New Year; New Resolutions

Stefanie Bartley, BSN, RN
Every Woman’s Life Case Manager

It’s that time of year again! January 1^st brings excitement about the upcoming year and grand ideas for new beginnings. The old year is in the past and tucked away and 2023 is wide open with new opportunities and possibilities. 

Are you someone who creates New Year’s resolutions? A survey conducted by Statista.com revealed 2023’s top 5 New Year’s resolutions. You can probably guess the top 3 and maybe they are also on your list; exercise more, eat healthier, and lose weight. The last 2 resolutions are saving more money and spending more time with family/friends. Sadly, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology reports only 46% of people who make New Year’s resolutions are successful. 

Nobody wants to be a quitter or fail. What steps do you need to take to ensure success? Set SMART goals and break big goals into smaller chunks. SMART is an acronym to help you create the best goals possible. S-be specific, M-make the goal measurable, A-choose a goal that is challenging, but attainable, R-keep it relevant to your priorities and goals, T-give yourself a timeframe to achieve the goal and/or make the goal trackable.

Let’s say your New Year’s resolution is to be healthier. Getting healthy is broad and not specific. To be successful, break that one big goal down into smaller SMART goals. When starting any program towards improving health, you need some basic starting information. Routine health screenings are a great place to begin. 

Why are routine health screenings important? They can SAVE YOUR LIFE!!! Screenings are tests/procedures that help identify potential health issues before they cause a significant health concern. The frequency of screenings depends on your age, health history, and family history. 

Here is a SMART goal for health screenings: “In order to get started on my journey to a healthier me, I will schedule an appointment this month with my primary care provider and ask for a list of routine health screenings based on my age, health history, and family history.” 

That’s great!  Now you have your list of health screenings that are appropriate for you, it’s time to create and implement the next small SMART goal. Schedule the screenings! Here is your next SMART goal: “I will call the scheduling department at Augusta Health this week to schedule an appointment for a mammogram.” The number is 540-332-4486.

Why is a screening mammogram an important SMART goal towards a healthier you?  Mammograms are the most important breast cancer screening tool for women. The National Breast Cancer Foundation estimates over 200,00 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year. Furthermore, the American Cancer Society says about 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime. Lastly, 8 out of 9 women diagnosed will have no family history of breast cancer. 

Need more facts to help you decide if mammograms are right for you?

1. Mammograms can find breast cancer long before you or your doctor would be able to feel a lump in your breast. A mammogram can see changes to your breast tissue as small as grains of sand, making it the best tool for detecting cancer as early as possible.
2. When caught early, breast cancer is 99% curable.
3. A mammogram can save your life and your breasts. If detected early, you may not need a mastectomy, but can have a tissue-sparing procedure called a lumpectomy. 

So now you are convinced to schedule health screenings, but the cost is an issue. It could be you do not have health insurance, or the insurance deductibles are too high. Augusta Health can help!

Women ages 18- 64 without health insurance

Augusta Health has partnered with the Virginia Department of Health to launch the program Every Woman’s Life (EWL). EWL provides breast and cervical screening services to women ages 40-64 and diagnostic breast and cervical services to women ages 18-39. To be eligible, you must live in Virginia, have no health insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare, and meet the gross household income that is 250% or less of the federal poverty level guidelines. To talk with the case manager about this program contact Stefanie Bartley at 540-332-5300 or email at sbartley@augustahealth.com

Men and women with high deductibles or who do not qualify for Every Woman’s Life

Augusta Health has a very generous financial assistance program. Assistance is based on the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Depending on the estimated gross household income, the number of eligible family members, and having no more than $15,000 in liquid assets, a patient could receive either a 100% or 60% fee reduction for services at Augusta Health. 

Visit our website at augustahealth.com/service/business-office/financial-assistance

If you are not eligible for financial assistance, the scheduling department could also assist you with purchasing a voucher through MDsave. If paying for a mammogram out of pocket, it is an estimated $560. A voucher through MDsave lowers the price to an estimated $341.   

For more information on Every Woman’s Life Program, please visit augustahealth.com/service/every-womans-life-program