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How to Establish Care with a Primary Provider
Establishing care is an important first step in a patient's health journey. A primary care provider helps patients find consistency in their medical needs. A primary care provider can ensure patients are up-to-date on vaccines and pertinent preventive care screenings, which can keep the patient well. On this episode, a family practice physician talks about the advantages and what it means to establish care with a new provider.
Featured Speaker:
She received her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Salina campus. She subsequently stayed in Salina at the Smoky Hill Family Medicine Residency program to finish her medical education and training. Dr. McKellar joined Norton County Hospital in September 2020, and she practices full-scope family medicine and obstetrics.
Miranda McKellar, MD
Dr. Miranda McKellar is originally from Sycamore, Kansas. Dr. McKellar attended the University of Kansas, where she received her bachelor’s degree in genetics.She received her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Salina campus. She subsequently stayed in Salina at the Smoky Hill Family Medicine Residency program to finish her medical education and training. Dr. McKellar joined Norton County Hospital in September 2020, and she practices full-scope family medicine and obstetrics.
Transcription:
How to Establish Care with a Primary Provider
Joey Wahler (Host): Primary care providers are a significant step at a patient's medical journey, delivering consistency from preventative measures to treatment. So we're discussing what primary care doctors provide and why that's so important.
From the plains of rural Northwest Kansas to you, this is Health in the Heartland presented by Norton County Hospital, where medical experts aim to empower health at any stage of life. Thanks for listening. I'm Joey Wahler. Our guest Dr. Miranda McKellar, family practice and obstetrics physician for Norton County Hospital. Dr. McKellar, thanks for joining us.
Dr Miranda McKellar: Thanks for having me.
Joey Wahler (Host): So first, before we get into some further details, in a nutshell, why to you is it so important that a patient have a primary care physician in the first place?
Dr Miranda McKellar: The best part about having your own primary care physician is being able to have somebody that knows your medical care better than anybody else, somebody that kind of knows your medical problems inside and out and can help you make decisions when needed.
Joey Wahler (Host): And of course, it's great to not have to always start from the beginning with a doctor, right? And go through that recap of your medical history and having to fill out all that paperwork.
Dr Miranda McKellar: Yes, exactly.
Joey Wahler (Host): For one thing, primary care doctors are kept informed of your medical tests or treatment that you get elsewhere and may have input or referrals on that, right?
Dr Miranda McKellar: Yes. We are kind of the hub for any outsourcing that we need to do to help with patient's medical problems. And so we usually are the ones that have access to all those things and can help with that.
Joey Wahler (Host): What does an initial visit to a primary care doctor entail? And what forms of information must they provide, would you say?
Dr Miranda McKellar: So, if you're establishing with a new primary care provider, it's important to have access to your previous medical records so that we can look through those and decide what we need to focus on. Usually, for a first visit, we kind of just get a basic history about what medical problems you've had in the past. And we talk about family history and your social history and just kind of get to know you and figure out what things we need to focus on to make sure that patients stay healthy.
Joey Wahler (Host): And if someone is seeing a specialist or specialists, right, I guess it helps to have a primary care doctor from the standpoint of those other doctors, because it gives them someone to bounce things off of as well, right?
Dr Miranda McKellar: Yes, exactly. Sometimes with specialists, you don't always get the time that you need to answer all the questions. And so it's good to have a primary provider to go back and discuss those things with and better understand what's going on with you.
Joey Wahler (Host): I know I recently needed myself, some basic blood work done, and I happened to be in between, it so happens, primary care physicians. And I came to find for the first time that, although there are a lot of places that'll draw blood, you need an order from a doctor in order to get blood work done typically.
Dr Miranda McKellar: Yes, usually you do.
Joey Wahler (Host): So that's another reason to have someone that you're going to on a regular basis. Speaking of regular, how often would you say, doc, most people should get a regular checkup by a primary care doctor?
Dr Miranda McKellar: That's a good question. I think it probably depends on how many health problems somebody is struggling with. If you're fairly healthy, you're not on any medicines, once a year is fine. And then depending on how many medical problems you have, that may increase depending on what's going on.
Joey Wahler (Host): When you see a regular patient yourself, what are some of the subtle changes that you might notice in them that another doctor might not that are crucial in the medical field?
Dr Miranda McKellar: So, when my patients come in for visits, we are paying attention to their vitals, make sure their blood pressure's okay, their weight, making sure that they're taking their medications properly. And once you get to know those patients, you can notice subtle changes in their mood or how they're doing with managing their medicines, things like that that a specialist specialist may not notice because they don't know you as well.
