FAMILY MEDICINE

Our family medicine doctors provide immediate and routine, day-to-day health care. In addition to diagnosing and treating illness, family physicians also provide preventive care, including routine checkups, health-risk assessments, immunization and screening tests, and personalized counseling on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Family physicians also manage chronic illness, often coordinating care provided by other specialist doctors. From heart disease, stroke and hypertension, to diabetes, cancer, and asthma, family physicians provide ongoing, personal care.

These are just some of the common services and conditions treatable by a family medicine doctor:

Adult & Pediatric Primary Care

• Acid reflux
• ADHD
• Bacterial infections
• Bedwetting
• Behavior
• Corns (feet)
• Dizziness/vertigo
• Ear infections
• Ear wax removal
• Erectile dysfunction
• Flu and cold symptoms (cough, sinus, sore throat, aches, fever)
• Fractures, sprains, bumps, bruises
• Headaches/migraines
• Hernia
• Insomnia
• Jaundice
• Laryngitis
• Mental health
• Pelvic floor disorders
• Pink eye
• Pneumonia and bronchitis
• Prescribe and refill medications
• Sexually-transmitted illness
• Shingles
• Skin diseases, rashes, eczema, acne
• Spirometry (breathing test)
• Stomach viruses
• Styes (red, painful lump near eyelid)
• Toenail fungus
• Tonsillitis
• Urinary tract infection
• Vaginal infection (yeast or bacterial)
• Vitamin/mineral deficiencies
• Warts
• Weight management

Family Planning and Pregnancy Management

Some family medicine providers specialize in obstetrics, meaning they can:

• Provide prenatal care
• Manage the entire pregnancy
• Deliver babies
• Provide postpartum care
• Refer for lactation services
• Provide family planning, such as birth control or placement/removal of contraceptive implants

Routine Exams and Screenings

• Annual physicals
• Aortic aneurysm screening
• Colonoscopy referrals
• Comprehensive health care for infants, children and adults – including preventative medicine
• Depression screening
• Flu shots and other immunizations
• Hearing and vision screenings
• Men’s health screenings like prostate exams
• Newborn and well-child checkups
• Skin cancer screening
• Sports physicals
• Women’s health screenings like Pap smears, osteoporosis, sexual health, breast exams, and mammogram referrals

Chronic Disease Management

• Allergies
• Arthritis/back or joint pain
• Breathing issues caused by conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Diabetes
• Dementia/Alzheimer’s
• Gout
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Heart disease
• High cholesterol
• Kidney disease
• Palliative care
• Skin problems
• Sleep apnea
• Substance use (tobacco, alcohol, drugs, etc.)
• Thyroid

Minor Surgical Procedures

• Circumcision
• Incision and drainage of abscesses
• Removal/biopsy of skin lesions and moles
• Skin procedures
• Stitches
• Vasectomy

Depending on what you come in for, your doctor may:

• Check vital signs (blood pressure, body temperature, heartbeat, and breathing rate)
• Request routine blood tests to screen for conditions like high cholesterol or diabetes
• Perform a head and neck exam
• Perform an abdominal exam
• Order immunizations
• Examine your skin
• Conduct women’s health screenings like Pap smears, osteoporosis, sexual health, breast exams, and mammogram referrals
• Conduct men’s health screenings like prostate exams, aortic aneurysm screenings, colorectal exam referrals
• Conduct infant and child screenings to evaluate growth

Your doctor will also ask you questions about your lifestyle habits, medications, mental wellness, and other health-related concerns. 

After assessing you, your doctor will help you navigate the health care system and personal care. Sometimes this involves routine or follow-up appointments with him/her as your primary care provider, and sometimes it means referrals to other specialists. If you begin treatment with a specialist, the doctors can work together to coordinate your prescriptions and monitor your condition.

NOTE:  Some insurance policies require you to get a referral to a specialist from a family physician or internist to qualify for specialty coverage.

No matter what, your family medicine doctor will be an integral member of your health care team, often serving as your first contact for health concerns.

Call 608.627.6321 to schedule with any of our providers.

Our family medicine doctors can provide comprehensive health care for all ages – from newborns to seniors.

No, a family medicine doctor does not have to treat the whole family. You can have multiple doctors for your family. Don’t be misled by the term “family,” which really means the doctor can treat a wide variety of conditions in individuals from newborn on up. However, family medicine doctors often do provide care for entire families – from generation to generation – which allows for a trusting relationship and a deep knowledge/understanding of you and your family.

Don’t be misled by the term “family.” In family medicine, “family” means the doctor can treat a wide variety of conditions in individuals from newborn on up. If you’re not sure what doctor to start with, one of our family medicine doctors is a good choice because they are so widely trained in all ages and all stages.