PRIMARY CARE

PARTNERSHIP FOR LIFE

WHY DO I NEED A PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN?

1. Better Health Care - Primary care is the backbone of the health care system. Utilizing primary care physicians puts an emphasis on the physician-patient relationship by shifting the focus from physician-centered care to patient-centered care.

An increase of one primary care doctor per 10,000 people has been shown to result in:

  • 5% decrease in outpatient visits
  • 5.5% decrease in inpatient admissions
  • 10.9% decrease in ER visits
  • 7.2% decrease in surgeries

2. Focused Healthcare Centered Around You - If you don't have a primary care physician you will jump from one urgent care to another "doc-in-the-box" type of visits but you will be treated by providers who will not know you as well as your long-term primary care physician.

3. Help With Navigating the Healthcare System - Your primary care physician will help coordinate services such as referrals to specialists who are in-network with your insurance plan, order tests at the appropriate outpatient testing facilities and guide you in connecting you to the appropriate pharmacies for your medications.

4. Long-Term Relationship Building - Your relationship with your primary care physician will be ongoing regardless of your age or health condition. Therefore, the care that you will be given will cultivate and grow over time into a sustaining, enduring and trusting relationship.

5. Effective Acute, Chronic, and Preventive Care - Your primary care physician is available for acute care visits when you are suddenly sick and need urgent care as well as routinely scheduled annual preventive physicals to keep your health in optimal condition. Also, if you have chronic medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol your primary care is trained to treat these conditions in order to avoid the adverse outcomes of unattended chronic conditions such as heart attacks and strokes.