Primary Care

Whether you have an acute problem or need help with a chronic illness, you deserve a doctor you trust.

Your primary care physician knows you and your health better than any other doctor — taking care of you when you’re sick, helping you with medical advice and focusing on your overall health.

What is primary care?

Primary care is the most important part of your lifelong health care experience. With your primary care team you will build a trusting relationship to allow for the best decisions for your health as you age. Primary care physicians and their health care staff are your first contact for any health problem and will directly address most of your health needs.

Rather than limiting their expertise to a specific part of the body or type of health problem, primary care doctors are comprehensive and treat the whole person and focus on preventing illness. Patients with a primary care physicians have better management of chronic diseases, lower overall care costs and higher level of satisfaction with their care.

What is a medical home?

Our primary care physicians offer you a medical home — where you and your health care team develop a personal health plan through regular check-ups and routine health maintenance. A medical home is a place where primary care physicians meet most health care needs for you and your family, genuinely care about you as a person and desire to provide you with the best patient care.

Types of primary care doctors

When you choose MU Health Care, you can trust that your primary care doctor is part of a leading academic health center providing the latest advances in research and treatments. Our physicians specialize in different areas of care.

Family medicine

Family medicine doctors are trained to take care of newborns, the elderly and everyone in between, and they can care for all aspects of your family’s mental and physical health. In addition to providing yearly checkups, they also assist with chronic disease management, dermatology, mental health, family planning, pregnancy care, opioid addiction and more. Our family medicine doctors establish long-lasting, trusting relationships with you and every member of your family. For patients who need specialized care, many of our physicians have earned board certification in sports medicine, geriatrics and palliative care. View our family medicine doctors.

General internal medicine

Internal medicine doctors focus on the prevention and treatment of adult diseases. You can see your internist for an annual physical exam, help managing a chronic illness or treatment for a complex disease. Internists also promote wellness and care for common problems that occur throughout the body. When needed, your internist will coordinate your medical care with specialists in other areas. Some internal medicine doctors also choose to receive extra training in pediatrics, and these "med-peds" doctors see patients of all ages. These doctors can give you your yearly checkup and also assist with chronic disease management, dermatology, mental health and more. View our internal medicine doctors.

Pediatrics

Pediatricians take care of kids of all ages — from infants to toddlers to teens. In addition to routine checkups and immunizations, they will track your child’s development, provide parenting advice, help your child navigate his or her adolescence and more. Choosing your child’s pediatrician is an important decision. With an MU Health Care board-certified pediatrician, you have access to the innovation and medical excellence of an academic health center. Your pediatrician is an expert in caring for the unique needs of children from birth to age 18 and offers treatment in child-friendly environments.

Our pediatrics providers are affiliated with Children’s Hospital, central Missouri's only hospital dedicated exclusively to children. View our pediatricians.

Convenient appointments, extended hours

MU Health Care primary care physicians understand that life can be busy. To make taking care of your health easy and convenient, all our physicians work extended hours at least once a week. You can schedule appointments in the early morning before work, during lunch hours or after 5 p.m.

Find care close to home at one of our many MU Health Care locations throughout mid-Missouri. Care delivered in specialist offices, hospitals, emergency or urgent care locations is integrated with the care you receive from your primary care physician. You may also receive care for minor problems, such as a cold, ear infection or skin rash, at one of three Quick Care clinics located in Hy-Vee grocery stores in Columbia, Missouri.

No matter which of our locations you choose to visit, your care is always an extension of your medical home. You’ll receive exceptional, coordinated care from our experienced, board-certified physicians when and where you need it.

If you're unsure where to seek care based on your needs, visit our symptom checker to see which location and level of care might be right for you.

Language services

When you are receiving medical care, clear and accurate communication is vital to help you make informed decisions. That's why we provide 24/7 language services to ensure all our patients can take part in important health care communication. Visit our language services page to learn more, or call 844-352-3200 to reach one of our interpreters.

Pharmacy services

Mizzou Pharmacy provides convenient, friendly and knowledgeable service to all patients. Services include easy online refills, 90 day prescriptions for University of Missouri health insurance plans, and select locations offer bedside medication delivery at discharge, worksite delivery, and free prescription mailing. See our pharmacy locations.

Integrated electronic medical record

At MU Health Care, we keep track of your health using an electronic medical record (EMR), which helps improve safety, reduces cost and promotes efficiency. When you visit one of your doctors here, whether at a specialist’s office, the hospital or the emergency department, your records are available to your primary care physician.

You then have access to your medical record through our patient portal, called HEALTHConnect. Whether you access the portal through one of our mobile applications or through the website, you have a secure way to get 24-hour access to your health information, doctor notes, medications, test results and more. Through the portal, you can: