What Should You Look For in a Primary Care Physician?

• How can a primary care doctor help you get better care?
• What are things to look for in a primary care provider?
• What is the value of primary care?

Do you have a primary care doctor? How well do they know you? At AMA Medical Group, we specialize in a lifetime of care for our patients, many of whom have been with us for years.

Sandy, a patient at AMA Medical Group since 2015, remembers her first visit. She says, “My first impression, meeting Dr. Faña, and how friendly she was, really impressed me, meeting the staff; everybody is very friendly, warm, and professional.”

Your primary care physician specializes in building a long-term relationship with patients. A primary care doctor serves as the hub for all your medical needs and is the most important resource for anyone trying to navigate the complex world of modern healthcare. There are many primary care practices to choose from. What should you look for in a primary care physician?

Your primary care doctor is your conduit to better health. A primary care doctor like Cruz Faña-Souchet, M.D., who is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Infectious Diseases, specializes in learning the nuances of each patient. Dr. Faña, as her patients call her, learns the person’s history, health goals, and lifestyle, along with treatment preferences, and motivations. 

Instead of just focusing on the illness behind your visit, a good primary doctor gets to know you as a person. This is a long-term relationship between you and your health advocate that can pay off in better health. There are multiple studies showing patients with a primary care doctor enjoy:

• Better access to preventive services, including cancer screenings
• Lower hospitalizations and ER visits

There is also data showing the states spending more money on primary care services have better overall healthcare outcomes for their residents. One study says, “Primary care serves as the cornerstone in a strong healthcare system.” 

The goals of primary care, according to another article, should be threefold:

• Giving patient access to high quality care
• Increasing patient satisfaction with the healthcare system
• Streamlining the efficient use of resources

For patients like Sandy, an important point is that her primary care doctor is a one-stop resource in a system that is increasingly complicated. She says, “Anytime I’ve needed any specialists or referrals, they’re all so very good. Their other employees and staff [at AMA Medical Group] do all the work of contacting the specialists and getting the appointments.”   

While one of the benefits of having a primary care doctor is that you can build a trusted advisor relationship with these professionals, another benefit is that they can help you navigate to and from necessary specialty care. Appointment coordination, reviewing treatment plans, explaining test results—all of this is in a day’s work for a primary care practice like the AMA Medical Group. 

However, if you’re considering a primary care practice, it can be hard to know which one to choose. What should you look for in a primary care office?

Beyond the basics of credentials, location, and whether the practice is in your insurance network, what other characteristics should you look for in your primary care practice?  

Friendliness and professionalism

Sandy says, “I really have enjoyed the friendliness and professionalism of this office.” That’s an important point; are the primary care providers and the staff that work in the office approachable and warm but also professional?

Willingness to take their time with each patient

Today, it’s easy to feel rushed by your doctor. We’re all busy, including your physician. One article says that many doctors are also driven by health system performance metrics that impact how much time you spend with them. “It’s not unusual for primary care doctors’ appointments to be scheduled at 15-minute intervals.” 

Empathy and compassion

Empathy is an important characteristic of your primary care provider. Having the ability to understand their patients is critical for doctors because it impacts the quality of care for their patients. One study showed the rate of diabetes complications was 40% lower for patients whose doctors scored high on empathy.  

Ability and willingness to find answers

A primary care doctor is a generalist who has wide exposure to a variety of illnesses and treatments. Look for a primary care physician who is willing to go the extra mile to be sure you understand what is happening to your health. Sandy says, “Dr. Faña is my doctor and she is excellent. I also see Ben and Mark, who are the two med-techs. They are very good. If I have questions that they can’t answer they will do research and get back with me.” The willingness to say they want to check research and circle back to give you a better answer is an unusual approach but it should be a standard approach for your primary care provider.

For patients like Sandy, the value of primary care is high. Having a primary care practice like the AMA Medical Group helps her and other patients like her by:

• Offering a place where you can bring a wide range of health problems for immediate care, advice, and support
• Guiding you through a complex series of specialists, procedures, and tests
• Facilitating educated decision-making about your health
• Serving as a consistent and trusted advisor for long-term care 

The relationship patients have with a primary care practice like the AMA Medical Group is like no other relationship in today’s healthcare infrastructure. A primary care doctor is your go-to resource for all kinds of health issues. These doctors provide their patients with the resources they need to get the treatment they deserve. It is in this way that a primary care physician becomes an advocate in your goals toward better health and wellness.

If you currently do not have a primary care provider, the AMA Medical Group wants to personally invite you to visit our practice. We are accepting new patients and hope that you, like Sandy, will trust us with your health for many years to come.