Primary care health services cover a range of medical conditions, focusing on the treatment and prevention of many common illnesses. Primary care providers often maintain long-term treatment of their patients and help manage many health-related issues throughout their patient’s lives.

Primary care is considered the first-line treatment avenue for all non-emergent medical conditions. Physicians in primary care focus on managing the total body using referrals to appropriate specialists when needed.

There are five types of primary care doctors, each having a different background and focus. The five types include family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine-pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology doctors. Of these five types, the Richmond, VA, Glendale location has family medicine and internal medicine doctors on staff.

A family medicine physician is trained to care for the entire family. They see babies, children, adults, and seniors. This wide range of training makes them ideal for busy families that would like to set up multiple appointments for the family on the same day.

Internal medicine physicians receive specialized training to take care of the wide range of health conditions that affect adults. As they focus only on treating adults, they are well-educated on the common conditions affecting adults, such as diabetes and hypertension.

The best type of doctor for primary care comes down to the specific needs of the person or their family. For example, if you want one doctor to care for the entire family, then a family medicine doctor may be the best choice as they will care for children and adults. However, if you are an adult wanting a doctor for yourself, either an internal medicine or a family medicine doctor would be a good choice.

In primary care, there are also doctors such as obstetrics and gynecologists who only treat the female population. As well as pediatricians who only treat children under 18 years of age. Therefore, the convenience and needs of the family are often the most common determinants of the best type of doctor to see for your primary care needs.

While it is common to see primary care providers and physicians used interchangeably, this is not entirely correct. A physician is a type of primary care provider who is dedicated to providing long-term care to their patients. However, a primary care provider can also be a nurse practitioner or physician assistant.

While nurse practitioners and physician assistants can complete many of the same duties as physicians, including prescribing medicines, ordering labs, and providing referrals, they have drastically different training. A primary care physician is required to complete medical school and a residency program in their specialty before they can become licensed.

When choosing a primary care physician in Richmond, it is important to consider these five items.

• “In-Network” providers. To avoid any surprise charges or uncovered medical visits, check with your health plan to see if the clinic’s practitioners are considered “in-network” by your health plan. Ensure the clinic has doctors who take Medicare if this is your primary insurance.
• Expertise meets your health needs. Several different types of primary care physicians are available. Therefore, it is essential to choose a doctor that meets your or your family’s particular health needs.
• Referrals. Check with other family members, friends, and co-workers to see who they use as a primary care physician. This provides you with first-hand knowledge about the provider.
• Logistics. Select a local doctor’s office that is close to home, work, or your child’s school. This can reduce the hassle of attending appointments or quickly obtaining a check-up when you are sick.
• Make an appointment. You should feel comfortable and confident with your primary care provider. If you do not, there is no harm in choosing a different physician.

Yes. Complete Health Glenside requires an appointment for patients to be seen. This ensures that every patient’s time is respected and each patient will be attended to in the most efficient manner.

If you are new to the clinic, the best way to schedule an appointment is to call our office at 804-262-4763 and talk to one of our patient care specialists. They will register you in the system and provide you with your appointment options.

Already a patient at our clinic, use your patient portal to schedule your next appointment. New to the patient portal, no worries, create a new account and follow the steps. The patient portal allows access to your care anytime and from anywhere.