Internal Medicine in Melbourne, FL
What Is Internal Medicine?
Internal medicine is a medical specialty focused on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of health conditions affecting adults.
Physicians who specialize in internal medicine are often called internists.
Because adults can have several health concerns at the same time, internal medicine physicians are trained to look at the whole patient and understand how different conditions, medications and risk factors may interact.
An internal medicine physician can also serve as your primary care doctor, providing ongoing care throughout adulthood.
That means you don't have to wait until something is wrong to make an appointment.
Your internist can help you stay on top of your health when you feel well—and help you determine the appropriate next steps when you don't.
What Does an Internal Medicine Doctor Do?
An internal medicine physician can be your primary point of contact for many of your healthcare needs.
Depending on your individual health, this may include:
● Preventive healthcare
● Routine wellness visits
● Medicare Annual Wellness Visits
● Chronic disease management
● Blood pressure monitoring
● Diabetes management
● Cholesterol management
● Weight and lifestyle discussions
● Medication management
● Sick visits
● Evaluation of new symptoms
● Follow-up care
● Coordination with specialists
● Diagnostic testing when appropriate
The benefit of internal medicine is that these services aren't viewed separately.
Your provider considers your health history, medications, risk factors and existing conditions when evaluating your current needs.
Why Should I Have a Primary Care Doctor?
It's easy to think of healthcare as something you need only when you're sick.
But an ongoing relationship with a primary care physician can be an important part of protecting your health.
Your primary care provider gets to know you, not just the reason for today's appointment.
Over time, your medical record creates a more complete picture of your health, including your:
● Medical history
● Medications
● Allergies
● Previous test results
● Chronic conditions
● Preventive screening history
● Family history
● Health risks
● Changes in symptoms or measurements
That information can provide valuable context when something changes.
Instead of starting over each time you need medical attention, you have an established healthcare team that understands your history.
Preventive Care: Don't Wait Until You're Sick
Some of the most important conversations you have with your doctor may happen when you feel perfectly healthy.
Preventive healthcare focuses on identifying risks and maintaining your health before a problem becomes more complicated.
Depending on your age, medical history and individual risk factors, your internal medicine provider may discuss:
Blood Pressure
High blood pressure often doesn't cause noticeable symptoms. Regular monitoring can help identify changes that may need attention.
Cholesterol
Your cholesterol levels are one factor your provider may consider when evaluating your cardiovascular health and overall risk.
Blood Sugar
Monitoring blood sugar may help identify diabetes or increased risk for developing diabetes.
Preventive Screenings
Your provider can help determine which age- and risk-appropriate preventive screenings may be recommended for you.
Vaccinations
Preventive visits are an opportunity to review your immunization history and discuss vaccinations that may be appropriate.
Lifestyle and Wellness
Nutrition, physical activity, sleep, weight and other lifestyle factors can play an important role in your overall health.
Preventive care is not about following the same checklist for every patient.
It's about determining what makes sense for you.
Chronic Disease Management
Living with a chronic health condition often means managing your health every day—not just when symptoms appear.
Conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol may require ongoing monitoring, medication management and follow-up.
Your internal medicine provider can help evaluate how you're doing over time and determine when your care plan may need to change.
This becomes especially valuable when you're managing more than one condition.
Different conditions and medications can overlap. An internal medicine physician can look at your overall health rather than treating each concern as if it exists by itself.
Managing Multiple Health Conditions
As healthcare needs become more complex, having a physician who understands the complete picture can become increasingly important.
You may see several specialists for different medical conditions.
Your internal medicine physician can remain a central part of your healthcare team by helping you keep track of your overall health and coordinating care when appropriate.
That may include reviewing medications, monitoring chronic conditions, following up on testing and helping determine when specialist care is needed.
Sick Today? Call Your Primary Care Office
Internal medicine isn't only preventive and chronic care.
Sometimes you simply wake up feeling sick.
For an appropriate non-emergency illness or new medical concern, your primary care office can be a good place to start.
At Suntree Internal Medicine, same-day appointments are available based on provider and scheduling availability.
Seeing your established primary care team can have an important advantage: they have access to your medical history.
