Community Clinics

About Primary Care Providers

PCPs primarily provide care in an outpatient setting in non-emergency situations. Most PCPs will:

• Provide preventive care and teach healthy lifestyle choices
• Identify and treat common medical conditions
• Assess the urgency of your medical problems and direct you to the best place for that care
• Make referrals to medical specialists when necessary

There are several types of PCPs to choose from. The University of Utah Health Care Community Clinics has providers in all these medical specialty areas.

• Family practitioners -- doctors who have completed a family practice residency and are board certified, or board eligible, for this specialty. The scope of their practice includes children and adults of all ages and may include obstetrics and minor surgery.
• Pediatricians -- doctors who have completed a pediatric residency and are board certified, or board eligible, in this specialty. The scope of their practice includes the care of newborns, infants, children, and adolescents.
• Internists -- doctors who have completed a residency in internal medicine and are board certified, or board eligible, in this specialty. The scope of their practice includes the care of adults of all ages for many different medical problems.
• Obstetricians/gynecologists -- doctors who have completed a residency and are board certified, or board eligible, in this specialty. They often serve as a PCP for women, particularly those of childbearing age.
• Nurse practitioners (NP) and physician assistants (PA) -- practitioners who go through a different training and certification process than doctors. They are often referred to as "physician extenders." They may be your key contact in some practices. All PAs or NPs consult with physicians.