talk to me about a primary care physician

[Anonymous]

I'm in Arlington and thinking about using Virginia Hospital Center. Does anyone have a recommendation?

I'm a 42 year old woman who's always used my OB for all my primary health care needs. Recently Georgetown has gotten sort of weird about my primary health care, asking me to phone my primary and stop phoning my OB. I guess it's an insurance thing? I've never really had any needs beyond my OB, but I'm sure that will change over the next few years. But what am I looking for? Do I need to now also get an OB at the same place as a primary? Wah! So confused...

[Anonymous]

No, you do not need to have your doctors all in one place. It is a good idea to have your own primary. Where would you go if you were sick with something non-gyn related? Does your OB do regular bloodwork?

Georgetown does have family practice doctors who do bot gyn and general med. You might look into that.

[Anonymous]

Drs. Bergamini, Seiler, Chu and Rimicci at Virginia Hospital Center (Arlington Primary Care, LLC).

[Anonymous]

I got to a PCP for well-woman exams (including pelvic) but would go to the OB for anything for advanced. They do blood work and then I have a point person in case I get sick. The entire thing has always confused me though. If you go to an OB/GYN for annual pelvic exams, are you supposed to go to the PCP for a check up to have them do blood work and listen to your breathing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Drs. Bergamini, Seiler, Chu and Rimicci at Virginia Hospital Center (Arlington Primary Care, LLC).

This office looks promising, but its physicians have admitting privileges at only one hospital: Virginia Hospital Center.

This makes me think I should switch OB/GYN and OPHTHALMALOGISTs so that all my medical practitioners and medical records are with VHC. Does this really matter? Does anyone have a recommendation for OB?

Geez this is a pain.

[Anonymous]

I got a primary care Dr. for the first time a year ago. It was really good timing, because I ended up getting really sick with the flu and needed a Dr.'s note from work since I was out a week. Where else would I have gotten this note if I didn't have a primary care Dr.? The primary care Dr. is also good if you need more advanced bloodwork done, since OB's offices can only do so much test-wise. I get my gyn exam from my gyn and have a regular physical with a primary care Dr. once a year. I have recently experienced a weird health issue, and had to have a bunch of bloodwork done, and my gyn couldn't do more advanced blood testing. Also I guess a primary care Dr. is a good place to start if you have a more general health issue, such as symptoms that could point to a thyroid disorder.

[Anonymous]

Dr Baselga at VHC is pretty decent. I like her a lot. Very knowledgeable and straightforward. They draw blood there too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Drs. Bergamini, Seiler, Chu and Rimicci at Virginia Hospital Center (Arlington Primary Care, LLC).

[Anonymous]

Nowadays if you are hospitalized (for non-OB/GYN type stuff), it would be the hospitalist (doctor employed by the hospital) who would manage your care at the hospital, not necessarily your primary care doctor.