Family medicine sounds like a very generic term when, in fact, it really isnât. Family medicine providers, including physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, focus very specifically on one thing: the health of you and your family.
âFamily health providers have the training to care for you from birth to the end of life,â says Wendy Prins, Floyd Valley Clinic manager. âTheyâre committed to your health and providing comprehensive and compassionate care on your very bestâand worstâ days.â
What if when you were sick you had one place to go, where someone could look at youâall of youâand figure out whatâs wrong and provide the care you need to get healthy again? What if that person worked with you to keep you healthy? Helped to make sure you were eating well, getting enough exercise, making positive choices and, when needed, provided the support to make changes in your life to keep you healthy?
Thatâs what it means to have a family doctor.
Research indicates that patients who have family doctors live longer, healthier lives. They are less likely to be hospitalized or die from chronic illness. And they have a trusted partner who is dedicated to keeping them and their family healthy.
âA family physician is your personal healthcare partner,â says Â
Dr. Ashley Powell, DO, a physician with the medical staff at Floyd Valley Healthcare. âWe oftentimes have a greater understanding of their concerns or worries because we know them and their family. Â We know their history. We live in the community and attend the same churches, games and events. Our doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants are not just healthcare providers; weâre friends and neighbors, and our patients really begin to feel like family.â
Powell says thatâs what patients can expect from their family healthcare provider. And at a local hospital and clinic like  Floyd Valley Healthcare ⊠even more so.
Floyd Valley Clinicsâ providers are all board certified, each with unique interests. They have the education and expertise to address not just one aspect of your health or one illness, but everything from a cold or a few stiches to complex ongoing conditions that affect multiple areas of your life. They coordinate care with other  doctors and other departments at the hospital when you need  additional care.
Prins believes Floyd Valley Clinics has an advantage because of their staff, which includes family practice physicians, family doctors who provide OB services, physician assistants and nurse practitioners. Itâs also staffed with a pediatrician, which is unique in a facility of its size.
âSpecialists play an important role in a patientâs healthcare,â says Prins. âHowever, a recent study published by the American Journal of Clinical Medicine concluded that the prenatal, intrapartum and postpartum âcare provided by family medicine physicians is comparable to obstetrics care provided by OB/GYN specialists.ââ
The addition of advanced practitioners, including physician assistants and nurse practitioners, benefit patients also. These providers are licensed professionals who provide services that, in the past, have been offered by doctors, which include seeing patients, making diagnoses and prescribing medication. Just like physicians, these providers stay current on the latest research, treatments and standards of patient care and have access to the latest treatments and innovations in healthcare.
Advanced practitioners are also cost-effective, which helps to manage overall healthcare costs. And a larger clinical staff means more appointments and shorter waits for an appointment.
To learn more about family medicine at Floyd Valley Healthcare or to make an appointment, visit them online at floydvalley.org or call (712) 546-8113. And visit the physiciansâ page on Floyd Valleyâs website for new videos featuring our family medicine providers.