It is a good time in the Spring and Summer to get your Annual Physical Exam done. 

Why do you need a wellness exam?  There are many diseases that have little or no symptoms at all.  You can have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even diabetes for years before any symptoms develop.  A complete physical exam along with some simple blood tests can help to catch these and other diseases early before they cause problems.   This is also a good time to sit down and discuss other issues that pertain to your overall health, including a healthy diet and daily exercise.  No matter how healthy you may feel a visit to your doctor once a year for "maintenance" is always a good idea. 

It is important that you pay attention to requirements of your insurance company and/or school/sport/job. 

A few important notes:

1.  Many insurance companies will pay for one full physical (preventive) exam for Adults and Adolescents per year.  If you schedule before 12 months has passed, your insurance will not pay.

2.  Standard child well visits for younger children may occur at an interval less than yearly.  Please see the "Wellness and Prevention" section under the Pediatrics tab in our website.

3.  School sports, band, other athletic events, and boy scouts typically require a yearly exam.  Please note the deadlines for the date they MUST be completed AND the EARLIEST date that they can be completed.  Waiting until late summer makes it difficult to meet school deadlines.

4.  Please bring any required forms with you for your physical.  Common forms include Work clearance, UIL Athletic, Boy Scout forms, etc.  Prior to your visit, complete all sections that you are required to complete.

5.  The focus of an Annual Physical Exam is wellness and prevention.  This includes health screening discussion, risk review, diet and exercise counseling, general health counseling, comprehensive physical exam, appropriate screening labs, and vaccination review and update.  Your age, general health, and risk factors are utilized to determine appropriate additional evaluations.  If you have specific chronic or acute illness to be dealt with in addition to the Annual Exam, there may be an additional charge or it may require a separate visit.