The Annual Checkup with Sarah Brock, FNP-C

Feeling healthy can be a little misleading. If nothing hurts, it’s easy to assume everything’s fine… but is it?

In this conversation, we sit down with Sarah Brock, a family nurse practitioner at Classic City Health Center, to unpack what’s really going on behind the scenes of your health and why those once-a-year check-ins might matter more than you think.

We explore what an annual visit actually looks like, what providers are quietly paying attention to, and how small, routine tests can reveal things long before symptoms ever show up. From subtle changes in your numbers to patterns you might not notice, it’s all about catching the quiet stuff early.

We also touch on the bigger picture, how mental health fits in, why having a baseline matters, and how preventive care is not just about today, but about where your health is headed.

And of course, we get into the real-life questions people have but don’t always ask, like time, cost, what’s covered, and how it all fits into a busy life.

If you’ve been putting it off, consider this your sign.

Thank you for listening to the MedLink Georgia Podcast. New episodes feature conversations with providers, leaders, and community partners who are working to improve access to quality, compassionate care.

Follow us on social media to stay connected and see what’s happening across MedLink Georgia: https://linktr.ee/medlinkga?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=9abf8b6b-20aa-4b26-912c-c59f243724be

Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and if you enjoyed this episode, please share it and leave a review. Your support helps more people find the show and stay connected to our mission.

Transcript

hy Annual Checkups Matter

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Welcome to the Medlink Health Connections podcast. Today we're talking about something simple but really important: annual checkups. A lot of people only go to the doctor when something feels wrong or when they're sick, when something hurts. But what about when you feel fine? That's what we're getting into today. Seeing your provider once a year, even when you feel healthy, actually matters more than most people think. I'm joined by Sarah Brock, a family nurse practitioner at our school-based health center, Classic City Health Center. And she's here to break it down in a way that's practical and easy to understand. So let's kind of start it off simple. When we say annual checkup, what does that actually mean?

SPEAKER_00 0:48

So your annual checkup is you just come in once a year. We usually do basic screenings that are based on like your age or your uh gender. And we also do regular fasting blood work. So we check like blood counts, liver and kidney function, electrolytes, blood sugar, cholesterol, um, things like that. Uh so it's a pretty basic um exam. But then we also, if you have like chronic conditions, we'll go over, you know, maintenance therapy for the chronic conditions and additional screenings and testings as needed.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

Okay, and is that kind of like the same thing as a physical?

SPEAKER_00 1:27

Yes. Yep. So they are the exact same. Some people call them a checkup, some people call them a physical, some people call them your annual wellness visit. Um, so they're all the same.

ilent Risks When You Feel Fine

SPEAKER_01 1:37

Okay. And um I think one of the biggest reasons people probably skip their yearly visit is because they do feel fine. But if someone feels healthy and doesn't have any symptoms, why should they come in once a year?

SPEAKER_00 1:53

Well, honestly, like our bodies are pretty phenomenal. Um, and they do a good job of compensating. So even if something might be slightly wrong, our bodies do a good job of kind of self-correcting until they can't anymore. Um, but also they're good just because you feel fine until maybe you have a really bad stroke because your blood pressure's been so high. Um so I think you know, coming in and just kind of knowing your baseline and keeping an eye on things is the best preventative and best health maintenance that you could have.

SPEAKER_01 2:29

Okay, and um so I think a lot of people kind of assume no symptoms mean no problems. Is that necessarily true?

SPEAKER_00 2:40

Yeah. So um just to kind of give a good example, like I said, blood pressure, right? So blood pressure is known as quote unquote the silent killer because there are not usually many symptoms because it slowly increases over time. And like I said, your body will kind of take care of itself and compensate um so that you don't have symptoms, but you might not ever know that your blood pressure is really high until it's too high.

itals Labs And Mental Health Screens

SPEAKER_01 3:09

Okay. So kind of going back just a little bit, for someone who hasn't been in in a while, what actually happens during like an annual visit? Are we talking vitals, labs, screaming, screenings? Um, like what's all included?

SPEAKER_00 3:25

Yeah, so you come in, um, we take your vitals, so blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen levels, height and weight. Um of course, part of that is calculating a BMI as well. Um, and then typically we do a depression and anxiety screening um as well, which is just two simple questionnaires. Um and then the provider comes in, you kind of, like I said, go over your chronic conditions, age appropriate screenings, um, and then we do your blood work, and then you're good to go.

