The men’s health clinic offers a range of services

PLEASANT PRAIRIE – “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

This quote – attributed to Bert Lance, financial adviser to President Jimmy Carter – illustrates the attitude of many men towards their health.

It’s a perspective that the doctors at the Men’s Health and Welfare Clinic are trying to change before it’s too late.

“Women go to the doctor every year during their childbearing years, but men, once they leave their pediatrician, don’t go back until they have something like erectile dysfunction,” notes Dr. H Merrill Matschke, physician of the Men’s Health Clinic, a urologist. whose sub-specialty is andrology – male reproductive health and surgery.

Helping men find their way to preventive health is a passion for Matschke. “We have to try to connect better with men than we have.”

When it comes to preventive health care, there is a gap between men and women, Matschke said.

According to a 2016 Harris poll and an American Academy of Family Physicians survey, men make half as many preventive medical visits as women and men have a higher death rate for most of the leading causes of death, especially cancer, heart disease, diabetes. and suicidal.

To help bridge this gap for men, a few years ago, Matschke came to Wisconsin from a urology practice in Illinois on a mission to provide men with proactive and preventative health options.

“I actively sought out like minds who think like me. I wanted them to speak the same language as modern medicine. A fresh and modern look.

Among his initiatives was the acquisition of low-intensity shock wave therapy to treat erectile dysfunction.

The Men’s Health and Wellness Center for Advocate Aurora Health opened in June of last year as part of the new Advocate Aurora Health Center Complex at 12500 Aurora Dr., just west of I-94. and Highway 165.

The men’s clinic offers physicians specializing in family medicine, internal medicine, cardiology and endocrinology. In addition to sexual and reproductive problems, the clinic’s services include preventive care, management of chronic diseases and sleep disorders.

“At the Men’s Health Center, we provide patients with a deeper, holistic view to help them stay healthy throughout their lives, rather than dealing with isolated issues as they arise,” a Matschke said.

To help men overcome barriers to seeking health care, Matschke examines questions such as “What is this man’s barrier to being healthier?” His work? Life in general? “

He does this by saying he spends more time with his patients than some doctors. “I’m going to look at the whole person and the lifestyle choices like smoking or drinking a lot.”

“The men’s health center is really about prevention and helping men find a way,” Matschke said. “I want to fix the condition that brought them on and also educate them on a preventive path.”

For more information, contact the Men’s Health and Welfare Clinic at 262-857-5880.

– HEATHER LARSON POYNER, [email protected]