Family Medicine

Family Health Center

Health institutions where one or more family physicians and family medicine personnel serve are called family health centers. In terms of reducing cost and its enabling to flexibility in the physicians working hours Family health centers where several doctors and sufficient number of healthcare personnel work can be established in appropriate places of population and transportation. Here only the primary care is provided. Such group actions have the advantages of support, education and service sustainability. Thus, team work must be encouraged. This way, more family health centers can be opened by one or more family physicians that have made a contract with the Ministry and by means of taking the population criteria into consideration. For every family physician in the same family health center, a separate contract is prepared. Family health centers can be used for education purposes as well. Family physicians are allowed to employ or to purchase individually or commonly additional health services personnel such as midwives, nurses, health officials, medical secretary to assist health services; personnel for security, cleaning, heating, secretariat etc.   

In case that there are several family physicians working in one family health center, they establish a management plan and give the name of the manager to the Directorate.  Election of manager is made once a year except for force majeure. Decisions made by the board are registered to the minute book. The manager is responsible of managing the center as well as coordination of the center to the Directorate and community health center. 

The building has to be 60 m2 per 1 physician with the properties such as being easy to reach, safe, having proper air-conditioning, heating and light. 20 m2 is added for each physician. In a family health center there have to be maximum 2-6 family physicians. Examination room has to be at least 10 m2 per physician. The medical intervention room has to have a big sink. In this room, vaccination, injections, examination table, examination and intervention materials, gynecologic examination table, disinfection and sterilization supplies have to be present. A room for laboratory services has to be reserved. There must an office where documentation, filing, data gathering, statistical evaluations can be made and restored safely. There must be a WC and sink for patients. They are usually on the ground floor. Facilitating measures are taken for handicapped and old people's access.  All rooms except for the examination room can be shared by the family physicians. 

In a family health center following minimum materials should be present and functioning: stethoscope, blood pressure monitor (two sizes for children and adults), otoscope, ophthalmoscope, thermometer, light source, a little surgical kit ( minimum 1 acutenaculum, 1 pair of scissors, 1 forceps, 1 scalpel), a screen, examination table, a reflex hammer,  a measuring tape, a fetal hand Doppler, a snellen chart, a diapason set, a scale device (for babies and adults), a medical dressing set, tongue spatula, injector, gauze strip, keen waste bin, ER respiratory ways intervention devices (S-tube, laryngoscope, intubation for children and for adults), ambu device, oxygen tube (portable), portable lamp, refrigerator, gynecologic examination table,  speculum, examination and IUD device, cabinet for drugs and for materials, EKG device, sterilizer, negatoscope, wheelchair, pulse oximeter, generator, vaccinations for extended immunization programs, antiserums, all basic drugs, vaccinations and antiserums that are mandatory according to the Regulation On Private Healthcare Institutions for Ambulatory Diagnosis and Treatment issued on the Official Gazette dated 15.02.2008, numbered 26788.

Technical, medical, and computer instruments and motor vehicles necessary for mobile health services are basically provided from family physicians.

No family health center can be opened where there is a pharmacy in the premises.