Are there any primary-care physicians in Washington who are accepting new patients?
Answer: Primary-care physicians are those doctors who are specifically trained and responsible for first contact and continuing care of patients. Such doctors serve as a patient’s first point of entry into the health-care system and the focus for needed health-care services, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Several doctors, including those who are affiliated with University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina, who provide primary care to patients in and around Washington are accepting new patients.
“At this time, all of our practices are accepting new patients,” said UHS spokeswoman Beth Anne Atkins said in an email response to a question from the Washington Daily News.
The five UHS-affiliated medical practices that are accepting new patients, their addresses and telephone numbers follow:
Aurora Medical Center, 151 Third St., Aurora, 252-322-4021;
Chocowinity Family Care, 740 Bragaw Lane, Chocowinity, 252-946-9562; ObGyn of Washington, 1210 Brown St., Washington, 252-975-1188; Pamlico Internal Medicine Associates, 1380 Cowell Farm Road, Washington, 252-946-2101; Washington Family Medicine, 501 W. 15th St., Washington, 252-975-2667.
Atkins said that for immediate needs, patients may visit Inner Banks Urgent Care located beside UHS’s Beaufort Hospital off of East 12th Street in Washington. Patients may reach it by telephoning 252-946-3200.
The Daily News also contacted several independent medical practices in Beaufort County to determine which of those were accepting new patients. Of those who were available for comment, the independent medical practices indicating that they are accepting new patients are:
• In Washington, Carolina East Medical Associates, 1201 Carolina Ave., 252-975-1111.
• In Belhaven, C.O. Boyette Medical Clinic, 216 Haslin St., 252-943-6144.
Medical journals and news reports over the past five years have pointed to a growing shortage of primary-care physicians nationwide.
A 2006 American Academy of Family Physicians workforce study estimated the United States would need about 39,000 more family physicians by 2020. In 2006, North Carolina had about 2,700 family physicians, with projections indicating the state will need 2,000 more by 2020 to address the state’s health-care needs.
The study indicated that while the number of primary-care physicians in the state is growing, the current rates of growth would meet only 75 percent of the projected need.
Portions of Beaufort and surrounding counties — including areas designated Belhaven/Swan Quarter and Aurora/Bayboro — have been designated as “primary care health professional shortage areas” according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration.
UHS is among those continuing to recruit doctors to the area, Atkins said.
“We are working hard to recruit additional physicians to the area to meet the growing demand,” she said.