Primary Care in York, PA with a Family Nurse Practitioner, Mental Health Included

Yes. Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs) are recognized as primary care providers in Pennsylvania, with the legal authority to diagnose conditions, develop and implement treatment plans, order and interpret diagnostic tests, prescribe medications (including controlled substances within scope), and refer to specialists. Pennsylvania became a Full Practice Authority state in 2025 under Act 68 of 2022, removing the lifelong physician collaborative agreement requirement after a three-year collaborative period.

Per the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, three out of four NPs nationally deliver primary care, and over 89% are prepared in primary care. NP-delivered primary care has equivalent outcomes to physician-delivered primary care for the conditions covered, with typically shorter wait times. Insurance plans, Medicare, and Medicaid all recognize FNPs as primary care providers and reimburse accordingly.

Primary care is your ongoing medical home: annual physicals, chronic disease management, preventive screening, mental health, medication management, sick visits during business hours. The relationship builds over time — the more we know your history, the better we can take care of you.

Urgent care is for non-emergency medical issues that can't wait until your PCP is open: high fever, mild injuries needing X-ray or stitches, severe sore throat at 9pm, UTI on a weekend. They don't know your history; they handle the immediate issue. Always send urgent care notes back to us so we can incorporate them.

Emergency room (ER) is for life-threatening or limb-threatening emergencies: chest pain, severe shortness of breath, signs of stroke, severe injury, severe abdominal pain, suicidal crisis. Call 911 or go directly to the ER — do not call us first.

Two main differences. First, integrated mental health. Most primary care offices aren't equipped to handle anxiety, depression, ADHD, or sleep disorders well — they screen, then refer out, and the referral often takes weeks or months to materialize. Zainab is dual-board-certified in family nurse practice AND psychiatric nurse practice, which means your mental health and physical health are managed in the same visit by the same provider. No referrals to a separate office, no two providers who don't talk to each other.

Second, longer visits. The standard 15-minute visit at large primary care groups is driven by insurance economics, not by what good care actually requires. We schedule new patient visits at 60 minutes and follow-ups at 30 minutes — enough time to actually have the conversation, examine you properly, and develop a real plan. Same-day sick visits are usually available, and we offer Saturday hours.

Yes. An annual wellness visit (annual physical) is one of the cornerstones of primary care — comprehensive review of your health, age-appropriate screening, immunization update, and counseling on lifestyle. Under the Affordable Care Act, USPSTF Grade A and B preventive services are covered with no copay by all qualified health plans — including blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, depression, and cancer screenings.

Note: if during your physical we identify a new concern that needs evaluation (a new symptom, a worrying lab, a chronic condition), the part of the visit addressing that concern is typically billed as a problem-focused visit (with copay applying), separate from the preventive portion. We're transparent about this at the visit. Self-pay rate for an annual physical is $249.

Yes. We provide ongoing chronic disease management for the most common conditions: hypertension, Type 2 diabetes (and stable Type 1), hyperlipidemia, hypothyroidism, asthma, allergies, GERD, and osteoarthritis. Visits typically run every 3 to 6 months depending on stability, with appropriate labs at each visit. Medication adjustments, lifestyle counseling, and specialist referrals when needed.

For more complex situations — brittle Type 1 diabetes, resistant hypertension requiring multiple specialist medications, recently-diagnosed cancer, advanced kidney disease, complex cardiac conditions — we'll co-manage with the appropriate specialist (endocrinology, cardiology, nephrology, oncology) rather than trying to handle it alone. What we won't do is overreach scope and pretend we can do everything ourselves.

We accept all major insurances. Call today to confirm your insurance. (717) 202-2285. Most patients pay only their plan's primary care copay (typically $20–40 for primary care, with no copay on annual preventive visits under ACA).

Self-pay rates: $249 for an initial visit, $99 for a follow-up. HSA, FSA, cash, credit card, and check accepted.

No — primary care here is in-person only at our York office. Primary care relies on physical examination (auscultation, palpation, neurological exam, skin exam) and vitals/labs that can't be replaced by video. We do this in person to do it well.

Telehealth is available for psychiatric medication management with both Zainab (PA and MD) and Abu (PA, MD, and VA). If you're already established with us for primary care, follow-up psychiatric medication management visits can usually happen via telehealth between in-person primary care visits. Acute illness (sore throat, UTI, etc.) requires an in-person visit so we can examine you and order/perform appropriate tests.

Yes — ages 8 and up. Zainab sees school-age children and adolescents for primary care including annual physicals, sick visits, school/sports physicals, and chronic conditions including ADHD. For children younger than 8, we recommend a dedicated pediatrician given the developmental complexity, vaccine schedule density, and growth-monitoring requirements specific to early childhood.

For adolescents transitioning toward adult care, we provide a natural continuity bridge — same provider for primary care AND mental health through high school and into early adulthood. Child & adolescent mental health details.

Part of primary care is knowing what's outside primary care scope and getting you to the right specialist quickly. We refer to specialists in the York and Lancaster area (and Hershey/Harrisburg for academic centers) and send the referral with relevant history, labs, and imaging so the specialist isn't starting from zero. We then incorporate the specialist's findings into your ongoing care plan.

Common referrals: cardiology, gastroenterology, dermatology, OB-GYN, endocrinology, orthopedics, ENT, pulmonology, nephrology, neurology. For surgery, we refer to surgeons in the area appropriate to the specific procedure. We don't perform surgery, OB care, or hospital-based care.

New patient appointments are typically available within one week. Same-day and next-day sick visits are often available; call early in the day for best chance of same-day availability. Saturday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.

For after-hours urgent issues: use a local urgent care center for non-emergency issues that can't wait until our next available appointment, or call our office for guidance. For emergencies — chest pain, severe shortness of breath, signs of stroke, severe injury, severe abdominal pain, mental health crisis — call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. For mental health crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).