Providence’s new Internal Medicine Center poised to improve access to care

As part of WSU's Internal Medicine Residency Program--which strives to recruit, develop, and retain compassionate, well-rounded internists to care for rural and underserved populations--the center welcomes patients without primary care physicians who would benefit from a continuum of care.

Physician residents provide care, overseen by a faculty physician. As newly graduated medical doctors, residents must complete at least three years of graduate medical education in an accredited program before applying for board certification within a specialty, such as internal medicine, which focuses on treating adults, including seniors. Increasing the number of physician residents is key to reducing our region’s primary care shortage and ensuring our communities have access to the care they need. 

Here's what that means for patients:

• Through in-person visits at the clinic, or telehealth from your home, patients receive excellent care from a physician resident, who is their primary care doctor and follows patients throughout their care journey with access to a team of specialists. The center provides an ideal option for those with more complex needs, and who would benefit from an on-site team of collaborative providers, including Behavioral Health providers, RN care managers and clinical pharmacy.
• Internal medicine physicians offer primary care to patients age 18 and older, including: preventive services; treatment for simple and complex medical diagnoses; medication management; weight loss and diabetes management; and treatment for high blood pressure, heart problems and any other disease processes. Internists manage a broad spectrum of chronic illnesses and make referrals to all specialties, when needed.
• With an academic environment, the center ensures care that is based on the most current medical research and protocols.