The Importance of Whole Family Primary Care: A Q&A with Dr. Stephanie Wright

March 26, 2024

What is your name and title?

My name is Dr. Stehanie Wright, MD, and I am a family physician here at Thrive Wellness.

What primary care services does Thrive Wellness offer and to what ages?

We offer care to all ages. We offer general primary care, well visits, acute sick visits, women’s health care, and preventative care.

Why is it important for people to have a primary care practitioner for them and their family?

Having a family primary care practitioner allows us to take care of the whole family. We can focus more deeply on preventing illness and disease to promote long lasting wellness throughout the whole family unit.

What are the benefits of having a primary care provider that serves the whole family?

By serving the whole family, physicians are able to have a better understanding of family dynamics, family health care goals, and history of disease in the family. Having access to family medical history can be extremely helpful for prevention of disease as well as effective treatment options. If a parent has diabetes, asthma, or another hereditary condition, it is common that it is passed down to their children. Being prepared for a condition with early diagnosis creates an optimal circumstance for treatment.

Why should children have a primary care doctor?

Children specifically should have a primary care doctor so that we as physicians can monitor their growth and development. Seeing the same child over an extended period of time allows us to keep track of their unique growth and development. It is essential that we ensure that children are developing and growing at a normal rate, so consistently seeing a child over time allows us as physicians to identify any developmental delays and refer to developmental support services as needed.

Additionally, for children, we offer recommended vaccines and sick visits to promote wellness, as children can have more sensitive immune systems.

What illnesses are children more prone to and how can we work to prevent them?

Children are generally more prone to respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses. Vaccines as well as proper hygiene like washing hands throughout the family can work as important preventative measures against common childhood illnesses.

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As a parent, noticing alarming behaviors around food or routines in your child can raise some important questions. You might be asking yourself, “Is this an eating disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or something else entirely?” Understanding the signs and differences between these disorders is key to getting your child effective, timely treatment. In this blog, we’ll break down the overlap between OCD and eating disorders, what signs to watch for, and how to get professional help. If you're a parent wondering “Is my child’s eating disorder actually OCD?” or “OCD vs eating disorder in teens,” know that you’re not alone and you’re in the right place to find specialized care for your child. What Is OCD? Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition where unwanted thoughts (obsessions) cause anxiety, leading to repetitive behaviors (compulsions) intended to ease that anxiety. OCD can be focused on any subject. Common obsessions include contamination, perfectionism, scrupulosity, and harm, but sometimes, the content of obsessions can be focused on food, body image, or weight. What Is an Eating Disorder? Eating disorders , like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) involve disturbed eating behaviors and intense concerns about body weight or shape. These conditions go beyond dieting or “picky eating” and can become life-threatening without professional intervention. The Overlap: Why It Can Be Confusing OCD and eating disorders often share similar symptoms : Ritualistic eating (e.g., needing to eat foods in a certain order or at a certain time) Rigid rules about food (like only eating certain food groups or certain amounts of food) Excessive checking (like weighing food or body or repeated checking of expiration dates or thorough cooking) Avoidance behaviors ( like avoiding carbs, fats, or other food groups or avoiding places or objects that can trigger obsessions) Distress when routines are disrupted (either around mealtimes or exercise routines) So, How Can You Tell the Difference? Use the following chart to compare and contrast symptoms of OCD and eating disorders.