Both clinics offer ongoing medical care for the entire family.
To stay safe and healthy today and in the future, you need access to a provider who knows and understands your health history, wellness goals, and concerns.
Beyond just treating your aches and pains, you need a provider that offers comprehensive care that includes:
- disease prevention and screenings
- diagnosis and treatment of many types of illness
- education related to disease prevention or treatment
- injury care
- counseling
- coordination of your care
Primary care is your first resource for healthcare. It’s about having a provider who will partner with you to help you stay healthy and able to live your best life.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine defines primary care as “the provision of integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community.”
Primary care incorporates several different kinds of healthcare services.
One part of primary care focuses on wellness and prevention. To keep you healthy and free of disease, your primary care doctor will likely:
- take a careful look at your health history so they can determine what risk factors you may face
- offer vaccinations to keep you from catching a disease
- perform screenings so they can catch health issues early
- coach you on lifestyle changes you can make to stave off illness in the future
Another part of primary care is acute healthcare. These are issues or injuries that may come on suddenly and typically don’t have a long-term impact on your health.
Say you’re on the basketball court and you twist your ankle. Or maybe a cough or cold is especially bothersome. Your primary care physician’s office is the place you would go for treatment of these kinds of issues.
Primary care is also an excellent resource for helping you manage chronic, long-term conditions like diabetes or asthma.
Your primary care provider can regularly monitor your condition. Because they work with you over a longer period, they can track changes in your health and help you decide if it’s time to see a specialist.
Additionally, your primary care provider is often aware of factors in your community that may affect your health. For, instance they’re kept up to date on illnesses that are sweeping through your local school system and will know if there’s an uptick in the number of flu cases in your area.