The Value of Primary Care

The Brevard Health Alliance understands the impact of primary care. We have Board Certified Family Practitioners, Internal Medicine physicians, and Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioners who work together to provide high-quality care. Our goal is to provide a primary care home our patients will return to when they are in need of care.

Value of Primary Care Is Supported by Research

Availability of primary care physicians actually improves healthcare outcomes and lowers the overall cost of medical care according to the research of the Council on Graduate Medical Education on advancing primary care. When people have more primary care physicians to choose from, they are more likely to establish a primary care home. According to the National Institute of Health, the number of deaths caused by cancer, heart disease, and stroke decrease, as well as the number of hospitalizations required, actually decrease when people have easy access to primary care providers.

What Does This Mean for Individuals?

When patients have a primary care home, they are more likely to seek attention before health problems get too serious. If caught early, many conditions can be treated without the help of a specialist.

If a specialist is required, the primary care physician can help patients navigate the healthcare system. They often provide referrals to trusted specialists and can often improve wait time by setting up the appointment through the office.

An ongoing relationship with a primary care team helps make patients comfortable in their healthcare decisions. With the proper support, they are more likely to make healthy choices in their life.

Regular check-ups allow doctors to catch health issues before they become a big problem. Primary care physicians promote healthy lifestyles and disease prevention.

Primary care centers often reach out to communities in an effort to meet people’s needs.

Primary Care Centers Provide Guidance

Of course, the goal of a primary care physician is to diagnose and serve their patients. Ongoing maintenance of health problems may be handled within the primary care office, but at times, seeking the help of a specialist may be required. People who have been healthy a majority of their life may not know what additional healthcare options are available. This is also true of people who have recently moved into an area. The primary care team at BHA plays a large role in ensuring their patients find the right providers to manage their healthcare long term.

Relationships Between Patients and Primary Care Teams Improve Outcomes

When the same medical team sees the same patients over time, a relationship develops. Through this relationship, patients are more likely to share sensitive information that will help the doctors provide the right treatment. A trusted doctor is also asked for advice and has added opportunities to provide counsel before situations become unhealthy. Healthcare is a continuum. When doctors know a patient’s health history, two seemingly unconnected illnesses may reveal a bigger picture.

Primary care teams are more likely to live up to their responsibilities when they value how the quality of their care impacts patient satisfaction. They use up-to-date technology to keep records current. When patients trust the practice, they often count on it to disseminate their health information to appropriate specialists.

Bringing Individuals, Families, and the Community Together

When an established primary care practice is able to provide links to available community resources for individuals and families, they become an even more valued member of the community. Patients may not be aware of the preventative services available in the area. Primary care physicians who know their communities can also provide better care because they understand common health problems and risks their patients face. It may even be possible for some primary care physicians to act on behalf of their patients in non-traditional settings.

At Brevard Health Alliance, our primary care centers provide routine screenings for common health issues. Women’s health is a priority, so besides preventative care, women’s health screens are available. Whether it is an acute or a chronic illness, our providers are here to help. By offering walk-in and after hour appointments, we are able to extend our services to more people.