Joey Wahler (Host): Switching gears a little bit, primary care doctors also can make sure you're up-to-date with vaccines and preventative screenings. What are some of those things that are important along the way?
Dr Miranda McKellar: So, especially for our kiddos, that's something that we really want to focus on from a vaccine standpoint, but adults as well, making sure that you're up-to-date on your tetanus shots and things like that. From a screening perspective, we want to make sure that people are up-to-date on Pap smears and colon cancer screening and breast cancer screening. All of those things are very important and can be missed easily if you don't go see your primary doctor.
Joey Wahler (Host): I would imagine when it comes to just conversing with a patient and then, if need be, giving them advice on where they should turn for a certain medical issue, it's got to be more comfortable for a doctor like yourself when you're familiar with that person and they're not new to you.
Dr Miranda McKellar: Yes. Usually, my patients feel pretty comfortable talking about those things with me. And a lot of times when I'm discussing options with them, I will tell them, "Well, if you were my mom or my dad, this is what I would recommend" or "If you were my sister," that seems to make it a little bit more real to them and easier to understand.
Joey Wahler (Host): When you see a patient for the first time, what are some of the things you do to try to connect with them in the time allotted so that they feel comfortable and it's a worthwhile experience on both ends?
Dr Miranda McKellar: I really like to get to know my patients on a personal level as well. So I ask them about their families, their pets, their hobbies, things like that. And then, I really like to focus on the goals for the patient, what goals do they have and what do they want to get out of that visit when they come and talk to me. And that makes the patient feel like they're being heard, which doesn't always happen.
Joey Wahler (Host): So you'll actually go so far as to just kind of shoot the breeze with them, ask them about things that have nothing to do with the medical world, if you will .
Dr Miranda McKellar: Yeah. Sometimes those factors end up becoming important in making sure that they're staying healthy. You know, and talking about hobbies. ,If somebody has a hobby, that can help improve their health status, then we can focus on that and make that part of their medical care.
Joey Wahler (Host): It seems during the pandemic, a lot of medical facilities, big and small, are short staffed. It seems appointments are much harder to get than they used to be, generally speaking. Has that made it more of a challenge for you to spend the time you need with patients?
Dr Miranda McKellar: It definitely can be. I still like to try to take as much time as I can with my patients and make them feel, like they're being heard and that their time is valuable. And sometimes that means that we have to stay a little bit later at work or come a little bit earlier, but it's always worth it to make sure that that patient gets the time that they need.
Joey Wahler (Host): Now, you mentioned a little bit earlier, children. So how can parents take as active a role as possible in maintaining their kids' health in terms of bringing them to a regular doctor?
Dr Miranda McKellar: With children, they tend to need to be seen a little bit more frequently when they're infants. And so, a lot of times, the first six to twelve months of life, we see each other pretty frequently. And the reasoning behind that is to make sure that they're developing appropriately, that they're reaching all their milestones and that they're getting their vaccines. And then as you get older, it's kind of similar to what you would with an adult where we see them once a year. But the main focus is making sure that they're hitting developmental milestones and that we're watching out for childhood diseases, that we're making sure their eyes are working, that their ears are working, that they're getting their teeth looked at, things like that that can be really important in the long run.
Joey Wahler (Host): On a personal note, was there a doctor in your past, as you were coming up, that spent some extra time with you or did something in particular that made you think," Hmm, that personal touch, I think that's going to be important when I become a doctor"?
Dr Miranda McKellar: When I was in high school, I worked for a family medicine doctor, his name's Dr. Chronister. And he was a big influence in my life. And I liked watching him care for entire families and generations of families. There were babies that he delivered and then got to go through life with those people and then start taking care of their kids. And just watching how that practice evolved for him was just really interesting to me. And I figured out that that's what would make me happy in my practice as well.
Joey Wahler (Host): That's awesome. And going back to what I asked you a little bit earlier, I guess that kind of thing, unfortunately, is becoming more rare nowadays, right?
Dr Miranda McKellar: Yeah, it is very rare for a family medicine doctor to kind of do it all. And that's one of the things that I like about working in a rural area that I can still have the availability to do all of those things.
Joey Wahler (Host): So in summation here, what's your best advice for those listening to make the most of their primary care visits, would you say?
Dr Miranda McKellar: I would say make sure that you're coming to your visits regularly. When you come, I think it's very important to keep a list of things that you're concerned about because it's easy to forget when you're in the office. So if you could write things down and then just make sure that you and your primary care provider are a team and that you can work on your health together and make the important decisions together.
