What is family medicine?
Family medicine is a medical specialty that provides comprehensive and continuous healthcare to individuals and families across the lifespan, emphasizing the importance of a long-term patient-physician relationship. Family medicine practitioners are skilled in addressing a wide range of medical issues, from preventive care and chronic disease management to acute illnesses, making them the primary point of contact for many patients’ healthcare needs.
Are you affiliated with any hospitals?
Though we are a proudly independently owned and run practice, we are associated with Integra, which is an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) affiliated with Care New England. Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) can improve healthcare quality and efficiency by fostering collaboration among healthcare providers and encouraging the coordination of patient care, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes and cost savings. ACOs also incentivize the shift from fee-for-service models to value-based care, aligning healthcare providers’ interests with delivering high-quality, cost-effective care. Therefore, we may encourage you to see specialists within this network, though, you may ultimately go elsewhere if you prefer.
Where should I have blood work done?
We prefer labs to be done at East Side Clinical Lab or Care New England locations, as this allows us to most quickly & easily see results and share with specialists. If you need to go to another lab (i.e. Lifespan, Quest) there may be a delay in getting results and they may not be viewable in your portal.
We have an East Side Clinical Lab conveniently located in our office, right off the lobby. It is open M-F 8:30 am- 5 pm (closed 12 pm- 1pm for lunch).
Where should I have imaging done?
We most often refer patients to Rhode Island Medical Imaging (RIMI) located in Building 1 in our complex. We have a good working relationship with them for getting tests scheduled and receiving results in a timely manner. We also refer to the Care New England Radiology Departments located at Kent Hospital or Women & Infants. Our staff will help you best arrange any testing or imaging needed.
How will you follow up with me about the results?
For simple follow up of labs, tests, and imaging, we most often utilize Mychart to send you results with a note attached. If there are more complex things to discuss and/or follow up on, we will have our staff reach out to you to schedule a telehealth or in person appointment.
Do you offer telehealth?
At this point, most major insurance companies do allow for telehealth appointments, which can be done over the phone or with a video call. Some plans do not cover telehealth if you live out of state. Telehealth is a great option for mental health related visits and for simple sick visits. However, we are always happy to see you in the office.
