Primary Care

Primary care is a term used to encompass the specialties of Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and General Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Simply put, your primary care provider (PCP) takes care of you in good times and in bad! Beyond helping you to stay healthy through routine check-ups and vaccinations, a PCP helps you manage chronic diseases like diabetes or high blood pressure while also treating minor illnesses like the flu, colds and viruses.

PCPs often serve as the entry point for all your healthcare needs. Most of the time, you will be required to see a PCP before you can visit a subspecialty office, get bloodwork taken, undergo imaging studies or receive a prescription for medication.

A healthy person with no chronic conditions should see his/her primary care provider at least once per year for a routine check-up (also referred to as a well visit) and to catch up on any necessary vaccinations.

A person with a chronic condition should see his/her primary care provider as often as the provider has recommended for appropriate follow-up care. This could be every 6 months, every 3 months or even monthly depending on your unique needs.

A care team is a group of professionals dedicated to enhancing your health and well-being through collaboration with one another and with you.

Patients of NEPA Community Health Care have their primary care provider (a physician or nurse practitioner), behavioral health provider (nurse practitioner and/or therapist), dental provider (dentist and hygienist), nursing, care management and front desk staff on their team!

Most likely, yes. NEPA Community Health Care accepts most insurances, including PA Medicaid, Medicare, commercial (through your employer), Pennie plans and self-pay patients. A Sliding Fee Discount Scale is also available for those who qualify.

To ask about your specific health coverage, please call our Business Office at (570) 278-5156.

Procedures commonly performed in a primary care office include musculoskeletal injections, EKGs, pap smears, lab draws, allergy injections, vaccinations, skin procedures such as wart removals or cyst drainage, and contraceptive injections or implants.

If you become ill outside of routine office hours, simply call the health center at (570) 278-7500 and speak with our answering service. The operator will then connect you with the provider on-call.

For medical emergencies, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. For mental health crises, call (570) 348-6100 or text 988.

Please note that prescription refills are processed during normal business hours only.

Newborns should start seeing a primary care provider immediately after birth. We typically see babies within 3 days of discharge from the hospital.

Our providers are advocates of childhood immunizations and will encourage parents to vaccinate their children. That being said, we also want parents to ask questions and voice any concerns they may have!

Parents who choose not to vaccinate their children will not be denied care but are required to sign a declination waiver.

In most cases, yes! It is standard practice at NEPA Community Health Care to reserve appointment slots in every primary care provider’s schedule for same-day sick visits. We will do everything we can to ensure your child is seen the same day.

We understand that many children are reluctant to visit a doctor’s office. Our kind and compassionate staff of nurses and providers treat each child as an individual and understand that a little patience goes a long way.

We want to work with parents to make your child’s visit a positive experience for you both!

If your child becomes ill outside of routine office hours, simply call the health center at (570) 278-7500 and speak with our answering service. The operator will then connect you with the provider on-call.

For medical emergencies, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. For mental health crises, call (570) 348-6100.

Please note that prescription refills are processed during normal business hours only.

The following wellness services are available to our female patients:

• Annual well-woman checkups
• Pap smears
• Family planning and contraception
• Sexually transmitted disease testing

Yes, our women’s health providers see patients with normal and high-risk pregnancies. See the section below for details of our pregnancy and postpartum services.

No, you can usually have routine gynecological care with your primary care provider. Your PCP will refer you to our women’s health providers if your care necessitates it.

Yes, most of our primary care providers can prescribe all forms of birth control, including IUDs (Mirena, Kyleena or Paragard), implants (Nexplanon), injections (Depo-Provera), oral contraceptives (the pill), transdermal contraceptives (the patch), and vaginal contraceptives (the ring). We also provide condoms free of charge.

Yes. With the exception of hysterectomy, Dr. Wilcox performs the full spectrum of gynecologic surgery.  This includes tubal sterilization, endometrial ablation, surgery for abnormal pap smears, and laparoscopy. If you need a hysterectomy, Dr. Wilcox will refer you to a surgeon who provides that procedure.

Dr. Wilcox can perform surgeries at the Endless Mountains Health System in Montrose or at Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton. We also offer in-office care for many minor procedures.

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) recommends that women begin to seek gynecologic services when they are 15 years of age, or when they begin sexual activity, whichever comes first. Most initial visits will NOT require a pelvic examination. You can receive counselling, contraception and testing for sexually transmitted diseases WITHOUT having a pelvic examination.

Yes, we provide medical chaperones for all patients during intimate exams. Our nurses are also on-demand even during routine visits.

Our women’s health providers serve 3 of our 4 health centers. There is no need to travel outside the area for your pregnancy visits. We provide the same level of care available at any other obstetric provider. This gives you the advantage of having consistent, high-quality care close to home with a provider who already knows you, your unique health needs, and your family history.

No, you choose where you want to deliver your baby. Our prenatal team will assist you in planning and coordinating where you will deliver. We will communicate with that facility and send your records to them so they will be expecting your arrival. NEPA Community Health Care maintains affiliations with Moses Taylor Hospital and Wayne Memorial Hospital so, if a patient is unsure where to go, we will recommend one of our partner hospitals.

Dr. Wilcox has over 20 years of obstetric experience and can take care of nearly all patients. Most patient with high-risk conditions will also need to see a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist. Dr. Wilcox and our prenatal team will coordinate visits and testing with all specialists.

Our experienced team facilitates the transfer of your medical records to the birthing facility of your choice after each office visit. We also arrange for any necessary inductions of labor or cesarean deliveries. We assure that the facility you choose will be expecting your arrival and have all your information.

After you leave the hospital, our women’s health providers will see you and perform all your postpartum care at NEPA Community Health’s offices. Our other primary care providers will also be able to care for your newborn child if desired.

Medication-assisted treatment or MAT is a method of treating patients with substance use disorder. In simplest terms, MAT utilizes a combination of prescribed medications to curb addiction cravings and mandates that patients actively participate in drug and alcohol counseling.

Patients interested in receiving MAT services should make an appointment to speak with their primary care provider about next steps.

NEPA Community Health Care will assist patients in scheduling their initial assessment with a Drug & Alcohol Counselor. Once a patient has been established with counseling, the two organizations work to coordinate a plan of care and the patient returns to the health center to begin medical treatment.

If you stop attending and are subsequently discharged from treatment with your Drug & Alcohol Counselor for nonattendance, NEPA Community Health Care will be unable to prescribe your MAT medication until you are able to reengage with their services. However, your medical appointments with NEPA Community Health Care will still be kept, and you will be provided with supportive and/or mental health services during this time.

It can be difficult to accept help, especially when it feels like we’re being forced into it. Loved ones of those with substance use disorder should know that patients can make an appointment with NEPA Community Health Care or a Drug & Alcohol Counseling provider at any time to begin the evaluation process or to simply discuss the program in detail before scheduling the appropriate next steps for treatment.

In order for your medical provider to deliver the highest quality of care during this difficult time, it is vital that you share as much information as possible. The more your provider knows about your unique situation, the more resources and support s/he will be able to provide you with both now and in the future. None of the information shared will be used to penalize you or negatively impact your care in any way!

Yes! The Pennsylvania Department of Health has declared the prescription opioid and heroin overdose epidemic as the worst public health crisis in the state. We feel it is the responsibility of every health care organization to play its part in ending this epidemic. To learn more, click here to visit the PA DoH website.