Primary Care

One of the most important decisions you’ll make is selecting a family care provider. Here are some things to think about:

What types of providers practice primary care?
Family medicine physicians and internal medicine physicians (or internists) are often primary care providers. Obstetricians/gynecologists (OB/GYN) physicians and pediatricians also can be designated as primary care providers depending on your health insurance plan. Be sure to consult your health insurance plan to learn what types of physicians it covers.

What type of provider would best suit my needs?
The answer to this question varies. If you want one provider to treat your whole family, you may want to choose a family medicine provider as your primary care provider. If you have a chronic condition, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, you might want to choose an internist. If you’re a woman with concerns about women’s health issues, an OB/GYN might be a good choice. If you want your child seen by someone who specializes in children’s health care, you may want a pediatrician.

Other factors you may wish to consider are:

• Is the office in a convenient location?
• Is the provider covered by my health plan?
  Click here to see UHS participating insurances.
• What is his/her philosophy of care?
• What are the provider’s clinical interests?
• What is his/her experience and education?
• Who covers for the provider when he/she isn’t available?
• How are after hours medical concerns handled?

What’s the easiest way to find a provider?
UHS maintains a directory of providers who are members of our medical staff. This directory is searchable by type of provider and includes information on education and residency, as well as their specialties, board certifications, office location (including address and phone number).

What if I need more specialized care?
Referrals to specialists often are made by a primary care provider. If you need to see a specialist, discuss your concerns with your primary care provider. Feel free to ask your provider for more than one name if you wish to get a second opinion.

Do I need a referral to see a specialist?
In some cases patients may make their own appointment with a specialist. You’ll need to verify with your insurance plan whether you’re eligible to self-refer. You can also contact the specialist to make sure that he/she accepts self-referrals.

UHS primary care offices have received accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) based in Washington, D.C. The accreditation, called Patient-Centered Medical Home, acknowledges that UHS meets national standards for patient access to primary care providers, while providing continuity of care and enhanced patient education.

“The accreditation is called Medical Home because every patient should have a primary care provider whose office is the home base for their health care needs,” said Frank Floyd, M.D., Associate Medical Director of the UHS Medical Group. “That’s what they find at the UHS sites. We are not just a medical office. We are partners in healthcare with our patients. We are their home base and, in most cases, we can get them in for an appointment the same day they call.”

As part of the accreditation process, the NCQA reviewed extensive data from the individual primary care sites. They focused on how well the providers organized care plans around the needs of the patients and scrutinized the level of teamwork among the providers, patients, their families and any specialists.

The UHS Electronic Health Record (EHR) system played a key role in earning the accreditation. The system utilizes templates to track the status of annual visits and alert providers about the need to schedule a patient’s immunizations and medical tests, such as a colonoscopy. When a patient receives care from a specialist, the information about that visit becomes part of the health record so that the primary care provider stays up-to-date. UHS also offers an interactive website and uses electronic prescribing with built-in computerized cross checks to keep track of patient allergies and drug interactions.

“The use of information technology helps improve the level of care we provide,” Dr. Floyd said. “It even allows us to make outreach phone calls to remind a patient if they are past-due for a visit. It is extremely helpful for patients with chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, congestive heart failure or diabetes. We make sure to provide them with the educational information they need and we work to get them involved in their own care management.”

As part of the Medical Home project, UHS has also instituted enhanced case management. This includes proactive calls from the medical offices to ensure the timeliness of primary care follow-up after ER visits and hospitalizations.