Getting care

It's important to understand the different types of care available and how to make an appointment at Prevea Health.

young female doctor speaking to young female black patient in exam room young female doctor speaking to young female black patient in exam room

After checking on your health insurance and finding out what your health care costs might be, it’s now time to seek care, and you may have more questions. For instance, what type of care is available? Do I need to physically go in and see a doctor? Thankfully, Prevea Health has options to help you navigate your care and get you the care you need, when you need it.

Flexible care options

If you’re looking for medical advice, or you’re not sure if you should go to an urgent care or schedule an appointment, you can: 

If you’re not sure when to choose emergency care, urgent care or call Prevea Care After Hours, click here.

Prevea Care After Hours – 24/7 Phone Nurse

As a Prevea patient, you can seek medical advice whether it’s about an injury, illness or medical question from a registered nurse anytime, day or night, at no charge. Call today to get started. 

Message to your doctor through MyChart

Prevea Health and our HSHS hospital partners offer a secure online patient portal called MyChart. If you’ve seen a Prevea or HSHS physician or provider, you can message them through their versions of MyChart - called MyPrevea and MyHSHS. MyPrevea and MyHSHS both have a website and a mobile app. If you don’t have an account, you can sign up for free at myprevea.com or mychartportal.org/myhshs  or by downloading the apps on any mobile device. 

In addition to messaging your doctor, MyPrevea and MyHSHS give you 24-hour access to your personal health information from a computer or mobile device. MyPrevea and MyHSHS have safeguards in place so your health information is private, secure and protected, including a secure connection and encrypted, password-protected logon. 

For more information about MyPrevea and MyHSHS, including a complete list of features, click here

Start a virtual visit 

Prevea Virtual Care  uses an online platform that makes it simple to get care on your schedule. No appointment is needed, there are no waiting rooms and it’s accessible 24/7 from any web-enabled device.

You’ll receive quality care from a trusted Prevea Virtual Care physician or provider for $35. Most visits take just 15 minutes. Learn more or start a virtual visit

You know you need to go in to see a doctor. Now what?

If you know you need to see someone in person, you can either walk in for care the same day or schedule an appointment for another day in the future.

Walk-in care 

If you need immediate medical attention, you can walk into any hospital emergency department or urgent care location for care. You do not need to schedule an appointment ahead of time to see a doctor in urgent or emergency situations.  

Never forgo or delay seeking any type of emergency medical care. First responders and emergency medical experts are always ready to care for you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 911 or go directly to your nearest hospital emergency department in the case of a medical emergency, such as severe bleeding that won’t stop; choking; trouble breathing or talking; fainting or loss of consciousness; arm, chest or jaw pain; etc. 

For less emergent concerns that still require immediate medical attention, such as minor cuts, injuries, sprains or fractures; diarrhea and vomiting; fever, flu, colds; sinus, ear or eye infections; etc., Prevea has walk-in urgent care clinics available during the week and on weekends. Prevea Urgent Care is available for every member of your family – including infants.  Click here for a list of urgent care services, locations and hours. 

For your convenience, you can make an online reservation with our online feature, Save My Spot, which allows you to make a reservation at the Prevea Urgent Care of your choice from any web-enabled device. View urgent care locations and click “Reserve a Spot” to save your spot. 

Routine and specialty care

If you don’t need immediate medical attention, you will likely see a medical provider in a primary care or a specialty care department. 

It’s recommended to have a primary care provider (PCP) regardless of your age. For routine physicals and health screenings, unexpected illnesses or new aches or pains, primary care providers are your go-to medical providers. They include pediatricians; family medicine physicians and providers; and internal medicine physicians and providers. Children can establish with a pediatrician or family medicine provider for their PCP while adults can establish with a family medicine or internal medicine provider.

Depending on your medical needs, your primary care provider may suggest you see a specialist who has advanced training in a specific area of medical care. Sometimes a referral is required by insurance companies to see a specialist. If your provider determines you need a specialist, and your insurance company requires a referral, your PCP will provide you with a referral. You may also decide for yourself if you would like to see a specialist and want to schedule an appointment directly with someone. It’s always recommended to message your PCP and check with your insurance to confirm whether you need a referral to see a specialist. 

Schedule an appointment

When seeking medical care in primary or specialty care, you will likely need to schedule an appointment. There are a couple different ways you can schedule an appointment with Prevea Health. 

If you aren’t sure what number to call, you can always call Prevea's main line at (920) 496-4700 or (888) 277-3832. Our knowledgeable staff will get you to the right department.
We’re dedicated to providing scheduling options that work for you, when you need it. Whether our office is closed or you prefer to schedule online, you can schedule an appointment with many of our providers online.
If you’re already established with a doctor and you can’t make it to one of our health centers, some of our medical specialties offer phone or video appointments. It’s best to call your physician or provider to find out what options are available for you. 

Finding a provider

Unless you are seeking urgent care at one of our health centers or emergency care at one of our partner hospitals, you have the option of choosing which doctor you’d like to see, based on your health care needs and where you would like to receive care. If you don’t want to choose a doctor, we can choose one for you. 

If you aren’t sure what type of medical provider or doctor you need, you can call Prevea and ask to talk to someone about provider options. Phone numbers can be found for each specialty at prevea.com/medical-services or you can call Prevea’s main phone number at (920) 496-4700 or (888) 277-3832, and we will redirect your call. 

When you’re looking for a doctor for yourself or a loved one, it can feel overwhelming. There are many options and it's important to feel comfortable and confident with your doctor. This is where biographies and bio videos come in handy, as you can get a feel for the physician or provider’s personality and philosophy of care. In addition, doctors and different types of providers come with various titles and credentials, or letters, listed after their names. For example, MD or DO. These credentials indicate the type of degree, schooling, training and licensing they’ve completed to become a doctor or medical provider. 

  1. What is the difference between a DO and MD? Physicians, psychiatrists and surgeons make up a variety of different medical specialties – some care for your entire body or people of specific ages, while others specialize in specific parts of your body. They are licensed as a medical doctor (MD), doctor of osteopathy (DO) or doctor of podiatric medicine (DPM). 
  2. What are Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners? Advanced practice providers (APP) are licensed as either physician assistants (PA-C) or advanced practice nurse practitioners (APNP). These providers also make up a variety of different medical specialties. 
  3. What is a Midwife? Midwives with advanced training are licensed as certified nurse-midwives (CNM). These providers specialize in caring for women. 
  4. What is a sports medicine and family medicine physician? A sports medicine and family medicine physician is trained in family medicine or internal medicine as well as non-operative medical fields like orthopedics and sports medicine. 
  • Audiologists are doctors of audiology (AuD) who specialize in ear care
  • Optometrists are Doctors of Optometry (OD) who specialize in eye care
  • Chiropractors are Doctors of Chiropractic (DC) who specialize in spine care
  • In addition to psychiatrists, there are many types of mental health providers. Advanced practice providers can specialize in mental health, along with psychologists and counselors or therapists. Doctors of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology are licensed as psychologists (PsyD or PhD). Counselors, or therapists, can include Advanced Practice Social Workers (APSW), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT), Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC), Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) or Substance Abuse Counselors (SAC or CSAC) Learn more.  
  • Physical therapists (DPT, PT, PTA), occupational therapists (OT, OTA) and speech therapists (SLP) specialize in helping individuals avoid surgery, prepare for and recover from surgery, relieve pain and manage various chronic conditions. Learn more. 

Prepare for your appointment

Be ready for your appointment by knowing who you will see and plan for what you want to discuss with your physician or provider.