Start the New Year Right: Why Annual Wellness Visits and Preventive Care Matter at Every Age

The start of a new year is a natural time to reset—to set goals and establish healthier routines. While many resolutions focus on diet, exercise, or stress management, one of the most impactful steps you can take for your long-term health is also one of the most overlooked: scheduling your annual wellness visit.

Amy Galiano, MD, a family medicine physician at East Jefferson General Hospital, emphasizes that annual wellness visits and preventive screenings help identify health risks early and support ongoing care, whether you feel perfectly healthy or are managing chronic conditions.

Dr. Galiano is board-certified in family medicine and provides comprehensive primary care to patients of all ages, from children and teens to adults and seniors. Her training allows her to care for entire families while building long-term relationships that evolve as patients move through different stages of life.

“What really drew me to family medicine was the continuity,” Dr. Galiano said. “I saw how meaningful those long-standing relationships could be—how knowing a patient over time, understanding their family, their lifestyle, and their history allows you to provide better, more thoughtful care. Primary care gives us the opportunity to care for the whole person, not just treat problems as they come up.”

That continuity, she explains, is what makes primary care, and especially annual wellness visits, so powerful when it comes to prevention.

Why Annual Wellness Visits Matter Even When You Feel Healthy

One of the most common reasons people delay seeing a primary care provider is simple: they feel fine. But Dr. Galiano stresses that many serious health conditions can develop quietly, without obvious symptoms.

“Annual wellness visits are important because they help us catch things early—often before a patient feels anything is wrong,” said Dr. Galiano. “Conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol can be present for years without symptoms, but they still increase your risk for heart disease, stroke, and other complications.”

Routine checks such as blood pressure measurements, blood sugar testing, and basic lab work can uncover early warning signs that would otherwise go unnoticed. Identifying these issues early allows patients and physicians to take action sooner often through lifestyle changes, monitoring, or early treatment before problems escalate.

“Prevention gives us options,” Dr. Galiano said. “The earlier we identify risk factors, the more we can do to protect a patient’s long-term health.”

What Happens During an Annual Wellness Visit?

An annual wellness visit is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of a patient’s health, not just address immediate concerns.

During a typical visit, Dr. Galiano focuses on:

• Reviewing a patient’s medical history, medications, and supplements
• Discussing lifestyle habits, including diet, exercise, sleep, and stress
• Exploring family health history which can influence screening needs
• Checking vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate, and weight
• Reviewing vaccination history and recommending updates
• Identifying age- and risk-appropriate preventive screenings

“I also like to talk about patients’ health goals,” said Dr. Galiano. “Understanding what they want to work on—whether that’s improving energy, managing weight, or reducing stress—helps guide how we approach their care together.”

Primary care physicians are also trained to recognize subtle signs that something may be off during physical exams or lab work. When needed, they can coordinate referrals to specialists often catching issues earlier than if patients waited until symptoms appeared.

Preventive Screenings and Vaccinations: Personalized by Age and Risk

Preventive care recommendations change throughout life and are always individualized based on a patient’s personal and family history.

For adults in their 20s and 30s, preventive care often includes:

• Blood pressure monitoring
• STD testing for sexually active individuals
• Cervical cancer screening
• Cholesterol screening for those with risk factors
• Depression screening

For adults in their 40s and 50s, screenings may expand to include:

• Diabetes screening
• Breast cancer screening
• Colorectal cancer screening
• Ongoing cardiovascular risk assessment

For adults 60 and older, preventive care may focus on:

• Fall risk and mobility
• Cognitive changes
• Osteoporosis screening
• Continued monitoring of chronic conditions

Vaccinations are another critical component of preventive care. In addition to annual flu shots, Dr. Galiano emphasizes the importance of age-specific vaccines.

“For adults 50 and older, we strongly recommend the shingles vaccine,” she explains. “Many patients had an older shingles vaccine years ago, but there’s a newer two-dose version that offers better protection. Annual visits allow us to review vaccination records and make sure patients are up to date.”

She also notes recent guideline changes for pneumococcal vaccines, which may now be recommended earlier for some patients depending on age and risk factors such as smoking history.

Supporting Chronic Conditions Through Preventive Care

Annual wellness visits are especially important for patients living with chronic conditions. Rather than focusing only on symptom management, primary care visits help prevent complications and reduce the risk of emergency care or hospitalization.

“When we talk about wellness visits, we’re also talking about preventing complications related to chronic disease,” Dr. Galiano said. “Our goal is to reduce disease progression, avoid decompensation, and help patients stay stable and healthy.”

For example, patients with diabetes are not only monitored for blood sugar control, but also screened for potential complications affecting the kidneys, eyes, and other organs.

“If we can detect those changes early, we can treat them sooner and often prevent long-term damage,” she explained. “Regular primary care visits really allow us to be proactive rather than reactive.”

How Patients Can Prepare and Why It’s Never Too Late to Start

To make the most of an annual wellness visit, Dr. Galiano encourages patients to come prepared:

• Reflect on any health or lifestyle changes over the past year
• Bring a list of medications and supplements
• Note any new diagnoses or changes in family health history
• Write down questions or concerns ahead of time

For patients who haven’t seen a primary care provider in several years, she offers reassurance.

“It can feel uncomfortable or even overwhelming to come back after a long time. But we’re happy you’re here. The first step is just scheduling the visit. From there, we can create a plan that feels manageable and puts you back in control of your health.”

And for those with demanding schedules, Dr. Galiano emphasizes the importance of making preventive care a priority.

“People are often so busy taking care of everyone else that they forget about themselves. But if you don’t take care of your own health—physical or mental—it becomes much harder to care for the people you love.”

She sums it up with a guiding principle of primary care medicine:
“An ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of treatment.”

As the new year begins, scheduling an annual wellness visit is a simple step that can have a lasting impact helping patients stay healthier, avoid preventable complications, and start the year with confidence in their care.

To learn more about primary care services at East Jefferson General Hospital, visit
Primary Care Services Metairie, LA | East Jefferson General Hospital