October Is Take Your Loved One To the Doctor Month

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Tallahassee, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity invite you to join the statewide campaign “Take a Loved One to the Doctor Month.” Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day is a national campaign encouraging people to take charge of their own health and then to encourage their loved ones to do the same – however we’re extending the day to all of October. The 2017 campaign theme is “Knowledge is Power, Know your Screening Numbers.” Knowing your health numbers is an excellent way to maintain and improve your health.

“It’s so important for loved ones to work together in promoting healthy decisions within your household or extended family,” said State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. Celeste Philip. “Encouraging friends and family to get regular checkups is a first step towards ensuring a healthier lifestyle for those you care about most.”

The Florida Department of Health encourages families and others to join together to promote good health practices in our communities by taking loved ones for health screenings, making and keeping appointments to see health care providers, attending health events, and helping friends, neighbors or family members do the same during the month of October and throughout the year. Participating in this observance helps Floridians to take charge of their health.

Prevention and treatment will help to combat preventable diseases and decrease health disparities among residents of Florida. However, it starts with a decision. Many disregard the importance of regular checkups. Some avoid doctor visits out of fear and others simply because it’s not part of their routine. When your loved one puts off seeing the doctor, a small health problem may become a serious health problem; many health issues do not have obvious symptoms.

One of the best ways to get started is to get a health screening to know your heart-healthy numbers. Health screenings check blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index, and blood sugar. These are important numbers that can help identify possible health risks and prevent serious health problems.

Knowing your numbers allows you to take action and impact your risk factors.  Chronic diseases are largely preventable through close partnerships with your health care team and can be detected early (when treatment works best) through appropriate screenings.

Take a loved one to the doctor if he or she has been putting it off. Remember that information is power – so use it to motivate yourself to better health for you and your loved ones!

For more information, visit the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity at https://www.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/minority-health/index.html.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

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