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Primary prevention: how up to date are you? by Susan Sims Barger Family Nurse Practitioner, Family Medicine    Given the incredible diversity in the MUSC workforce, preventive medicine presents a host of equally incredible opportunities for university employees.   The university encompasses a population of about 9,000 employees working in hundreds of different job classifications. There are people of various cultures, ages and experiences—each with specific needs for health care.    Never has preventive health care been more important than today. Many of the most serious disorders can be prevented or postponed by immunizations, preventive medications, and healthier life styles. They can be detected early with screening and treated effectively. Clinicians now have the skills, resources and opportunities to promote health, and to prevent and cure disease as well.    But preventive care cannot be delivered effectively without active patient involvement—not without each person tracking and prompting their own preventive care. A patient-provider relationship is an important link to establish in preventive care.   Some populations are at higher risk for certain preventable disorders than others. Therefore an assessment of the risk factor profile for each individual will aid the clinician in determining specific prevention and screening recommendations for that person. If  a disease or problem has been identified, there may be other tests and screenings more specific to that condition but not recommended for the general population.    The following are general recommendations for screenings for adult preventive care.  Tests: Blood Pressure, Height and Weight, Cholesterol, Hearing, Mammography, Pap Smear, PSA, Sigmoidoscopy, Stool Occult Blood, Urinalysis  Exams: Dental, Vision/Glaucoma, Breast, Exams for Cancer (Thyroid, Mouth, Skin, Ovaries, Testicles, Lymph Nodes, Rectum, Prostate  Immunizations: Tetanus—Diphtheria, Pneumococcal, Influenza, Hepatitis B, Varicella  Health Guidance: Smoking, Alcohol and Drugs, Sexual Behavior, AIDS, Nutrition, Physical Activity, Violence and Guns, Family Planning, Injuries, Occupational Health    All adults need to keep working at staying healthy. Check with your primary health provider to see if you're up to date with the tests people your age need.