Healthcare has seen major changes in recent years. These changes involve new terms like integrated care and inter-professional teams, which point to a future where individuals will be cared for by coordinated TEAMS of healthcare professionals. We call this model the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH), because patients are put at the center of their own healthcare plan and play a much more active role. Team members like doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, physician assistants, dietitians, social workers, health coaches and others work with patients to set personal health-related goals and then help the patient reach those goals.
Prevention is at the center of what we call Primary Care, which is a person’s first contact with healthcare services and the front line for preventing and managing illness. You can think of a primary care setting as the clinic where you go when you need your annual exam and where routine lab work is done, or where parents take their children for regular checkups and immunizations. Doctors who provide Primary Care services include:
Opportunities in Arkansas
Part of our job at ArkansasHealthCareers.com is to help you explore these healthcare team member roles and find an area that is suited to your personality and interests. Then, we can connect you with individuals and resources close to you that can help you successfully navigate all the steps needed to ultimately realize a rewarding career in your future.
Every single role described on this website is a valued and necessary part of the healthcare team. For those interested in becoming doctors, we encourage the specialty of Family Medicine because Arkansas has a huge shortage of these physicians, and they care for patients at all stages of life. Family physicians are especially needed in rural areas.
Family Medicine and Rural Arkansas
To explore all your health career options, check out our Health Careers Explorer.