What is a primary care provider?
A primary care provider can check on your health and treat health problems. This person may be a nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or medical doctor. Primary care providers can diagnose, treat, and prevent many health problems.
Why do I need to see the same provider even when I am not sick?
Your primary care provider will take care of your health over your lifetime. By seeing the same provider, they know you and your health needs. Your provider can also take care of your family's health. You cannot see or feel some diseases and health problems. You need to see your provider at least one time every year, even if you are not sick, to check your health.
See your primary care provider each year to:
- Be healthy so you can take care of your family
- Find out if you have health problems, sometimes before you have symptoms
- Be more comfortable with your health
- Help lower your medical costs
- Have fewer emergency room visits
What will my primary care provider do?
- Help schedule other appointments you need
- Look for health problems like high blood pressure, heart problems, cancer, and diabetes during your appointment
- Help you learn how to take care of all of your health needs (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual)
- Tell you which vaccines you might need (a vaccine is a shot to protect you from disease)
- Refill medications
How do I make an appointment?
It is easy to schedule an appointment with a primary care provider. You can call any of our clinics, or if you already have established care, make an appointment online via MyChart.
"Finding a primary care provider who knows your history, your struggles, who celebrates your successes, and helps you through your lows can impact your health care immensely," said Annalise Shippee, Perham Health physician assistant. "Instead of taking the time to explain where you have been with your health history every time you see a provider, establishing care with a primary provider who knows you will be able to use the time in the exam room more efficiently to work towards better long-term health outcomes. A primary care provider can also help you navigate multiple specialty providers and ensure comprehensive care you can understand."
Your primary care provider is for health problems that are not an emergency. If you have a health emergency, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911.
Perham Health Public Relations
About Perham Health
Perham Health is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital with three primary care clinics located, a 96-bed nursing home, home care agency, adult day services, memory care assisted living, and housing. The medical staff consists of 25 physicians, a nurse midwife, 15advance practice clinicians, and three chiropractors. Visit perhamhealth.org to learn more.
I appreciate your explanation when you informed us that it is the role of a primary care provider to check on our health and treat issues with it to ensure we stay healthy. I moved to Louisville with my kids last week, and since one of my sons gets sick quite easily, I need to find a new primary care physician in the area for us to contact from now on. I’ll take note of this while I look for health care clinics in Louisville to visit with my kids soon to find our new primary care physician.