S. Jersey health system aims to make primary care doctor visits as convenient as urgent care

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Visits to primary care doctors have been declining for years, down about 25% over the past few years. Photo credit iStock/Getty Images Plus

SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — AtlantiCare in New Jersey is making it easier for patients to start a relationship with a primary care doctor, which physicians say is essential for overall health.

The number of patient visits to primary care doctors has been in decline, down about 25% over the past few years. This is in part because many would-be patients are using urgent care clinics for primary care, and because the coronavirus pandemic pushed more people away from in-person visits.

Dr. Mary Ann Yehl, AtlantiCare's telehealth medical director, says urgent care is fine for stitches, sprains and burns, but primary care doctors keep track of the big picture.

"We know that patients are healthier who have primary care doctors, and we really want to make sure that patients get those screenings. Patients often think that if they're 50 or 60 and 'I feel great, so I don't need a primary care doctor,'" Yehl said.

"There's so many health screenings that you're missing out on, just even your blood pressure and cholesterol check and colon cancer."

Now AtlantiCare patients can call for a same-day virtual appointment with a primary care doctor Monday through Friday. She says, after the same-day virtual visit, a patient can then be placed under the care of a primary care doctor for in-person visits to establish a doctor-patient rapport. The service is available online or by phone, 833-692-7436.​

Featured Image Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus