Fall brings busy calendars, shorter days, school activities, and the beginning of holiday planning. As routines change and schedules become busier, the basic care needed to stay healthy can be easy to postpone.
Pretty soon, it catches up to you or a member of your family. You’re tired and run down. As a result, your body’s defenses are not enough to shake off the seasonal illnesses, or you didn’t have time to be proactive in your wellness.
From preventive visits to medication refills, it can be difficult to stay proactive about your health when everything else is competing for time.
A seasonal health plan does not need to be complicated. It can begin with scheduling one appointment, reviewing your medications, or talking with your healthcare provider about a concern you have been putting off. Taking a few practical steps now can help you stay on top of your health and prepare for the months ahead.
“Fall is a good time to take stock of the care that has been easy to put off,” said Michelle Stevens, MHA, CRHCP, chief executive officer of Haskell Memorial Hospital. “A checkup, medication review, or question about a change in your health can be a simple place to start.”
Haskell Rural Health Clinic helps patients begin with primary care and connect them with additional local services when they, and if, need them. It’s just part of the role of a rural health system to help local residents live and work without the hassle of a long unnecessary trip.
Put routine care on the calendar
If you have delayed a checkup, chronic-care follow-up, medication review, or recommended screening, consider scheduling it before the end-of-year rush begins.
Haskell Rural Health Clinic provides regular checkups and wellness visits, routine immunizations and screenings, medication management, care when you are sick, chronic-condition management, specialist referrals and coordination, and annual Medicare Wellness visits. Routine visits give you an opportunity to:
- Discuss changes in your health
- Review medications and request needed refills
- Manage diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, and other ongoing conditions
- Ask about appropriate screenings and recommended immunizations
- Plan follow-up care, testing, or specialist referrals when needed
- Build an ongoing relationship with your healthcare team
“Primary care is not only for when you are sick,” said David Shahbodaghi, M.D., a board-certified family medicine physician with extensive experience in clinical care, public health, and medical leadership, in Haskell. “Regular visits can help identify potential concerns earlier, keep chronic conditions on track, and give you a clearer plan for maintaining your health.”
If specialty evaluation is needed, the clinic can help coordinate the next step, including care available through Haskell Memorial Hospital’s visiting Specialist Clinic when appropriate, Shahbodaghi said.
Prepare before respiratory illness season peaks
Flu, COVID-19, RSV, common colds, and other respiratory illnesses often circulate during the fall and winter. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using several layers of prevention, including staying current on recommended immunizations, practicing good hygiene, taking steps for cleaner indoor air when practical, and staying home and away from others when you are sick.
Recommendations for seasonal immunizations can differ based on age, pregnancy, health history, and other factors. Talk with your healthcare provider about what is appropriate for you.
It also helps to prepare before someone in your household becomes ill. Check basic supplies, refill routine medications, keep an updated medication list, and save Haskell Rural Health Clinic’s phone number: 940-228-0612.
Pay attention when symptoms change
Cough, fever, fatigue, congestion, body aches, and sore throat can occur with several respiratory illnesses. Symptoms alone do not always reveal what is causing the illness, so pay attention to how you feel and whether your symptoms are improving, staying the same, or getting worse.
Contact Haskell Rural Health Clinic if symptoms concern you, are not improving as expected, or are making it harder to manage an existing health condition. People who are at greater risk of complications should contact a healthcare provider early because some treatments work best when started promptly.
If a healthcare provider determines that testing is needed, Haskell Memorial Hospital offers local laboratory and diagnostic imaging services, including X-ray, CT, MRI, and ultrasound. These services can support evaluation, diagnosis, and follow-up while helping many patients avoid unnecessary travel for common tests.
Keep chronic conditions steady during busy weeks
Holiday travel, family gatherings, changing meals, and disrupted routines can make chronic conditions more difficult to manage. Before the busiest weeks arrive:
- Check that you have enough medication
- Schedule needed follow-up visits
- Complete ordered laboratory work
- Continue monitoring blood pressure, blood sugar, or other health measurements as directed
- Know when and how to contact your healthcare provider
- Carry an updated medication list when traveling
If your usual symptoms or health measurements change, do not wait until after the holidays to reach out. Your healthcare provider can help you determine whether your care plan needs to be adjusted. Medicare patients living with two or more chronic conditions may also qualify for Haskell Memorial Hospital’s Chronic Care Management program, which provides ongoing care coordination and check-ins between visits.
Prepare for holiday travel
A few simple steps can make holiday travel less stressful. Refill medications before leaving, pack an updated medication list, bring necessary health supplies, and address concerns before you get on the road.
During long drives, take breaks to move when it is safe to do so, stay hydrated, and take medications as directed. If you are sick before a gathering, staying home can help protect older adults, infants, pregnant family members, and loved ones with chronic conditions.
Know what should not wait
Haskell Rural Health Clinic can help with many preventive, routine, and minor illness needs, but serious or life-threatening symptoms require immediate attention.
Call 911 or seek emergency care for symptoms such as severe difficulty breathing, persistent chest pain or pressure, confusion, seizures, significant dehydration, severe weakness, or any sudden symptom that is deeply concerning.
The Emergency Department at Haskell Memorial Hospital is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for serious injuries and illnesses. The hospital maintains relationships with larger facilities to safely and efficiently transfer patients who need a higher level of care.
Take one practical step today
The season ahead will be busy, but your health does not have to become an afterthought. Schedule the appointment you have delayed, review your medications, prepare for common illnesses, and contact your healthcare provider when something changes.
A stronger season can begin with one practical step.
To schedule primary care at Haskell Rural Health Clinic, call 940-228-0612.
