“Health care is a journey of a thousand miles, but it starts with very simple steps. If people can remember that on a day-to-day basis that's where we start.”
Dr. Bayo Crownson, MD, is a family practice physician who has practiced in Canyon County for 17 years, has joined Saltzer Health.
If you are age 40 or older, do you know what preventive steps you can take to improve your health?
In this episode of The Healthcare Podcast, Dr. Bayo Crownson provides valuable advice about the importance of health screenings for men and women, regular checkups, eating a balanced diet, getting exercise and the importance of learning about your family history and genetic predisposition to diseases.
After 17 years of practicing medicine in Canyon County, the Saltzer Health family medicine provider understands his patients and the need for preventive health. He has devoted his career to helping his patients who suffer from heart disease, diabetes, COPD and other chronic illnesses.
Dr. Crownson was inspired to pursue medicine as a child growing up in West Africa. Later, he earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Rutgers University and worked as a nurse at the Robert Wood Johnson University hospital.
He completed medical school at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and his residency at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland before serving as a flight surgeon for the 391st Fighter Squadron in Mountain Home.
He later worked in Nampa for Mercy Medical Center, Saint Alphonsus and St. Luke’s.
Most recently, Dr. Crownson has seen an alarming rise in obesity and diabetes. “It’s a major epidemic,” he said. Health risks include heart disease and stroke, heart attacks, cancer and kidney disease. Complications from diabetes can lead to eye damage, foot damage and amputations.
“Diet and exercise are the cornerstone of preventing obesity,” he said, sharing recommendations about food intake, protein, fiber and carbohydrates. He helps some of his patients by providing a “written prescription for exercise. “Exercise is like a medicine,” he said.
From age 40, Dr. Crownson recommends more regular doctor visits and communication about family history.
Women should talk with their provider about mammograms and colorectal and cervical cancer.
Any adult who has been a heavy smoker should be screened for lung cancer. “It Is really important because it helps us catch lung cancer at its earliest stage. And then treatment can become more successful.”
White men over the age 50 face increased risks for skin cancer. “If you've had a lot of sunburn and if you have been exposed to a lot of sun your life then it is really important after age 50 to start seeing a dermatologist or your family doctor about every one or two years to screen for skin cancer,” he said.
Dr. Crownson’s wish list for the future includes more preventive care for his patients. “If we can prevent diseases it decreases the burden of healthcare costs and it makes people generally healthier,” he said.
He also hopes that advances in remote monitoring and technology will be more accessible. “We need to use that to our advantage,” he said. “I've always felt a significant portion of health care happens outside of the walls of hospitals and clinics.”
Dr. Crownson is encouraged when his patients follow basic guidelines: commit to recommended health screenings, regular doctor visits and healthy eating and exercise.
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The Healthcare Podcast hosted by Dr. John Kaiser and health advocate Linsy Heiner aims to uncover the myths of modern healthcare, to help families discover cost transparency, improved access and innovation.
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