The importance of establishing primary care for your child

PCPs can be physicians or advanced practice providers (physician assistants or nurse practitioners) and are a great resource for all aspects of your child’s health, from infancy through adolescence.

“Establishing a strong relationship with your primary care physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant allows you to have a clinician who gets to know you and with whom you become familiar,” says Andrea Donalty, MD, pediatrician and medical director of Mary Bridge Children’s primary care network. “When you have annual wellness visits, this person helps make sure you get recommended screenings, exams and tests as indicated to keep you healthy.”

And when you come in for an illness or injury, your child’s PCP is already familiar with them and their history, instead of meeting for the first — and possibly only — time, like what may happen in a non-primary care setting.

Benefits of having a relationship with a PCP for your child include prevention, familiarity and trust.

Prevention

Regular well-child appointments are an excellent way for you and your child’s PCP to prevent illness before it starts. Your child’s PCP can help with concerns about every aspect of your child’s health and wellness, including:

• Immunizations
• Growth
• Dietary concerns
• Preventive screenings
• Familiarity

Because your child sees the same person for their wellness visits throughout their childhood, not only do they get used to their doctor or other health care provider, but also the clinician is familiar with your child and their needs. The provider can also more quickly diagnose new or unusual issues when they arise.

With an established PCP relationship, it’s usually easier to get an office visit. Additionally, established patients in Mary Bridge Children’s primary care network have access to the after-hours triage phone line, which can be helpful when your child has a middle-of-the-night fever or a trip-and-fall at the playground.

Trust

There are many medical decisions that need to be made on behalf of your child. Your child’s PCP can help explain these decisions, help you choose what’s right for your child and design care plans that fit your child’s needs. You, your child and your family are an important part of the care team, and shared decision-making with a trusted clinician generally puts parents more at ease with care plans. This includes recommended preventive care and screenings as well.

When more advanced care is needed, your child’s PCP can provide referrals to trusted specialists who work in tandem to provide your child with the best care.

In most cases, pediatricians provide care from infancy through adolescence, so your child’s PCP becomes an extension of your family as your child grows. They are an important source of information, and as your child becomes a young adult, can help them take an active part in their own health care.

Mary Bridge Children’s offers a network of primary care providers in Tacoma, Auburn, Puyallup, Covington, Maple Valley and Olympia, as well as affiliate clinics in Gig Harbor, Covington, Bonney Lake and Federal Way.

To find a location near you and a provider who is accepting new patients, visit our Find a Doctor page or call 253-792-6630.