A family medicine doctor specializes in the comprehensive prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care for a wide range of conditions. Family medicine is a broad specialty that focuses on your general, overall health rather than one type of disease or condition. Family medicine specialists often serve as a primary care doctor, providing preventive and therapeutic care services for the entire family through all stages of life.
Family medicine doctors treat a wide variety of conditions and often consult with other members of the patient’s medical team. A family doctor typically:
- Evaluates a patient’s medical history and teaches the patient about wellness and disease prevention
- Diagnoses and treats acute diseases and conditions including infections and injuries
- Screens, treats and monitors a range of chronic physical conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid disease, heart disease, and depression
- Orders and interprets laboratory and imaging tests and prescribes medications
- Performs minor surgical procedures and assists with major procedures
- Provides cancer screenings, such as skin and thyroid exams
- Performs reproductive health screenings including pelvic exams, Pap smears, breast exams, and sexually transmitted disease screenings
- Provides care, in some cases, for women during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and after delivery
- Provides family planning and contraceptive counseling including birth control prescriptions
Family medicine doctors may also be known by the following names: family physician, family practice doctor, family practitioner, family medicine physician, family medicine specialist, family doctor, primary care physician (pcp), and general practitioner.
There are 3 specialists practicing Family Medicine in New York Mills, MN with an overall average rating of 4.8 stars. There are 2 hospitals near New York Mills, MN with affiliated Family Medicine specialists, including Perham Memorial Hospital and Home and Sanford Medical Center Fargo.