Division of General Medicine
The Division of General Medicine offers expert patient care, scientific research programs, and education and training opportunities.
Primary Care
Advanced care to manage your health
Primary Care Services for All Your Health Needs
Building a primary care team means starting a long-term relationship focused on your health. Over time, we get to know you better at each visit. You are an important part of this partnership, along with your primary care provider and care team. Together, we work with you to understand your health needs and set goals for your long-term well-being.
Our primary care practice can serve as your medical home. You receive regular, ongoing care from a team you know and trust. Our team includes faculty and resident physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, social workers and frontline staff who provide high-quality, comprehensive care. We offer annual checkups, care for illness, mental health support and seasonal vaccines.
We have six primary care programs directly in our practice, where you can receive treatment for a range of conditions such as management of diabetes, hypertension, addiction treatment, HIV, and women’s health. When needed, your primary care provider will refer you to the wide BIDMC network of specialists for additional care.
Healthcare Associates
Healthcare Associates (HCA) is BIDMC’s primary care group practice. We serve more than 40,000 patients from the greater Boston area. Our mission is to provide exceptional and equitable primary care that puts patients first. This care is supported by world-class education and research.
Our vision is to help every patient achieve their best possible physical, emotional and social health. We also support learners as they build the skills needed to provide outstanding care.
HCA provides care as one unified practice across two convenient locations on our main campus: Shapiro Clinical Center (East Campus) and Lowry Medical Office Building (West Campus).
Preventive Care
Over time, as you receive regular check-ups and screenings, your team can track any changes in your physical and mental health and make care recommendations. Your clinician will also diagnose and treat any new conditions that may develop. With the goal of keeping you healthy in the future, your team provides guidance about recommended health screenings and personalized education based on your medical history.
When you need specialty care, our practice can make a referral to other talented teams across BIDMC. Learn about the specialty and subspecialty services we provide.
Types of Clinicians You May See
When you come in for your appointment, you may see one of several types of clinicians on our care team, including:
- Primary Care Physician (PCP): Provides comprehensive, ongoing care, including preventive care, diagnosis and treatment of common illnesses, and management of chronic and complex conditions.
- Nurse Practitioner: Provides a full range of care, writes prescriptions, and works in partnership with your primary care physician. Nurse Practitioners hold advanced degrees such as master’s or doctorates.
- Clinical Pharmacist: Works in tandem with your clinicians to provide comprehensive medication management and optimize our patient’s prescriptions to ensure they’re safe and effective.
- Behavioral Health Clinician: Licensed clinical social workers who provide consultations, ongoing therapeutic services, and resource recommendations in partnership with your primary care providers.
- Registered Nurse: Provides ongoing primary care support in partnership with your physician and care team.
- Licensed Practical Nurse: Provides ongoing primary care support in partnership with your physician and care team, as well as vaccinations and medication administration.
Our Supporting Team Members
- Administrative Staff: An administrative team is essential to the operations of our practice. There are many groups involved, including our front desk staff and our schedulers.
- Community Resource Specialist: A patient-advocate and source of support, our community resource specialists connect our patients with resources for housing, food, and transportation. They can help address barriers to ensuring care that keeps you healthy and provide patient education.
- Medical Assistant: A key member of the healthcare team, responsible for supporting both clinical and administrative operations to ensure efficient patient care. They support both patients and providers and will often help with vitals, clinic rooming, and chart overview.
More About Primary Care at BIDMC
Sub-Specialty Services
Your Healthcare Associates (HCA) primary care doctor monitors any long-term conditions you have and works with you to manage symptoms. HCA offers several specialty primary care programs within our practice, including:
Addiction Treatment Clinic
HCA's Addiction Treatment Clinic helps patients struggling with substance use disorders, including opioid and alcohol addiction. We see patients both individually and in group visits. We can prescribe buprenorphine (Suboxone) and naltrexone (Vivitrol) when appropriate.
Diabetes Program
HCA offers personalized diabetes care based on each patient's needs and goals. We partner with the Joslin Diabetes Center to offer a wide range of high-quality diabetes programs and services.
At HCA, we have found that the best results in diabetes care come from a team approach. Your primary care team will manage your diabetes care. HCA also offers a specialized diabetes program with embedded experts, including a Certified Adult Nurse Practitioner, a certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist and a pharmacist.
HIV Program
HCA offers comprehensive and coordinated HIV care, led by a multidisciplinary team of primary care providers, infectious disease specialists, nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, clinical social workers and dedicated HIV case managers.
At your first appointment, a primary care physician, an infectious disease specialist and an HIV case manager will complete a full assessment. You will also be referred for any additional specialist care you may need.
Hypertension Center
The Hypertension Center at HCA offers state-of-the-art hypertension (high blood pressure) care and treatment for our patients. Our multidisciplinary team includes physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, medical assistants and clinical social workers. We focus on all aspects of diagnosing, evaluating and treating high blood pressure.
