No matter how well prepared you are, it’s inevitable you’ll remember something you wanted to ask long after your medical appointment is over. Sutter care centers have a variety of ways to get you the answers you need.
Extensive Health Information
When you need accurate and timely information about medical conditions or procedures, visit a Health Resource Center online or in person. Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Sutter Gould Medical Foundation, California Pacific Medical Center and other Sutter sites provide videos, articles, audio files and Q&As with experts on a wide range of topics. You can also access our Medical Library to browse health research articles by topic.
Health Screenings and Compassionate Counseling
You might think you don’t need health screenings when you feel fine, but they could save your life. The highly knowledgeable staff at our Health Resource Centers provides instruction for self-exams you can do at home and guidance to better manage your own health.
Part of managing your health means making plans for the future. You may find it difficult to imagine a time when you will not be capable of making your own healthcare decisions, but if that time does come, you want assurance that the appropriate decisions will be made. Our health educators offer counseling for planning an advance healthcare directive, a legal document that allows you to appoint an agent with power of attorney to make care and treatment decisions on your behalf and to give instructions about your healthcare wishes.
Some of our Health Resource Centers also offer appointments with trained counselors for the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP). If you’re a Medicare beneficiary, these counselors work with you to make the best choices for your individual healthcare needs.
If you receive a diagnosis of any kind, you can meet one-on-one with a patient-focused counseling specialist who will explain what you need to know about your condition, treatments and ongoing care.
