Why Choose Munson Family Practice

Munson Family Practice Center is a family practice office that is also an educational facility. We treat patients of all ages, from newborns to seniors, in partnership with Michigan State University’s residents.

At Munson Family Practice Center, patients have the benefit of a team. Our residents, faculty physicians and certified nurse practitioners work collaboratively to provide care that is specific to you.

The residents have completed medical school, have earned medical degrees, and are practicing in a supervised setting while they prepare for board certification as family practice specialists. At all times their work is under the direct supervision of one or more experienced, board-certified faculty physicians.

As a patient of this practice, you have the benefit of two physicians' care, as well as access to the latest medical equipment and techniques. 

By choosing Munson Family Practice Center for your care, you will not only receive quality medical care, but you will also be a part of educating new family physicians. Because of training schedules, your physician may not be available at certain times, which may require you to be seen by one of your physician's colleagues. This team approach often results in optimum care.

When a resident completes the three-year training program, you will have the option to remain a patient if your physician starts a local practice, or you may choose to continue your care at Munson Family Practice Center with another health care provider.

Patient-Centered Medical Home

Munson Family Practice Center is a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH), a trusted partnership between a physician-led health care team and patients. This includes an agreement between the physician and the patient that acknowledges the role each plays in the patient’s total health care program.

MSU Residency Program and Partnership

At Munson Family Practice Center, we are also a training practice in partnership with Michigan State University. This adds a higher level of quality to the care we give patients because it is individual, comprehensive and long-term. And it’s part of our mission.

Residents (doctors-in-training), faculty physicians and nurse practitioners provide medical care that integrates osteopathic and allopathic medicine. 

The residents have completed medical school, have earned medical degrees, and are practicing in a supervised setting as they prepare for board certification as family practice specialists. At all times their work is under the direct supervision of one or more experienced, board-certified faculty physicians.

Munson Family Practice Center is affiliated with the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM) and with the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (MSUCHM).

Call for an appointment: 231-935-8000.

Services

We practice the full range of family medicine and pride ourselves in taking care of whole families and the whole person.

Family Care

• Annual exams
• Newborn and pediatric care
• Pregnancy care and delivery
• Family planning
• Chronic disease management, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol
• Preventive medicine
• Cancer screenings
• Employment and DOT physicals
• Sports medicine and physicals
• Vaccinations
• Worker’s compensation evaluations
• Dermatology
• Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT)

Acute Care

• Osteopathic manipulation
• Acute infections
• Fractures and casting
• Injury evaluation and care

Geriatric Care

• Birchwood Nursing Center
• Bortz Health Care
• Grand Traverse Pavilions
• Assisted living settings
• Home care

Procedures

• Colposcopy
• IUD and other forms of birth control
• No scalpel vasectomy
• Minor surgical and skin procedures
• Casting and splinting

Case Management Service

Central to patient-centered care is our case management service. If you have a chronic or complex disease, you may need multiple health care services at one time. Our care management team works with you to create a plan that meets your needs and coordinates all aspects of your care. This includes reminders of upcoming tests, for example, so you receive complete care during your physician visits when your test results are available at that appointment.

Case management services aim to:

• Coordinate your appointments with multiple providers.
• Decrease your hospital and emergency room visits.
• Enhance your quality of life.
• Help you find information quickly.
• Meet your health goals.

We achieve this by:

• Helping you identify goals to improve your health.
• Planning your care with you.
• Reminding you of upcoming appointments.
• Exploring methods to help you care for yourself.
• Connecting you with community service agencies to supplement your care.

Patient Portal

As part of the transition to a new electronic health record provided by Cerner Health, our office recently introduced a new patient portal called MyHealthInfo.

MyHealthInfo makes it fast and easy to view your personal medical history including test results, clinical information, immunization records, and medication history. You also can securely message your doctor to discuss a concern, as well as request/reschedule or cancel an appointment, request a prescription refill, or update the personal information you have on file. Messages are sent securely and returned securely via the new portal.

Your MyHealthInfo patient portal will give you access to your medical records from our office, other offices on the same platform, as well as records from the hospital, all in one convenient location.

Log In to Your Patient Portal

Not Enrolled? There are 3 easy ways to sign up.

1. Enroll online. 
2. Call us at 231-935-2026 to enroll over the phone. A representative is available Monday-Thursday from 8 am - 5 pm. You'll be asked to provide three patient identifiers to confirm your identity. 
3. Enroll in person during your next visit. Just ask us when you check in.

Patient Resources

New Patients

Munson Family Practice Center is currently welcoming new patients.

In an effort to provide the best care possible, each patient is required to attend a new patient orientation before seeing a provider. During the orientation, we will gather a complete medical history and insurance information, introduce our office policies, assist patients in signing up for our patient portal, and take your picture. We will also provide a list of available resources and services, depending on each patient's needs. At the end of new patient orientation, we will set up an appointment for you to meet with your new provider. The orientation appointment is free and lasts about 45 minutes. Please call our office for more information or to schedule your new patient orientation.

