Well-Child Checks: These routine visits to the doctor are like health check-ups at every stage of their growth. Here’s why they’re so important:

• Well-child exams cover a wide range of health aspects, including growth, development, nutrition, immunizations, and emotional well-being. It’s a comprehensive look at your child’s overall health.
• Regular visits help identify any potential issues early on, ensuring prompt intervention if needed. Detecting developmental delays, vision or hearing problems, or other health concerns can lead to timely treatments, giving your child the best chance for healthy development.
• Well-child exams are crucial for staying up-to-date on vaccinations, protecting your child from harmful diseases.
• Additional benefits can be found on the image below.

Sports Physicals: As your child grows older and becomes more involved in sports or physical activities, sports physicals become necessary. Sports physicals evaluate your child’s ability to participate in physical activities safely. It helps identify any potential health risks, injuries, or conditions that may affect their performance or safety during sports.

The Perfect Balance: While sports physicals cater to the needs of young athletes, well-child checks are broader and cover all aspects of your child’s health. Combining both ensures comprehensive care and addresses any concerns related to their overall well-being and participation in sports activities.

Remember, both well-child exams and sports physicals are vital for your child’s health journey! So, let’s support them in leading healthy lives, both on and off the field!

Certainly, some health conditions are beyond our control. Yet there are those things that we can control, and that’s where the importance of prevention comes in. It’s a matter of a few simple steps that everyone can take to help ensure better health:

• Understand the timing of important exams, screenings and vaccinations
• Work closely with a health expert to anticipate your future health needs
• Respond quickly to injuries, developing conditions or big changes in day-to-day health

Healthful Pregnancies, Healthy Newborns

The well-being of moms and babies starts before any birthday; prenatal care can make sure both are doing well throughout pregnancy. It’s important: Children who have no prenatal care are three times more likely to have low birth weights that can lead to a number of issues.

Working with a primary care or OB provider can make sure you’re on schedule for all tests, images and checkups. If you don’t have a family provider or doctor, we can help you find one.

Once baby arrives, timely vaccinations and exams make big differences. Newborns and parents both benefit from well-baby checkups. Most babies see the doctor more during their first year than at any other point of childhood. Each visit ensures babies are developing as they should. Regular visits can help ensure early intervention if your provider becomes aware of any issues or complications.

Kids’ Care Grows Up Fast

Children have busy schedules with school, activities – and their health. Stay aware of major growth milestones, as well as time-sensitive shots. Regular well-child checkups are a great way for your care team to ensure your child is on track, and to work with you if a child has a challenge like asthma, diabetes or another chronic condition.

Later, kids might dive into sports, and our team can make sure they’re set for the competition with sports physicals. Yearly checkups cover the entire spectrum of a child — mind, body and spirit — and are good for one full year. A checkup can also count as a sports physical. Sports physicals make sure student athletes are in top physical condition to compete, yet a physical is not a substitute for a yearly checkup.

As your child grows, no matter when your child needs care, we’re here for you, be it a sprained ankle, an ear infection or anything else.

A Healthy Adulthood

For adults, partnering with a primary care provider means you can stay ahead of the curve on any health problem that might develop. Make a habit of scheduling a yearly preventive visit to stay up to date with immunizations; flu shots; blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol numbers; and important cancer screenings like mammograms and colonoscopies. With regular preventive care, many illnesses can be prevented or cured when detected early.  

When people skip recommended cancer screenings, it can give a tumor a head start. When you work with your doctor and care team, you can stay on schedule, feel better – and perhaps save your life. It’s better for your quality of life, as well as your finances, to get little problems treated early – before they become big problems.

Eating a healthy diet, getting enough good sleep and staying active all are important parts of adult health. Mental wellness also plays a dynamic role in how we feel. Quality of life improves when you’re feeling good, from your joints and muscles to your spirit and attitude.

At the same time you adopt new healthy habits, be sure to consider unhealthy habits, like excessive alcohol intake or tobacco use of any kind, as well as vaping. Your provider understands that adults deal with these issues and are ready to help you quit.

The potential benefits of a lifetime of prevention can be enjoying more days with the people we love, less pain, better mobility and improved quality of life. In short, you can thrive instead of just survive. Life can present its challenges, but when you protect your health, no matter your age, you can take life on and keep winning.

