Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Why You Need a Primary Care Physician (PCP)

Really?  Why do I need a primary care doctor?  I don’t get sick. 

Is this your attitude?  It is for many people.  

Here’s a couple reasons why you should get a doctor if you don’t already have one:

  • A big one is prevention.  You and your primary care doctor will review your family history to make sure you receive the right screenings like cholesterol, blood pressure and cancer prevention. 


  • Be prepared.  Most everyone gets sick and you need to have a relationship with a primary care doctor before you need one.  This is important in emergency situations or to avoid the expense and hassle of going to the emergency department when seeing your own doctor would be the right call.


Need to find a primary care physician in Greater Cincinnati? Start looking on www.yourhealthmatters.org  where you can view quality of care ratings for local doctors.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Do YOU, MakeTheRightCall?


Have you ever wondered if you were making the best decision for you or your loved ones about when it’s time to visit the emergency department versus the family doctor? Of course you have; we all could use some help in this area!  It is for that reason that . . .
YourHealthMatters has launched a community-wide effort to help you MakeTheRightCall when you need medical attention. You'll get the best quality and cost efficient care when you have a family doctor who knows you and we will show you why.  We want to help you be prepared to know when it’s appropriate to call your family doctor and when it’s appropriate to go to the emergency department. And if you don’t have a family doctor, we will even show you how to find one that is the best fit for you.

To get this conversation started, we need to hear from YOU. What have been your experiences with making choices about going to your family doctor versus going to the emergency department? When you’ve chosen the emergency department, was it the right call?  We invite you to get involved by checking out this video YourHealthMatters: Street Interviews to hear what others in Greater Cincinnati have said.
 
Like us on Facebook and follow the conversation on Twitter. And jump in to let us know what you think.

 
If you’re wondering why this is important, you should know that misuse of emergency department resources drives up overall health costs across Greater Cincinnati. It also prevents emergency departments from tending to true medical emergencies as quickly as they can. Finally, it costs you and your family more in time, money and exposure to other illnesses to visit the emergency departments for things that are actually non-emergencies. Still, it’s a tough call to make if you are unaware of the types of ailments that can be treated conveniently and affordably by a family doctor. That’s where we step in.
 
We are working with members of United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 75, the Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio, Universal Health Care Action Network of Ohio (UHCAN) and the Health Collaborative Consumer Council to help you and your family get answers to these big questions.
 
Join them, join us to MakeTheRightCall.  Be prepared for times when you need medical attention in the future. Make The Right Call so you get the right care from the right place at the right time. We’re excited for this journey and we can’t wait to do this with you.
Stay Healthy,                                                                                                                             
Judy Hirsh
Director, Consumer Engagement & Programs
The Health Collaborative