Finding a primary care provider (PCP) you can trust is an important step in managing your health.
Alexis H. found that kind of partnership years ago, and it has now extended to her entire family.
Alexis began seeing Stacy Bartlett, MD, a family medicine physician at University Family Medicine-UPMC, years ago, when Dr. Bartlett was a resident. Dr. Bartlett now cares for Alexis, her husband, and her five children.
“Everybody benefits,” Alexis told Pittsburgh’s WTAE-TV. “It’s worth it. It’s worth having that commitment. You deserve to have somebody that’s on your side.”
The relationship goes both ways, as Dr. Bartlett has the medical training needed to serve patients of all ages.
“Generational care is something that’s actually one of the wonderful things, I think, about what we get to do in family medicine and in primary care,” Dr. Bartlett told WTAE-TV.
The Importance of Managing Your Health
PCPs play a key role in their patients’ health. They can treat short-term illnesses like flu, strep, urinary tract infections, and minor injuries. They also can help patients manage chronic conditions like diabetes, allergies, and high blood pressure. They also help coordinate patient care by providing referrals to specialists as needed.
Making regular visits to your PCP and getting recommended screenings are core parts of overall wellness. PCPs can help monitor health concerns and ensure patients aren’t overlooking any problems.
Alexis takes that responsibility seriously, both for herself and her family.
“There’s nothing more important than your health,” Alexis told WTAE-TV. “You can’t serve your children (and) your family, (and) you can’t go to work if you’re not healthy and in the right state of mind. So, to put that on the back burner is the worst thing you can give to yourself but also to your family.”
The MyUPMC app makes it easier for Alexis to manage her and her family’s health. The app allows people to schedule appointments, view test results, contact their providers, and more.
“As a busy mom, it’s important for me to be able to streamline our visits,” Alexis told WTAE-TV. “One thing I love about the MyUPMC app is each of my children has their own tab. So, I can communicate with my doctor specifically about what child I have a question about or I’m concerned about.
“I wouldn’t take my health as seriously if I didn’t have those resources available to me. It would be a lot harder to do that,” Alexis adds.
“Having those moments where you’re able to use what you know from all of your training and then combine that with what you’ve been able to develop in terms of a relationship with a patient to get them to be able to lead their best life is the most rewarding thing that we do and the reason that I continue to do what I do,” Dr. Bartlett told WTAE-TV.
A Partner You Can Trust
The ability to build a partnership with patients drew Aaron Linn, MD, to family medicine.
“I really enjoy taking care of everybody,” Dr. Linn, a family medicine physician at Renaissance Family Practice-UPMC, told WTAE-TV. “I didn’t want to limit my scope of practice. I wanted to make sure if there was somebody who walked in my door, I would at least have a foundational understanding of how to treat them.
“But I think the thing that really put me into family medicine is just that opportunity to build long-term relationships with people. When you really get to know somebody, and you have that personal connection, it’s truly a partnership together. And I truly think that it’s that partnership that is required to be able to give someone the best medical advice.”
One of Dr. Linn’s biggest pieces of advice to patients is to be open about their concerns. He encourages people to ask their doctor about any concerns they have about their health, big or small.
“A lot of times, there are things that are left unsaid,” Dr. Linn told WTAE-TV. “And I think my patients get the most out of their visits when they’re upfront about what their concerns are.”
There are many options available for finding a PCP you can trust at UPMC, including the UPMC provider directory. You can search for a provider close to you or one who matches your specific health needs.
“There’s a lot of resources out there to help find a PCP,” Dr. Linn told WTAE-TV. “Certainly, word of mouth is good if you find that you have a friend or a family member who really likes their physician.
“You can also search on UPMC’s website. You can find somebody in your zip code whose office is close to your home or work, you can find specific specialties, and you can find people who are accepting new patients. It makes it really easy to find somebody.”
UPMC Primary Care provides comprehensive care for people of all ages, all health statuses, and all stages of life. We’re here to be a trusted partner in your health.
To learn more about the services we provide or to find a provider, visit our website.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on , and was last reviewed on .