Having and establishing a relationship with a primary care provider (PCP) is the key to staying healthy. As an advocate, guide, and partner, your PCP plays a pivotal role in keeping you healthy and addressing your healthcare needs through all stages of life. But how exactly do they do this, and why is it so important to establish care with a PCP? We've got all the answers for you.
1. You need a PCP for preventive care services.
Common misconception: Seeing your PCP is just for when you're sick or feeling under the weather. Truth: Seeing your PCP is perfect when you're sick (it's much cheaper than going to an urgent care!), but it's also to help prevent illnesses or detect them in the early stages when they're easier to treat.
With a special focus on preventive care, we help you maintain good health and catch any potential issues early on. Most insurances cover a free yearly exam with us where we take a deep dive into your health with a physical exam and blood panel to understand your body's base point and discover any changes that may have occurred over the last year. When you're proactive about your health and attending your annual visits, we're much more likely to catch diseases early, sometimes before symptoms ever begin.
2. You need a PCP for personalized care.
Common misconception: I don't need to establish care with a PCP. I'll just go see whoever when I'm sick. Truth: As your PCP, we get to know you and your medical history over time. We build relationships with you and better understand your body. We have all the backstory on your health, so we can get right to the heart of the problem.
This approach allows us to provide personalized care tailored to your specific needs and preferences. We go the extra mile to work with you and help you understand the pathology of your disease, what treatment options are available, and how the intervention of medicine works to get your health back on track.
3. You need a PCP for care coordination.
Common misconception: If I need a specialist (dermatologist, allergist, etc.), I can just call and make an appointment. Truth: While sometimes this may be true, it's dependent on your insurance. We can help you understand your insurance, find a specialist we trust in your network, and get you an appointment scheduled.
While we are able to treat a wide variety of illnesses and diseases, sometimes a specialist is needed if the case goes beyond our scope of care. Based on your needs and insurance, we refer you to specialists and help you coordinate your care with those specialists by ensuring they have everything they need to best care for you to help avoid potential gaps in your care.
4. You need a PCP for chronic disease management.
Common misconception: I need a specialist to manage my chronic disease. Truth: Depending on your needs, we can help manage your chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and more at a fraction of the cost your specialist may charge.
Together, we develop a treatment plan, monitor your condition, and adjust your medication as needed to keep your condition under control. We also help you diagnose these problems upon symptom onset. Feeling low on energy, having trouble losing weight, or having uncomfortable menstrual cycles? We'll run a blood panel and other necessary tests to get down to the core issue and start you on the right treatment plan to get you feeling back to normal as soon as possible.
5. You need a PCP for urgent care services.
Common misconception: If I'm sick, my only option is to go to urgent care. Truth: As your PCP, we can almost always squeeze you in for any urgent care needs at a fraction of the cost and with less wait time than an urgent care clinic.
We’re here to help you navigate through any new, concerning symptoms that may arise. From your average cold to UTIs to rashes or lesions, we’re here to help solve those problems and refer you to a specialist if needed. If you're unsure if you need to see us, an urgent care clinic, or go to the emergency room, give us a call and we can help send you in the right direction based on your medical history and symptoms. The best part? Each of our locations accept walk-in appointments, so even if you haven't established care with us, but are feeling under the weather, we can fit you in at one of our locations.
Having established care with a PCP makes life and staying healthy cheaper, quicker, and more convenient for you and your schedule. We're in the business of building relationships and can't wait to get to know you, your health journey, and your family. When you come to Lubbock Primary Care, you're family! So how do you find a PCP that's best for you? There's several things we should look at.
1. Understand your insurance coverage.
First place we start? Insurance. Your insurance plan gives you an idea of what you'll pay at the doctor's office and which providers are in your network (AKA providers that your insurance will pay for). If you know you have insurance but don't know the details, get your insurance card and give us a call at Lubbock Primary Care. We'll let you know whether or not we accept your insurance and give you an idea of what you'll pay for your visit.
2. Pinpoint your health goals.
Why are you wanting to establish care? Do you need a well-woman's annual visit? Are you feeling under the weather? Do you have a chronic disease you need help managing? Are you looking for guidance on weight loss? It's important to understand what you want out of your PCP. Each of our providers specialize in different areas of primary care, so if we know your goals, we can help lead you in the right direction when it comes to establishing care with one of our providers.
3. Know what you want out of your PCP.
Do you prefer a woman provider? Maybe you'd prefer a male. We've got a variety to fit your needs! Maybe you'd like to visit a location close to home. We're proud to say we have 3 Lubbock locations, making it convenient to find one close to where you live and work. You want to bring your kiddos for check-ups too? We have providers who would love to care for the whole family! We've positioned ourselves to be one of Lubbock's most unique offerings in the private practice primary care sector. We have something for everyone and a variety of providers and locations to choose from. We can't wait to meet you and help reach your goals.
At Lubbock Primary Care, we're committed to helping you get healthy and stay healthy through our patient-centered approach. Whether you're here in Lubbock to attend school or you're here raising a family, we're here to serve and guide you to health. Our providers at each of our locations are accepting new patients. Give us a call to establish care and get started with one our providers.
Lubbock Primary Care Locations
South Quaker Location: 11007 Quaker Ave., Lubbock, TX | 806-701-4040
Southwest Milwaukee Location: 10709 Milwaukee Ave., Lubbock, TX | 806-207-3703
Central University Location: 5015 University Ave. Unit B1, Lubbock, TX | 806-797-4357
Midland Location: 1300 W Wall St., Midland, TX | 432-684-4488
