This month we celebrate Men’s Health through an increase in awareness, conversation and encouragement. This is an opportunity to become more involved as a community in men’s health, and how we can improve the quality of life through better care. Vista Community Clinic (VCC) wants you to know that we support men’s health in our communities with the many services we offer every husband, father, brother, and son.
Many health services focus on the unique needs of women, and maybe this is why, according to healthcare research, men are 24% less likely than women to have made a visit to their doctor in the last year. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that men are twice as likely to go more than two years between visits, illustrating that men are making themselves much more vulnerable to illness and disease by foregoing the care they should be receiving. VCC would like to change these statistics, and create an open dialogue with their male patients about the issues affecting them before there is a problem. Preventive care can save a life, and this is precisely what we are in the business of doing.
It has become increasingly important to seek health care at regular intervals so that appropriately trained medical staff can detect issues early, or before they start, to lead to a longer, healthier life. This is why VCC is so adamant about “choosing prevention” through visits and screenings that are made specifically to spot problems early in the individual patient.
The number one leading cause of death for men is heart disease. It accounts for about 1 out of every 4 deaths in the US, and more than half of these deaths are in men. Cancer continues to be an example of another big threat to men’s health. While some cancers have seen a relative decrease over the years, men continue to be more likely than women to actually die from the disease. The good news is that both heart disease and cancer can be successfully treated and/or avoided through early screenings and regular care.
It’s also important to note that important health issues facing men don’t stop at the physical level.
Evidence suggest that 1 out of every 10 men are likely dealing with some level of anxiety or depression. This comes with its own set of personal and cultural challenges, but is certainly a consequential health issue that many men in our communities face. To combat this, VCC offers confidential behavioral health services to all of it patients. Clinicians work closely together to ensure the whole person is being treated when they seek care with us.
VCC’s clinicians are here to answer your questions and make sure that you are supported in your journey to choose health. It is important to see your healthcare clinicians regularly, and at the onset of any abnormal symptoms. So this June, VCC would like to send a gentle reminder to all of the men out there that we are here for you too.
About Vista Community Clinic
With eight state-of-the-art locations in North San Diego, Orange and Riverside Counties, VCC provides affordable, high quality health care to more than 66,000 community residents. Services offered by VCC include primary care, pediatrics, prenatal and women’s health, optometry, chiropractic care, dental health, podiatry, acupuncture and behavioral health services. VCC also offers a wide array of community health education programs which are free and open to all community residents. VCC is recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Level 3 (highest) Patient-Centered Medical Home, and is the recipient of the HRSA National Quality Leader Seal for exceeding national clinical quality benchmarks. For more information call 760.631.5000 or visit www.vcc.org.
