Podcast #10

Welcome to the 10th edition of our audio program Your Health, offering health information and suggestions to keep you and your loved ones healthy. I'm Neal Linkon, Aurora's manager of Web communications. Your input helps us decide what to put in these programs, so if you have questions, comments, ways we can help or ideas for future editions, please let us know at internet@aurora.org.

It seems that most medium to large employers are offering an Employee Assistance Program, also known as an EAP. And it may be one of the most valuable, least understood benefits available to employees…and their families. Aurora offers an EAP, and there are many others, but they all similar. So I sat down with Cheryl Lipscomb, the director of Aurora's EAP, to find out how they work, and how you and your family can benefit.

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Cheryl adds that contacting your EAP is entirely confidential. Your employer and coworkers won't know, and it won't be part of your employment record in any way. To learn more about Aurora's EAP, go to www.Aurora.org/assist.

Everybody should have a doctor, or what's often referred to as a primary care provider. He or she would be the first doctor you'd turn to for the vast majority of health issues, and he or she would then refer you to any necessary specialists or hospitals.

But we often hear from people who don't have a doctor, and aren't sure how to find one. The process no doubt varies depending upon which health system you want to be a part of, but at Aurora, here's what we recommend.

First, go to www.Aurora.org/docs.  This is where you can search for all of our health care providers. If you are looking for a primary care provider, start with the field that is marked “kind of doctor do you need,” and the first set of options are what you are looking for. Any of the specialties listed there would be appropriate.

If you want to see all the primary care providers listed, select the “primary care provider” option. The options below that are subsets or specific kinds of primary care providers. Family practice doctors can be great for anybody, but especially those with kids at home. That way you can have one doctor treat the whole family. Some women prefer to have their OB/GYN be their primary care provider, in which case you should select the “women's health” option.

All the other fields are optional, but will help you narrow down your search. If you would be more comfortable having a doctor who also speaks a language other than English, use the “language spoken” option. Some people prefer to have a male or female doctor, or a younger or older doctor. You can screen for those as well. And of course, convenience is key, so you can select using city, county or zip code radius, and find somebody who will be easy for you to access and find.

One other tip that can help you get comfortable with your choice is to take advantage of the video previews offered for many of our doctors. You can see a brief interview with the doctor to get a sense of his or her personal style and philosophy. Many of the clips are available right on the Web site, or you can order a full set for your geographic area to be sent, absolutely free, to your home, with no obligation.

Still puzzled?  Then please feel free to call us at 888-863-5502. The operators there will be happy to help you!

Our philosophy of care is called Care management.  In each edition of Your Health, we'll look at a Care Management initiative to give you a better idea of what this is all about. Most importantly, these segments will have meaningful and useful information to help you and your loved ones.

One of the most important pieces of Care Management is our smoking cessation initiative.  So let's start with the five common myths about quitting smoking.

Myth #1: Smoking is just a bad habit

Fact: Tobacco use is an addiction. According to the U.S. Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guideline, nicotine is a very addictive drug. For some people, it can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine.

Myth #2: Quitting is just a matter of willpower

Fact: Because smoking is an addiction, quitting is often very difficult. A number of treatments are available that can help.

Myth #3: If you can't quit the first time you try, you will never be able to quit

Fact: Quitting is hard. Usually people make 2 or 3 tries, or more, before being able to quit for good.

Myth #4: The best way to quit is “cold turkey”

Actually the most effective way to quit smoking is by using a combination of counseling and nicotine replacement therapy, such as the nicotine patch, inhaler, gum, or nasal spray, or non-nicotine medicines. Your health care provider or smoking cessation clinic is the best place to go to for help with quitting.

Myth #5: Quitting is expensive

Fact: Treatments cost from $3 to $10 a day. A pack-a-day smoker spends more than that -- almost $1,000 per year. Check with your health insurance plan to find out if smoking cessation medications and/or counseling are covered.

One of the best resources is the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line: 800-QUIT-NOW. The Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line offers free information on quitting smoking, practical counseling on how to boost your chance for success, and referrals to local programs and services available to help you. When you call the Quit Line, a trained smoking cessation specialist will answer your questions and help you put together a personal plan to quit.

There are many more resources available on our Web site, so please go to www.Aurora.org/smoking to learn more. And to learn more about our Care Management initiatives and what they might mean for you or your loved ones, please go to www.Aurora.org/cm.

That's a wrap on this edition of Your Health. I'm Neal Linkon, and we'd really like to hear from you on how we can help you better navigate the world of health. Drop us a line at internet@aurora.org, and thanks for listening.