What is Primary Care?
Primary care is your go-to resource for everyday medical needs. It is usually the first place you’ll go when you’re sick, need an annual check-up or have questions about your physical or mental health. A primary care provider (PCP) helps you stay healthy throughout the school year and can guide you to additional care, if needed.
The Student Health Care Center has a team of primary care providers (PCPs) to help manage students’ overall health, treat common illnesses, provide preventative screenings and coordinate care with specialists. Key aspects of primary care include:
- Preventive care: Annual physicals, vaccines, and screenings to catch issues early
- Sick visits: Diagnosis and treatment for common illnesses, like colds, flu, infections and more
- Chronic condition management: If you have a chronic condition or recurring health concern, your PCP can act as a consistent point of support
- Care coordination: If you need specialized care (like dermatology, mental health services, gynecology, etc.), your PCP helps refer you to the right resources
Students are assigned a primary care provider when they register as a patient. This allows students to see the same provider throughout their time as a student. Students and staff should prioritize continuity of care and make attempts to schedule with the student’s PCP when possible.
Making an appointment
Always call first to be seen: (352) 392-1161.
- In general, students seeking care from a medical provider (MD, PA, or APRN) will be provided with the next appropriately available appointment time.
- Students who feel their concern is urgent may ask to speak to a nurse for same-day advice.
If you want to request changing primary care providers, please notify someone on your assigned team or fill out the feedback form.