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Who Takes Care of You?
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To find a new primary care physician or specialist, the University of Michigan Health System offers a physician referral service at (800) 211-8181. The unique system allows callers to speak to a service representative immediately. Laura Rowland, physician and communications manager for the department of public relations and marketing communications, says, “Not only does a person answer right away, but it is a person with great customer service skills. We take great pride in that.” The referral service representatives cannot answer medical questions, but they do have access to a comprehensive database and can search for physicians based on a variety of criteria including location, languages spoken and gender. The UMHS physician and consumer call center was honored in 2005 as the first academic medical center in the nation to receive certification as a Center of Excellence by BenchmarkPortal. “We help people navigate the health system seamlessly. We hold our staff to the highest standards,” says Rowland. Be Informed Once you find your primary care physician or specialist, you can be proactive about your care through good communication with your doctor and by being informed. You may want to bring a list of questions to your appointment or do some reading in advance. The University of Michigan Women’s Health Resource Center provides free health information searches and offers a lending library. Communicate Your doctors and nurses need you to be honest about your diet and physical activity. They are used to discussing sensitive topics, so don’t hold back details because you are embarrassed. It is important to tell your health care provider if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant. That information is especially important if your doctor is prescribing medications. For Your Health Isn’t it time to make your health a priority? We, as women, can be better caregivers if we take care of ourselves. The UMHS Physician Referral Service is staffed Monday through Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. There is also a secure online form for non-urgent requests available at www2.med.umich.edu/pcdv2/dsp_physreferral.cfm. To request health information through the U-M Women’s Health Resource Center, visit www.med.umich.edu/whp/whrc and click on “Submit your questions,” or call (734) 936-8886. |
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Many women are caregivers—for children, spouses, parents or even pets. But who makes sure that you get to your doctor’s appointment? Sometimes women don’t take time to see their physicians or schedule a test unless there is something wrong, but regular screenings may detect a problem before you realize it exists. (A chart of 
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