Medical Care

The MHC Healthcare medical and behavioral health team are a collaborative assembly of dedicated, caring and compassionate professionals who seek to provide the best care possible to you and your family.  The MHC outreach and support staff of work together to assure patients/clients are provided with the services and assistance to achieve greater over all health and an improved quality of life.

Our medical providers are highly trained board certified or board eligible providers from many diverse, cross-cultural backgrounds.  The care and service they provide is done so in a respectful and comfortable environment where dignity and understanding allow for the patient/client and provider to share information.

Communication is very important for the exchange of information for a patient to be part of the overall care plan designed by their provider.  MHC Healthcare offers culturally competent staff as well as translation services for our internationally broad spectrum of patients who may not use English as their primary language.  Additionally, patients who need to schedule services to accommodate a hearing or visual impairment can work with the MHC staff to ensure their patient experience is arranged to maximize their understanding and communication with their medical provider.

Medical Staff

Physicians (MD):

A physician—also known as doctor of medicine, medical doctor, or simply doctor—practices the ancient profession of medicine, which is concerned with maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease or injury. This properly requires both a detailed knowledge of the academic disciplines (such as anatomy and physiology) underlying diseases and their treatment—the science of medicine—and also a trained level of competence in its applied practice—the art or craft of medicine.

Both the role of the physician and the meaning of the word itself vary significantly around the world, but as generally understood, the ethics of medicine require that physicians show consideration, compassion and benevolence for their patients.

Physicians (DO):

Like allopathic physicians (or M.D.s), osteopathic physicians complete 4 years of medical school and can choose to practice in any specialty of medicine. However, osteopathic physicians receive an additional 300 - 500 hours in the study of hands-on manual medicine and the body's musculoskeletal system.

Osteopathic medicine is dedicated to treating and healing the patient as a whole, rather than focusing on one system or body part. An osteopathic physician will often use a treatment method called osteopathic manipulative treatment (also called OMT or manipulation) -- a hands-on approach to make sure that the body is moving freely. This free motion ensures that all of your body's natural healing systems are able to work unhindered.

Osteopathic physicians hold to the principle that a patient's history of illness and physical trauma are written into the body's structure. The osteopathic physician's highly developed sense of touch allows the physician to feel (palpate) the patient's "living anatomy" (the flow of fluids, motion and texture of tissues, and structural makeup).

Advanced Practitioners (NP):

A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) who has completed graduate-level education (either a Master's or a Doctoral degree).  All Advance practice nurses are Registered Nurses who sought additional education and training. To become licensed to practice, Nurse Practitioners hold national certification in an area of specialty (family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, adult care, acute care, etc.), and are licensed through nursing boards rather than medical boards.

The core philosophy of the field is individualized care. Nurse practitioners focus on patients' conditions as well as the effects of illness on the lives of the patients and their families. NPs make prevention, wellness, and patient education priorities. Educating patients about their health and encouraging them to make healthy choice.

Nurse Practitioners treat both physical and mental conditions through comprehensive history taking, physical exams, physical therapy, and ordering tests and therapies for patients within their scope of practice. NPs can serve as a patient's primary health care provider, and see patients of all ages depending on their designated scope of practice.

Medical Support Staff

Registered Nurse:

A Registered Nurse (RN) is a health care professional responsible for implementing the practice of nursing through the use of the nursing process in conjunction with other health care professionals. Registered nurses work as patient advocates for the care and recovery of the sick and maintenance of their health. In their work as advocates for the patient, RNs use the nursing process to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate nursing care of the sick and injured. RNs have a significantly expanded scope of practice, education and clinical training compared to that of licensed practical nurses(LPN).

A registered nurse's scope of practice is determined by each state's Nurse Practice Act. It outlines what is legal practice for registered nurses and what tasks they may or may not perform. Nurse Practice Acts also dictates the scope of practice for nurse practitioners (NPs).

Medical Assistant:

Formal education of medical assistants usually occurs in postsecondary institutions such as vocational schools, technical institutes, community colleges, proprietary colleges, online educational programs or junior colleges.

Medical assistants perform many administrative duties. Duties vary according to state law and include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for examination, and assisting during diagnostic examinations. Medical assistants collect and prepare laboratory specimens or perform basic laboratory tests on the premises, dispose of contaminated supplies, and sterilize medical instruments. They may instruct patients about medications and special diets, prepare and administer medications as directed, authorize drug refills as directed, telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy, draw blood, prepare patients for X-rays, take electrocardiograms, remove sutures, and change dressings. Last but not least they serve as direct link and communicator between patient and other health care professionals whenever there is a need.

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