7 Reasons for a Family Physician Even When You Don’t Have Kids
posted by Lehi Willowcreek Family Medicine | April 4, 2016
“In the increasingly fragmented world of health care, one thing remains constant: family physicians are dedicated to treating the whole person.” ~ American Academy of Family Physicians
Are you yearning to partner with a highly skilled, versatile, and patient-focused doctor who will listen to you and oversee your changing health care needs through every stage and age of your life? Someone to act as a personal wellness touchstone? If you’re nodding an emphatic “yes!” — what you are seeking is a Family Physician.
Despite the label, you don’t need to have kids to enlist the support of a family doctor. “Family physicians conduct approximately one in five office visits — that’s 192 million visits annually – 48 percent more than to the next most visited specialty,” according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Here are 7 great reasons to put a Family Medicine practitioner in your health care corner.
Family medicine’s goal is to nurture an ongoing, patient-centered relationship that emphasizes individualized, integrated care over the entire lifespan of the patient. If you select a doctor that meshes well with your personality, you’ve got a supportive friend for life.
You might have your first gynecological visit as a teen with your family physician and continue on with annual wellness exams through the years. They can help with premenstrual syndrome diagnosis and treatment and fertility counseling. In addition to handling your immunizations and blood and diagnostic tests, your family physician can offer personalized counseling to support your healthy lifestyle.
For example, Revere Health’s Dr. Darlene Petersen treats everyone in the family but has a special interest in providing women’s health care services. Her passion for substance and alcohol abuse treatment allows her to support patients dealing with this unique challenge.
Family physicians are the only specialists qualified to treat almost all medical conditions and provide comprehensive and preventative health care for people of all ages– from infants to the elderly. They might give a toddler an immunization, and in the next appointment counsel a geriatric patient about the importance of age-related nutritional needs.
After graduating from medical school, family physicians complete a three-year residency program in which they receive training in six major medical areas: pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, psychiatry and neurology, surgery, and community medicine. Some go on to receive instruction in other areas including emergency medicine, ophthalmology, radiology, orthopedics, and urology.
Cancer, stroke, heart disease, asthma, and diabetes—family physicians provide ongoing and personalized care for all of our most serious chronic, degenerative diseases.
Based on their unique areas of interests and skills along with the demands of the community they serve, family physicians can incorporate a multitude of procedures into their patient care. Revere’s Dr. Scott Barton brings with him a wealth of knowledge and expertise for the entire family with a specialization in OB/GYN, Pediatrics, Adolescent, and Preventative Care. Dr. Barton further specializes in ear tubes and tonsils, vasectomies, skin lacerations and biopsies, and fracture care.
Having a single point of contact in the often-overwhelming world of health care is very reassuring. Your primary care family physician runs interference for you and coordinates your care with other providers and subspecialists when needed. A collaborative network of physicians provides truly integrated and superior care to ensure all of your medical needs are met.
Are you ready to team up with a Family Physician of your own? Revere Health Family Medicine providers are available at 14 locations in Utah to handle a variety of medical needs for patients of all ages and genders. Our family medicine providers are trained in a broad range of disciplines including internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology and geriatrics.
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. You should always consult your doctor before making decisions about your health.