Preventive Care
We Care About YOU.
Preventive care is one of your best weapons against disease and a method to monitor and manage conditions before they become serious. Valley offers a wide variety of tools, resources and services to help you focus on your wellbeing.
Lifestyle choices impact your overall wellbeing. You can minimize your risk of disease by getting regular check-ups with a primary care provider, getting recommended screening tests, eating a healthy diet, staying physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding tobacco and by taking prescribed medications as directed.
Primary Care Providers—Your Partner in Health
Your primary care provider (PCP) is there to help sort through your risk factors such as family history, age, sex, race/ethnicity and personal health habits. Schedule regular check-ups and discuss your medical history—and any changes in your health—with your doctor. Primary care providers can recommend appropriate screenings and prescribe preventive medicines or therapies. Your PCP can also refer and coordinate care with specialists when necessary.
Adult Preventive Health Guidelines and Pediatric Preventive Health Guidelines were developed as tools to help our patients know at-a-glance what screenings, vaccinations and testing is recommended throughout their lifespan.
A few other valuable tools:
- What is an Annual Medicare Wellness Visit?
- Medical Wellness Visits and Annual Physicals - What's the Difference?
- What is a Well Child Visit?
- Fall Prevention Guide
Prevention is the key to good health. Your PCP is trained to evaluate factors that can affect your ability to live your best life. It's important to schedule an exam and review your health history annually with your provider. This is your time to take care of you. Bring up any health issues that you've experienced and discuss whether preventive screening or a consultation with a specialist may be warranted.
How to Find a Primary Care Provider
Valley manages a network of neighborhood primary care clinics throughout South King County staffed with remarkable providers and staff. Your primary care provider may be a family practitioner, an internist or an obstetrician-gynecologist. If you’re looking for a particular type of physician, our Find a Provider can help match you with one who best fits your needs. Telehealth appointments available.
Your primary care provider helps screen out issues that may affect your health and well-being during your annual exam. If you are experiencing health issues, make an appointment with your PCP to evaluate your symptoms. Your PCP can screen for chronic conditions and refer you to a specialist, if needed, for more in-depth evaluation.
What's a chronic condition? Learn more from this video:
Early Detection is Your Best Protection Against Cancer
Detecting cancer early—when it’s most treatable—should be a key part of your self-care plan. Here is a handy guide to essential cancer screenings.
Valley offers a full complement of cancer screening services:
- Prostate screening and cervical cancer screening (Pap smear) through your primary care provider
- Breast Screening (Mammogram)
- Endoscopy & Colonoscopy
- Lung Screening
- Skin Cancer Screening
Lifestyle Medicine Empowers YOU to Live a Healthy Life
We are very proud to offer a unique service that we believe is at the heart of prevention efforts. Lifestyle Medicine brings together specialists in exercise science, nutrition, physical therapy, diabetes education and behavior modification. They are focused on equipping patients with the knowledge and skills to evaluate lifestyle habits and understand the impact of making healthy choices. Key services offered by this team include:
- Diabetes Prevention & Management
- Lifestyle Medicine & Fitness Centers
- Healthy Foundations & Prescribed Exercise Programs
- Comprehensive list of Outpatient Therapy Services
Health Education & Community Outreach
As a public district hospital, it is a vital part of our mission to reach out beyond the walls of the hospital and clinics to educate and engage with our community around health and wellness. We do this in a variety of ways:
Featured Classes & Events
From childbirth preparation classes, to fitness and lifestyle education, to support groups and more, we are here to help keep you and your loved ones healthy.