In a health care landscape often defined by quick visits and fragmented care, Premier Family Physicians in Austin is taking a different approach, one rooted in long-term relationships, proactive care and a deep understanding of patients across every stage of life.
For Chief Medical Officer Gurneet Kohli, MD, continuity of care isn’t simply about seeing the same provider when a patient gets sick; it’s about building an ongoing partnership that evolves as a patient’s needs change. This allows providers to anticipate problems, manage chronic conditions and intervene before small issues become serious ones.
“At Premier Family Physicians, continuity of care means that you get to see your care team on a regular basis, proactively, at a frequency that is determined by the overall health of the patient,” Dr. Kohli said.
Connecting the dots: why trends matter
One of the most powerful benefits of continuity is a provider’s ability to recognize subtle changes over time.
Dr. Kohli shared that long-term patient relationships often allow physicians to identify trends in lab work or symptoms that might otherwise go unnoticed.
In one example, a patient with severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, had been hospitalized every few months due to breathing complications. Once her care team began seeing her more frequently, they were able to adjust inhalers, prescribe rescue medications ahead of anticipated flare-ups and educate her on recognizing early warning signs. The result: fewer hospital visits and better day-to-day management of her condition.
This proactive model is especially critical for patients with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and congestive heart failure: conditions that require regular monitoring to prevent long-term damage.
“It is very important to manage these conditions regularly and keep them under control before they start damaging vital organs and lead to heart attacks or strokes,” Dr. Kohli said.
Building trust, one visit at a time
Many patients initially misunderstand what continuity of care truly means. Rather than only visiting a provider when something feels wrong, Premier Family Physicians emphasizes regular check-ins tailored to a patient’s risk factors, even when they’re feeling well.
Over time, this consistency builds trust. Providers learn how patients communicate, how they respond to information and when something feels “off”—sometimes before a patient even says a word.
“The provider can sense something is wrong with the patient just by the way he greets her,” Dr. Kohli said.
That mutual trust also makes patients more likely to follow medical advice, helping achieve better outcomes.
Evolving care as patients age
As patients live longer with chronic conditions, Premier Family Physicians has expanded its services to better support aging populations.
Some of these services include:
- Proactive scheduling
- Care management teams
- Transportation assistance
- At-home visits for patients who can’t travel
- A 24-hour triage line
The practice has also added in-office wound care and bone density medication infusions in response to gaps patients were experiencing elsewhere in the community. Feedback from physicians, advanced practice providers and patients themselves continues to shape how services evolve.
Filling the gaps in the health care system
For Dr. Kohli, the stakes are personal. Reflecting on his time working in hospitals, he recalled seeing patients arrive with advanced illnesses that might have been prevented with consistent primary care.
“When I used to work at the hospital, it used to break my heart to see patients show up with end-stage heart disease or end-stage cancer, which could have been caught and treated a couple of years ago if they had a good primary care doctor,” he said.
That experience continues to drive Premier Family Physicians’ mission: to create a system of care that grows with patients, adapts to their needs and helps them stay healthier for the long term.
For many patients, once they experience this approach, the value becomes immediately clear, and the relationship becomes one they rely on for years to come.
Click here to learn more about Premier Family Physicians, or click here to schedule an appointment today.
A list of locations can be found here.
The above story was produced by Multi-Platform Journalist Sydney Heller with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.
