Unlock Personalized Healthcare by Designating a PCP

One of the most effective, impactful choices you can make for your long-term health could surprise you. It isn't a catch diet, trendy exercise plan or the latest supplement.

It's establishing a relationship with a primary care provider, otherwise known as a PCP. 

If you don't have one, you could dramatically improve your health by selecting one.

A PCP, which could be a physician, nurse practitioner or a physician assistant, can unlock several avenues to wellness. The most important benefit they offer is coordinating and customizing your healthcare, rooting out potential risks and preventing problems before they become hard-to-treat conditions.

The personalization of your care is key. Like a concierge guiding your healthcare, a PCP gets to know you – including what your goals are, what risk factors you might have, what medications you might take and what lifestyle changes you can make to live a longer, healthier life.

After your first visit with a North Oaks PCP, your digital access will be unlocked, making healthcare even more convenient. Established patients can schedule follow-up appointments, ask questions and request refills through the North Oaks MyChart app via their PCP.

"Just as you should keep maintenance

on your vehicle, you should

keep maintenance on your health."

— Dr. Howard J. Raphael, primary care provider at North Oaks Family Medicine in Hammond

An additional benefit of having a PCP is that your healthcare costs will typically remain lower. How can having a doctor reduce your costs? Annual wellness check-ups are covered by Medicare, Medicaid and many insurance plans. Once you establish a baseline for your care, follow-up healthcare costs may be reduced as compared to making visits to an emergency room for high blood pressure, for example, or being hospitalized for high blood sugar levels due to uncontrolled diabetes.

Chronic conditions, like high blood pressure and diabetes, cannot only be managed more effectively by a PCP, but it’s also less expensive to pay for an office visit than to visit an emergency room once your health has worsened.

Another benefit is that your PCP is going to help you keep your health goals on track with reminders for recommended screenings and appointments, and help you connect with the most highly trained specialists, should a higher level of care be needed to treat a condition. In other words, you don’t have to navigate the healthcare system on your own. You have your own healthcare advocate.