FRHS awards this annual $1,500 scholarship to provide resources to a high school senior who demonstrates exceptional promise, and a commitment to pursuing a career in the medical field through higher education. Graduating seniors from Freeman Public, Freeman Academy, Bridgewater/Emery, Marion and Menno are all invited to apply. After careful consideration, the committee selected Ava Andersen, a remarkable senior from Freeman Public High School, as the 2024 recipient.

Ava has distinguished herself as a stand-out student, ranking at the top of her class. Her academic achievements are matched by her dedication to serving others and her passion for healthcare. As a participant of the 2023 CNA Apprenticeship Program, the first of its kind, she demonstrated a commitment to hands-on learning and practical skill development in the field of healthcare as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Freeman Regional Nursing Home.

Ava is involved in student council, volleyball, FFA, Quiz Bowl, Yearbook, National Honor Society, Band and Chorus. Beyond school, she volunteers her time at church and through tutoring. She plans to continue her volunteerisms into her college years.

When asked for recommendations, some of the words used to describe Ava were: determined, strong work ethic, respectful, intellectual and articulate. A teacher shared that she is “continually impressed by Ava’s dedication to her studies and her commitment to making a positive impact on her community.” Another said “Ava makes responsible decisions, is a disciplined student, and is a strong leader” and finally, “She is unquestionably an exceptional candidate for the Megan Rollag Memorial Scholarship.”

This scholarship reflects Freeman Regional’s commitment to supporting and nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals. Our goal is to empower students, like Ava, to achieve their educational aspirations and make a positive impact in the field of medicine. We congratulate Ava and will continue to cheer her on as she pursues a nursing degree from South Dakota State University.

Functional Dry Needling is an incredible treatment that can reduce pain and increase mobility in just ONE treatment! Hear more from our doctors and patients, Jan and Tate, in this video. Click the link below to find out more!

https://www.facebook.com/FreemanRegionalHealthServices/videos/2464642153723339

Clinic schedules can be found online at https://freemanregional.com/calendar/

To view or Colon Cancer Awareness Video, CLICK HERE

With the scanner upgrade, renovations are needed to the current CT room. During this time of innovation and improvement, Freeman Regional has prioritized patient care by utilizing a mobile CT, which has been temporarily stationed on-site near the Emergency Department entrance. This will provide patients with uninterrupted access to critical diagnostic services.

Our Radiology team has been trained on the temporary mobile CT unit, preparing them for the advanced technology of the new CT scanner. The upgraded CT room and scanner are set to provide enhanced diagnostic accuracy and improved patient experiences beginning in October.

“Courtney Unruh,” Administrator and CEO of Freeman Regional, expressed her excitement, saying, “Our ongoing commitment to improving rural healthcare remains. The upgraded CT room and state-of-the-art CT scanner represent a significant step forward in our ability to provide accurate and timely diagnoses, ensuring our community receives the best possible healthcare services.”

Once the CT upgrade is complete, Freeman Regional’s team will be positioned to offer an even higher standard of care through advanced imaging and diagnostics.

Well-Child Checks: These routine visits to the doctor are like health check-ups at every stage of their growth. Here’s why they’re so important:

• Well-child exams cover a wide range of health aspects, including growth, development, nutrition, immunizations, and emotional well-being. It’s a comprehensive look at your child’s overall health.
• Regular visits help identify any potential issues early on, ensuring prompt intervention if needed. Detecting developmental delays, vision or hearing problems, or other health concerns can lead to timely treatments, giving your child the best chance for healthy development.
• Well-child exams are crucial for staying up-to-date on vaccinations, protecting your child from harmful diseases.
• Additional benefits can be found on the image below.

Sports Physicals: As your child grows older and becomes more involved in sports or physical activities, sports physicals become necessary. Sports physicals evaluate your child’s ability to participate in physical activities safely. It helps identify any potential health risks, injuries, or conditions that may affect their performance or safety during sports.

The Perfect Balance: While sports physicals cater to the needs of young athletes, well-child checks are broader and cover all aspects of your child’s health. Combining both ensures comprehensive care and addresses any concerns related to their overall well-being and participation in sports activities.

Remember, both well-child exams and sports physicals are vital for your child’s health journey! So, let’s support them in leading healthy lives, both on and off the field!