Finding a Preferred Provider is a lot like finding a spouse. At first you just hook up with whoever will fill your needs at the moment. If you are lucky, you won’t suffer any lasting side effects. Eventually you find yourself employed, with medical insurance, and making a list of requirements-1) takes my insurance; 2) convenient location; 3) knowledgeable; and 4) available. Allina meets these and the many requirements I’ve discovered needing since our meeting.
Our meeting happened about twelve years ago. Healthcare became a high priority for my husband and I when we decided to have children. Being gainfully employed, I called my medical insurance provider for an OBGYN referral. Dr. Portia Jones was a family doctor as well as an OBGYN. The West Saint Paul clinic was convenient and when I met her I knew it was a good choice. She was no nonsense, frank speaking, and a down-to-earth doctor. She spoke excitedly about balancing proven experience with new research and a wealth of medical expertise in the Twin Cities area.
Shortly before forming our birth plan, Dr. Jones informed me she was moving and could no longer be my doctor. She assured me the clinic had many other fine doctors and gave me several names to check out. The one who happen to be available for my next appointment was Dr. Jessica Dailey. Other than being much smaller, she was every bit of what I appreciated in Dr. Jones.
As wonderful as Dr. Dailey is, I was at first put off by her lack of availability. She even missed the birth of my first born. That disappointment was short lived. Fortunately she is part of a clinic with more like her. We have been treated by Dr. Borrows, Dr. Cady, Dr. Clay, Dr. Defor, and the wonderful Elizabeth Ezell, PA-C. I first met Ezell when she was the aid who did the preliminary checks-height, weight, blood pressure, etc.-before Dr. Dailey would see you. Now she is a top choice when my kids have an illness worrying me.
As I write this I have two children home sick–one with high fever, nausea, and severe fatigue; the other with a slight fever, a non-stop boogery nose, and a mildly sore throat. I decided against a doctor visit, but after I confidently shared my diagnosis with their dad, I snuck off to get confirmation from the Internet. Generally seeking advice from the Internet is a gamble, but I know I can trust Allina.com.
The second tab on the top is “Conditions & Treatments.” The next page is an A-Z index of conditions. I scroll down and click on “colds / coughs / sore throats.” The information isn’t anything I didn’t already know after a decade of parenting, but it is everything I need to bolster my confidence in caring for my kids.
I also use Allina’s MyChart online quite frequently. My husband’s account is linked with mine so we can check on each other’s lab results as well as the kids. It clearly list prescriptions and immunizations making it a handy resource for the health forms we fill out regularly for scout camps.
Allina.com is my one stop shop for healthcare management while Allina’s West St. Paul clinic is a convenient location when I need a provider in person. At Allina.com I can look up conditions & treatments, make an appointment for doctor or lab work, find referrals for specialists, send questions to my doctor, check on my lab results, refill a prescription, inquire about my bill, and likely more that I have not even discovered yet.
Wherever I go in the Allina system, I find friendly caring people. So far I have experienced the West St. Paul clinic, United Hospital in St. Paul, the Woodbury clinic, the billing call center, and the clinic after-hours answering service. Everyone has been incredibly patient and helpful.
Allina is my preferred provider because it meets all my requirements. It works with my Health Partners insurance. It has convenient physical locations as well as an awesome online presence. Its employees are knowledgeable, resourceful, and caring. My doctors are intelligent, good listeners who respect my opinion and give me the facts for making informed decisions. Plus they are willing to do research if I have a question they can’t immediately answer. I can always find at least one of my preferred doctors available when I need them. I cannot imagine a better healthcare provider than Allina.
