Windstorm Update: 

  • Our hospital is fully functional. The Emergency Department is extremely busy. Consider urgent care for non-emergent needs. Not sure if you need Emergency, Urgent, or Primary Care? Go to valleymed.org/where2go.
  • Endoscopy Center is without power and rescheduling patients. 
  • CLOSED/NO POWER: Maple Valley Urgent Care; Newcastle and Maple Valley Dermatology; Fairwood, Newcastle, Lake Wilderness, and Lake Sawyer Primary Care; Lifestyle Medicine in Covington and Maple Valley.
  • We continue to experience high call volume. Cancel or reschedule online at mychart.valleymed.org. If you have an impacted appointment, your care team will contact you. 
  • Thank you for your patience as we make sure our staff and patients are safe. 

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Y:OU Time

Primary care, preventive screenings, lifestyle medicine, & mental health -- Valley Medical Center is here to help you live your best life!

Take time for YOU today!

Work, commuting, caring for family, household maintenance—the “to-do” list goes on and on. As the list keeps growing, one essential item tends to get pushed aside—taking care of YOU! While it may feel like you need to put yourself second (or third, or fourth), the best thing you can do for your family is
prioritizing your health.

Y:OU Time is a resource to help you take charge of your health and well-being so you can give your loved ones the best of you, and not the rest of you. You aren’t in this alone—Valley Medical Center’s providers are here for you! Our team wants to support you and give you the resources, tools and knowledge to live your best life.

Primary Care

Fairwood_Clinic_HARROLD_180529_0003_Final-masked.jpgThe first step in taking care of your health is ensuring you have a primary care provider (PCP). Your PCP works with you to improve your health through all life’s stages, while coordinating care with specialty providers as needed. 

Valley Medical Center has 12 primary care clinics (including an internal medicine clinic and a senior care clinic) conveniently located throughout South King County, making it easy to establish a relationship with a PCP near home or work.  

Learn more about primary care at Valley Medical Center.

Find a primary care provider (PCP).

Once you’ve found your PCP, it’s important to schedule your yearly checkup and, if you’re on Medicare, your annual Medicare Wellness Visit.

Getting a yearly checkup is a key part of working to maintain your health. Your PCP will review your medical history and medications; check your height, weight and blood pressure; listen to your heart and lungs; and perform any bloodwork or other necessary tests and exams needed, depending on your age and health history.

An annual Medicare Wellness Visit is a vital appointment with your PCP for those who qualify for Medicare. This visit is a conversation between you and your provider to create a personal health plan that includes a health risk assessment, review of your advance care planning, and preventive care. The emphasis of this visit is on prevention and screening, rather than a focus on current medical concerns. 

Learn more about Medicare Wellness visits in this flyer and in this video.

Schedule your annual physical or Medicare Wellness visit appointment through MyChart.

Need a MyChart account? Sign up here.

Preventive Health

patient-mammogram.jpgIn addition to your yearly checkup, preventive care is one of your best defenses against disease.

Read more on preventive health guidelines for adults. 

Screenings

Screenings are a way to look for conditions before they become serious. Your PCP will let you know which screenings are right for you and refer you to specialists as needed, but it is also important that you are aware of what screenings are recommended for your age. If you’re due for a screening, please do not wait to make an appointment! Screening tests can find diseases early, when they’re easier to treat.

Most screenings take place in your PCP’s office, but here are other Valley clinics you may visit for a preventive screening:

 

 

In this video, Dr. Wiley answers the following questions:
0:14 | What is preventive health, and why is it important?
1:14 | Preventive Health Tip 1 - Start with an annual checkup with your PCP
2:10 | Preventive Health Tip 2 - Get your recommended screenings
3:11 | Preventive Health Tip 3 - Get your recommended lab tests and share lifestyle details
3:54 | Preventive Health Tip 4 - Share your family history
4:35 | Preventive Health Tip 5 - Be honest with your PCP about past or present smoking and use of alcohol or recreational drugs
5:36 | Preventive Health Tip 6 - Check in with your PCP about your current mental health

 

 

Know Your Numbers

Knowing your blood pressure, cholesterol level and blood glucose level numbers is important as each can be an indicator for a variety of health issues. Learn more about screenings for these key numbers below.

High blood pressure and high cholesterol raise your risk for heart disease, stroke, and other health problems. Learn more about the importance of blood pressure and cholesterol screenings in the videos below.

DocTalk: Understanding High Blood Pressure with Mihn Dao, MD 

Getting Your Cholesterol Tested (Staywell Health Library)

In South King County, there are high rates of diabetes and prediabetes. Those who have prediabetes often don't know that they have it. You have prediabetes if your blood glucose level is higher than normal, but not high enough to have diabetes. Learn more about prediabetes and questions to ask your primary care provider in the video and quiz below. 

DocTalk: Prediabetes with Rachel Kopicki, MD

Quiz: Are You at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes? (Staywell Health Library)

High blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes are all risk factors for stroke. Learn more about prevention, what to do if you or someone you love is having a stroke, and resources.

DocTalk: Stroke Prevention, Care and Resources with Michael Previti, MD  

Wellness

Hiking_SS_1722926818.jpgHealthy living includes regular exercise, eating a balanced and nutritious diet, getting enough sleep and managing stress. But while we know these things are important, sometimes it’s hard to start and maintain healthy habits on our own. This is where Valley Medical Center’s Lifestyle Medicine Center can help.

The Lifestyle Medicine Center provides the tools needed to make changes to your routine and find ways to improve your health. Now is the time to learn the skills to make lasting healthy behavior changes. Telehealth and in-person services (Renton, Maple Valley and Covington) include occupational and physical therapy, nutrition and diabetes counseling, prescribed exercise programs, virtual group classes and virtual wellness coaching.

Learn more about Valley's Lifestyle Medicine Center programs.

Mental Health

prevention_mindfulness.jpgMaintaining emotional and mental strength is essential to your well-being. If you are feeling lonely, anxious, irritable or depresssed, you are not alone! Check out our list of emotional and mental health resources to learn tips for coping at home, how to recognize more serious symptoms of distress, and where to get help in a crisis. 

Valley's Psychiatry & Counseling Clinic provides help with mental health concerns for adults of all ages. Learn more about the Psychiatry & Counseling Clinic.