Why do I need a Primary Care Doctor?

It used to be the case that having a primary care doctor was the rule, not the exception.

In the past, going to “the doctor” was understood to mean your primary care doctor – the person who knew you the best and helped optimize your health. Nowadays, with the proliferation of specialists and big health systems, it’s easy to feel like just a number. Often, your “primary care doctor” doesn’t really know you particularly well, assuming you get to see the same one every time at all. More often than not, jumping from urgent care to urgent care is the norm when you need something from a doctor. It doesn’t have to be that way!

Having a primary care doctor – rather than going from urgent care to urgent care or emergency room to emergency room – is a better way to get your healthcare needs met. Primary care doctors handle issues not only when you’re sick, but can also help prevent many diseases. Whether it’s a sick visit, preventative care, or building an ongoing relationship that you’re after, having a primary care doctor you know and trust is the key to long term success when it comes to staying healthy.

Sick care is exactly what it sounds like: you want your doctor to be available when you need them, namely, when you’re sick. That means being able to get an appointment same day or next day, not having to wait a week or a month for care. Not every single sick visit requires an office visit – many sick visits can be addressed via virtual care, as a phone call or a televisit. Rather than waiting on the phone to schedule a sick visit (or see if there’s even one available), we publish our availability online, so you can schedule immediately and even outside of normal office hours. That way, you don’t need to wait until 8am to try to call in and schedule an appointment – you can book online when you feel as if you need it, and be ready to be seen when the office opens the next day.

Preventative care is the other, and sometimes neglected, piece of primary care. In primary care, this means focusing on the most common causes of death and disease – cardiovascular disease and cancer. The foundation of all prevention, of course, is optimizing your diet and nutrition. But there’s more that goes into preventative care than just diet and exercise. Controlling your cholesterol and blood pressure can help prevent heart attacks and strokes, and regular cancer screenings can help detect cancer before it’s too late. In my practice, I recognize that every patient is different, so I work with you to determine what screenings would be beneficial for you based on your health history.

Why do you need a primary care doctor? Because you deserve someone who sees the whole picture, not just a part of it. You also need someone who can advise you over time, as your life changes, new problems come up, and old ones resolve – not someone who only sees a snapshot of your health. Establishing with a primary care doctor gives you a chance not only to improve your health today, but to stay healthy and get healthier long into the future.