Primary Care & Specialty Care - Dignity Health Medical Group - Merced, CA

The family medicine physicians at Primary Care & Specialty Care at Dignity Health Medical Group – Merced provide complete care for your entire family, diagnosing and treating a variety of health conditions and diseases for patients of all ages. When you need more than routine care, we also offer access to specialists in: 

• Cardiology

• Ear, nose and throat (ENT)

• Endocrine surgery

• Orthopedic surgery

• Sports medicine

• Women’s health

A primary care provider (PCP) is a health care professional you see for many health concerns. PCPs include family medicine doctors and advanced practice providers (APPs), such as nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs).

Our team of family medicine physicians offers a full range of services to men, women and children. Our family medicine services include:

• Assessment and referral to medical specialties

• Follow-up after an inpatient hospital stay or outpatient surgery

• Immunizations, including flu shots

• Physical exams

• Preoperative evaluations

• Preventive care, including nutritional counseling and tips for staying healthy

• Mental health counseling

• Sick visits, including treatment for sore throats, sinus infections and more

• Weight management

• Well-child care, including regular checkups, physical exams and immunizations

• Well-woman care, including gynecological exams, pregnancy tests and maternity care

• Women’s health

An advanced practice provider (APP) is a health care professional who has advanced education and clinical training, allowing them to take on a broader scope of practice and perform tasks traditionally carried out by physicians. This category includes nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), certified nurse midwives (CNMs) and clinical nurse specialists (CNSs).

These professionals play a crucial role in providing health care services, including diagnosing and treating medical conditions, prescribing medications and offering preventive care. APPs are essential members of health care teams, contributing to the delivery of comprehensive and accessible patient care.

Our otolaryngologists (ear, nose and throat specialists) evaluate and treat patients with problems of the head and neck area, including: 

• Balance disorders, such as vertigo

• Chronic ear infections

• Chronic sinusitis

• Chronic sore throat

• Facial paralysis

• Hearing loss

• Obstructive sleep apnea

• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)

• Snoring

• Speech problems

• Swallowing disorders

• Tonsillitis

• Voice problems

Trained in both medicine and surgery, our team of experienced ear, nose and throat specialists perform a wide variety of procedures, including ear tube surgery, facial plastic surgery and reconstruction, parathyroid surgery (parathyroidectomy), sinus surgery, and throat and skin cancer surgeries.

An endocrine surgeon cares for disorders of the endocrine system — the system of glands that produces hormones. We treat these endocrine conditions: 

• Adrenal conditions: Benign and functional tumors (including Conn's syndrome, Cushing's syndrome and pheochromocytoma)

• Appendicitis

• Digestive disorders: Acid reflux, peptic ulcers and bowel obstructions

• Gallbladder disease: Gallstones, biliary colic, biliary dyskinesia, gallbladder polyps and gallbladder cancer

• Hernias

• Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN)

• Neuroendocrine tumors

• Parathyroid disease: Benign conditions and cancer

• Thyroid disease: Benign conditions and cancer

We perform these specialized procedures: 

• Adrenal surgery (adrenalectomy)

• Appendectomy

• Bowel obstruction surgery, including removal of adhesions

• Gallbladder cancer surgery

• Gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy)

• GERD surgery (Nissen fundoplication surgery)

• Hernia repairs, including inguinal, umbilical and ventral/incisional hernia repairs

• Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) surgery

• Parathyroid surgery (parathyroidectomy)

• Soft tissue tumor removal

• Surgery for peptic ulcer disease, including ulcer repair and partial gastrectomy

• Thyroglossal duct cyst removal

• Thyroid surgeries, including thyroidectomy (partial or total), dissection to remove nodes and fine needle biopsies

When possible, our surgeons use advanced, minimally invasive laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgery techniques to promote better outcomes.

Sports injuries shouldn't keep you on the sideline. Our team at Primary Care & Specialty Care at Dignity Health Medical Group – Merced wants to help you get back out and do the things you love. We treat a variety of sports medicine conditions, including:

• Ankle problems and injuries

• Concussions

• Foot pain and sprains

• Hip problems and injuries

• Knee problems and injuries

• Low back pain

• Shoulder problems and injuries

To get you back on your feet, our sports medicine team offers these services: care for bone fractures, injury prevention, orthopedic surgery, physical therapy, sports nutrition, and strength and conditioning.

Our team delivers expert care for orthopedic injuries, offering surgical options including:

• Arthroscopic surgery

• Hand and wrist surgery

• Joint arthroplasty

• Joint resurfacing

• Knee arthritis treatment

• Knee surgery

• Reconstruction procedures, including ACL reconstruction

• Shoulder surgery

• Surgical care of fractures

• Total joint replacements, including hip and knee

Our hand surgeon at Primary Care & Specialty Care at Dignity Health Medical Group – Merced is highly trained and experienced in treating a wide range of hand conditions, including:

• Arthritis

• Carpal tunnel syndrome

• Dupuytren’s disease

• Hand and wrist sprains

• Injuries to the ligaments and tendons in the hand, wrist or forearm

• Nerve injuries

• Trauma-related injuries, such as compound fractures or dislocations

• Trigger finger

Our board-certified cardiologist is dedicated to helping you keep your heart strong and healthy, treating these conditions:

• Atrial fibrillation

• Aneurysms

• Angina (chest pain)

• Arrhythmias

• Arterial diseases

• Atherosclerosis

• Blood clots

• Bradycardia

• Cardiac arrest

• Cardiomegaly

• Cardiomyopathy

• Heart attack

• Heart failure

• Heart valve problems

• High blood pressure

• High cholesterol

• Limb ischemia

• Mesenteric artery stenosis

• Occlusions

• Pericardial effusion

• Pericarditis

• Pulmonary arterial disease

• Pulmonary embolism

• Stroke and TIA

• Varicose veins

• Venous problems

To treat these conditions, we provide: 

• Arrhythmia care

• Cardiac catheterization (diagnostic and interventional)

• Cardiac peripheral interventions

• Cardiac resynchronization therapy

• Echocardiograms and cardiac stress testing

• Pacemaker and defibrillator implants

• Radial artery access cardiac catheterization

Our women’s health specialists care for all aspects of your reproductive care, from annual well-woman exams to testing and treatment. We offer gynecological care to treat: 

• Abnormal bleeding

• Complex menopause symptoms

• Cervical insufficiency

• Cystocele

• Endometrial polyp

• Endometriosis

• Isthmocele (uterine niche)

• Menstrual disorders

• Ovarian cyst

• Pelvic health

• Rectocele

• Sexual problems and disorders 

• Urinary issues, including urinary incontinence

• Uterine adenomyosis

• Uterine anomalies

• Uterine fibroids (leiomyomas)