This article was written by Dr. Barry Wendt, Internal Medicine Specialist and Chief Medical Information Officer with St. Elizabeth Physicians. He sees patients in Crestview Hills, KY.
Q: What does an internal medicine specialist do? When should people seek help from one?
A: Internal medicine physicians are primary care physicians. We take care of patients aged 16 and up and have specialized training in the care of adults. We can provide regular health screenings and routinely see patients for chronic conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and chronic lung disease. If a patient needs to be seen by a specialist, we provide referrals and can help coordinate an appointment.
Q: What’s something surprising about your specialty that people might not know?
A: Internal medicine is the core training for many specialists, including cardiologists, gastroenterologists, nephrologists and pulmonologists. During residency, internists spend focused time in each of those specialties, developing the skills to best care for adults.
Q: What is St. Elizabeth doing in this field that is innovative, unique or leading edge that is helping patients?
A: St. Elizabeth has become a leader in population health both locally and nationally. In the past several years, our focus has shifted from illness to leading the community we serve towards wellness.
Our teams have provided outreach to patients to help them schedule breast and colon cancer screenings. We are providing transportation to and from appointments for those in need. Our nurses reach out to patients who need assistance in diabetes care. Pharmacists are helping patients find affordable medications. The patient call center we created has become an invaluable resource to the community in scheduling well and sick appointments and providing advice on many topics, such as COVID-19.
The innovative work we do helps improve the lives of the patients we see and the community we serve. This work reduces the economic burden of healthcare for the area businesses.
Q: What is currently on the horizon for internal medicine? What changes might we expect in the next few years?
A: In the future, I would see internal medicine becoming a more team-based approach. With a national drop in the number of medical students choosing primary care as a career and with the population aging, there will be more demand for primary care services, especially internal medicine care. It will be difficult for us to keep up. There will be a greater need to rely on nurse practitioners and other support staff to collaborate in care.
Q: Does St. Elizabeth offer screenings for early detection of illness in internal medicine?
A: There is a very promising breakthrough in cancer screening. St. Elizabeth now offers the Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) test. This test screens for approximately 50 types of cancer by looking for abnormal DNA in the patient’s blood sample. It is offered to patients 50 and older without any known cancer.
Detecting cancer earlier can lead to better survival and higher cure rates. MCED is still investigational and would require a discussion with your provider and a genetic counselor. We feel that this will play a significant role in the future of cancer detection and keeping our community healthy.
Q: From your perspective as an internal medicine specialist, what should people be aware of to prevent disease or catch it early?
A: Colon cancer, lung cancer and breast cancer screenings clearly save lives and reduce the burden of disease. It is important to get an annual physical with your primary care provider and talk about these screenings and other routine lab work or testing that could be right for you. Every patient should have cholesterol testing. Much of the disease prevention testing is individualized to each patient based on their medical history. That is why it is so important to talk with your primary care provider once a year to address what screenings you should be getting to stay healthy.
Behind on your preventive health appointments? Schedule an ounce of prevention at an appointment with a St. Elizabeth Physicians provider online, or call (800) 737-7900.
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October 07, 2022 at 06:41PM
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