Your Month-by-Month Family Health Plan (That Actually Fits Real Life)
This post is sponsored by Gateway Hancock Health. All content was created by theCityMoms team to provide helpful, accurate information for our readers.
Life moves fast, no question. I don’t know about you, but I used to get halfway through the year and panic - realizing I hadn’t scheduled wellness appointments, my doctors were booked for months, and suddenly we were way behind. Then I came across a creator who shared her annual family health plan, adapted it for my crew, and honestly? Game changer.
Now I break all those appointments and medical must-dos into small, doable steps each month. Thought it might help you too - because we both know family health doesn’t belong at the bottom of the to-do list.
The bonus: Gateway Hancock Health makes it simple with same-day appointments, a full family practice, women’s health specialists, and Immediate Care that’s open late when those surprise germs hit.
So here’s our 12-month health roadmap - an easy way to keep your whole fam running strong all year long…
Your Month-by-Month Family Health Plan:
January: Start Strong – Get all your annual appointments on the books early.
The What + Why: We all know the start of the year is the best time to get organized. Take time this month to schedule annual physicals, dental visits, and routine screenings to avoid the midyear rush and make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
How Gateway can help: Schedule annual physicals for each family member is easy with Gateway Family Practice. Start here for details.
February: Heart Check – Use Heart Month to baseline labs and blood pressure.
The What + Why: February is American Heart Month, dedicated to raising awareness about heart disease, prevention, and management. Plus it includes a spotlight on women’s cardiovascular health! It’s the perfect month to schedule lab panels and blood pressure checks, especially if you want to set a baseline for the year.
How Gateway can help: Book lab panels and blood pressure checks at Gateway, and review their tips to make blood draws easier. And while Gateway Hancock Health doesn’t specifically offer heart screenings, their Hancock Health network does. Learn more here.
March: Allergy Prep – Tackle pollen season before it takes over.
The What + Why: The Spring thaw in March means pollen levels will also be on the rise soon. My poor kiddo suffers from severe pollen allergy symptoms that can definitely affect her focus a school and afterschool activities - yours too?
How Gateway can help: Gateway Immediate Care is a great spot for same-day allergy treatment - their late weekday evening hours also make it easy to get seen without missing valuable school time. CityMom Emily also said it’s “Definitely a place I would want to take my kids should they need urgent care”.
April: Self-Care Reset – Prioritize your own wellness visit and screenings.
The What + Why: Before the madness of Maytember hits, I try to schedule some self-care in the month of April. (And yes, we all know annual women’s health visits and preventive screenings can help catch small issues before they become bigger concerns.) This is a great month for scheduling my annual wellness checkup and any other follow-up visits I need.
How Gateway can help: If your annual wellness visit leads to other imaging needs, Gateway offers services such as MRIs, ultrasounds, and CT scans. Learn more here.
GOT FIVE MINUTES?
More of Your Month-by-Month Family Health Plan:
May: School’s Out Forms – Knock out sports and camp physicals.
The What + Why: End-of-school means a lot for families, most especially Summer camp sign-ups, sports leagues, and activity forms. I love using this month to get annual physicals done (i.e. less scrambling needed when activities actually kick off).
How Gateway can help: The Gateway Immediate Care offers walk-in availability for sports physicals every day of the week.
June: Fun In the Summer Sun - Check before you g(l)ow outside.
The What + Why: By June, my fan is outside nonstop - ball games, pool weekends, the whole thing. That much sun time means it’s smart to get eyes on my skin and make sure everything looks good heading into summer.
How Gateway can help: Talk with your Gateway provider about scheduling a skin check-up too - they may refer you to one of the specialists at Hancock Dermatology!
July: Back-to-School Prep – Get vaccines and flu shots before the rush.
The What + Why: July always feels like our full run at back-to-school prep. Getting vaccines and flu shots done now definitely helps lessen the stress later - this is when I get all of ours completed so I can also complete those back to school forms.
How Gateway can help: Gateway offers vaccines and flu shots with flexible hours, so you can cross this off the list before the school rush. (Scroll to the bottom under Sports Physicals for a list of vaccinations offered.)
August: Germ Season Hits – Be ready for back-to-school bugs.
The What + Why: Once kids are back together for school, it’s like all the germs come with them - strep, hand-foot-and-mouth, and the fast-spreading bugs I know I dread. Ugh.
How Gateway can help: Back to the Gateway Immediate Care for help - love that they have same-day treatment, with extended weekday and weekend hours!
September: Colon Check – Put screenings on the calendar.
The What + Why: Maybe you didn’t know but colon cancer screenings are now recommended starting at age 45! And for many of us, it creeps in fast. My family has a history of colon cancer and early detection significantly increases treatment success.
How Gateway can help: Discuss colon cancer screening with your Gateway Family Practice provider - they can recommend your next steps.
HAVE LITTLES AT HOME?
We’re sharing our list of The Best Pull Up Diapers
More of Your Month-by-Month Family Health Plan:
October: Breast Health – Schedule that mammogram or other screenings.
The What + Why: October is an important month for breast health (and reminder, men can get breast cancer too!). Mammograms are one of the best tools for early detection, and self-referrals remove the barrier of waiting on a doctor’s order, so this is usually when I schedule mine.
How Gateway can help: Schedule a mammogram directly at Gateway, or take their free Know Your Risk Quiz.
November: Holiday Balance – Stay on top of health before the season gets hectic.
The What + Why: All those holiday meals and gatherings can make it easy to let health get put on a back burner for a spell (not to mention all the germs that come with the increased gatherings and parties). It’s again a good time to check in on blood sugar, weight, and flu protection before busy season helps maintain balance - don’t forget we got some of those baseline readings in February we can go off of!
How Gateway can help: Schedule labs, screenings, or a flu shot through Gateway’s on-site Diagnostics and Labs.
December: Year-End Reset – Refill prescriptions and book next year’s visits.
The What + Why: December is the month I like to close the loop - refill prescriptions, update my family’s health records, and lock in next year’s appointments before the calendar resets. It’s one less thing to juggle in January, and it keeps everything running on autopilot.
How Gateway can help: Refill prescriptions and schedule next year’s appointments through Gateway Family Practice at gatewayhancockhealth.org.