They can consider today's symptoms in the context of your existing conditions, medications, allergies and previous care.
Feeling sick or concerned about a new symptom? Call 321-259-9500 to ask about appointment availability.
Convenient Diagnostic Services
Sometimes an office visit raises questions that require additional information.
Suntree Internal Medicine provides access to a variety of diagnostic and monitoring services that may be recommended by your provider based on your individual medical needs.
Available services include:
● EKG
● Holter monitoring
● Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
● Glucose monitoring
● Spirometry
● Ultrasound
● Diagnostic laboratory testing
Having access to diagnostic services through your primary care practice can help your provider evaluate and monitor certain conditions while maintaining continuity of care.
Testing is based on individual medical need and provider recommendations.
Internal Medicine vs. Family Medicine: What's the Difference?
Both internal medicine physicians and family medicine physicians can provide primary care, but their training and patient populations differ.
Internal medicine focuses specifically on adult medicine.
Family medicine physicians typically provide care across a wider age range, which can include children and adults.
For adults looking for a physician whose specialty is centered on adult health, an internal medicine practice may be a good fit.
Internal Medicine vs. Urgent Care
Urgent care can play an important role when you need treatment for certain immediate, non-life-threatening medical concerns.
But urgent care and primary care serve different purposes.
Urgent care generally focuses on the medical issue that brought you in that day.
Primary care is built around an ongoing relationship.
Your primary care physician can help with today's health concern while also understanding how it relates to your medications, chronic conditions, preventive needs and previous medical
history.
And at Suntree Internal Medicine, you don't necessarily have to choose urgent care simply because it's the weekend.
Our Suntree/Melbourne office offers Saturday and Sunday hours, giving patients another option for accessing primary care.
For potentially life-threatening symptoms or medical emergencies, call 911 or seek emergency medical care.
Looking for a New Primary Care Doctor in
Melbourne, FL?
Choosing a new primary care physician is an important decision.
You want a healthcare team that can care for you when you're sick but also help you stay engaged with your health when you're feeling well.
Suntree Internal Medicine has served the Melbourne area since 2002.
Our board-certified physicians focus on adult internal medicine, preventive healthcare, chronic disease management and personalized wellness.
Whether you've recently moved to Brevard County, need to establish with a new primary care physician or simply want a practice that offers convenient access to care, we welcome the opportunity to care for you.
New Patients Welcome
Establishing care before you need it means you have a healthcare team to call when something changes.
[ESTABLISH CARE / SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT]
Call 321-259-9500
Primary Care That Fits Real Life
We know it isn't always easy to fit a doctor's appointment into your schedule.
That's why convenient access to care matters.
Suntree Internal Medicine offers:
Same-Day Appointment Availability
When appropriate and available, same-day appointments can help you address health concerns without unnecessarily delaying care.
Extended Weekday Hours
Our Suntree/Melbourne location offers extended hours Monday through Friday.
Saturday & Sunday Hours
Our Suntree/Melbourne office is open on weekends, giving patients additional options when weekday appointments aren't convenient or an unexpected health concern develops.
Preventive & Ongoing Care
We're here when you're sick—but we also want to see you when you're well.
Diagnostic Services
Our practice offers access to several diagnostic and monitoring services when medically appropriate.
Internal Medicine in Suntree, Melbourne &
Brevard County
Suntree / Melbourne Office
6619 N. Wickham Road
Melbourne, FL 32940
Monday–Friday: 7:00 AM–6:00 PM
Saturday–Sunday: 8:00 AM–2:00 PM
Call 321-259-9500
Suntree Internal Medicine also serves patients from Viera and surrounding Brevard County communities.
[SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT]
Medicare Annual Wellness Visit FAQs
Your Health. Your Primary Care Team.
Whether you need help managing an ongoing medical condition, are due for preventive care, woke up feeling sick or simply want to establish with an internal medicine physician who can get
to know your health over time, we're here.
At Suntree Internal Medicine, primary care is about more than treating today's problem.
It's about building a relationship that helps you manage your health for the years ahead.
Ready to Schedule?
[SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT]
Call 321-259-9500
New and established patients welcome.