something is wrong with your body, it may be more difficult to treat it.
The easiest way to prevent a major illness is to monitor your health with an annual physical at your primary care physician’s office. This way, you ensure that if you do develop something, you catch it early, when it’s much more likely to be treatable.
At Piedmont, it’s our mission to provide the highest quality, patient-centered care, and the best care begins long before a patient ends up in surgery or is exploring cancer treatment options. A yearly health screening can detect anything out of the ordinary, in addition to providing an analysis of your overall present condition and what you could expect in the future.
That’s right—a physical won’t just show you the details of where you are now in life health-wise; it’s designed to give you insight several years ahead, fine-tuned to you specifically via lab work, which will check your blood count for anemia, sodium and potassium levels, liver and kidney function, and cholesterol numbers. A doctor may also order an electrocardiogram (EKG) and urinalysis.
It’s also a good idea to share any family history of diseases during the exam, as several, such as heart diseases, certain forms of cancer, and diabetes, can be genetic. This will further allow your doctor to customize their care for your individual needs and focus on any potential risk factors.
“Coming in every year builds a relationship with your primary care doctor, and from that relationship, you and your doctor can move forward with developing a care plan that meets your health goals,” says Patrick Railey, D.O. a physician specializing in family medicine with Piedmont Physicians of Sharpsburg Primary Care.
Schedule an appointment with Dr. Railey or one of our other primary care providers online at piedmont.org
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About Piedmont
Piedmont is empowering Georgians by changing health care. We continue to fuel Georgia’s growth through safe, high-quality care close to home through an integrated health care system that provides a hassle-free, unified experience. We are a private, not-for-profit organization that for centuries has lived up to our purpose to make a positive difference in every life we touch in the communities we serve. The Leapfrog Group, a non-profit organization that rates hospitals on safety, has consistently awarded Piedmont more A grades than any system in Georgia. Across our 1,600 physical locations we care for 3.7 million patients and serve communities that comprise 80 percent of Georgia’s population. This includes 22 hospitals, 65 Piedmont Urgent Care centers, 25 QuickCare locations, 1,875 Piedmont Clinic physician practices and nearly 3,100 Piedmont Clinic members. Millions of patients conveniently engage with Piedmont online, as they visited Piedmont.org and Piedmont MyChart over 30 million times, scheduled more than 515,000 online appointments and over 154,000 virtual visits. With more than 37,000 care givers we are the largest Georgia-based employer of Georgians, who all came for the job, but stayed for the people. In 2023, Piedmont has earned recognition from Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity and also as one of America's Greatest Workplaces for Women. In 2022, Forbes ranked Piedmont on its list of the Best Large Employers in the United States. In addition, Piedmont provided nearly $360 million in Community Benefit in Fiscal Year 2022, including approximately $310 million in uncompensated care.
For more information, or to book your next appointment, visit piedmont.org.