Why do I need a primary care physician (PCP)?

PCPs are important members of the health care team. Some PCPs are trained to provide care for everyone (family medicine provider) or for specific age groups: children (pediatricians), adults (internal medicine), or seniors (geriatricians).

The St.Vincent Physician Network consists of a group of physicians skilled in the practice of family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics and specialized optometry. The benefits of having a PCP include, among others:

• The physician becomes familiar with the patient and his/her medical history.  Provides for an important understand of the patient’s health history, which is valuable in emergency situations.
•  Equips the physician with knowledge of the “whole patient” that can only come from seeing him/her over a period of time.  This knowledge supports better diagnosis and treatment of medical or possible emotional problems exhibited by the patient.
•  Routines for preventative care such as annual physical examinations can be better established with the patient consistently seeing the same physician.
• If/when the need for referrals to a specialist arises, a PCP may be better equipped to do so if he/she knows the patient’s comprehensive medical history.

We encourage you to schedule your free get-acquainted visit with one of our St.Vincent Physician Network doctors today.