Having an established relationship with a primary care provider provides many benefits to your health. A provider who knows you and your health history can more effectively treat illnesses as they arise.

Dr. Kathy Asbury is a Family Practice physician at Quincy Medical Group (QMG).  Family Practice providers, like Dr. Asbury, are trained in the care of newborns through geriatrics.  When choosing a primary care provider, she says you should find someone who is the right fit for you.

“Patients should feel comfortable talking with their primary care physician. There should be a rapport built and a mutual trust,” she shared.

Though your primary care provider is there for you when you don’t feel well, routine care outside of those times is important to maintaining good health. Dr. Asbury recommends seeing your physician at least once a year.

“Routine care is very important for patients. Problems can be addressed in a timely manner, and preventative care and tests can be ordered,” she said. “As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That is very true in medicine. Identifying problems early can make a big difference in outcomes. Health maintenance and preventative care are key.”

COVID-19 may have caused you to delay or cancel your scheduled appointments, but Dr. Asbury said now is the time to get back on track.   QMG has taken precautions to keep you and your family safe.

“I would encourage patients to keep their regularly scheduled annual physicals. While we can offer a lot through telehealth, it is important for us to examine them in person,” she noted. “We require masks to be worn and have social distancing in our waiting rooms. Our numbers of COVID-positive patients in the community are down, and I think patients can now feel comfortable coming to the clinic.”

To establish care with a primary care provider at QMG, visit https://quincymedgroup.com/providers/accepting-patients/ or call our Primary Care Access Line at (217) 222-6550, ext. 3325.