Taking care of your total health means more than getting the correct diagnoses and treatments. Before symptoms show up, you can be practicing prevention. It’s essential that your healthcare providers are always monitoring your health to notice any fluctuations while consistently informing you about preventive techniques.

Throughout my entire career as a primary care physician, I have emphasized the importance of preventive care. In 1990, I acted as head of the Professional Education Committee of the American Cancer Society in South Palm Beach County. I was instrumental in getting them to change “The 7 Warning Signs of Cancer” to “Prevention and Early Detection.” I feel that it’s important for all individuals to continuously seek ways to prevent cancer before obvious warning signs even begin to emerge.

Throughout the 1990s, I was the local coordinator of Put Prevention Into Practice. This national organization is dedicated to bringing the health community together for one essential cause: clinical prevention techniques. This program informs practitioners and benefits patients through the development of tools, resources and additional materials and additional materials to educate us on the importance and use of excellent preventive care. It’s sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Put Prevention Into Practice offers perspective on how simple check-ups—such as blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and mood—can help a certified caregiver detect any changes or symptoms that may lead to poor health. The patient past history and family history can be reviewed for clues of higher than usual risk for certain conditions. It helps patients to course-correct before small matters turn into more grievous concerns. It also discusses the important of regular doctors’ visits and immunizations.

The other component to the prevention process is early detection. The American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org, reminds us that “90% of cancers can be cured if discovered at the right stage.” Priority Concierge membership comes with regularly scheduled check-ups that allow you to stay on top of your health. Your doctor can continuously seek very early warning signs. If you’re ever feeling different than usual and think “it might be nothing,” you can always feel free to call me directly or schedule an in-between appointment. The last thing you want to do is hesitate to bother your doctor because you aren’t sure if a small issue is going to turn into a larger one. By the time people wait to see a physician, it is often much harder to treat critical health issues.

Of course, the number one way to prevent illness is by staying informed. That’s why I don’t just treat patients; I make it my priority to educate them as well. This blog is just one way that I keep members up to date with the relevant information they need to keep making healthy choices and implementing them in everyday life. I’m also always seeking ways to convey new and updated information to my patients, such as through this downloadable Know Your Risks prevention reference sheet. It’s just one of the many benefits of membership. Learn more here and look forward to holiday offers that allow you to share the gift of health with your friends and family.

Happy Holidays,
Richard A. Levine, MD FACP