GREENSBORO, N.C. — Many people decided to postpone primary care visits during the pandemic because they wanted to stay away from doctors' offices.
A Cone Health doctor said you can't afford to keep pushing it back. If you do, you miss out on steps that help keep you healthy.
We spoke with Cone Health's Dr. Stacey Blyth from LeBauer Primary Care at MedCenter High Point to give you a better understanding of the practice and why it's so important to check in with the doctors.
Primary care physicians cover several specialties. Blyth said primary care doctors work in family practice, internal medicine and OB-GYN departments, among other places.
Blyth said people should see a primary care physician from birth to death. It's especially important for babies and young children. She said having an extra trusted adult in a child or teenager's life is beneficial.
Blyth said people pushed back preventive screening and annual physicals, and it's really important they return to a normal schedule. If a doctor finds a polyp early, they can actually prevent you from ever developing cancer.
"It's really important that people get back out and let us do that screening again," Blyth said.
Blyth said primary care doctors can help them get additional services. Many specialists may require a primary care referral. She said primary care doctors can also help people determine which specialist is best for their medical needs.
You can find all of Cone Health's primary care services and schedule appointments here.