Definition of "primary care" []

• The medical care a patient receives upon first contact with the health care system, before referral elsewhere within the system. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Find meetings in your local area at www.weightwatchers.com and www.tops.com, or ask about support groups offered at your hospital or primary care clinic."
• "Involve your primary care physician or a nutrition-oriented physician if a skin condition is chronic."