Finding the Right Doctor at UCLA Health: A Comprehensive Guide
Choosing a primary care physician (PCP) is a crucial step in maintaining your health and well-being. UCLA Health offers a wide network of skilled PCPs throughout Southern California, providing comprehensive and coordinated care for individuals and families. This article will guide you through the process of finding a doctor at UCLA Health who meets your specific needs.
Why Choose UCLA Health for Primary Care?
UCLA Health's primary care physicians are dedicated to providing outstanding, individualized care at every stage of life. As your first point of contact for health concerns, your PCP will be a trusted partner in your healthcare journey.
Comprehensive Care: UCLA Health PCPs are board-certified in internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, or both internal medicine and pediatrics. This ensures that they are qualified to care for everyone in the family, building strong relationships and delivering personalized, well-rounded care.
Convenience and Flexibility: With more than 50 primary care clinics throughout Southern California and over two dozen clinics providing primary care to children, UCLA Health makes it easy to find a skilled doctor near you. Many practices offer extended hours, virtual visits, weekend appointments, and flexible scheduling to accommodate your busy life.
On-Site Services: Many UCLA Health primary care practices offer on-site imaging, blood draws and lab work, behavioral health services, and pharmacy consultations. Some also have dermatology, cardiology and cardiac imaging, endocrinology and diabetes care, and other UCLA Health specialty physicians in the same building. This saves you time and ensures easy access to the care you need.
Read also: UCLA vs. Illinois: Basketball History
World-Class, Coordinated Care: If you require specialty treatments, you will have access to the full resources and support of the renowned UCLA Health network. Your primary care doctor will make referrals and oversee and coordinate your care with other specialists and programs, ensuring exceptional, seamless care for you and your family. As an academic health center, UCLA Health offers patients the latest technologies and access to potentially life-saving new therapies and clinical trials. UCLA Health physicians and researchers work across the University of California system to exchange knowledge with clinicians at other academic health centers.
Areas of Care Offered
UCLA Health primary care physicians offer a wide range of services to help you feel good and stay healthy, including:
- Behavioral health services
- Coordination of care for patients with chronic medical conditions and multiple specialist physicians
- Geriatric care
- Newborn care
- Palliative care
- Preventive care, including immunizations and routine screenings for cancer and other diseases
- Same-day sick appointments
- Travel medicine, including immunizations
- Well care for children and adults
- Well-woman care
Services Provided by Your Primary Care Physician
Your primary care doctor will want to see you for your annual physical and whenever you are sick or injured. They will get to know your medical history and personal risk factors and work with you to make positive lifestyle changes that support your long-term health.
Your PCP, also known as a general practitioner, will:
- Coordinate your care and act as the leader of your health care team
- Help you manage chronic medical conditions, such as hypertension and diabetes
- Learn your values and preferences to help with shared decision-making
- Manage your medications, adjust dosages, and order refills
- Recommend preventive health screenings, vaccines, and routine tests for cancer and other diseases
- Refer you to specialists as needed
- Treat common and acute medical conditions
Understanding the Difference Between Preventive, Diagnostic, and Follow-up Care
It's important to understand the different types of care and how they are billed.
Read also: Navigating Tech Breadth at UCLA
Preventive care aims to prevent illness and detect potential health problems early. It includes services like:
- Checking blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol based on screening guidelines
- Discussing age-appropriate cancer screening tests
- Evaluations for older adults (such as fall risk, hearing loss, brief assessment for memory loss, advance directives)
- Routine vaccinations (flu, COVID-19, pneumonia, etc.)
- Measuring height and weight
- Depression screening
Diagnostic care involves diagnosing and treating new symptoms or health concerns. Follow-up care focuses on managing existing acute or chronic diseases.
While most health insurance plans cover preventive care without a share of cost, diagnostic and follow-up care may require a copay or deductible. To avoid surprises, inform the office when scheduling your appointment whether it is for preventive care only or if you have other medical conditions or concerns to discuss.
Preventive care does not include:
- Diagnosing, discussing, or treating new symptoms
- Managing chronic diseases (such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, anxiety, dementia, etc.)
- Following up on previously diagnosed conditions
Conditions Treated
UCLA Health's board-certified primary care doctors have extensive knowledge and expertise in the full spectrum of health conditions. They work with you and your family to prevent illness, detect health problems early, and deliver effective treatments.
Read also: Understanding UCLA Counselors
Some of the conditions they manage and treat include:
- Accidents and injuries, including minor burns, bug bites, cuts, sprains, and strains
- Behavioral health concerns, including anxiety and depression
- Chronic conditions such as diabetes, anemia, allergies, asthma, and high blood pressure
- Illnesses such as ear infections, rashes, and gastrointestinal problems
- Viruses, including flu and coronavirus (COVID-19)
Finding Your Ideal Doctor
UCLA Health is committed to helping you stay healthy. If you are currently a Health Services patient, UCLA Health is glad to have you. UCLA Health understands the importance of finding the perfect match among their team of experts. To find a primary care doctor near you based on your zip code, language, and area of focus, use the Find a Provider tool.
Contacting UCLA Health
For further assistance in finding a doctor, call 310-825-2631 to speak to a physician referral representative.
UCLA Health comprises four hospitals on two campuses: Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, and the UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital on the university’s main campus in the Westwood area of Los Angeles; and UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center. UCLA Health also includes the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and has more than 200 medical practices throughout Southern California. UCLA Medical Center was on the honor roll of America’s 20 best hospitals and #1 in California in 2025 - 2026. UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital is located within the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. There is also a 25-bed pediatric unit at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center and numerous pediatric offices across the region.Referring patients to services at UCLA Health is easier than ever. The referral team provides personalized help to patients, no matter where they're located.
The Importance of Regular Check-ups
Do not wait until you are sick to meet your health care team for the first time. Check-ups and wellness visits are important. This is the time for you to talk with your health care team about your family health history, your lifestyle, and your health care goals. Your health care team will develop a relationship with you and become familiar with your family situation, your diet and exercise habits, the medicines you take, and any previous medical challenges you experienced in the past.
tags: #ucla #health #find #a #doctor
