A Family Medicine Residency Program Benefits Patients and Communities
The residents of Lincoln, Nebraska have many resources when it comes to accessing excellent healthcare services. From state-of-the-art hospitals to a broad scope of specialty clinics, families don’t have to go far to receive exceptional medical care. Lincoln Family Medicine Residency Program is among those institutions that are enhancing the quality of care in Lincoln, but it is also impacting rural communities throughout Nebraska and in other states. Residency programs play an important role in the communities where they are located.
As a teaching program for resident physicians who want to practice family medicine, the Residency Program is on the forefront of issues facing communities that are in need of family medicine providers.
Issues facing communities:
As family medicine physicians age into retirement, there are less physicians going into the specialty of family medicine
Patients are waiting longer to get appointments to see their family doctor
Less family medicine providers adds an increased burden on hospital emergency rooms and urgent care clinics where people are seeking primary care services
Why is it important to have a family medicine doctor?
The scope of knowledge and services that a family doctor provides to his or her patients is very broad – from treating common illnesses like a cold, sore throat, and flu symptoms, to providing maternal and child care, to managing chronic health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. More importantly, family medicine physicians develop relationships with their patients over the course of a lifetime of caring for them and are more apt to keep their patients healthier because they can treat potential health problems at an earlier stage.
In addition, family medicine doctors care for your entire family, at any age and at any stage of life. They provide annual wellness exams, perform complete physicals, ensure immunizations are current, advise patients on preventive care and screenings they need, and much more. They also know you on a personal level, like the work that you do or when your kids are graduating, because these are things you talk about together. You’re not just a patient number to them – you are a person and they are invested in caring for your healthcare needs. Family medicine doctors live in your community, their kids go to school with your kids, you support the same local businesses. This makes a big difference in your health and the health of your community!
Benefits of Lincoln’s residency program to the community
Having a family medicine residency training program in Lincoln contributes to the delivery of health services in many different ways. Each year, there are 24 resident physicians in Lincoln who are advancing their family medicine knowledge and skills with procedures as well as treating patients at the Lincoln Family Medicine Center, in the hospital setting, at long-term care facilities, and other locations. Additionally, residents rotate with specialty physicians in Lincoln and provide care to patients in those clinics. The opportunities for the resident physicians to work and socialize in the Lincoln community increases the likelihood that some of the physicians will continue to practice family medicine after they complete their residency program.
Other ways that patients and the community benefit from having the Residency Program here in Lincoln include:
Resident physicians continually learn advanced practices in medicine which in turn enables patients in Lincoln to receive cutting-edge treatments.
The rural training program increases the number of family medicine physicians who choose to practice in rural communities.
Patients are able to participate in clinical trials locally.
The Residency Program can help in the recruitment of other doctors to the community.
Residents and their families are involved in school and community activities.
Residents doing rotations with local physicians can spend more time with patients, to listen, explain things thoroughly, and provide educational opportunities.
At Lincoln Family Medicine Center, individuals and families will find a full range of primary care services, as well as on-site x-ray and lab. Patients enjoy getting to know and be cared for by the resident physicians who come from leading academic medical schools across the country. It’s one of the many benefits of having a family medicine residency program in Lincoln!
If you are looking for a family medicine physician, call Lincoln Family Medicine Center at 402-483-4571. Same-day appointments are available to established patients.