At Ochsner, family physicians provide patient care in person and via MyOchsner. Through MyOchsner, you can message your care team, schedule appointments and submit medical refill requests — wherever you are.

A few services offered through family medicine physicians include:

• Annual physical exams, which can provide a good basis for determining your overall health. For women, these physical exams may include Pap tests and pelvic and breast exams. Men may undergo prostate and other specific screenings.
• Care for ongoing problems, such as diabetes, obesity, pain, high blood pressure and other medical issues
• Care for short-term illnesses, such as colds, flu, ear infections or rashes
• Flu shots, allergy injections and immunizations to help prevent various illnesses
• Joint injections, which may offer some relief from inflammation and pain
• Lab tests, which are blood or urine tests that can monitor your good health or diagnose a medical condition. Family medicine physicians perform many tests on-site.
• Newborn and well-child care that helps keep your little ones on track with immunizations while providing parents insight into maintaining their child’s good health
• Physical exams for students that help ensure your child is physically prepared to return to school or participate in sports, summer camps or other activities
• Preventive care, health screening and physical exams, which are provided for people of all ages and help the whole family maintain optimal health

Additionally, family medicine physicians perform a variety of in-office surgeries, such as removal of small cysts. And some family practice physicians who are DOs (doctors of osteopathy) offer hands-on manipulation to aid in relief from back pain and other issues.

When your medical journey needs additional experts, Ochsner family medicine physicians have immediate access to the full spectrum of specialty care. And you don’t just get connected to specialists. Your medical history does as well.

With our systemwide electronic medical record system, all your labs, X-rays, treatments and more are instantly available to any Ochsner specialist. Through this secure electronic system, your primary care physician can communicate with specialists, ordering tests or following up on your care. This keeps your entire care team on the same page. As a result, you get individualized care that gets to the heart of your needs.

Wherever you live, an Ochsner family medicine physician is nearby. With dozens of locations, Ochsner family medicine brings quality care to your neighborhood.

Medical care plays a vital role in obtaining and maintaining good health. However, that only tells part of the story.

Where you live and whether you can easily access medical care also plays a large part. That’s why we’re working to address these bigger issues and move toward health equity. This requires overcoming cultural biases, obstacles to care and more.

To move in that direction, Ochsner family medicine physicians are working alongside other doctors through the Ochsner-Xavier Institute of Health Equity and Research (OXIHER). The program, possible thanks to a partnership with Xavier University of Louisiana, aims to improve health education and care, ultimately leading to a healthier community.

Ochsner is also taking steps to move the health needle for Louisiana. For years, the state has remained one of the least healthy in the country. By working in and with the community, we hope to help Louisiana become one of the top 40 healthiest states by 2030.

We’re doing this by improving health equity, increasing medication support, growing access to care and more. While this effort takes a team effort, family medicine physicians and other frontline workers are proud to make it happen.

More than 100 family medicine physicians are included in the Ochsner team. Some have certifications in geriatric care, sports medicine and other specialties. These experts serve alongside nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses and more. Together, they provide team-based care based on proven best practices. That’s what your family deserves.