There is so much to be thankful for in the month of October. The changing of fall leaves, the crisp chill in the air, cheering for your favorite football team, enjoying fresh, fall fruits and vegetables…

For some, October is also a month of celebration and remembrance. Celebration of another year in remission. Celebration for the hope of a cure. Celebration of life. But also, a time of remembrance for those who bravely fought a hard battle.

So often as women we get caught up in taking care of others but, we must also remember the importance of taking care of ourselves. Preventive services are essential for early detection and reducing the burden of disease. Thanks to new models of care and the movement towards value-based payment systems, access, and cost for preventive services have become less of a burden.

In 2018, approximately 55% of our female member population, ages 40-75, successfully completed their Breast Cancer screening mammogram. So far in 2019, 62% of our female member population has successfully completed their screening mammogram. We want to do better! 100% is the goal!

This month, we encourage you to take time and think about what you can do to take care of yourself. When is the last time you had a physical? What about that dentist appointment you skipped three months ago? Have you had your yearly screenings? Do you know what screenings you should be getting? If you are asking yourself ‘Why is this so important?’, the answer is:
Because you are IRREPLACEABLE!

To help reduce risk and improve the health of women of all ages, the Women’s Preventive Services Initiative has recently released a preventive service recommendation chart from adolescence to maturity. For more information, click here.