You shouldn’t have to take off work to see your doctor or find childcare to get a flu shot. If you have trouble physically getting to office appointments or no one to coordinate and guide your overall care, there is a path forward with GBMC HealthCare.
GBMC Health Partners Primary Care—Jonestown, located at 1017 E. Baltimore Street, offers family medicine and pediatric services to Baltimore City and takes a proactive approach to managing your health.
In 2019, a diabetes diagnosis landed Arvea Woolridge in the hospital.
“When I left to go home, my A1C was really high,” she said.
But with the support of her “tag team” at GBMC Health Partners Primary Care, she was able to manage her new diagnosis.
“Nurse Ann called me every day to make sure I was eating properly and checking my numbers,” Woolridge said. “By the time I came in for my follow-up visit, my A1C had come down from 11.7 to 6.9. Even afterward, she would call me off and on to check on me and that makes a difference because you don’t get that from a lot of places that you go to.”
GBMC’s approach focuses on convenience, with extended hours and access to medical records and the ability to message providers directly with MyChart, a secure online portal that provides 24/7 accessibility to request an appointment, refill a prescription, view test results, and ask non-urgent questions to your care team.
This comprehensive and coordinated approach to care relies on trust and accountability. From the first visit, patients will feel supported with regular follow-ups, coordinated referrals to specialists if needed, and health coaching.
“The first thing I always tell people when they’re looking for a primary care doctor is to find one that’s actually going to listen and when I met Dr. [Kathleen] Mathey, she did just that. She listened; she heard what I had to say before she preceded on with the exam,” Woolridge said.
Listening requires attention to what patients say about their physical health but also what other barriers might be preventing them from achieving good health.
A lack of access to reasonably-priced, healthy food, reliable transportation, quality, culturally competent mental health and more are all barriers to overall health. GBMC works alongside more than 10 nonprofits and community organizations, including Bmore Community Food, Live Chair Health and Maryland Volunteer Lawyer Services to ensure patients have access to fresh groceries, fitness programs, legal and insurance help, mental health services, wellness programs and more, with the ultimate goal of empowering individuals in their own health.
“I love GBMC. I’ve had all three of my kids here and now my primary care is here,” Woolridge said. “They aren’t just here for a paycheck. You are actually involved with a team of people who are working together toward the common goal of seeing to it that your health becomes better.”
