3 Reasons To Have a Primary Care Physician

No matter how healthy you are, it is always important to have a primary care physician. Bluestem Health in Lincoln, Nebraska wants to be your care team as you navigate through different medical milestones in your life and the lives of your family members. We want all of our patients to know why we believe that having a primary care physician has benefits for all. Here are Bluestem Health’s top three reasons to have a primary care physician.

1: You Will Maintain a Higher Level of Comfort

Choosing a primary care doctor you trust is the first step in your journey toward maintaining a higher level of comfort. By scheduling regular appointments with your primary care physician, it will naturally be easier to discuss your health concerns or medical questions for your entire family while you are at your appointment.

In addition, researchers at the Journal of Health Affairs found that patients with primary care doctors reported having higher levels of satisfaction than patients without primary care doctors. The more you visit your primary care physician, the better your relationship and level of care you receive. At Bluestem Health, we pride ourselves on our dedication to understanding the health needs of our patients and their families.

Your primary care physician is not only a health expert, but an advocate for your own health and well-being. At Bluestem Health, the relationship that develops between our primary care physicians and our patients are beneficial because:

• The more your primary care physician knows you and understands your health history, the better they can help guide your long-term healthcare plan.
• As you and your primary care physician develop a level of comfort between each other, the thought of sharing personal or medical information and asking questions feel normal.

When you have a primary care physician, you’re not starting from square one every time you see a doctor. At Bluestem Health, we will already know your medical history, so you won’t have to explain the same things over and over at every appointment when you’re at our clinics.

2: Primary Care Physicians Coordinate Your Care in the Healthcare System

While primary care physicians manage many acute and chronic conditions, at some point in your life you will need specialized care.

Specialized care can mean a lot of things, whether that’s a physical therapist, a cardiologist, or an orthopedic surgeon. A primary care physician is well integrated into your local healthcare community and can assist you by referring you to the appropriate specialist. At Bluestem Health, we are well integrated into our community because our five locations allow for us to come in contact with a wide range of medical professionals that we work with and trust. We’ll coordinate with your specialty doctors to ensure that the right information is shared, nothing is missed, and no tests are duplicated.

Because preventive care is strongly tied to better health and lower costs, many preventive care services are completely covered by insurance – often with no copay. Even though preventive care is usually covered, studies show that Americans are only getting about half of the preventive care they should. According to the American Association of Family Physicians, adults who have a primary care physician experience 33 percent lower healthcare costs.

At Bluestem Health in Lincoln, Nebraska, when our primary care physicians perform your routine physicals, screenings, and immunizations, you’re more likely to avoid costly prescriptions and care later on.

3: You’ll Continue to Stay Healthier for a Longer Period of Time

In a 10 year study done by Stanford Medicine, researchers found that greater access to primary care was directly related to a longer life expectancy.

Patients see a primary care physician for preventive care appointments, such as:

• Immunizations
• Mammograms
• Colon cancer screenings

Primary care providers stay up to date with any chronic conditions you may develop, for example:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure

Patients who continue to visit their primary care physicians are less likely to be hospitalized or have surgery, because if there’s something wrong medically, it’s caught earlier, which leads to better health outcomes for you.

Find a Primary Care Physician Near You

Bluestem Health in Lincoln, Nebraska has five locations throughout the community to make it easier for patients to continue to see their preferred primary care physicians. We are committed to being the leading resource for all patients in the Lincoln area.

• Main Clinic – Located at 1021 N. 27th Street in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Main Clinic offers comprehensive family medicine for all ages, as well as general dentistry, behavioral health consulting, addiction and substance use services, lab testing, and x-ray services.
• Thompson Clinic – Located in Bryan Health’s West Medical Plaza at 2222 S. 16th Street, Suite 435, in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Thompson Clinic offers comprehensive family medicine services for all ages, as well as laboratory services.
• Kreshel Clinic – Located at 3100 N. 14th Street, Suite 201, in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Kreshel Clinic offers comprehensive family medicine for all ages, obstetric care, laboratory services, and x-ray services.
• Health 360 – Located at 2301 O Street in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Health 360 Clinic, a partnership between Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska and Bluestem Health, offers comprehensive family medicine for all ages, obstetric care, behavioral health consulting, addiction and substance use services, pharmacy, laboratory services, and dental hygiene services.
• Piedmont Clinic – Located at Bryan Health’s East Medical Plaza at 1500 South 48th Street, Suite 412, in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Piedmont Clinic offers comprehensive family medicine services for all ages, including laboratory services.

Our mission is to provide our patients with additional support services that are not offered in other primary care practices, such as interpreters and diabetes educators. We want to enhance our services so that patients who need that extra attention are given it in a caring and compassionate manner.

Our newest Bluestem Health family medicine clinic is accepting new patients. Schedule a time at our Piedmont Clinic location, 1500 S. 48th St, Suite 412, Lincoln, NE 68506. Call 402-441-6642.