A Healthy New Year: Making the Most of Preventive and Primary Care
James Grant, M.D.
| 4 min read
James D. Grant, M.D., is executive vice president an...
Key Takeaways
- Primary‑care practices have largely shifted to the patient‑centered medical home (PCMH) model, which focuses on preventive care to help keep patients healthy.
- A PCMH teams you with a customized group of clinicians — such as nurses, pharmacists, dietitians or diabetes educator s— and uses electronic health records to coordinate screenings, vaccinations and specialist referrals.
- Behavioral‑health services are integrated into primary care; you can get mental health screenings from your primary care provider and address mental health needs immediately.
If your New Year’s resolutions include a focus on health – and even if they don’t – January is a great time to make your preventive care plan. Keeping current on your preventive care is one of the most important things you can do to keep your health in check.
Primary care practices have evolved over the last decade, with most in Michigan becoming patient-centered medical homes (PCMH). Here’s what that means for your preventive care.
Your primary care provider
Your preventive care plan starts with a primary care provider (PCP). This is your chief-of-staff – the one who knows your health status, keeps track of any changes and calls the plays when your health changes or issues develop.
Now more than ever, PCPs are focused on keeping you healthy. In fact, the payment model has changed over the years so that the focus is on keeping you well, rather than paying for sickness. In a PCMH practice, your provider gets paid for the time and effort it takes to manage your health care and prevent health issues from getting worse when care gets more expensive.
Preventive care starts with an annual physical – which is fully covered by health plans at no cost to you – where you and your PCP discuss your health goals and go through a checklist of any tests and screenings you may need.
A customized health care team
Your PCP’s office is so much more than it used to be. In a PCMH, you will have a team of health professionals centered on your needs. Your PCP works with nurses and other professionals to keep track of your care. Your care team includes the professionals you need for your situation.
For example, if you are newly diagnosed with diabetes, your care team may include a diabetes educator to help you learn to manage your blood sugar. If you have many different prescriptions, your care team might include a pharmacist to make sure your medications can work together without negative side effects. If you have obesity or special dietary needs, your care team might include a dietitian.
Coordination for other health needs
In PCMH practices, your care team maintains and updates your health information in an electronic health record. This allows them to keep track of the screenings, tests and exams you need and proactively reach out to you to schedule them.
For those with multiple ongoing health needs, some PCMH practices will offer personalized care management services. A nurse care manager will oversee the coordination of all your care needs, making sure you are connected to specialists, support services and any necessary medical equipment.
Behavioral health
Your PCMH practice looks at all of the factors in your life that impact your health, including your mental health status. Your PCP may conduct a mental health screening as part of your office visit, checking to see if you need assistance or support in this area.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan launched the Collaborative Care program a few years ago to help connect members to needed behavioral health care. In this program, roughly 340 PCMH practices throughout the state embed a behavioral health care manager within the practice, so patients can address their mental health needs more quickly and conveniently, right from their PCP office.
This program has eased the behavioral health backlog that has increased since the COVID pandemic. Patients are getting the help they need, which prevents issues from worsening and requiring more intensive or emergency services.
With your primary care practice as your health care hub, you can start 2026 with a preventive care plan to stay healthy all year long. Remember, it’s easier and more affordable to prevent disease than to cure disease.
Image: Getty Images
Related:
