FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Below are a few of the questions frequently asked by patients. If your question is not addressed here, please call the CPC office near you.  Click here to check our locations map.

What is Family Medicine?

Family medicine, also known as family practice, is the medical specialty that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for everyone in your family. Family medicine's cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship. Unlike other specialties that are limited by patient age, gender, or particular diseases, family practice integrates the biological, clinical and behavioral sciences in order to treat everyone. Additionally, family physicians coordinate with other physicians involved in a patient’s care to ensure the best and most thorough medical care possible. Family medicine emphasizes preventative care and long-term relationships between patients and physicians, and it is the extent to which this relationship is valued, developed, nurtured and maintained that distinguishes family medicine from all other specialties.
 

What medical training do Family Physicians receive?

Family physicians complete a three-year residency program after graduating from medical school. As part of their residency, they participate in integrated hospital and outpatient learning and receive training in six major medical areas: pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, psychiatry and neurology, surgery and community medicine. They also receive instruction in many other areas including geriatrics, emergency medicine, ophthalmology, radiology, orthopedics, cardiology, otolaryngology and urology. Because of their broad training, family physicians are the only specialists qualified to treat most ailments and provide comprehensive health care for people of all ages - from newborns to seniors.

What medical services are Family Physicians qualified to provide?
Family physicians deliver a wide spectrum of acute, chronic and preventive medical care services ranging from diagnosing/treating illnesses and providing preventive care, such as routine checkups, health-risk assessments, immunization and screening tests, to personalized counseling on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, managing chronic illness and coordinating the care provided by specialists. Family physicians are specifically trained and experienced in providing primary care the nation’s most common health problems, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, depression, allergies, asthma, obesity, skin diseases, and bone and joint disorders.

What distinguishes Family Physicians from other medical specialists?

Family physicians:
• Care for people of both genders and all ages.
• Diagnose and treat 90 percent of all patient problems, including biological and mental health concerns.
• Treat conditions of all organ systems rather than limiting their practice to specific organ systems.
• Treat the whole patient by taking into account all the medical, social and mental health concerns of the individual.
• Practice disease prevention and health maintenance in addition to treating illness.
• Provide continuity of care over time.
• Oversee your medical care (coordination of care) to prevent duplication of services and contradictory medical advice among medical professionals involved in your care.
• Make the most cost-effective use of hospitals, testing, procedures, and other expensive technologies.
 

What is Center For Primary Care (CPC)?
Center For Primary Care (CPC) is a physician-owned private family medicine group that was founded in 1993. CPC’s 23 Family Physicians are all residency-trained and board certified and provide preventive, acute, and chronic care to people of both genders and all ages. CPC is one of the largest family practice groups in the region.

Where is CPC located?
CPC has five offices located near where you work and live: CPC-Central near Doctors Hospital, CPC-South on Windsor Spring Road, CPC-Crossroads on Jimmie Dyess Parkway near I-20, CPC-Evans on North Belair Road, and CPC-North Augusta on Hugh Street between Knox and Georgia Avenues.
 

What are CPC’s hours?

For our patients’ convenience, all offices are open evenings until 8 pm Monday through Thursday and until 5 pm on Friday. For established patients with acute healthcare needs that require immediate attention over the weekend, CPC-Crossroads on Dyess Parkway near I-20 is open 9 am to 5 pm Saturdays and 10 am to 4 pm Sundays for patients. Please call ahead on Saturday or Sunday at
706-922-6600 for an appointment time.


Does CPC accept my insurance plan?
CPC accepts most major health insurance plans available in the CSRA. If you are uncertain whether CPC is a preferred provider under your plan, contact your insurance provider’s customer service representative.
 

How can I become a CPC patient?

Our staff will be happy to help you and your family establish with a CPC physician. Call or drop by the CPC office where you wish to establish as a new patient to receive a new patient packet. When you have completed the forms, return them to CPC. If your medical records are currently with another provider, we will also ask you to sign a form giving us permission to request that your records be sent to your new CPC doctor.

Can I complete the registration process online?
For your convenience, two of the longer new patient forms (Patient Information and Health History) are available on our website: cpcfamilymedicine.com (Click the Resources tab at the top of our home page to access these forms). You may either complete them online or print and complete them by hand.

Should I transfer my care to a CPC physician now or wait until the next time I need to see a physician?
If you have made the decision to transfer your care to a CPC physician, we recommend you do so at your earliest convenience rather than waiting until you are sick. This allows us to have all your medical information on hand at the time of your first appointment and keeps you from having to complete new patient paperwork prior to seeing your doctor on the day of your first visit.

Whom should I contact if I have other questions about CPC?
Call any CPC office and one of our staff members will be happy to answer your questions or send you further information. Click here for CPC office phone numbers.

If you have questions not found here, please call us at any of the CPC offices. We will be glad to help you. Check the map to find an office near you.