Internal Medicine

Doctors of internal medicine focus on adult medicine

Internal medicine is a medical specialty focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Your internal medicine specialist may be referred to as a physician or an internist.

Although internists may act as primary-care physicians, they are not family physicians or general practitioners. An internist is dedicated solely to the study and treatment of adult medicine.

Internal medicine specialists play several roles in helping you live a healthy and active life:

• Preventive care - acting as your primary care physician, they conduct regular check-ups and physical exams, order tests, and coordinate appointments with any medical specialists you may need to see.
• Acute care - this may include referral and consultation with other health care specialists as necessary.
• Chronic care - ongoing care, sometimes coordinated with other health care specialists and care providers.

Most internists also have a well-developed area of expertise, a subspecialty. As subspecialists, they see patients or consult with other doctors in their area of special expertise.

Internists may provide health care in clinic settings. Hospitalists, who are also internal medicine specialists, care for patients in a hospital setting.

Aurora BayCare internal medicine physicians are part of a network of Aurora BayCare medical specialists who practice collaborative care. When you see one of our internal medicine physicians, you can expect excellence in adult health care.