It's Open Enrollment Time!
Open Enrollment is your opportunity to change your benefits elections for the upcoming calendar year. For some, this also means electing a new primary care physician. Here are some helpful questions to consider when choosing a new primary care physician. Why do I need a primary care physician (PCP)? PCPs are important members of your health care team. Some PCPs are trained to provide care for everyone (family medicine) or for specific age groups: children (pediatricians), adults (internal medicine), or seniors (geriatricians). St. Vincent Physician Network consists of a group of physicians skilled in the practices of family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics. Some of the benefits of having a PCP include: 1. The physician becomes familiar with the patient and his/her medical history. Provides for an important understand of the patient's health history, which is valuable in emergency situations. 2. Equips the physician with knowledge of the "whole patient" that can only come from seeing him/her over a period of time. This knowledge supports better diagnosis and treatment of medical or possible emotional problems exhibited by the patient. 3. Routines for preventative care such as annual physical examinations can be better established with the patient consistently seeing the same physician. 4. If/when the need for referrals to a specialist arises, a PCP may be better equipped to do so if he/she knows the patient's comprehensive medical history. What should I look for in a primary care physician? Before choosing one of our PCPs, we encourage you to prepare a list that outlines what you are looking for in a PCP. It is important that a health care provider listens to you, encourages you to ask questions and is easy to talk to. Communication is the key factor in a positive relationship with your doctor. Once you have determined what characteristics are most important, we invite you to schedule a "get-acquainted visit." Observations to make during the "get-acquainted visit": 1. Is the office conveniently located for quick trips? 2. Are the office hours convenient? 3. Is the waiting room clean? 4. Is the waiting room crowded? 5. Does the doctor listen to your concerns? If so, is he or she approachable and helpful or do you feel uncomfortable and intimidated? 6. Try talking to patients in the waiting room about their experiences with the office and the doctor. Do they wait long for appointments? Does the doctor return calls quickly? Questions to ask the doctor 1. What insurance does the doctor accept and who submits the paperwork? 2. When is the doctor available by phone? Who will answer my questions if I call the office? 3. Does the doctor take his or her own emergency calls after hours and a night? If not, who does? 4. Who will I see when the doctor is not on call or away? For a physician referral, please call 317.356.CARE.