Services

Primary care medicine is defined as medical care that is provided by physicians specifically trained and skilled in comprehensive first patient contact and continuing care, specifically in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Primary care also includes health promotion, disease prevention, health maintenance, counseling, patient education, diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses.

Primary care providers differ from specialty providers in that they care for and treat any undiagnosed sign, symptom, or health concern not limited by problem origin (biological, behavioral, or social), organ system, or diagnosis. Primary care physicians often act as advocates for the patient in coordinating the use of the entire health care system to benefit the patient, and many times it is a primary care provider who will recommend a patient to a specialist when it is needed. Your primary care provider will often follow up with the specialist as well, acting as a contact and central location from which your overall health is managed, monitored, and coordinated. These primary care providers are often referred to as internists, family care providers, or primary care physicians. A primary care provider that specializes in seeing children or adolescents is known as a pediatrician.