The importance of having good health care isn’t lost on Charles Seay. The paramedic and EMT dispatcher spends all day helping others get the care they need — fast. But when it came to his own care, he wasn’t exactly proactive.

“Doug from the Ascension Care Management would call every so often to see if I had chosen a Primary Care Provider,” Charles said. “Going to the doctor is not my favorite activity, and so I didn’t see the need to be in any hurry. But they were very polite, and very helpful, so I finally found a doctor and made an appointment for a checkup.”

Then he met with Dr. Mark Krakauer. During that routine physical, the doctor felt an abnormality in Charles’ neck. He was sent off for an ultrasound, which showed a mass in his thyroid. A biopsy determined that the tumor was cancerous, and so Charles underwent surgery to remove his thyroid, followed by treatments to render him cancer-free.

Family Learns From Dad's Experience

As a healthcare professional, Charles knows that wellness is a family affair. His three children, ages 8, 9 and 20, do see their doctors for routine checkups and the like, he says, but he and his wife had fallen behind in that area. His diagnosis was a teaching moment for his younger children especially, he said.

“It was a valuable lesson,” Charles said. “What happened to me really hit home, and showed them the value of seeing a doctor regularly, even when you think nothing’s wrong. It’s good to get regular checkups, and if there’s a problem you can catch it early. They all got to see the value that a short, quick visit to the doctor can bring to your life.”

Ascension Care Management Provides Ongoing Support

“The Ascension Care Management folks saved my life by being so insistent about getting me to choose, and visit, a PCP,” Charles said.

Ascension Care Management’s wraparound care swung into action following Charles’ diagnosis, with care team members Barbara Powell and Cassie Driver keeping tabs on his surgery and follow-up visits to his team of physicians. He also was made aware of counseling and other options that would benefit his emotional health during this difficult time. And last but not least, someone had an eye on the bottom line.

“They were there for any questions I had about insurance, and someone even looked over my EOB statements just to make sure I understood how things were paid,” Charles said. “People made sure I didn’t fall off the edge. They called and checked up on me, which really was the biggest thing, because a cancer diagnosis is really devastating. It was a rough time. I was absolutely the worst patient in terms of going to the doctor, but they hung in there with me and wouldn’t let me get away with it. I don’t have enough good things to say about my Ascension Care Management care team.”

What can you do with a helping hand? Contact Ascension Care Management today at 1 (855) 288-6747 or email acmmembers@ascension.org to get started.