An annual preventative exam includes a thorough physical exam and screening for age-specific conditions, including cancers.  It is not necessary for you to fast for this appointment.  In fact, it is often advantageous to determine what labs should be checked during the appointment, and these may be done at a later time.  Other tests may be recommended, such as a mammogram, EKG, colonoscopy, etc, based on your age, personal and family medical history.  This visit is usually covered by insurance, but it is best for you to make sure of this prior to your appointment.

Because this is considered a preventative visit, insurance will not pay for other issues to be addressed.  This includes chronic conditions like menopause, hypertension, allergies, etc.  Likewise, acute problems like colds and bladder infections are also not covered during that visit.  Please plan on addressing these types of concerns at an appointment on a different day if you want your insurance to cover them.

A complete physical (annual preventative exam) is recommended for nearly everyone, but especially for infants and those aged 40 on up.  Once girls/women have become sexually active, they should have an annual pelvic exam and a pap smear.  If a woman aged 30 or more is found to not have Human PapillomaVirus (HPV) infection and has a normal pap, then she may safely wait 3 years until her next pap smear if she has no new sexual partners.

Prior to coming in for your appointment, please print out and complete the forms: PHQ9 Depression Screening Tool (if >19 years old), Ovarian Cancer Screening (if >49 years old) and the gender-specific Annual Preventative Exam Questions.  If you are not able to bring these with you to your appointment, please arrive 15 minutes prior to your appointment time to complete them in the office.

If you have not done the How's Your Health? online survey in the last year, please complete it (takes about 10 minutes) and email it to Dr. Eads at the end.  A link to this survey is found on this website under 'Links.'