What to Expect
YOUR PATH TO HEALTH & WELLNESS STARTS HERE
Let us help you reach your health goals and manage your health care needs. You're more than a patient. You're a person. And we're more than a Family Practice. We offer integrated primary care and behavioral health/counseling services to care for you as a whole person.
One thing you'll notice when you're a primary care patient at Traverse Health Clinic is that we talk about your "Primary Care Provider" or your "PCP" rather than your "doctor". Your Primary Care Provider may be a physician or a nurse practitioner.
Nurse Practitioners are expert health care professionals who have completed advanced education and training to prepare them to practice in a clinical setting. As a Nurse Practitioner, your PCP has undergone rigorous certification and is licensed by the State of Michigan. You can learn more about Nurse Practitioners' education, training, licensing and unique approach to your health from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners' website.
No matter who you have as your Primary Care Provider here, you'll get high-quality care and a relationship with a health care professional you can trust.
WELCOME TO YOUR MEDICAL HOME!
Traverse Health Clinic is a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH). A PCMH is a trusting partnership between your health care team and you as an informed patient. We will work together to manage your health care needs. In this relationship, we all must know what role we each play in your health care.
As part of our PCMH orientation, we will ask you to agree with what we will do as your Medical Home health care provider. We will also ask that you agree to follow policies of the health center. If you don’t understand something, please let us know.
We are here for you. At Traverse Health, our goal is always to provide excellent care for you and your family!
AS YOUR MEDICAL HOME WE TRUST YOU TO:
- Follow the plan for your care that we have agreed upon as best you can
- Tell us about all medications and over the counter medicines and supplements you are taking
- Let us know when you see other health care providers and ask them to send us a report about the care they provided you
- Keep your appointments – if you have to cancel, please call at least one business day before your appointment
- Call if you do not receive your test results within 2 weeks of the test
- Use the after-hours line only for issues that can’t wait until the next work day
- Call us first for urgent medical needs during normal business hours so we can help you decide whether you need to go to the ER or if we can help you at the office
- Give us feedback to help us improve our services
AS YOUR MEDICAL HOME WE WILL:
- Provide you with a care team who will get to know you and your family
- Listen to you and talk about your concerns
- Treat your primary care needs in a way that fits with your values
- Discuss your goals and how you would like to become healthier
- Talk with you about your health and illnesses in a way you can understand
- Take care of you when you’re healthy or sick
- Quickly answer your calls, questions and concerns
- Remind you about vaccines and tests, and give you test results as soon as possible
- Help coordinate care with specialists, when needed
- Provide you with access to a counselor, if needed
- Help you find community resources that may help you to achieve your best possible health
- Provide other health resources on our website
- Respect you and not judge you based on race, religion, sex, age, disability, etc.
- Respect the privacy of your medical information which will not be shared with anyone unless you give us permission or it is required by law
- Have a provider on call 24 hours a day and 7 days per week
Patient Rights & Responsibilities
Impact Stories
I may worry about making ends meet, but I no longer worry about my daughter’s health.
Kim, patient and single mom