A family medicine provider can offer comprehensive, lifelong care that improves overall health outcomes while getting a better understanding of each patient’s individual needs. By treating entire families under one roof, from infants to seniors, these healthcare experts offer a broad range of medical skills to diagnose and treat a wide variety of illnesses and conditions.
“I chose family medicine because it allows me to build long-term relationships, focus on prevention and help patients truly understand their health,” says Dr. Muhammad Hassan Khan, Family Medicine Physician at Arnot Health, a Member of Centralus Health.
Your primary care provider is someone to turn to when facing acute illnesses, managing chronic conditions, seeking preventative care, and coordinating care with specialists.
“Your primary care provider is your first point of contact, someone who truly knows your story, helps prevent illnesses and can guide you through every stage of your life.”
During the first visit, your provider will get a baseline understanding of your health. To do that, they need to discuss your lifestyle habits, go over a list of current medications, and your medical history. Even if you’re generally healthy and only see your provider once a year, they can help you stay healthy and lower your risk of long-term health problems. They also can confirm that you’re on the right medications and seeing the appropriate specialists.
“The first visit is all about listening first, understanding your concerns and then creating a clear and simple plan together.”
Active listening serves as a diagnostic tool, ensuring providers do not miss critical symptoms, leading to better, more accurate diagnoses.
“I want my patients to feel heard, not rushed, comfortable when asking questions, and confident about their health when they leave.”
When patients feel respected and understood, they are more likely to trust their provider and follow treatment plans, reducing medical risks. By focusing on wellness and offering regular checkups, physicians like Dr. Khan can help people detect potential health problems before they become serious.
“Seeing patients getting better, gaining confidence in their health, and knowing that I have made a positive difference in their lives, is incredibly rewarding.”
Physicians at Arnot Health and Cayuga Health, Members of Centralus Health, place an emphasis on teamwork. Effective teams foster open communication, reducing misunderstandings regarding patient care, roles, and responsibilities. Collaborative care improves patient knowledge, aids in the management of chronic diseases, and offers consistent, high-quality care.
“I chose to work at Centralus because of the great teamwork and the patient community that truly values the quality care they receive.”
Patients primarily see Dr. Khan for annual physical exams. During these visits, physicians review medical history, measure vital signs, conduct a head-to-toe physical examination, and recommend blood tests or screenings. Aside from routine visits, many family physicians perform minor medical procedures directly in their clinics.
“I offer vaccinations, cancer screenings, chronic disease management, same-day sick visits, women’s health services such as contraception and Pap smears, mental health care, lifestyle counseling, joint injections, and common in-office skin procedures.”
It is recommended to see a primary care doctor annually for preventive checkups, screenings, and to manage chronic conditions. After your first visit, you can schedule a visit for new or worsening symptoms, such as persistent infections, unexplained pain, fatigue, weight loss, or changes in vision/memory. Primary care providers are also needed for screenings, medication management, and referrals.
To schedule a visit with Dr. Khan, or another primary care provider, go to mychart.centralushealth.org.
One of the best ways to maintain your health is to start seeing a primary care provider. This physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant focuses on preventative care and maintaining your overall health, as well as the treatment of injury and illness. Arnot Health offers primary care services at 100 John Roemmelt Drive, Horseheads; 418 S. Hamilton Street, Erwin; 600 Roe Avenue, Elmira; 309 Hoffman Street, Elmira; 15 Community Drive, Addison; and 455 Maple Street, Big Flats.
Primary care providers specialize in prevention, detection, and treatment of illnesses; internal medicine primary care providers see adults, and family medicine doctors and practitioners see all ages. Cayuga Health offers primary care services at 40 Catherwood Road, Ithaca; 905 Hanshaw Road, Ithaca; 401 Cayuga Park Lane, Ithaca; 260 Tompkins Street, Cortland; 5 Evergreen Street, Dryden; 2138 West Seneca Street, Ovid; 220 Steuben Street, Montour Falls; and 217 N. Aurora Street,
