Welcome to Greater Lawrence Family Health Center

Information for New Patients

What is Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH)? 

Patient Centered Medical Home is a team-based approach to providing healthcare that is tailored specifically to you based upon your individual needs and goals. Your PCMH team will work with you to help you get, and stay, as healthy as you can be.  

How does Patient Centered Medical Home Work? 

The goal of this care model is to provide high quality individualized care, help lower medical costs, and improve your experience as a patient by focusing on your entire health and wellbeing.  

Patient Centered Medical Home focuses on: 

• Safety 
• Personalized & Comprehensive Care 
• Communication 
• Accessibility 
• Coordination 
• Continuity 
• Prevention 

Who Is On My Team? 

You are at the center of your personal care team. Without your input, we would be unable to tailor a plan specific to your needs. For this reason, it is very important that you be an active participant in your own plan of care. Other members of your team include: 

• Your Primary Care Clinician 
• Nurses 
• Medical Assistants 
• Clinical Educators 
• Social workers 
• Specialists 
• Other members based upon your needs 

Who Will Manage My Medications? 

Now that you are a GLFHC patient, our pharmacy services will be directly integrated into your care plan — meaning your nurses, doctors and pharmacists will work together to make sure you get the best care possible.  

Need additional support in managing your medications? Our Clinical Pharmacists are part of a multi- disciplinary team providing comprehensive patient care to improve health outcomes. They can help with understanding how to take your medications, what your medications are and how they help you, and monitoring their effectiveness.  

What Will My PCMH Team Do? 

Your care team will strive to: 

• Provide a safe and healthy environment. 
• Ensure all health care decisions are evidence based. *  
• Partner with you in making your healthcare decisions. 
• Coordinate with you, your authorized representatives and other health providers. 
• Keep you informed and on-track by providing: 
• Health Coaching 
• Self-Care Management Support 
• Health Resources 
• Preventative Care 
• Tailored Care 

 Your team will coordinate: 

• Yearly physical exams 
• Sick visits 
• Routine health care 
• Referrals to specialists and hospitals if needed 

 Based upon your personal needs, your team may also coordinate: 

• Pharmacy support for medication questions 
• Nutritional guidance related to healthy eating 
• Behavioral health services 
• Women’s health services 
• Sports medicine 
• Dermatology 
• High-risk obstetrics 
• Healthcare for the homeless 
• Community support services 
• Social services 
• Substance abuse counseling and treatment 
• Education related to diabetes and/or asthma 
• HIV/AIDS screening and counseling 
• Transgender care 
• Assistance with insurances/documents/forms 
• Telehealth Appointment if Clinically Appropriate 

What is My Role? 

The most important thing you can do as a patient is to be an active member of your team! This means partnering with your Primary Care Clinician, our staff, and any specialists who are part of your team in a manner that is open, honest, and focused on your goals. 

You can help us coordinate care by: 

• Informing us of any new illnesses or medication changes made by providers outside of GLFHC. 
• Notifying us of any hospital stays, urgent care or emergency room visits. 
• Informing us of any visits with providers outside of GLFHC, and authorizing them to coordinate with us. 
• Letting us know if you had medical tests, lab work or imaging outside of GLFHC. 

You can participate in your care by: 

• Partnering with your team when making decisions about your health.
• Following treatment plans and self-care management directions.
• Asking for help if you don’t fully understand something.
• Communicating with us if you are unable to take your medicine or follow through with your care plan.
• Contacting us with any new or additional health care needs.
• Giving us feedback so we can improve our services.

You can sign up for our Patient Portal which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for: 

• Safe and secure communication with us 
• Accessing personal medical information 
• Viewing, requesting and canceling appointments 
• Checking lab results 
• Requesting refills for existing medication 
• Asking non-urgent health questions 
• Information on bills, insurance, referrals and community resources 
• Requesting school forms 
• Managing all your kids’ appointments and information using one account 

You can prepare for your New Patient Visit by: 

• Making a list of other health care providers you have visited in the past and the reasons you visited them. 
• Working with us to obtain previous medical records prior to your first visit. 
• Preparing a list of your medical history and the medical history of your parents, siblings and children. 
• Preparing a list of your allergies, recent tests, hospitalizations, and emergency department visits. 
• Taking all of your medicines, in their original containers, to your appointment. 
• Bringing a list of your health questions, concerns and goals 

What If I Need an Urgent Appointment? 

GLFHC patients who need clinical advice or who may need an urgent care appointment can call our 24-hour main line at (978) 686-0090. Night and weekend appointments are available. Not sure if your issue is emergent, urgent or non-urgent? 

Call 911 or go to an emergency room if you are experiencing: 

• Difficulty breathing 
• Shortness of breath 
• Chest pain 
• Choking 
• Face or limb numbness 
• Prenatal abdominal pain, bleeding or swelling 
• Fainting, sudden dizziness, weakness 
• Changes in vision, slurred speech or facial droop 
• Confusion or changes in mental status 
• Any sudden or severe pain 
• Uncontrolled bleeding 
• Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhea 
• Coughing or vomiting blood 
• Suicidal feelings 
• Unusual abdominal pain/pressure 

Call GLFHC or walk in to one of our sites for a same day visit for: 

• Allergies and asthma 
• Coughs and colds 
• Sinus infections 
• Sore throats and ear aches 
• Bronchitis and respiratory infections 
• Eye irritations and infections 
• Fevers and flu-like symptoms 
• Upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea 
• Complicated insect bites 
• Sprains and strains 
• First and second-degree burns 
• Minor cuts, lacerations, scrapes and bruises 
• New skin rashes 
• Urinary and vaginal infections 
• Sexually transmitted diseases 
• New back pain 
• Severe migraine headaches 
• Minor occupational injuries 

Call or use our Patient Portal to request an appointment or send a message to the nurse for: 

• Hospital discharge 
• Recent emergency room visit 
• Physicals for sports, camp, school, or the Department of Transportation 
• Annual wellness visits 
• Immunizations/vaccinations 
• Lab or imaging results review 
• Return to work letters 
• Requests for Medical Equipment 
• Referral requests or questions 
• Prescription refill requests 
• Medication questions 
• Pre-existing pain 
• Pre-existing conditions 

Other Important Information 

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to visit one of our clinics or give us a call at (978) 686-0090. 

• To schedule an appointment, call (978) 686-0090. 
• To request a medical record transfer, fill out our Authorization for Release of Protected Health Information Form and send it to: Health Information Management, 401 Griffin Brook Drive, Methuen, MA 01844. Phone (978) 686-2497 x8570. 
• We are partnered with Lawrence General Hospital and are member of Community Care Cooperative (C3), a community health center-led MassHealth primary care accountable care organization. 
• Community Resources can be found  on our Social Determinants of Health Resource Resource page at  https://glfhc.org/community-based-services-resources/. 
• Resources include food insecurity, transportation, utilities, housing, financial trouble, literacy, immigration and violence. Resources are available in both English and Spanish.

*Evidence Based Practice 

Evidence based practice is the combining of each clinician’s knowledge and expertise with the most current and relevant medical research available. This wealth of knowledge is then used to guide and shape each patient’s individual plan of care with the goal of providing the best possible outcomes. 

Resources include: 

• The Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers (Mass League) 
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
• The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 
• The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) 
• The Joint Commission (TJC) 
• The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) 
• The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)