Mental Health Services
HCA clinicians provide mental health consultation and care. We work with other members of your care team to help identify areas of stress, anxiety, depression, and substance use difficulties. Within HCA, we offer embedded psychiatry consultations and access to psychology services.
Women's Health Center
Our Women's Health Center provides personalized primary care and mental health services specifically tailored to address a range of women's health issues, from breast cancer prevention to sexual health.
Preparing for Your Appointment
It’s important for you to feel comfortable and share any concerns about your health during your appointment. For you to get the best care, we need to review your health information before your appointment.
In-Person Visit
Before you arrive at your in-person appointment, follow these tips:
- Check your insurance policy: Contact your health insurance company to make sure they cover care and treatment at BIDMC and HCA. We can help you understand your coverage. When you schedule: Our office staff may ask you questions over the phone about your health, medicines you take and your personal medical history.
- Before the appointment: Arrange for us to receive your medical records and any recent test results. Please register for a MyBILH Chart in advance for access to your electronic medical record and ability to message your care team.
- What to bring: Bring a current list of all medicines and supplements you take, your insurance card and a list of any questions you have. Consider bringing a notebook to write down what you learn during the visit and any instructions from your provider.
- Copayments: Any copayments you may owe are due at the time of your visit. We accept credit cards for payment.
Telehealth Visit
Follow these tips for a successful telehealth or virtual appointment:
- Find a quiet spot: Find a private, quite place to be during your telehealth or online video visit.
- Check your Wi-Fi: Make sure your Wi-Fi is working well before you log on for your visit.
- Prepare your device: Consider restarting your computer or phone. Close open apps on your device before your visit. These steps allow the video platform to work at its best.
- Sign in early: Try to join the virtual visit 10 to 15 minutes before your appointment time. This gives you time to address any sign-on issues or delays.
Understanding Preventative vs. Diagnostic Health & Billing
A visit to Healthcare Associates (HCA) may involve either preventative care or diagnostic care. You can be scheduled for a visit and receive both preventative and diagnostic healthcare based on your individual needs.
We recognize the differences can be confusing, but understanding the visit types can help our patients better know what to expect both for the visit itself and the cost as this can affect your insurance billing. Let’s break it down:
Preventative Care
The best way to take care of your health is through regular check-ups, like an annual physical. This type of care is considered preventative health.
Patients generally present in good health, without any new symptoms. Your HCA provider will examine you, discuss your health, and make any plans for follow-up care or referrals as needed.
Your care may involve preventative health services such as blood testing, checking factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol, cancer screening, updates to routine vaccinations, measurement of height and weight, and more.
Diagnostic Care
Diagnostic care ensures you stay healthy if something comes up throughout the year. You may receive a workup and management of a new problem or care for readjustment of a chronic problem within your annual visit, follow-up visit, or same-day visit.
Diagnostic healthcare is individualized based on a patient’s needs and concerns, all with the goal of getting you well or managing your condition.
Reasons for diagnostic care may include chronic disease management, caring for chronic pain, or assessing new concerns or symptoms which may be indicative of an illness or injury. The importance of diagnostic care is to make sure any pain, illness, or symptoms you are experiencing can be cared for promptly.
Understanding Insurance Billing
The type of care you receive during the appointment will affect how that service is billed. As it is important to maintaining your health, a preventative health visit is typically covered by your insurance, with no copay.
A patient scheduled for an annual visit may receive both preventative and diagnostic care during the visit. Preventative services you may receive during the visit are not always covered by your insurance and may involve a cost or copay. Diagnostic care you receive during your visit may involve a cost or a copay.
Learn more about billing and financial resources at BIDMC.
Specialty Care Referrals & Insurance
If you need specialty care, your primary care provider will refer you to a specialist or hospital within the Beth Israel Lahey Health Performance Network that best meets your needs. If the specialist suggests that you see another specialist, please contact your primary care physician, who will arrange for any additional referrals.
Many HMOs require that referrals be approved prior to any scheduled appointment with a specialist. Without a referral, your healthcare insurer could refuse to pay the specialist bill, and you could be held responsible for the cost of the office visit.
When you need a referral, please note:
- Call our referral coordinators through the main office number at 617-754-9600 and select the “Managed Care Referral” option.
- Referrals are processed Monday through Friday during regular office hours.
- It is best to contact us as soon as you have an appointment.
- Please allow five business days to process routine referral requests.
- Carefully complete your referral information so we can promptly process your request.
- Referrals are limited to a certain number of visits and/or may only be valid for a specific length of time. If you have follow-up visits scheduled with a specialist, please check before your appointment to confirm that your current referral will cover these visits.
If you change insurance plans, please be sure that the correct primary care physician is listed with the new plan. Bring your most current insurance card to your next appointment. If you have already processed a referral for a future appointment while covered under your old plan, please call our managed care coordinator to arrange an updated referral.
