Work, family, deadlines and everyone else’s appointments can push your own health to the bottom of the to-do list. And when you feel fine and your week is full, a routine checkup is easy to skip.

Having a regular primary care provider (PCP) can help you keep up with your health on a tight schedule. Wen Wu, DO, a physician at Memorial Healthcare System, explains the importance of primary care and how to make it fit your life.

What Is Primary Care?

Primary care is ongoing, routine healthcare from a doctor who serves as your main point of contact. Your doctor provides checkups, screenings and vaccines. They also treat common illnesses and help you manage ongoing conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes. Over time, they get to know your health history and how it changes.

What Does a Primary Care Visit Include?

Primary care services help you stay healthy and get better when you’re sick. At Memorial Primary Care, our services include:

• Annual wellness visits and physical exams
• Care for everyday concerns, from colds and flu to migraine headaches and urinary tract infections
• Care for ongoing conditions like asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure
• Health screenings for cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure and other conditions
• Healthy lifestyle counseling
• Minor procedures, such as stitches and joint injections
• Smoking cessation support
• Support for depression and anxiety
• Vaccines

Why Is Primary Care Important?

Primary care helps you discover health concerns early. Regular checkups and screenings enable your doctor to notice changes when they’re often easier to manage. 

Preventive care also gives you a chance to ask questions before small concerns grow into bigger ones. That’s why you need a primary care provider even when you feel healthy.

What Are the Benefits of Having a Primary Care Provider?

The benefits of having a PCP add up with each visit. When one doctor knows your medications, goals and past health concerns, every appointment picks up where the last one left off.

Your PCP can also help you make decisions that fit your life. “When I know a patient’s history, I can spot small changes over time and adjust their care before a problem grows,” adds Dr.Wu.

If you need specialty care, your doctor can connect you with a specialist within Memorial and keep track of the bigger picture. You’ll have support beyond your doctor, too. At Memorial Primary Care, case managers, health coaches, navigators, nurses, pharmacists and social workers partner with your PCP to help with medication questions, follow-up care and community resources.

How Do I Find a PCP?

If you’re looking for a PCP in Broward County or North Miami-Dade, Memorial Primary Care serves adults 18 and older at locations throughout both areas, from Hialeah to Plantation and many locations in between.

Choosing the right doctor is easier when you know what to look for. Thinking about your insurance, location and personal preferences can help you narrow your options.

These tips can help you choose a PCP:

• Check with your insurance plan: Review Memorial’s list of accepted plans and confirm with your plan that the doctor is in-network. Some plans also ask you to report a new primary care doctor, so ask about that while you’re on the phone.
• Pick a location that fits your routine: An office near home or work makes it easier to keep up with checkups and follow-up visits.
• Think about what matters to you: You might prefer a family medicine or internal medicine doctor, or a doctor who speaks your language. Memorial Primary Care has multilingual providers and translators available.
• Learn about the doctor: Provider profiles can help you get a feel for a doctor’s background and approach to care.

When you’re ready, schedule with the first available PCP in MyChart at any time of day or call 954-276-5552.

Prepare for Your First Visit

Your first appointment is a chance for you and your doctor to get to know each other. Expect questions about your health history, medications, diet, activity and daily life.

You may also need blood work or other tests. Bring a list of questions and your current medications so you can make the most of your time.

How Can I Fit Primary Care Into a Busy Schedule?

For busy adults, a few habits make primary care easier to keep up with once you have a doctor. Memorial brings primary, urgent and virtual care together in one health system and one place in MyChart.

Whether you’re managing a household, working irregular hours or finding it hard to leave home, these tips can help you make time for your health:

• Manage your care in MyChart: View test results, schedule follow-up appointments, message your providers and request prescription refills whenever you have a free moment.
• See your own doctor by video: If you can’t get to the office, you can schedule a video visit with your PCP as an established Memorial Primary Care patient.
• Plan your next visit before you leave: Scheduling your next checkup at the end of each appointment makes it easier to stay on track and gives you one less thing to remember.

Frequently Asked Questions