PeaceHealth on the Importance of Having a Primary Care Physician

WRITTEN BY MATT BENOIT

may not be resulting from non-routine management of their issues), the results are not just taxing on the healthcare system, but on that patient’s pocketbook.

For those who have insurance, co-pays from a PCP can be less expensive than an Urgent or Emergency Care provider.

A PCP can provide a referral for specialty care, which some insurances require.

“In general, the healthcare system is switching to more comprehensive care and population-based care,” Dr. Jeffery says. “We’re building support networks not just to see you during the visit, but also that can have additional resources dedicated to assist patients that have limitations improving their health within traditional office visits.”

Where to Look

Dr. Jeffery notes that over the next decade, according to a recent report, a shortage of between 34,000 and 129,000 physicians may be possible nationwide.

Dr. Jeffery says Whatcom County ranks seventh in Washington for the number of physicians per capita, which is quite good for an area of its population size. While there are shortages affecting access to care, PeaceHealth is working to ensure access to care in our communities.

“We have been extremely resilient in this community,” he says. “We have a great physician community and we’re very robust.” If you currently don’t have a primary care physician, Dr. Hutchinson says visiting peacehealth.org is a great place to start looking. Primary care clinics that are accepting new patients list their clinicians on their web page.

Clicking on a particular physician can reveal their education, the insurances they accept and recent patient comments. Simply call the clinic to schedule an appointment.

“We’re all here for our entire community,” says Dr. Jeffery. “We’re really engaged in providing care for every single individual we can reach and establish a relationship with.” This feature originally appeared in WhatcomTalk and has been edited for length