At Priority Physicians, families are our purpose.
As a family medicine doctor managing a full-scope primary care practice, I’m biased. I love knowing, speaking with, and treating multiple members of a family.
Family practice physicians are trained to help patients during every phase of life, from obstetric to geriatric care, from newborns to seniors. By comparison, internal medicine is often seen as more specialized — preparatory to fields like cardiology or gastroenterology. Internal medicine practices may see patients as young as 14 or 16, but not the smaller kids we can see in family practice.
Of course, we have several excellent internal medicine doctors on the Priority Physicians team, and our family practice and internal medicine physicians support each other on call. Our protocols ensure families have immediate access to any care they need around the clock.
For many families, the most meaningful service a concierge practice can offer comes where life begins and ends — with newborns and seniors. A lot of relationship-building happens then.
The more acquainted I am with a family’s history and structure, the easier it is for me to treat them across multiple generations. If I must discuss a certain topic or deliver a medical diagnosis, it helps to know how different family members may behave or react or how this may affect group dynamics.
We Love Kids
A married couple who appreciates the care they’re getting may ask me to care for their seven-year-old son. I want to do that!
Or take a first-time mom who has many questions. She needs extra time and attention that she may not get from the traditional healthcare system. But in concierge family practice, she gets excellent advice and evidence-based resources from our physicians rather than having to sift through confusing or misleading opinions online.
Most new moms are happy to bring their baby to the office — a bright spot for mom and me. It’s a lot of fun to see a new baby or play with a kid for a half-hour and ensure they’re on track developmentally.
I’m grateful that family practice allows me to work with kids regularly. And when parents see how well we interact with their children, it fosters trust.
We Respect End-of-Life Care
The same pertains to end-of-life care. Families find special value in their relationship with a concierge family practice during this time of sadness and stress.
Family members feel reassured that they’re honoring elderly patients’ wishes as they pass away. They know we’re taking steps already put in place over years of patient-doctor interaction.
We Emphasize Good Mental Health
In the U.S., mental health is often under-served.
But in primary care, we’re invested in the strength of our patients’ mental health. We strive to give it the consideration it deserves.
Caring for multiple generations of a family can be enlightening. We observe how family dynamics lay at the root of certain issues. It gives me a lot of insight and more levers to pull to achieve a better solution for everyone involved.
If a patient has particular mental health concerns, we explore the underlying causes. Frequently, it’s possible to address them with the help of therapy or medication, if needed.
Or, if a 17-year-old is struggling, I can understand what they’re facing and engage the parents, with the teen’s permission, in what I suggest for help or treatment.
Starting Young Patients on a Healthy Path
One of the most inspiring things about family practice is the privilege of preparing young patients for a lifelong path to excellent health.
Most parents agree that bringing their kids in for an annual well-child check is vital. We have well-child checks to ensure our young patients are properly vaccinated and on a healthy trajectory.
By seeing young patients (the earlier, the better), I help them appreciate healthy lifestyle habits that may have meaningful impacts into their 40s, 50s, and beyond. I also get baseline insights to proactively manage issues later in life.
This early start to their patient-doctor relationship grows more important in a few years — say, when the young patient goes off to college. The average adult male sees a doctor once between the ages of 20 and 50. But my patients, who have built a relationship with me since childhood, check in with me every year.
Typically, I can convince them to stay up-to-date with their lab work and vaccines, so they stay on that healthy path. They don’t worry that it’s hard to get an appointment or that a doctor may not care about them. They know they have me as their trusted source when they wonder if they should manage their nutrition in college or if eating multiple pizzas at a party is okay.
A Final Word on Family Dynamics
Family practice makes engaging and involving the whole family much easier.
Every family member has their own story, colored by their unique experiences. Hearing the different perspectives of parents, grandparents, and siblings gives me a richer, broader view of the family and more options for treating them!
This is why Priority Physicians’ signature focus as a family practice makes sense — for you and us. It’s rewarding to know we can be a key influence in the life and health of every member of your family.
Schedule time for your family members. We look forward to chatting!
