Local Doctor - Find a New One When You Move

When an individual or family moves to a new town or city, they will need to find a local doctor. Many patients are attached to a physician they’ve had for years and upon moving are hesitant to find a new one. Some even try to drive back to their old hometown for annual exams in order to do this. But this is not a good idea as many doctor appointments are those impossible to plan in advance. If a person or one of their family members becomes ill, it will be necessary to get in for treatment quickly. In the case of an accident or medical emergency, the local hospital will be the place to go.

A physician cannot practice medical care at just any location. He or she needs to be registered and affiliated with the hospitals where they treat patients. The old family doc will be registered at the hospitals and clinics back in the old neighborhood. For safety sake, it’s crucial to become a new patient of a local doctor. Here are some tips for achieving this:

Go before you’re sick

It’s important to establish a relationship with a health care practice before you’re actually ill and in dire need of an appointment. Oftentimes a new patient will not be able to get in immediately which would be necessary in the case of illness. It is preferable to make an appointment for a general “getting to know each other” session. This is a good time for both parties to go over medical history, current medications, and concerns. It is also the most advantageous time to discover whether or not this practice is a fit for your needs. Philosophies, bedside manner, the welcoming attitude of the nursing and secretarial staff are all items which can be checked out during this initial visit.

Ask the locals

Word-of-mouth references are some of the best ways to obtain information about service and medical professionals in a new community. Ask new neighbors and co-workers for some names of competent and compassionate docs.

Ask your old physician before you move

Many times physicians or members of their nursing staff are able to provide names of possible candidates in the next town. Even though they live in different vicinities, they are networked in various ways so that they may have knowledge about a few good new providers.

Online sites

Similar to dating sites in that they are a “match-up” service, there are medical review sites which are available via the internet. On these websites, a person will be able to find names of potential docs, where the office is located, what the hours of operation are, what type of insurance they accept, and what their specialties are. There are also multiple postings by past patients describing and rating their experiences. This is a wonderful way to find out about such things as bedside manner.

Finding a local doctor is one more way of feeling established within a new community. A bit of research and legwork will allow that to happen.