Primary Care

What is Primary Care?

Primary care services identify and treat common illnesses. Your primary care provider (PCP) gets to know you, and often your family, to help maintain your health through preventative measures and wellness education.

Your primary care provider may be a doctor, but they may also be a nurse or nurse practitioner. When you find a home clinic that you trust, you can build a deep relationship with your provider over time which results in better health outcomes for you and your family.

Searching for a primary care provider near Buckner, Carrollton, Concordia, Independence, Lexington, Waverly, or the surrounding areas? You’re in the right place.

We specialize in wellness and preventative care and social support services for our neighbors. Here are our core services:

Health exams

A health exam in primary care is a comprehensive assessment of an individual’s medical health. This includes a review of personal and family medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and other diagnostic procedures to detect any existing medical issues or potential health risks.

The purpose of the health exam is to identify and treat any existing illnesses, as well as establish preventive measures that promote ongoing overall wellness.

Some health exam services we provide:

• Medical history review
• General physical exam
• Lab tests
• Measurement of height, weight, and blood pressure
• Evaluation of posture, gait, and reflexes
• Eye exam
• Ear, throat, and nose exam
• Heart and lung exam

Health screenings

Health screenings are tests used to detect changes or abnormalities in the body that may indicate disease.

Common health screenings include: complete blood count (CBC) to measure general health; cholesterol and triglycerides tests to identify heart disease risk; mammograms for women over 40 to detect breast cancer; pap smears for women to detect cervical cancer or other adverse cell changes; and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests for men over 50 to detect prostate cancer.

Some health screening services we provide:

• Body mass index (BMI)
• Skin examinations
• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP)
• Lipid panel
• Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test
• Liver function tests (LFTs)
• Urinalysis
• Fecal occult blood test (FOBT)
• Coagulation studies to assess blood clotting

Preventative care services

Preventive health care services are measures taken to protect and promote good health through screening, maintenance of good lifestyle habits, and vaccinations, to give some examples.

Common preventative health care services include annual check-ups, advice on regular physical activity, planning for healthy eating, immunizations against infectious diseases, and cancer screenings at age-appropriate intervals.

Some preventative care services we provide:

• • Annual check-ups with your primary care provider
  • Nutrition advice and planning
  • Immunizations against the flu, COVID-19, and more
  • Mammograms
  • Pap smears

Sports physicals

A sports physical is an evaluation we conduct prior to a patient’s participation in sports. We evaluate your overall health, ask questions about health history and current signs and symptoms, conduct a physical assessment with attention to vital organs, as well as flexibility testing and joint range of motion.

The purpose of a sports physical is to identify any medical problems that may potentially arise due to strenuous physical activity. This helps ensure that athletes are healthy and able to safely participate in their sport.

What you can expect during a sports physical examination:

• Measurement of height, weight, blood pressure, and vision
• Examining the ears, nose, mouth and throat
• Heart and lung exam
• Evaluating reflexes, range of motion, flexibility, and strength
• Assessing breathing through observing breathing rate and rhythm
• Examining feet for any deformities or abnormalities
• Checking for joint pain or swelling in the arms or legs

Well-woman and well-child care

Well-woman care provides proactive planning that focuses on evaluating and caring for women. This type of care typically includes medical screenings, preventive health services, reproductive care, and counseling and education to help detect any potential issues.

Well-woman care allows doctors to monitor changes in a woman’s body over time, so they can provide more effective and personalized treatment tailored to each individual patient.

Some women’s health services we provide:

• Mammograms (by referral or mobile outreach)
• Pap smears
• Birth control counseling
• Sexual health advice
• Family planning

HCC Mobile Health Units

HCC Network’s new mobile units are bridging the access gap in health and wellness care. We provide a medical van equipped to provide basic services and procedures to patients across rural Missouri, including therapy services. Some of our other mobile services include vaccinations and labs, and the mobile units include exam rooms for routine procedures. We also offer medication refills in consultation with a medical provider.

Want to schedule a primary care visit? Call HCC Network at 877-344-3572.