Let’s celebrate family medicine care - it’s what our Nurse Practitioners do best! Since iIt’s National Primary Care Week, we want to spotlight the importance of primary care. 

First, what is it?? Primary care practitioners (like doctors or nurse practitioners) are the first line of defense to staying healthy. Unlike a specialist, a primary care practitioner sees the whole you and can screen to help you prevent disease or health issues before they become serious. 

Why is Primary Care so important?

• Primary care is getting regular checkups, treating medical issues—rashes, wart treatments, body pain, sprains, asthma, allergies, infections, anxiety, contraception, and many other medical complaints—as well as managing ongoing illnesses or chronic issues. 
• Having a primary care provider can help you manage arthritis, diabetes, high cholesterol, and other chronic health issues. It means not going to the ER or Urgent Care every time something flares up, but instead calling your provider for continued help.
• Primary care providers can give you support and help to manage efforts to lose weight, quit smoking, create healthier habits.
• It’s having a person that manages common or pop-up health issues (like an unexplained rash, cold symptoms, and more), keeping vaccines up to date, and suggesting screening tests (like mammograms). 
• Forming a relationship with a primary care provider can lead to better health overall. This person knows your history, any chronic issues, and can manage your overall health. 
• A primary care provider can answer all your questions about medicines, sickness, infections, ongoing care, and chronic conditions. 
• They are knowledgeable and can find a medical specialist if needed for other health issues, like advanced heart disease treatment, surgeries, etc.
• Having a primary care provider means they can find potential health problems early, which can keep medical issues from becoming severe, or requiring hospitalization (which equates to avoiding large medical bills!). 

Stay healthier, get the medical support you need, including annual physicals and screenings, and live your best life. We are your local health center, with several offices available (in Mount Vernon & Danville)  for you and your family to receive quality primary care!