Comprehensive Primary Care Services at UCLA Health Santa Monica

Choosing the right primary care provider (PCP) is a crucial decision for maintaining your health and well-being. UCLA Health offers comprehensive primary care services in Santa Monica, designed to cater to individuals and families at every stage of life. As the point person for your health care, your PCP should always be your first point of contact. Whether you’re sick, injured or have a general health concern, you’ll receive outstanding, individualized care.

Why Choose UCLA Health for Primary Care?

UCLA Health distinguishes itself through several key features:

Comprehensive Care: UCLA Health's PCPs include doctors who are board certified in internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, or both internal medicine and pediatrics. This means they’re qualified to care for everyone in the family. They build strong relationships and deliver personalized, well-rounded care.
Convenience and Flexibility: UCLA Health makes it easy to find a skilled primary care doctor near you. With a network that includes more than 50 UCLA Health primary care clinics throughout Southern California and more than two dozen clinics that provide primary care to children, access to care is readily available. Many practices offer extended hours, virtual visits, weekend appointments and flexible scheduling, ensuring that you stay healthy, even when life gets busy.
On-Site Services: Many of UCLA Health’s 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 right in the same building. Having these services on-site saves you time and ensures that you have easy access to the care you need.
World-Class, Coordinated Care: If you need specialty treatments, you’ll 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. You and your family will receive exceptional, seamless care.

Areas of Care

UCLA Health primary care physicians deliver comprehensive care to you and your family. They offer everything from routine screenings and disease prevention to coordinated treatments for a wide range of health conditions. The goal is to help you feel good and stay healthy.

The services provided encompass a broad spectrum, 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 Offered

Your primary care doctor will want to see you for your annual physical and whenever you are sick or injured. They’ll 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.

Also called a general practitioner, your PCP:

Coordinates your care and acts as the leader of your health care team
Helps you manage chronic medical conditions, such as hypertension and diabetes
Learns your values and preferences to help with shared decision making
Manages your medications, adjusts dosages and orders refills
Recommends preventive health screenings, vaccines and routine tests for cancer and other diseases
Refers you to specialists as needed
Treats common and acute medical conditions

Preventive Care vs. Follow-Up or Diagnostic Care

Understanding the distinction between preventive care and follow-up or diagnostic care is essential for managing healthcare costs and expectations.

Preventive care includes:

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

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

Let’s say you schedule an annual check-up with your primary care provider (PCP) where you get a flu shot and talk about a colonoscopy. At the appointment, you tell your doctor about new pain you’re having in your joints. This appointment may have started off as preventive care but turned into diagnostic care or treatment management. These two different types of care are billed separately. While most health insurances cover preventive care without a share of cost, they don’t always cover diagnostic care (for new symptoms) or follow-up care (for acute or chronic disease management) without a share of cost, such as a copay or deductible. Even for preventive care, there may be some charges for certain tests provided as a part of the preventive care evaluation.

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When scheduling an appointment with your PCP, it is always best to let the office know why you’re making the appointment. Tell the office if this is only for preventive care or if you also have medical conditions or concerns that you would like to talk about. Ask your PCP if you have questions about the difference between preventive care and follow-up or diagnostic care so you’re not surprised by any costs.

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.

They are your trusted partner in improved health and well-being. 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
Illness such as ear infections, rashes and gastrointestinal problems
Viruses, including flu and coronavirus (COVID-19)

Finding Your Primary Care Provider

UCLA Health provides outstanding primary care for the whole family, and they want you to find the perfect match among their team of experts. Use their Find a Provider tool to find a primary care doctor near you based on your zip code, language and area of focus.

Contact Information

For those interested in learning more or scheduling an appointment, you can call 310-825-2631 to speak to a physician referral representative.

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Commitment to Talent and Inclusion

UCLA Health champions the talent that unites their organization in serving our communities. They cultivate their extraordinary talent pool and empower their staff to innovate so that their world-class healthcare, research and education are always available to all. UCLA Health welcomes all individuals, and they proudly look to each person’s unique achievements and experiences to continually elevate their organization.

Recruitment Fraud Alert

It has come to the attention of UCLA Health that certain individuals and organizations are fraudulently contacting some of their candidates and making false employment offers. They are also requesting personal information or money to allegedly progress the application or pay for work permits. THESE COMMUNICATIONS ARE FRAUDULENT. They do not originate from UCLA Health or any organizations or institutions associated with them.

PLEASE NOTE: Neither UCLA Health (nor any organization that recruits on their behalf) will ever ask for any money or payments from applicants, at any point in the recruitment process. All individuals who receive an employment offer from UCLA Health (directly or indirectly) will always be required to go through a formal recruitment process, which will always involve a virtual or in-person meeting with a UCLA Health employee or representative. Do not disclose your personal or financial details to anyone you do not know.

Career Opportunities at UCLA Health

UCLA Health offers a wide array of career paths for individuals passionate about healthcare and innovation. Whether your expertise lies in research, nursing, allied health, information technology, or non-clinical roles, UCLA Health provides opportunities to contribute to their mission of delivering world-class care.

Research: You’re inspired to deliver life-saving breakthroughs, innovative therapies, and next-generation technologies. Through your vision, tenacity, and dedication, you’ll redefine human health and patient care.
Nursing: From Magnet® designated patient care to nursing leadership, nursing research and more, UCLA Health has an exciting variety of ways for you to make the most of your passion for nursing excellence.
Allied Health: From rehab to lab, radiology to pharmacy, and much more, they offer you the ability to live out your passion and make the most of your specialized expertise.
Information Technology: If using sophisticated technology to make a difference in people’s lives inspires you, UCLA Health has a variety of ways for you to help them bring advanced innovation to life.
Non-Clinical: Even if you don’t work directly with patients, your passion for helping others can come shining through. Take a look at their wide variety of life-changing, non-clinical roles.
Nursing New Graduate: You have a tremendous passion for nursing and learning. And they have exciting new grad opportunities that can help get your career off to a great start.
Allied Health Residencies: Elevate your expertise by working alongside some of the most skilled, experienced, and passionate professionals around.
Internships & Fellowships: Use your classroom education to make a real-world impact. Explore the many ways you can be inspired through important, career-defining experiences.

Take the first step and live out YOUR PASSION. Discover opportunities to take your practice to another level. Ready to launch an amazing career with us? Let’s get started! Already a UCLA Health employee? Explore new directions for your career.

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