From an interview with
Dr. Janice Miller
McLeod Family Medicine Physician

Primary care providers manage day-to-day health needs. A long-term relationship with a PCP keeps you healthier, as they can teach you ways to stay well, treat you when you’re sick and help you get more advanced care when you need it. Finding the right PCP for you takes time, but McLeod Family Medicine Physician Dr. Janice Miller says doing so improves your well-being in the long run.

“Women are usually so busy taking care of everyone else that they don’t take time for themselves. Getting the preventive care you need is important for you and your loved ones, and it’s the best way to stay healthy.

Talk to your primary care physician about the specific care you need based on your personal and family medical history. Depending on your age, screenings such as mammograms, colonoscopies and pap smear tests are necessary to help keep you on the road to good health. Your primary care physician can also help manage chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure.”

Many types of healthcare providers offer primary care. Different specialists are trained to see certain types of patients:

• Family practitioners (also known as family doctors) see patients of all ages, sometimes everyone in a family.
• Pediatricians care for children and teenagers.
• Internists, or internal medicine doctors, see only adults.
• Geriatricians care for older people.
• Obstetricians and gynecologists focus on women’s health and pregnancy.
• Nurse practitioners and physician assistants also provide primary care. But they must serve as part of a team that includes a primary care physician, and the physician has overall responsibility for the patient.

If you are in need of a primary care physician, here is a list of providers available near you.