New practice in Fairfield strives to get more men to the doctor
FAIRFIELD — A new doctors office that recently opened has a special focus on men’s health.
Hartford HealthCare Tallwood Men’s Health new office aims to provide men access to a team of specialists and primary care providers with its location at 1262 Post Road, in Fairfield.
Dr. Keith O’Brien, the chief of urology at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport and the medical director for the Tallwood Urology and Kidney Institute in Fairfield County, said many men do not like going to the doctor. He said a common mentality is “If it’s not broke, why fix it?”
“The concept of Tallwood Men’s Health is to co-locate different specialists under the same roof to help patients make connections to providers which creates better outcomes for patients,” he said, noting patients are asked to fill out a men’s health checklist at their first visit to ensure that they are up-to-date on preventative screenings. “Preventative screenings help us to catch things before they become a problem. We want to help people get on a healthful pathway that aligns with their lifestyle.”
In a release, Hartford HealthCare said men are 1.4 times as likely as women to die from almost every chronic medical condition, and on average live five years less than women, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. It said a recent national study shows that one third of men do not think they need annual health screenings. HHC said Tallwood aims to address that issue by providing a variety of specialists and helping patients build out a personalized care plan based on their needs.
Dr. Craig Floch, a Hartford HealthCare general surgeon specializing in weight loss surgery, said he is one of the specialists who will be available at the new office. He said Tallwood serves women as well, but is primarily focused on men’s health.
Speaking to his expertise, Floch said 85 percent of the people who get weight loss surgery done every year are women, even though obesity statistics are roughly the same regardless of sex. He said it should be a closer 50-50 split.
He added Tallwood is part of a broader push by the medical community to get men more comfortable going to the doctor as well as get procedures like the ones he does.
Floch said the Fairfield Tallwood branch is getting busier, and he hopes more people learn that their services are available. He said having a bunch of different specialists under one roof allows people to be more comfortable and makes it so they do not have to run around to different doctors officers to get care.
“The key things that will be in (the Fairfield) office will be cardiology, urology, medical and surgical weight loss and a psychologist,” he said. “It’s a comforting atmosphere. A lot of men hate going to the doctor’s office, or they’re embarrassed to. It hopefully will (result) in more people will health issues coming forward.”
Joshua.LaBella@hearstmediact.com
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