Why it matters to have one
If you need to find a primary care clinician in St. Louis, for yourself or for a parent, the reason is usually ordinary. A longtime doctor retired, a move happened, getting to the office became too hard, or care drifted to urgent care and the emergency room. The gap often goes unnoticed until a hospital stay or a wound that will not heal makes it obvious.
This page explains what to weigh and how Gateway can help. Gateway provides primary care through its clinicians, with home visits, partner-clinic appointments and coordination with any specialists you already see.
What primary care does during wound recovery
A wound care clinician looks after the wound. Someone also has to look after what the wound depends on: blood sugar, blood pressure, swelling, nutrition, medications, and the referrals and tests that come up along the way.
Without primary care, those jobs go undone. Prescriptions from the hospital run out. Nobody reconciles the medication list. Lab work ordered at discharge is never reviewed. The guide on why primary care matters for wound healing lays out the connection, and our page on follow-up care after hospital discharge covers the first weeks at home.
Kinds of primary care to consider
Primary care comes in more than one form.
- Office-based practice. A good fit if you can travel comfortably.
- House call primary care. The clinician comes to you, which suits people for whom a trip to the office is a real hardship. See in-home primary care in St. Louis.
- On-site care in a senior community. Residents of assisted living and skilled nursing are often seen on site. See primary care in assisted living.
- Video visits as a supplement. Telehealth visits can cover some follow-up between in-person visits.
Choose the one you will be able to keep up with over the long run.
What to ask a practice before you choose
A short call to the office can answer most of these. Write down what you hear.
- Are you taking new patients, and do you see patients in my area or care setting?
- Do you participate with my plan? (Ask the plan the same question.)
- Who do I call with a question between visits, and what happens after hours?
- How do you share information with a wound care team, a home health agency or specialists?
- Can a family member be included in visits and updates if I want that?
What to have ready
Gather what you can before a first visit:
- A current list of medications, including over-the-counter products and supplements
- Your insurance cards
- Discharge papers from any recent hospital or rehabilitation stay
- Names and phone numbers of past doctors and current specialists
- The home health agency or wound care team involved, if any
- A short list of your main concerns
Do not put off calling because the pile is incomplete. Records can be requested. The guide to keeping an up-to-date medication list is a good place to begin.
How Gateway helps
When you call, we ask where you live, what care is already in place and what you are hoping for. Gateway then helps connect you with a partner practice that serves your area and care setting. The practice confirms whether it can take you on as a patient and reviews coverage with you. Our insurance page lists questions to ask.
Once a practice is involved, we help with scheduling, getting records to the clinician and keeping the wound care team informed. If it turns out you have a physician you would like to keep, we work with that office instead.
The service area page lists the communities we cover in Missouri and the Metro East.
If you need help before a visit is set up
Health problems do not wait for a new-patient visit. If you are running low on a medication, call the prescriber named on the bottle or ask your pharmacist about options. For a problem that cannot wait, use urgent care or an emergency department.
Call 911 for chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of a stroke, heavy bleeding, sudden confusion or a serious fall. Gateway is not an emergency service.
How to start
Call 314-325-0126 or use the request care form, which asks only for a name and phone number. Family members and caregivers can call on someone’s behalf, and hospitals, facilities and practices can refer.
Common questions
Do I need a referral to get a primary care clinician?
No referral is needed to call Gateway or to ask a practice about becoming a patient. Some health plans ask you to name a primary care provider or choose one from a list, so check your plan’s rules. Patients, family members and caregivers can all call us directly.
Is a nurse practitioner or physician assistant a primary care clinician?
Yes. Physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants all provide primary care, and many practices work as a team. What matters most for recovery is that one practice knows your history, sees your whole medication list and can be reached when something changes.
What if my family member does not want a new doctor?
That is common, especially after losing a doctor they trusted for years. Ask what worries them, whether it is cost, strangers in the home or fear of being told to move. Starting with one visit and one specific goal, such as sorting out medications, can feel more manageable. The decision belongs to the patient whenever they are able to make it.
How long does it take to get a first visit?
It varies. Availability depends on where you live, your care setting and the practice’s schedule, so we do not give a timeframe before checking. When you call, mention anything time-sensitive, such as a recent discharge or a medication that is running low, so the request is described accurately to the practice.
Related pages
General information to help you talk with your own clinician. It is not medical advice, and the treating clinician makes every clinical decision. For a medical emergency, call 911.