Ware, MA - Though there continues to be a shortage of primary care physicians across the nation, Dr. Muhammad Gul, Dr. Ronald Beauzile, Dr. Anuja Garg, and Dr. Mario Lysse, have no shortage of enthusiasm for primary care as a medical specialty.  Serving as primary care physicians at Baystate Medical Practices – Quabbin Adult Medicine, with locations in both Ware and Belchertown, they fill a very important roll in today’s health care environment.   

“As primary care physicians, we are the go-to people for our patients, and will become even more so as health care reform continues to evolve,” explained Dr. Muhammad Gul, who also serves as the medical director for the practice.  “Finding a main doctor (often called your primary doctor or primary care doctor) that you feel comfortable talking to is the first step in good communication. It is also a way to ensure your good health. Your primary care doctor gets to know you and what your health is normally like. He or she can help you make medical decisions that suit your values and daily habits and can also connect you to other medical specialists if and when you need them,” said Dr. Gul.    

“For both men and women in general, the importance of establishing a relationship with a health care professional or doctor cannot be emphasized enough,” said Dr. Gul.  “The time to get a primary care physician is before you are sick so if a cold, sore throat or other illness sets in you trust and feel comfortable with your doctor that is caring for you.   We work with our patients to help prevent health problems from developing down the road as well as caring for them when they have a medical concern.”

To get the most out of your primary care visit, the doctors recommend that you:

1. Bring a list of all the medications you are currently taking, including vitamins and over-the-counter medications.  Be sure to note how much you take and how often.

2. Write up a list of your medical concerns and prioritize them in order of importance.   This list will help you get the most out of the time spent with your doctor. 

3. If you need prescriptions refilled, bring these to the attention of your provider during the office visit to reduce the need for call-backs.

4.  If you are anxious about the visit, consider bringing a friend or family member to take notes and/or help you remember what you most wanted to ask the doctor.

“People have different medical questions and concerns at different ages, but what they need across their lifetime is a good primary care doctor who cares about them as a whole person,” notes Dr. Gul.   

Providers at Baystate Medical Practices – Quabbin Adult Medicine, include Dr. Gul, Dr. Beauzile, and Dr Garg, Dr. Lysse and Nurse Practitioners Suzanne Dabakis Choquette, FNP and Rosario Nelson, FNP. The practice is presently accepting new patients, and is located at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in Ware at 413-967-2324 and at 95 Sargent Street in Belchertown at 413-323-7212.