14 VITALITY Spring 2023 One of the best things you can do for your health is to have an ongoing relationship with a primary care provider (PCP), experts say. In fact, people who see a PCP regularly have better health outcomes, lower death rates and lower total costs for health care than people who don’t routinely see a doctor, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. A PCP is the lead person on your health care team. He or she helps you prevent disease and maintain good health. Your PCP is able to diagnose and treat a wide variety of illnesses. When more specialized care is needed, he or she works with other types of doctors. There are a number of different types of health care providers who fall into the primary care category. For example: Family physicians. These doctors diagnose and treat problems that occur anywhere in the body and deal with most kinds of diseases. They treat people of all ages. Internists. Like family physicians, they also treat a wide variety of medical problems. The difference is that internists focus entirely on adults. Pediatricians. These doctors are experts in children’s health. They work on preventing and managing health problems among newborns, infants, children and teens. In addition to those mentioned, other medical professionals can also serve as PCPs. These may include nurse practitioners, physician assistants and some other health care providers. They often work in conjunction with a primary care physician. SIGN UP FOR YOUR PATIENT PORTAL AT CMH The CMH Patient Portal is a secure, convenient place to view your personal health information and communicate with your health care team. What can I do in the CMH Patient Portal? You can access: » Information about recent visits with your provider. » Discharge summaries from visits with your provider. » A list of your current medications. » Immunization records. » Notes about any allergies you have. » Medical test results. Other features include: » Send a secure message to your provider. » Request prescription refills. » Schedule a virtual visit or request a future appointment. » Pay your bill. » Grant proxy access to family members so they can help you manage your health care. How do I sign up for the CMH Patient Portal? Complete the Patient Portal account request form at citizensmemorial.com/ patients-and-visitors/patient-portal .html to set up an account. Once our Health Information Management staff has verified your information, you will receive a welcome email with details on how to log in for the first time. PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS A good health must-have FIND YOUR FIT Our primary care providers are accepting new patients. Give us a call: 417-328-6010. PRIMARY CARE
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzIxMDA=