Primary Care

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Having a primary care provider means having a trusting relationship with a medical professional who, over time, understands your medical needs better than anyone else. Your primary care provider will be your first point of contact for all your health care needs and will coordinate your care with other specialists as needed.

• Family Medicine Providers manage the health care of people of all ages, often including multiple members of the same family. They provide a full spectrum of family care, often including obstetrics, pediatrics, preventive care, acute and chronic illness management and minor office procedures. When required, they will consult or refer you to a specialist.
• Pediatricians focus on the development, care and diseases of children and adolescents. They offer a broad range of both primary and specialized care.
• Internal Medicine Providers focus on adult medical care. They typically accept patients 18 years of age and older. They care for healthy adults and those with chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or liver, thyroid, heart or lung disease. Just like a family physician or pediatrician, an internal medicine doctor is at the center of your care and will coordinate with specialists and other medical professionals as needed.

The MyMichigan Difference

MyMichigan Health has hundreds of primary care providers in dozens of locations across Michigan. This includes providers who are directly employed by MyMichigan Medical Group and independent providers who are credentialed members of our medical staff.

Choosing a provider affiliated with MyMichigan Health helps ensure close collaboration and a smooth transition when you need to use our other services and facilities, such as specialists, emergency departments, hospitals, labs, diagnostic tests and imaging, rehabilitation services, home care, urgent care and more. Providers who are credentialed by MyMichigan's Medical Centers have admitting privileges at those Medical Centers, either directly or through our hospitalist program. They often have direct access to your MyMichigan medical record and can more easily consult with other MyMichigan providers or refer you to our providers and services.

Find Affiliated Primary Care Practices

The ABCs of Medical Degrees

D.O.s and M.D.s - There are two equivalent choices for medical degrees in the United States: osteopathic medicine (D.O.) or allopathic medicine (M.D.) Both D.O.s and M.D.s graduate from four-year accredited medical schools, pass written examinations and complete a minimum of two years postgraduate clinical training before becoming licensed as physicians in Michigan. They also complete the same number of years of residency training in order to become board certified or board-eligible in their chosen specialty. D.O.s and M.D.s may be found in all medical specialties.

Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants - Many patients find satisfaction in establishing with nurse practitioners (N.P.s) and physician assistants (P.A.s), both for primary and specialty care. Some P.A.s and N.P.s work with physicians as part of a health team. Others work independently under a collaborative agreement with a physician. In Michigan, N.P.s and P.A.s are licensed to diagnose and treat patients, conduct physical exams, order diagnostic tests, provide patient education and prescribe medications and treatments, within the scope of their collaborating physician agreement. Like physicians, they can also refer patients to other medical experts when specialized treatment is needed.

See also: What is an advanced practice provider (APP)?