Mitchell County | Health Scene | Summer 2019

Dr. Hargens and our other primary care providers are taking new patients. To make an appointment, call one of three MCRHC Clinics: Osage, 641-732-6100 ; St. Ansgar, 641-736-4401 ; Riceville, 641-985-2122 . At your service Looking for a primary care provider? Benson Hargens, MD, offers same- or next-day appointments. Get care when you need it. Just call 641-732-6100 . Family practitioners, who care for people of all ages, from new- borns to seniors. Nurse practitioners and phy- sician assistants, who go through a different training and certifica- tion process than doctors but also provide excellent primary care for people of all ages. Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians; National Institutes of Health W hen it comes to good health, there’s one medical profes- sional you simply can’t do without: a primary care provider (PCP). This is your main provider—the person who will see you through nonemergency illnesses, from a sore back to a cough that won’t go away. He or she can treat most medical problems. And if not, this provider will get you to a specialist who can. But a PCP does more than help you feel better when you’re sick. He or she will help keep you healthy. And that means, among other things, partnering with you to catch small health problems before they become serious, and making sure you’re up-to-date on potentially lifesaving screening tests. Over time, your PCP will also get to know you as a person.That way you can feel comfortable talk- ing about anything that’s bothering you—physically or emotionally. How valuable is a PCP? Stud- ies show that people who have an ongoing relationship with one are less likely to die prematurely than those who don’t. YOU HAVE OPTIONS You—and your family—have a lot of choices when it comes to what type of PCP to see.There are many different kinds of PCPs, including: HEALTH SCENE YOUR GUIDE TO WELLNESS AND GOOD HEALTH CARE SUMMER 2019 ® New and improved Check out what’s new in rehab services Page 2 Time to rise up Join us to celebrate our expanded services Page 4 Standard U.S. Postage PAID Platteville, WI Permit No. 7