Medical Care

Our primary care team delivers excellent, responsive care to you and your family. We welcome all members of our community, across all stages of life. All of our providers are available for both in-office appointments and easy-to-use virtual visits.

ICHC is a NCQA-certified Patient-Centered Medical Home. We use a team-based approach, with you at the heart of the team, to help you make the best decisions for your care and navigate the world of healthcare with confidence. Call us today at 907-455-4567.

What exactly is primary care?

Primary care includes family medicine, internal medicine, and generalist doctors and advanced practice professionals (like nurse practitioners and certified physician assistants) who serve as your first point of contact with the healthcare system. You might also hear the term “family doctor” or “primary care provider” or “PCP.” Primary care can include a lot of different services, like care for your chronic diseases, or preventive care like cancer screening or vaccines, or even acute care for your non-emergencies like a flu or stomachache.

Some of the medical services available at ICHC include:

Children’s Health & Pediatric Care

• Newborn and well child exams
• School-required immunizations
• Sports and school-related physicals

Annual exams

• Physicals and screenings
• Medicare Annual Wellness visits

Preventive care

• Immunizations
• Cancer screenings
• Health education

Women’s healthcare

• Annual women’s health exams
• Pap smears and HPV testing
• Birth control, including IUD insertion
• Prenatal care / pregnancy care

Management of health conditions

• Treatment of acute illnesses and injuries
• Chronic disease management and education
• Diabetes care and education
• High blood pressure / hypertension treatment
• Asthma management
• Weight management
• Treatment for depression and anxiety
• Blood testing and lab work

What happens in a “well child” exam?

At a Well Child exam, your child’s primary care provider will help you understand and keep track of your child’s healthy growth and development. They will measure and assess height, body weight, motor skills, speech development, and other common benchmarks to make sure you can meet your child’s needs, whatever they may be. They will also provide you with education about what to look for next and how to keep your child healthy. Your child’s provider can also recommend and administer immunizations to help prevent disease and ensure your child can attend school on schedule.

Doesn’t my child need to see a pediatrician?

Not necessarily! Our primary care providers practice family medicine, which means they are qualified to care for your children at every stage, whether newborn, toddler, school-age, teenaged, or adult. Highly complex pediatric cases for very young children might need to be referred to a pediatrician, but otherwise, there’s no reason not to have your child see a provider that can manage their care throughout their entire lives.

What is a “Medicare Annual Wellness” visit?

If you have Medicare Part B, you can receive an annual wellness visit at ICHC that is fully covered with no cost to you. At this visit, your provider reviews your overall health status and any health risks, and provides you with a personalized prevention plan to help you stay healthy. Your plan will include health advice based on your known conditions, family and medical history, risk factors, and routine vital signs, as well as recommended screenings, vaccines, and preventive services.

An annual wellness visit does not include treatment for your health conditions, however. If you have a specific problem you need addressed, you’ll need to make a separate appointment to ensure that your wellness visit stays a no-cost benefit—and to make sure you have enough time to fully address your problem.

Can I have a wellness visit if I don’t have Medicare?

Certainly! Many forms of health insurance cover some type of annual physical or wellness visit, often without a copay or co-insurance. We recommend contacting your insurance or speaking to one of our billing team members to discuss your benefits. Wellness visits and annual physicals are a great way to connect with your provider and be proactive about your health no matter what stage of life you find yourself in.

My employer wants me to have a physical. Does ICHC do employer physicals?

We do! Typically, your employer will give you a form they need to have filled out. When you make your appointment, be sure to tell us it’s for an employer physical, and then bring the required form with you to the appointment. We also need your employer’s information if they’re paying for the visit, so be sure to bring that, too!

What is included in “preventive care?” Do I have to make a special appointment for that?

Preventive care is fully integrated into almost every type of primary care appointment you make at Interior Community Health Center. It can include immunizations, screenings for cancer or other conditions, lab testing, or even education about health and risk factors. Preventive care is a large part of annual wellness visits, too. We also routinely offer these services as extras during your regular visits with us, because we believe them to be just that important to your health and well-being.

In short, you don’t always need a special appointment for this type of care—but if you want one, don’t hesitate to ask!

What women’s health services does Interior Community Health Center offer?

For a complete overview of our women’s health services, check out our women’s health page, here.

What kinds of health conditions can ICHC manage?

Many kinds! Primary care providers are your first stop for any health condition (unless it’s an emergency – that’s what emergency rooms are for!). So even if we can’t manage your care all on our own, we can help coordinate care with any specialists. That way, you still use us as your medical home, and we can make sure you receive the care you need. Some of the most common conditions we see are listed in our services above, but that’s by no means an exhaustive list. You can make an appointment to discuss your needs with a provider.