Insurance and Payment Information

We require that services be paid in full on the day received, unless other arrangements are made ahead of time. Munson Family Practice Center works closely with several insurance carriers, so we can bill these carriers for you. However, any co-pay, deductible, or co-insurance amount must be paid on the date of service. You will be expected to present your insurance card at each visit.

We accept checks, cash, and credit card payments. A list of our charges is available at the front desk.

Some health insurances we participate with:

• ASR
• Aetna
• Blue Care Network
• Blue Care Network Advantage
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield
• CHAMPVA
• Cigna
• Cofinity/PPOM
• Consumers Mutual
• Federal Blue Cross/Blue Shield
• Medicaid(McLaren,Molina,and Meridian)
• Medicare/Medicare Plus Blue
• Priority Health (Priority Health Medicare and Priority Health Medicaid)
• Tricare
• United Healthcare

If you have any questions, please call us at 231-935-8000 and select option 5 to speak with billing. You may also send questions through our patient portal.

Appointments

Please call as soon as you realize that you need to see a physician or nurse practitioner. It is also necessary to schedule nurse visits for injections, glucose monitoring, and blood pressure checks. Every work day, we offer same-day appointments between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm. During this time, you may come in without an appointment if you have a new health problem or injury. For any health care need, please call our office and we will advocate for you. 

We understand that your schedule may change and you may need to cancel an appointment. Please inform us 24 hours in advance by calling 231-935-8000. If you are late, you may be asked to take a later appointment if one is available, or reschedule for another date and time. Our office uses an automated system to call and remind you of your appointment two days before your scheduled appointment. You can use several different language options to hear your message. If you cannot keep your appointment, call our office to cancel or reschedule. 

We ask that you arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled time for all appointments. Please bring your ID and insurance card so we may review them at every appointment. Please make a separate appointment for each family member. You can view scheduled appointments and make request for appointments through our patient portal.  

At times, your health care provider may be behind schedule because of an emergency. We will do everything possible to accommodate your needs on a timely basis.

Interpreter Services

Munson Family Practice Center has access to interpreters for a number of foreign languages, as well as sign language interpreters for the hearing impaired. Telecommunication devices are available to assist hearing impaired patients, or to help patients communicate with a hearing impaired relative or friend. These services are provided free of charge. If you need an interpreter or telecommunications device, ask your nurse.

Prescription Refills

Prescription refills are handled at your routine visit, usually electronically. It is very helpful if you bring your current medication bottles to your visit, as well as over-the-counter medications (vitamins, Tylenol, etc.)

If you run short of medication and it is not time for a routine visit, please call the office for refills during office hours. You can also send prescription refill requests through our patient portal. Please allow 24 to 48 hours to process your request.

Test Results

Please allow seven business days before contacting our office for test results. You can also request results through our patient portal.

Lab Draw Station

We offer lab draws for patients at our office for an appointment.  

Patient Concerns

Any concern you may have about the quality of care you receive from the physicians at Munson Family Practice Center may be directed to our office manager, Mistie Atkins. You can call our office at 231-935-8000 and ask to speak to Mistie.

Resources

• Medication Assistance Program: Our office currently has a medication assistance program that will help uninsured and under-insured patients with their prescription needs. A staff member works closely with the patient to coordinate paperwork and enrollment with pharmaceutical companies that have programs for certain medications. Acceptance is based on each company's specifications. Please call or come into the office for more information, or ask your provider at your next scheduled appointment. You can also check NeedyMeds, a medical assistance resource, to see if the medication you need help with has a program before coming into the office to sign up.
• Goodwill: Goodwill provides assistance to our community such as housing assistance, shelters, workforce development, and other services. For more information, visit the website or call 231-922-4805 to speak to someone about your specific needs.
• The Father Fred Foundation: Father Fred has a wide range of services to help our community. It provides food, clothing, household goods, and financial assistance to families in need in our five-county area. Go directly to the office located at 826 Hastings St., Traverse City. It is best to call ahead for an appointment to discuss your needs. For more information, visit the website or call 231-947-2055.
• Women's Resource Center: The Women's Resource Center provides education, support, counseling, housing, and advocacy to women and children in abusive situations. The center has offices in Traverse City, Kalkaska, Lake Leelanau, and Benzonia. To make an appointment for any location, call 231-941-1210 during business hours or 800-554-4972 after hours. The center also has a thrift shop and voucher program, located at 3030 N. U.S. 31 S., Traverse City. To determine if you qualify for a voucher or for store hours, call 231-946-4180.
• Love INC: Love INC is an outreach and assistance program in Traverse City that includes help with housing costs, utilities, food, furniture, transportation, medical expenses, and spiritual or family counseling. For more information, call 231-941-5683.
• Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency: This non-profit organization specializes in housing needs and foreclosure prevention. It operates the Weatherization program, Senior Nutrition and Meals on Wheels programs, the Head Start/Child Development program, and the Community Services program. The agency holds monthly financial education classes and provides resources for housing needs. For more information, visit their website or call 231-947-3780.
• Call 211: Call 211 is a website-based community resource. You can search by zip code and service, to find resources throughout the state of Michigan. This user-friendly site contains up-to-date information and contacts.