These definitions will help you sort out health care terminology. Family physicians, or family practitioners, specialize in caring for the whole family.
Pediatricians provide care for children and adolescents only.
Internal medicine physicians, or internists, provide care for adolescents and adults. Primary care physician is an insurance company term that refers to the physician who coordinates your health care and refers you to specialists as needed. A physician's assistant is a health care professional with medical training to provide routine health maintenance checkups and to manage certain minor, acute, and chronic health problems, under a physician's supervision. If you need specialty care, your family physician will help access the specialists and experts at University of Iowa Health Care, and will continue to follow your progress and coordinate your care.