Joey Wahler (Host): All right. Well, I hope that those of you listening are indeed now more familiar with the importance of having a regular provider, a primary care physician. Dr. Miranda McKeller, sounds like a trip to your office is a very positive experience. Thanks so much for joining us.
Dr Miranda McKellar: Yeah. Thanks for having me
Joey Wahler (Host): And folks for more information, please do visit Norton County Hospital online at ntcohosp.com. Again, that's N-T-C-O-H-O-S-P.com. And if you found this podcast helpful, please do share it on your social media. And thanks again for listening to Health in the Heartland, presented by Norton County Hospital. Take care of yourself and others and be well.
How to Establish Care with a Primary Provider
Joey Wahler (Host): Primary care providers are a significant step at a patient's medical journey, delivering consistency from preventative measures to treatment. So we're discussing what primary care doctors provide and why that's so important.
From the plains of rural Northwest Kansas to you, this is Health in the Heartland presented by Norton County Hospital, where medical experts aim to empower health at any stage of life. Thanks for listening. I'm Joey Wahler. Our guest Dr. Miranda McKellar, family practice and obstetrics physician for Norton County Hospital. Dr. McKellar, thanks for joining us.
Dr Miranda McKellar: Thanks for having me.
Joey Wahler (Host): So first, before we get into some further details, in a nutshell, why to you is it so important that a patient have a primary care physician in the first place?
Dr Miranda McKellar: The best part about having your own primary care physician is being able to have somebody that knows your medical care better than anybody else, somebody that kind of knows your medical problems inside and out and can help you make decisions when needed.
Joey Wahler (Host): And of course, it's great to not have to always start from the beginning with a doctor, right? And go through that recap of your medical history and having to fill out all that paperwork.
Dr Miranda McKellar: Yes, exactly.
Joey Wahler (Host): For one thing, primary care doctors are kept informed of your medical tests or treatment that you get elsewhere and may have input or referrals on that, right?
Dr Miranda McKellar: Yes. We are kind of the hub for any outsourcing that we need to do to help with patient's medical problems. And so we usually are the ones that have access to all those things and can help with that.
Joey Wahler (Host): What does an initial visit to a primary care doctor entail? And what forms of information must they provide, would you say?
Dr Miranda McKellar: So, if you're establishing with a new primary care provider, it's important to have access to your previous medical records so that we can look through those and decide what we need to focus on. Usually, for a first visit, we kind of just get a basic history about what medical problems you've had in the past. And we talk about family history and your social history and just kind of get to know you and figure out what things we need to focus on to make sure that patients stay healthy.
Joey Wahler (Host): And if someone is seeing a specialist or specialists, right, I guess it helps to have a primary care doctor from the standpoint of those other doctors, because it gives them someone to bounce things off of as well, right?
Dr Miranda McKellar: Yes, exactly. Sometimes with specialists, you don't always get the time that you need to answer all the questions. And so it's good to have a primary provider to go back and discuss those things with and better understand what's going on with you.
Joey Wahler (Host): I know I recently needed myself, some basic blood work done, and I happened to be in between, it so happens, primary care physicians. And I came to find for the first time that, although there are a lot of places that'll draw blood, you need an order from a doctor in order to get blood work done typically.
Dr Miranda McKellar: Yes, usually you do.
Joey Wahler (Host): So that's another reason to have someone that you're going to on a regular basis. Speaking of regular, how often would you say, doc, most people should get a regular checkup by a primary care doctor?
Dr Miranda McKellar: That's a good question. I think it probably depends on how many health problems somebody is struggling with. If you're fairly healthy, you're not on any medicines, once a year is fine. And then depending on how many medical problems you have, that may increase depending on what's going on.
Joey Wahler (Host): When you see a regular patient yourself, what are some of the subtle changes that you might notice in them that another doctor might not that are crucial in the medical field?
Dr Miranda McKellar: So, when my patients come in for visits, we are paying attention to their vitals, make sure their blood pressure's okay, their weight, making sure that they're taking their medications properly. And once you get to know those patients, you can notice subtle changes in their mood or how they're doing with managing their medicines, things like that that a specialist specialist may not notice because they don't know you as well.
Joey Wahler (Host): Switching gears a little bit, primary care doctors also can make sure you're up-to-date with vaccines and preventative screenings. What are some of those things that are important along the way?
Dr Miranda McKellar: So, especially for our kiddos, that's something that we really want to focus on from a vaccine standpoint, but adults as well, making sure that you're up-to-date on your tetanus shots and things like that. From a screening perspective, we want to make sure that people are up-to-date on Pap smears and colon cancer screening and breast cancer screening. All of those things are very important and can be missed easily if you don't go see your primary doctor.
