CityView Magazine - Fayetteville, NC
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1433417
46 December 2021 BY KIM HAST Y | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROX ANA ROSS It's Time to Get in the Game with Your Medical "Quarterback" HEALTH E ven that time-tested apple a day shouldn't keep your doctor away. And now that vaccinations are readily available, neither should COVID. Dr. Christopher Imber, MD, and Jim Heine, PA-C, of Cape Fear Valley's Fayetteville Family Medical, agree that for anyone who has been putting off annual physicals and other routine exams and screenings, it's time to schedule those appointments. "Having a primary care provider is incredibly important for your overall health," said Heine, who has been with the practice since it was founded in 1982. "ey are your quarterback, your home base, your gatekeeper. Everybody needs a primary care provider." During the pandemic, patients became understandably leery of visiting communal areas such as waiting rooms and medical clinics. at led to delays in care that could sometimes have life-threatening implications. "When the pandemic hit, especially before vaccines, a lot of people were afraid to come to the doctor and the hospital," Heine said. "So they put off getting their routine care. And a lot of people who have chronic diseases like kidney disease and diabetes were possibly not in good control. A lot of damage can be done during that time … heart damage and kidney damage, for instance, which can really progress or shorten their lifespan. "We see people all the time who come in for a routine checkup and find out that they're in atrial fibrillation that they weren't even aware of or that they're diabetic," Heine said. "Or that they've got reduced kidney function or their blood pressure's up. ey're going to do well for a while, but then it's going to catch up with them. Most people Telehealth is an important service, but nothing can match an in-person visit, Imber said. "There's no substitute for an actual doctor's visit and a check of vital signs and lab work," he said. "All the stuff they can't feel and that we can't tell over the phone." Christopher Imber, MD