Why Primary Care is the Key to Healing Our Broken Healthcare System - A Return to Healing Podcast Episode 33
Welcome back to the A Return to Healing Podcast! In this episode, Dr. Andy Lazris and Dr. Alan Roth—both primary care doctors—explore why primary care is essential to healing our healthcare system and why it’s on life support. Despite being the backbone of good health, primary care is often misunderstood, undervalued, and under-resourced. This episode dives deep into the myths, the data, and the real-world impact of robust primary care.
Watch the Full Podcast Episode
Ready to learn more about how primary care can transform healthcare? Watch the video below as you read along.
Primary Care: More Than Just Referrals
Many people mistakenly think primary care doctors just refer patients to specialists. In fact, Drs. Lazris and Roth emphasize that a strong primary care provider manages the majority of complex, chronic conditions—like hypertension, diabetes, and heart failure—right in their offices. Their continuity with patients allows them to see the whole person, not just isolated symptoms or numbers.
"We pride ourselves on continuity. Primary care is about long-term relationships,
not just sending people to specialists."
Treating the Whole Patient, Not Just the Numbers
Unlike specialists who focus on a single organ or system, primary care doctors consider the entire patient’s health context—including age, lifestyle, and other illnesses. For example, managing congestive heart failure requires understanding its effects on kidneys, mobility, and quality of life.
"I’m not just looking at the heart. I’m looking at everything.
Protocols don’t always fit the person in front of me."
The Referral Cascade: When Too Much Care Does Harm
Over-referring patients to multiple specialists often triggers a cascade of tests, medications, and appointments that can overwhelm and harm patients. This “referral cascade” can lead to polypharmacy, adverse drug reactions, and increased hospitalizations.
Research from the Dartmouth Atlas supports this, showing that more treatment often results in worse outcomes. Patients in rural states with stronger primary care live longer and healthier lives than those in urban areas with high specialist utilization.
The Crisis Facing Primary Care
Despite its vital role, primary care is undervalued. Medical students avoid it because it is less lucrative and less respected compared to specialties. This trend jeopardizes the future of healthcare, as fewer doctors enter a field that’s crucial for prevention and managing chronic disease.
“Our health system is on life support unless we fix primary care.”
The ARTH Philosophy: Why Supporting Primary Care Matters
This episode highlights core A Return to Healing values: transparency, patient-centered care, and fighting the status quo. Investing in primary care is fundamental to creating a system focused on healing—not overtesting, overtreatment, or fragmented care.
Take the Next Step Toward True Healing
Want to help transform healthcare for everyone? Share this episode with friends, family, and colleagues, and join the movement for patient-centered, evidence-based care. Subscribe to the A Return to Healing podcast for more honest conversations and practical solutions—or explore our latest resources to keep learning and advocating for real change.
Learn more about our new book challenging America’s healthcare system, A Return to Healing – Available now at various online retailers.
Related Resources
TL;DR: Why Primary Care is Critical
- Primary care doctors provide most of the chronic illness care and build long-term patient relationships.
- Treating the whole patient—not just individual symptoms or numbers—leads to better outcomes.
- Over-referral to specialists often causes harm and drives up costs.
- Primary care is undervalued and under-resourced, threatening the health system’s future.
- Supporting primary care aligns with A Return to Healing’s mission for transparent, compassionate, evidence-based healthcare.
Primary Care FAQ
Q: What is primary care?
A: Primary care is comprehensive, continuous healthcare focusing on overall patient well-being, prevention, and management of chronic diseases.
Q: Why does primary care improve outcomes?
A: Because primary care doctors know patients long-term, treat whole-person health, and reduce unnecessary tests and specialist visits.
Q: Why aren’t more doctors choosing primary care?
A: Low pay, high workload, and less prestige compared to specialties discourage new doctors from entering primary care.
