Kern Family Health Care | Family Health | Spring 2021

We post current health care news and tips to help you and your family stay healthy. You can also get important member updates and see what Kern Family Health Care is doing in your community. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/_KFHC DO YOU THINK someone is using your medical identity? Call our Member Services Department at 800-391-2000 . Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/KernFamilyHealthCare Watch the Kern Family Health Care channel on YouTube HEALTH FAMILY HEALTH is published as a community service for the members, friends and patrons of Kern Family Health Care, 2900 Buck Owens Blvd., Bakersfield, CA 93308, telephone 800-391-2000. Information in FAMILY HEALTH comes from a wide range of medical experts. If you have any concerns or questions about specific content that may affect your health, please contact your health care provider. Models may be used in photos and illustrations. Editorial Board Chief Executive Officer Douglas A. Hayward Chief Medical Officer Martha Tasinga, MD Chief Operating Officer Alan Avery Chief Health Services Officer Deborah Murr, RN Director of Marketing and Public Relations Louis Iturriria Director of Health Education, Cultural & Linguistic Services Isabel S ilva 2021 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Medical identity theft: Protect yourself! You could become a victim of medical identity theft at any time. This can happen by someone using your medical ID or Social Security number. Here are some ways to protect yourself against medical identity theft: y Do not trust strangers who offer free or discounted medical services. y Keep your medical ID card and Social Security numbers in a safe place. y Never share your information with persons who say they are calling to collect a bill. The person calling should have all your information. Have diabetes? Get tested Many of us have gained a few pounds during the quarantine months. Weeks went by with a treat here and a snack there to help pass the time. If you have diabetes, those extra few pounds can really be hard on the body. One of the easiest ways to check for diabetes is the HbA1c. It’s a simple blood test, and you don’t need to go without eating beforehand. It reports the average level of sugar in your blood over three months. This is important for you and your doctor to know. CALL YOUR DOCTOR TODAY to make a diabetes care visit. Don’t forget to ask for your HbA1c test results at your next visit.