What is Family Medicine?

Family Medicine is the medical specialty that provides continuous and comprehensive health care for the individual and family. The scope of family medicine encompasses all ages, both sexes, each organ system and every disease entity. Family physicians routinely diagnose and treat 90% of all patients they see, and then use specialists to consult on the remaining 10% of their patients.

In our medical delivery system in the United States, family medicine is usually the entry point into the increasingly complex health care system of specialists, hospitals, diagnostic labs and radiology centers. With most health insurance companies, a referral from a family practitioner or other primary care provider is necessary before a patient can access the offices of specialists.

To become a licensed specialist in Family Medicine in the United States, one must first complete an M.D. degree in an accredited medical school, which usually takes four years. The next step is to finish a specialty residency which usually takes three years. To get the Family Medicine Specialty Certification, one must pass a two day comprehensive test which measures competency in this broad specialty field. A version of this test is then repeated every seven years for the duration of one’s practice lifetime, if s/he desires to remain “Board Certified”. Family Medicine is one of a very few specialties that requires this periodic testing to ensure competency.

The specialty organization that represents the values and philosophy of this specialty is called the American Academy of Family Practice, or AAFP. This organization was founded in 1947, and currently represents 93,000 family physicians in the United States. In 1969, Family Practice became the 20th official specialty.

It is with great pride that at Bellevue Family Medicine, all four of our physician providers are members of the AAFP and are currently all board certified in that specialty.

Practice History

In 1966 the doors were first opened at Bellevue Family Medicine at its first address, 1200 116th, right across the street from Overlake Hospital. The original partners, Stephen Dault, M.D. and Peter Schock, M.D., had worked together in The Doctors Hospital Family Medicine Residency in Seattle for the previous three years. They were the first residency trained family practitioners on the Eastside, and their practice grew so fast, they quickly outgrew their small space. In 1968 they added two new partners, James Haeg, M.D. and John Cox, M.D. and moved into their newly designed and expanded offices at the current site at 1600 116th Ave. NE..

Bellevue Family Medicine has always been known for its innovations, advanced thinking and uniqueness in family practice. We were the initial primary care group to offer obstetrics to our patients; we were the first primary care on the Eastside offering both treadmills and sigmoidoscopy in our offices; we brought the concept of family practice nurse practitioners to the Eastside; we have been leaders in information technology application in medicine, doing several pilots with Microsoft, and introducing computer assisted prescribing to our patients.

The complexion changed dramatically at Bellevue Family Medicine in the mid 90s. In 1994 Dr. Dault moved to Arizona and in that same year Dr. Amy Numrych joined us to take over his practice. In 1995 Dr. Haeg moved to Germany, and later that year Dr. Joe Upton joined us to fill his absence and worked with us until 2001. Dr. Connie Brumm joined us in 1996. Dr. Cox had to exercise a medical retirement in 1998. Currently the three ownership partners are Dr.s Brumm, Numrych and Schock. The three of them have hired Karen Carlson, ARNP and Tyler Free, ARNP to be part of their health care delivery team.

Bellevue Family Medicine is still committed to advancing the quality and content of healthcare to its many loyal patients. We are constantly evaluating and adopting new innovations in diagnostic and treatment techniques. You can expect continuous quality improvement, and consistent friendly service from your providers at Bellevue Family Medicine.