Miscellaneous services

Additional services include such things as Hearing and Vision evaluations, Immunizations, Travel Medicine Advice, and Lung Function Testing.

Hearing testing

Hearing loss is most common with older age or with a history of noise exposure. This type of hearing loss often can be helped with hearing aides. Hearing loss documented to be in just one ear usually indicates an illness of the hearing structures and nerves on that side. We offer pure tone audiogram hearing testing, both to screen for problems or to assess symptoms noted by our patients. Be sure to tell your primary physician if you or those around you have noticed difficulties with your hearing.

Vision testing

Vision screenings are routinely included in annual physical examinations if indicated. Testing of school-age children is especially important.

Immunizations

We offer the full range of immunizations recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and by the American College of Physicians. Immunizations needed are determined by health status, age, travel plans, or risks of exposure.

The most common immunizations given are for flu, pneumonia, tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, meningococcal meningitis, measles/mumps/rubella, and chicken pox.

Physical exams

We believe that periodic thorough exams are valuable in prevention as well as managing medical problems. We offer such exams from infancy through the senior years. Your primary care physician will suggest a frequency of exams for you based on age, gender, and known medical conditions.

Coverage for exams varies among the insurance plans. Please help us remain aware of any requirements of your health coverage. Within the Medicare system, general preventive exams are not covered, though some specific preventive services are. We are required by Medicare to divide physical exams into parts that deal with illnesses and parts that are preventive. The result is that some portion of payment for preventive exams is usually necessary, but the amount is less than the full exam fee.

Travel medicine advice

Travel outside this country requires care by the travelers that medical needs are met, that new exposures are avoided, and that the traveler has resources to cope with illnesses occurring during travel. We offer most immunizations necessary for travel, with the exception of Yellow Fever, and we can advise you if that vaccine is necessary. We use the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to formulate our travel advice.

Lung function testing

Decreased lung capacity may be evaluated in our office by monitoring pulmonary function.