Saying goodbye to my doctor of 33 years. Now what?

Relationships are at the heart of primary care delivery

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With the healthcare industry’s growing emphasis on wellness and affordable care, the role of primary care physicians in managing individuals’ health has never been more important than now. So when my own PCP relationship came into question recently, it became a very personal topic for me. Here’s the story.

About eight months ago, I received a letter from my primary care doctor informing me that he was scaling back his practice in anticipation of retirement. He would continue seeing patients who were born before a certain year or those with specific chronic health problems. Unfortunately, I did not fall into either category. After 33 years, it seemed my doctor was ending our doctor-patient relationship.

Lo and behold, this week I got a call reminding me of my annual physical appointment which I had made at last year’s physical. Just to be sure, I inquired if I was going to be able to see my regular doctor. I was happy to hear that they honored the appointment.

So today I had my appointment. My doctor spent an hour with me. We had the question and answer period, reviewed my meds, the physical exam, but most of the time we just talked. Some of the conversation was funny, some personal, some of it sad (especially when it came time to talk about moving on). I told him my concerns about staying with the practice. I didn’t care for the other doctor, nor the PA or Nurse Practitioner. I had a few recommendations for new physicians from other people, but wasn’t sure what I would do.

There were specific things I wanted in a PCP which were harder to find than I thought. I wanted a female physician (even though my current doctor was male), someone younger (so I didn’t have to go through this change again 10 years from now), a convenient location, and a physician in the same management company (for continuity of my records between specialists and my PCP).

My doctor confirmed my feelings about the PA and the Nurse Practitioner (in fact, the PA had already been replaced). I was also informed that a new female doctor, a woman in her forties with an established practice, would be starting in the fall. My PCP thought I would like her very much and if I didn’t, I could stay on and request him.

Over the years my PCP has come to know me so well that anytime he has recommended a specialist he knew exactly the kind of doctor I would like and respect. So hearing him say that I would like this new doctor was – well, comforting. And that is one of things I will miss most about this guy. He is comforting, reassuring and very knowledgable. And I can’t help but think that all the time he spent talking with me was more than just being friendly. I think he assesses each patient to see how they are doing, not just physically, but as a whole person.

I left feeling grateful that I have been able to have an honest conversation all these years with my doctor and that I could even tell him if I had a problem with his staff. As we become more used to seeing PAs or Nurse Practitioners instead of our PCPs, it is ever more important that we have confidence and like these practitioners as well when choosing a new doctor.

So over the next 12 months I’ll be meeting a new primary care physician and her team. I am hoping I’ll find a comfort level with the new people at this practice. In the meantime, I’m grateful for having a trusted PCP for 33 years.