What is Family Medicine?

If getting appropriate medical care seems to require an endless series of different doctors and other providers who specialize in different things, you are not alone. While these specialists may be highly skilled in their fields, they tend to focus on only one aspect of your wellness, leading to you being bounced between providers seeking someone you can trust. Fortunately, family medicine with Dr. Freda Cobbinah and her experienced team gives you consistent, person-centered care that establishes a relationship of trust and teamwork. 

What is Family Medicine?

In a world of specialists who only treat their areas of focus, family medicine practitioners provide care for a wide range of daily needs and chronic conditions, giving you a home base for all your medical care. Characteristics that make family medicine different include:

Comprehensive Care

If you have ever had to see one doctor for your back pain and another a month later for your high blood pressure, you have experienced the fragmentation of medical care into specialties. Unfortunately, this experience can leave people seeing more doctors than they need to. Your family medicine practitioner can provide care for many of the common conditions that bring people to specialists while addressing many different issues in one visit. 

Preventative Care and Wellness

In today’s medical world, a focus on preventative care is often missing. While some specialists see people for preventative care, they typically focus on one specific aspect of their health. When you see your family medicine doctor, they will educate you on all aspects of preventative care and wellness that apply to you and your lifestyle. They can also help you make lifestyle changes to reach a better state of wellness even if you are not currently ill. 

Person-Centered

Medical care does not need to make you feel like a number. Family medicine is focused on you as an individual with unique needs, goals, and lifestyle factors. This holistic approach leads to more compassionate care from a provider who knows and understands you. Unlike a specialist, your family medicine doctor can make connections between various aspects of your health needs and provide the most effective treatment. 

Focused on Relationships

Your family medicine provider sees you regularly over time, establishing a relationship and learning to understand you better with each visit. Family medicine gives you the opportunity to establish a long-lasting, trusting relationship with your provider that results in optimal care and a better experience for you. 

Who Provides Care in Family Medicine?

You may see several different types of providers at a family medicine facility like Essential Med Clinic. Individuals who may provide family medicine include:

• Medical Doctors (MD)
• Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
• Nurse Practitioners
• Physician’s Assistants

At Essential Med Clinic, your care team is led by Dr. Freda Cobbinah. She is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and double board-certified in Family Medicine and Obesity Medicine. This dual focus allows her to address some of the most common problems people struggle with every day and the many conditions they experience. 

What Does Family Medicine Treat?

Each family medicine practice offers different types of care, so you should consult with them to determine whether they offer the services you need. Essential Med Clinic provides:

Physicals and Wellness Exams

Whether your child needs a physical to play school sports or you are due for a check-up, Dr. Cobbinah and her team provide full physical exams for all individuals who are 15 or older. By seeing a family medicine provider for each exam, they become more familiar with your needs and will make connections another doctor might not. 

Acute or Sick Visits

With same-day visits available, Dr. Cobbinah and her team are always available for your urgent but non-emergency needs, including illness or minor injuries. Instead of seeing a rushed, unfamiliar doctor at an urgent care clinic, you can see Dr. Cobbinah in the privacy of our office on a schedule that works for you. 

Preventative Care

You can see Dr. Cobbinah and her team for a wide range of preventative care, including well-woman exams and regular physical exams. Your team will perform blood tests to monitor your overall health and screenings appropriate to your age and level of risk. If any concerning issues are detected, your Essential Med Clinic team may manage them or refer you to a specialist in that condition. 

Chronic Disease Management

Many adults, regardless of age, juggle several chronic conditions ranging from back or joint pain to high cholesterol or diabetes. Dr. Cobbinah becomes familiar with the details of your conditions over time and can address them all in a single visit, saving you from multiple visits to different specialists. She can also see the connections between changes in different aspects of your life and how they affect your chronic conditions. 

Obesity Treatment

Dr. Cobbinah is board-certified in Obesity Medicine, and she offers a comprehensive obesity treatment program that combines medication, behavioral changes, and education on nutrition and physical activity to increase your chances of success. Her support and monitoring provide the accountability and tools you need to achieve lasting results. 

How Often Should I Have a Physical Exam?

If you have not seen a medical provider for years because you have felt healthy, we encourage you to schedule a physical exam at Essential Med Clinic. To maintain optimal health and catch any problems before they become serious, healthy individuals should have a wellness exam every year. People with certain medical conditions will need to visit more often if their condition requires frequent monitoring. 

Having a trusted family medicine provider makes yearly physical exams more comfortable and lets them guide you toward living your healthiest life physically, mentally, and emotionally. Your yearly visit is more than a quick checkup; it lets Dr. Cobbinal stay in touch with your needs and any changes in your lifestyle. 

How to Find the Right Family Medicine Provider

When considering a family medicine provider, you should consider several factors:

• Your provider’s qualifications and whether they are a board-certified family medicine provider or have another specialization
• Whether your provider offers the type of long-term care you require if you have chronic or complex conditions
• Whether you feel like you can trust and build a productive relationship with that provider that will last for many years
• Whether they offer services on a schedule and in a location that is convenient for you and your family’s needs

Take the Next Step

If you have further questions about family medicine, please call us at (210) 568-7555 or complete our online contact form, and one of our trusted staff members will reach out to you. Essential Med Aesthetics is located in San Antonio, Texas.