Joey Wahler (Host): I would imagine when it comes to just conversing with a patient and then, if need be, giving them advice on where they should turn for a certain medical issue, it's got to be more comfortable for a doctor like yourself when you're familiar with that person and they're not new to you.
Dr Miranda McKellar: Yes. Usually, my patients feel pretty comfortable talking about those things with me. And a lot of times when I'm discussing options with them, I will tell them, "Well, if you were my mom or my dad, this is what I would recommend" or "If you were my sister," that seems to make it a little bit more real to them and easier to understand.
Joey Wahler (Host): When you see a patient for the first time, what are some of the things you do to try to connect with them in the time allotted so that they feel comfortable and it's a worthwhile experience on both ends?
Dr Miranda McKellar: I really like to get to know my patients on a personal level as well. So I ask them about their families, their pets, their hobbies, things like that. And then, I really like to focus on the goals for the patient, what goals do they have and what do they want to get out of that visit when they come and talk to me. And that makes the patient feel like they're being heard, which doesn't always happen.
Joey Wahler (Host): So you'll actually go so far as to just kind of shoot the breeze with them, ask them about things that have nothing to do with the medical world, if you will .
Dr Miranda McKellar: Yeah. Sometimes those factors end up becoming important in making sure that they're staying healthy. You know, and talking about hobbies. ,If somebody has a hobby, that can help improve their health status, then we can focus on that and make that part of their medical care.
Joey Wahler (Host): It seems during the pandemic, a lot of medical facilities, big and small, are short staffed. It seems appointments are much harder to get than they used to be, generally speaking. Has that made it more of a challenge for you to spend the time you need with patients?
Dr Miranda McKellar: It definitely can be. I still like to try to take as much time as I can with my patients and make them feel, like they're being heard and that their time is valuable. And sometimes that means that we have to stay a little bit later at work or come a little bit earlier, but it's always worth it to make sure that that patient gets the time that they need.
Joey Wahler (Host): Now, you mentioned a little bit earlier, children. So how can parents take as active a role as possible in maintaining their kids' health in terms of bringing them to a regular doctor?
Dr Miranda McKellar: With children, they tend to need to be seen a little bit more frequently when they're infants. And so, a lot of times, the first six to twelve months of life, we see each other pretty frequently. And the reasoning behind that is to make sure that they're developing appropriately, that they're reaching all their milestones and that they're getting their vaccines. And then as you get older, it's kind of similar to what you would with an adult where we see them once a year. But the main focus is making sure that they're hitting developmental milestones and that we're watching out for childhood diseases, that we're making sure their eyes are working, that their ears are working, that they're getting their teeth looked at, things like that that can be really important in the long run.
Joey Wahler (Host): On a personal note, was there a doctor in your past, as you were coming up, that spent some extra time with you or did something in particular that made you think," Hmm, that personal touch, I think that's going to be important when I become a doctor"?
Dr Miranda McKellar: When I was in high school, I worked for a family medicine doctor, his name's Dr. Chronister. And he was a big influence in my life. And I liked watching him care for entire families and generations of families. There were babies that he delivered and then got to go through life with those people and then start taking care of their kids. And just watching how that practice evolved for him was just really interesting to me. And I figured out that that's what would make me happy in my practice as well.
Joey Wahler (Host): That's awesome. And going back to what I asked you a little bit earlier, I guess that kind of thing, unfortunately, is becoming more rare nowadays, right?
Dr Miranda McKellar: Yeah, it is very rare for a family medicine doctor to kind of do it all. And that's one of the things that I like about working in a rural area that I can still have the availability to do all of those things.
Joey Wahler (Host): So in summation here, what's your best advice for those listening to make the most of their primary care visits, would you say?
Dr Miranda McKellar: I would say make sure that you're coming to your visits regularly. When you come, I think it's very important to keep a list of things that you're concerned about because it's easy to forget when you're in the office. So if you could write things down and then just make sure that you and your primary care provider are a team and that you can work on your health together and make the important decisions together.
Joey Wahler (Host): All right. Well, I hope that those of you listening are indeed now more familiar with the importance of having a regular provider, a primary care physician. Dr. Miranda McKeller, sounds like a trip to your office is a very positive experience. Thanks so much for joining us.
Dr Miranda McKellar: Yeah. Thanks for having me
Joey Wahler (Host): And folks for more information, please do visit Norton County Hospital online at ntcohosp.com. Again, that's N-T-C-O-H-O-S-P.com. And if you found this podcast helpful, please do share it on your social media. And thanks again for listening to Health in the Heartland, presented by Norton County Hospital. Take care of yourself and others and be well.