SPEAKER_01 4:01

And what are um like what are some of these things that you may catch early during annual visits?

SPEAKER_00 4:08

So a lot of times you catch high blood pressure, you catch high cholesterol, you catch um diabetes or prediabetes. Um those are just ones that like we catch in office with the blood work, but then if you follow through with the additional screenings, um, you can catch, you know, breast cancer on mammograms, you can catch osteoporosis on bone density scans, you can catch colon cancer with colonoscopies. Um, you can catch a lot of different things just by doing the screenings.

ommon Excuses Cost And Time

SPEAKER_01 4:42

I think I think that's um such an important reminder that preventions really do matter. Um, I'm sure you hear a lot of reasons why people may put off their annual visits. What are some of the most common excuses you hear for skipping annual checkups?

SPEAKER_00 5:00

A lot of people will say, I don't have time, or I don't have money, or I just forget about it and I feel fine. So why do I need to do it? Um, and kind of going back to all of those is you know, until you've really been sick, you kind of take your health for granted. Um, and so if you, you know, uh insurance covers an annual physical, um, usually there's no copay, usually you don't have to pay anything for the labs. Um and then if you don't have insurance, like we have our sliding scale, and so what you pay at the front is like what you pay for a physical um if you fall on that sliding scale. And then as far as time, like you know, it it takes what an hour maybe to get a physical done once a year, versus if you, you know, don't have a physical done and you miss the screenings, you miss early detection of certain things, it can lead to a very um sick life where you're always at the doctor for something because you truly feel terrible.

creenings By Age And Risk

SPEAKER_01 6:06

Okay, and um so you mentioned this just a little bit earlier. So annual checkups obviously do look a little different depending on your age. Are there certain screenings or conversations that become more important at like different stages of life?

SPEAKER_00 6:23

Yeah, so usually um just to kind of go over like some of the big ones, every provider can use their own like guidelines, but um usually starting at the age of like 15 to 18, they encourage us to you know start talking to patients about like HIV and hepatitis C screenings. Um, then you know, at the age of 21, women will undergo cervical cancer screenings with a POPS smear. Um, you know, and for under 24, they recommend just kind of annual chlamydia screenings. Um, and then as you get older, they kind of get a little more in depth with like colonoscopies at 45, mammograms at 40, bone density scans after uh menopause. Um and then there's a couple other like more specific ones, like one cancer screening if you have a significant smoking history, or um screening of like dilation or enlargement of the big blood vessel that goes through your your torso if you're a man between 65 and 75.

SPEAKER_01 7:23

So okay, and what's something that you wish more patients understood about this preventative care?

SPEAKER_00 7:34

That I guess I wish patients understood that like we should it's backed by science, it's backed by evidence, and we don't want you to do it just for the sake of doing it, it's because we genuinely care and like want to catch things early to to best improve your quality and your quantity of life.

an You Add Concerns To A Physical

SPEAKER_01 7:56

Okay, so before we wrap everything up, just for a page that if they are coming in for their annual checkup, are or can they bring a list of concerns or can you even combine like your annual visit with any concerns that you've had recently? I have a loaded question.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

Um, so it kind of is patient specific, so and provider specific. Some providers are okay adding on one to two additional concerns. If you know you're healthy, you don't have a laundry list of chronic conditions. Um, but also kind of going in, understanding that that's not typical to add additional concerns. And if additional concerns are addressed, you may receive a bill for an additional copay um just because it was kind of like a two-in-one visit. And so insurance won't pay, you know, for both at the same time, necessarily.

eminder To Book Your Checkup

SPEAKER_01 8:57

Okay. Well, I think that this has been such a helpful conversation. And if you're listening and it's been over a year since your last checkup, this is your reminder. Make your appointment. Uh, prevention is powerful, and once a year visit can make a bigger difference than you really realize. Um, so thank you so much, Sarah, for doing this with me today.

SPEAKER_00 9:19

Of course, thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_01 9:21

Okay, perfect. Um, I'll stop this. Do you feel confident in that? Thank you for tuning in to the Medlink Health Connections podcast. We hope you found today's episode informative and inspiring. If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Remember, the information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider for any medical concerns. Stay connected with us on social media and visit our website at medlinkga.org for more resources and updates. Until next time, stay healthy and take care.