House call primary care in Imperial
In Jefferson County, aging in place often means staying in a house that is miles from the nearest medical office. People in Imperial manage this for years, until driving at night, on the interstate or at all becomes a problem. Primary care follow-up at home answers that. Gateway arranges visits from a partner clinician who can review medications, follow conditions such as diabetes, heart failure or high blood pressure, and decide what needs attention. We coordinate the records and orders so the person’s other doctors stay informed.
Housing in Imperial covers a wide range. There are subdivisions near the interstate, older houses along the main roads, manufactured homes and properties on several acres reached by long driveways. Senior apartments, assisted living and skilled nursing care are found in and around this part of Jefferson County. Gateway arranges visits with partner clinicians wherever the person lives. Because Imperial is unincorporated and its mailing addresses cover a wide area, we confirm the street address, the nearest crossroad and the county before a first visit is scheduled.
For the full range of services, see primary care in St. Louis, including house calls, annual wellness visits and follow-up after a hospital stay.
What the clinician can look at
A good share of primary care happens after the clinician leaves. A blood test has to be drawn, an imaging appointment booked, a specialist’s report sent back and read. When the treating clinician writes an order, Gateway follows it through and keeps the results moving to the people who need them. Depending on where you live, some tests can be arranged at home. Others mean a trip, and we can help with lab and imaging coordination and transportation arrangements.
The visits themselves cover what you would expect from a primary care office: long-term conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, a full medication review, follow-up after a hospital stay and a yearly wellness visit.
Who in-home primary care is for
Not everyone who calls us has a doctor. Some adults in Imperial lost theirs when a practice closed or a physician retired. Others have been in and out of hospitals and rehab and have not had a regular visit in a long time, so nobody is watching the whole picture or renewing prescriptions on schedule. Gateway can help connect you with a partner practice that makes home visits. The page on finding a primary care clinician explains how.
Home visits are also arranged for people who have a doctor but cannot get to the office, including adults with limited mobility, people healing from a wound or an operation, and assisted living residents.
Why wound care and primary care go together
A wound on the leg or foot needs blood flow to heal, and checking circulation is partly a primary care job. The primary care clinician asks about leg pain with walking, checks the pulses in your feet, reviews risks such as smoking, diabetes and high cholesterol, and decides whether a circulation test or a vascular specialist is needed. The page on circulation and vascular health explains the basics.
Those results matter to the wound care clinician, because poor arterial flow changes which treatments are safe, including compression. Gateway sends test results and specialist notes to both clinicians, so each one is working from the same facts.
Where visits take place
Skilled nursing works differently from the other places where Gateway arranges primary care follow-up. Every resident already has an attending physician who is responsible for medical care, and facility nurses carry out the orders. We do not replace that team. In facilities in Imperial, we coordinate with the attending and the nursing staff, and we plan follow-up for the day a resident leaves. See primary care follow-up in skilled nursing.
After discharge, a partner clinician can visit at the next address, whether that is a private home, an apartment, assisted living or memory care.
One care team, shared information
It helps to know who is responsible for what:
- The treating clinician examines you, makes the diagnosis, writes orders and prescriptions, and decides on treatment
- Your existing physician and specialists keep the parts of your care that they and the treating clinician agree on
- Home health nurses and therapists carry out the orders they are given and report changes
- Gateway schedules visits, gathers records, follows through on orders and keeps everyone informed
- You and your family decide who is included and tell the team what has changed
If you are ever unsure whom to ask, call Gateway and we will point you to the right person.
Getting started in Imperial
Here is what follows a call to 314-325-0126. First, we confirm whether a partner clinician is available for your address in Imperial and for your type of residence. Next, with your permission, we request records from your doctor’s office or the hospital you were in, so the clinician arrives informed. Then we schedule the visit. After the visit, we follow through on what the clinician ordered, whether that is lab work, equipment or a referral, and keep the people you choose up to date.
- County: Jefferson County, Missouri
- ZIP codes: 63052
- Nearby hospitals: Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Festus; Mercy Hospital South (not affiliated with Gateway)
- Nearby communities: Arnold, Jefferson County, Festus and Crystal City, Oakville
- Care settings: Private homes, skilled nursing, assisted living, memory care and rehabilitation
Coverage questions
Before a first home visit, a call to the member number on your insurance card can answer most cost questions. Useful things to ask:
- Does this practice participate in my plan?
- Do I need a referral or prior authorization for visits at home?
- What would I owe for a visit?
- Are lab work, imaging and medical equipment handled differently?
Write down the date, the name of the person you spoke with and what they said. Gateway can give you the name of the treating practice to use for that call.
Common questions
What if my parent in Imperial has dementia and cannot answer the clinician’s questions?
That is common, and the visit can still be useful. A family member, caregiver or facility staff member who knows the person can give the history and describe recent changes. If someone holds legal authority for health decisions, tell us when you call so the right person is included. Read more about memory concerns and primary care.
Does Gateway arrange primary care in Imperial for people who do not have a wound?
Yes. The company name says wound care, but you can ask about a primary care clinician who visits at home whether or not you have a wound. Long-term conditions, a recent hospital stay or simply being unable to get to an office are all reasons to call. If a wound does develop later, having primary care already in place makes it easier to coordinate both.
Will the clinician fill out forms for a patient in Imperial, such as facility or equipment paperwork?
Often, but it is the clinician’s call. Forms for assisted living admission, medical equipment, a disabled parking placard or a caregiver’s leave from work usually require that the clinician has examined the patient and knows the history. Mention forms when you first call and have them ready at the visit. Gateway tracks the paperwork and helps get signed copies where they need to go.
What should I do if I get sick between home visits in Imperial?
For chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of a stroke, heavy bleeding, fainting or sudden confusion, call 911. In-home primary care is planned care, and Gateway is not an emergency service. For a problem that is worrying but not an emergency, such as a fever or a new cough, call the treating clinician’s practice. Ask at your first visit which number to use.
Can home visits continue if I move out of Imperial or into a care facility?
They may be able to, but it has to be checked. Availability is confirmed by location and care setting, and facilities have their own rules about outside clinicians. Tell us about a move as early as you can. We will find out whether the same practice can follow you. If it cannot, we help with the handoff of records to whoever takes over.
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.