OSF HealthCare is urging individuals to prioritize their health as spring arrives, highlighting the importance of catching up on missed screenings and adopting healthier habits, according to a Mar. 30 announcement.
Health experts say that winter months often lead people to delay or cancel doctor’s appointments, which can result in delayed diagnoses. Bethany Huelskoetter, APRN and family medicine provider at OSF HealthCare, said, “Whenever we have lags where people are canceling or not following up on visits, we start seeing increased cancers or other things we’re finding. Screenings were delayed. Things were not caught early enough.” She explained that missing regular screenings such as colonoscopies can allow serious conditions like cancer to go undetected for years.
Huelskoetter outlined several recommended screenings based on age and risk factors. These include annual lung cancer screening starting at age 50 for those at average risk, lipid screening every five years from age 19 onward, blood pressure checks every three to five years beginning at age 18 (and annually after age 40), diabetes screening every three years starting at age 35, osteoporosis checks for women at age 65 and men at age 70 if indicated by history, colorectal cancer screening every ten years from age 45 onward, annual breast cancer screening for women beginning at forty, cervical cancer exams between ages twenty-one and twenty-five every three to five years, prostate cancer testing every two to four years from fifty onward for men, and a one-time abdominal aortic aneurysm ultrasound for men aged sixty-five to seventy-five who have ever smoked.
She noted the value of low-dose CT scans in detecting lung nodules early: “It can catch lung cancer early. Lung cancer doesn’t have defined symptoms like colon or breast cancer,” Huelskoetter said. For children’s health needs she advised yearly physicals with attention given to vision and hearing checks: “We want to make sure we’re not missing anything… We can get them in, do an exam and maybe catch something early.”
Huelskoetter also emphasized the importance of daily movement: “One thing I always tell my patients: move your body,” she said. She suggested gradual increases in daily steps with achievable goals leading toward better cardiovascular health and mental well-being: “This can lead to drastic improvements in your cardiovascular health, your mental health and your overall physical well-being,” Huelskoetter said.
For those considering quitting smoking this spring she encouraged taking small steps with professional support: “Now’s the time. Let’s do it,” she said. She recommended discussing options such as medications or behavioral therapy with providers if quitting cold turkey feels difficult.
OSF HealthCare contributes to community well-being by offering guidance on preventive care through its newsroom according to the official website. The organization operates a network of seventeen hospitals along with urgent-care locations across Illinois and Michigan according to the official website. It provides services including emergency care; treatment for heart disease; neurological support; primary medicine; mental health care; digital options via OSF OnCall according to the official website.
The nonprofit system manages these facilities under a unified ministry focused on community service according to the official website, aiming “to provide compassionate care and celebrate the gift of life through its clinical community” initiatives according to the official website.
