Internal medicine is the specialty of adult primary care focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and non-surgical treatment of complex, multi-system conditions in patients age 18 and older. Our board-certified internists — also called doctors of internal medicine — specialize in seeing how your history, genetics, lifestyle, and current conditions interact. At Viva Medical Center in Doral, our internists function as your primary care provider and your medical quarterback — coordinating care across specialties, interpreting nuanced lab results, and building a longitudinal picture of your health over years, not just a single visit. The average internal medicine office visit in our Doral clinic runs 30 minutes for an established patient and 60 minutes for a new-patient comprehensive evaluation. We are currently accepting new patients and welcome patients from across Miami-Dade County.
Adult Primary Care & Comprehensive Exams
Internal medicine physicians serve as the primary care provider for adult patients, offering thorough evaluations that go beyond surface-level symptoms. According to the American College of Physicians (ACP), continuity primary care is associated with lower hospitalization rates and lower total cost of care.
- New Patient Comprehensive Exams — Full medical history, physical exam, and baseline labs (60 min)
- Annual Adult Wellness Visits — In-depth health review tailored to age and risk profile
- Preventive Screening Coordination — Cancer screenings, cardiovascular panels, metabolic workups
- Pre-operative Medical Clearance — Internal medicine review before elective surgeries
- Executive Physical Exams — Thorough assessments for professionals and executives
Complex Chronic Disease Management
Where urgent care addresses one-off symptoms, internal medicine excels at managing patients with multiple, overlapping chronic conditions that require nuanced, coordinated care over months and years. Per the CDC (2024), 6 in 10 US adults live with a chronic disease and 4 in 10 have two or more — the exact patient population internal medicine is trained to handle.
- Diabetes (Type 1 & 2) — A1C optimization, insulin management, and complication prevention (affects ~1 in 10 US adults per CDC 2024)
- Hypertension & Heart Disease Risk — Blood pressure management, lipid panel review, cardiovascular risk reduction (1 in 3 US adults has hypertension per CDC 2024)
- Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) — Monitoring, medication adjustment, and nephrology coordination
- Thyroid Disorders — Hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and Hashimoto's disease management
- COPD & Asthma — Pulmonary function assessment and long-term respiratory care
- Autoimmune Conditions — Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and inflammatory conditions managed longitudinally
Diagnostic Evaluation & Workups
When something is wrong but the cause isn't clear, internal medicine physicians are trained to think systematically — ordering the right tests, interpreting results in context, and avoiding diagnostic guesswork. Internists complete a 3-year residency focused entirely on adult disease, giving them deeper diagnostic depth than general practitioners.
- Unexplained Fatigue & Weight Changes — Systematic evaluation of metabolic, endocrine, and systemic causes
- Recurrent Infections — Identifying immune dysfunction, structural causes, or chronic contributors
- Abnormal Lab Results — Reviewing and contextualizing lab findings from other providers
- Multi-System Symptom Workup — When symptoms cross organ systems, internal medicine connects the dots
- Medication Review & Polypharmacy Assessment — Safely managing patients on multiple prescriptions (per AHRQ, polypharmacy reviews reduce adverse drug events in older adults)
Preventive & Metabolic Health
Prevention is medicine at its best. Our internists build proactive health plans based on your individual risk factors — before conditions escalate. Recommendations follow USPSTF 2024 guidance (e.g., colorectal cancer screening from age 45, diabetes screening from age 35 in overweight adults).
- Lipid & Cholesterol Management — Treating dyslipidemia with dietary, lifestyle, and pharmacologic approaches
- Prediabetes & Metabolic Syndrome — Early intervention to prevent progression to Type 2 diabetes (1 in 3 US adults has prediabetes per CDC 2024)
- Bone Density & Osteoporosis — DEXA screening for at-risk adults
- Cardiovascular Risk Assessment — ASCVD/Framingham scoring, CAC scoring referrals, and risk factor modification
- Colon, Breast & Prostate Cancer Screening — Coordinating age-appropriate screening referrals per USPSTF
Specialist Coordination & Care Navigation
An internist's greatest value often lies in coordination — knowing when to refer, who to refer to, and how to integrate specialist findings back into your overall care plan. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) identifies care coordination as one of the top strategies for improving safety and outcomes in adults with multiple chronic conditions.
- Specialist Referrals — Cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, rheumatology, and more
- Post-Hospitalization Follow-Up — Ensuring continuity of care after inpatient stays or procedures (typically within 7 days of discharge)
- Second Opinion Facilitation — Internal medicine review of specialist recommendations
- Complex Medication Management — Reconciling prescriptions across multiple treating physicians
- Chronic Disease Care Planning — Annual care plans with clear goals, monitoring milestones, and next steps
What to Expect at Your First Internal Medicine Visit in Doral
A new-patient comprehensive evaluation at our Doral clinic is scheduled for 60 minutes — long enough to actually go through your history rather than running a 10-minute checklist. Typical flow:
- Check-in and vitals (10 min) — medical assistant takes blood pressure, heart rate, weight, BMI
- Detailed history (20 min) — medical, surgical, family, social, and medication review
- Physical exam (15–20 min) — head-to-toe, with focus areas based on your history
- Same-day bloodwork at our in-house Quest Diagnostics station when indicated
- Care plan discussion (10–15 min) — what we found, what we recommend, what we order, and what comes next
- Patient-portal access — labs, notes, and messaging available within 3–5 business days
Sources
- American College of Physicians (ACP) — Internal Medicine Specialty — American College of Physicians
- Chronic Diseases in America (CDC 2024) — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Hypertension Facts (CDC 2024) — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- AHRQ Care Coordination Measures Atlas — Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
- USPSTF Recommendations for Adults — U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between internal medicine and family medicine?
Family medicine physicians are trained to treat patients of all ages — children, adolescents, adults, and seniors — and they complete a residency that covers pediatrics, obstetrics, and adult care. Internal medicine physicians focus exclusively on adults (age 18+) and complete a 3-year residency focused entirely on adult disease, which gives them deeper diagnostic and chronic-disease management training. At Viva Medical Center, we offer both so you can pick the model that fits your family.
Do you treat adults only?
Yes. Internal medicine is by definition adult medicine — patients age 18 and older. Our internists do not see children. If you need care for a child or teen, our pediatric primary care team handles patients up to age 18. Many families use Viva Medical Center for both — pediatric care for the kids and internal medicine for the adults — under one roof in Doral.
Do you manage chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure?
Yes. Chronic disease management is the core strength of internal medicine. We routinely manage Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes (A1C optimization, lifestyle counseling, complication prevention), hypertension, dyslipidemia, chronic kidney disease, thyroid disorders, COPD, asthma, and autoimmune conditions. Per the CDC (2024), 4 in 10 US adults have two or more chronic conditions, and internal medicine is specifically trained for that complexity.
Do you coordinate with specialists?
Yes — that is one of the highest-value parts of internal medicine. We refer to cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, nephrology, rheumatology, and other specialists when needed, and we receive their notes back into our chart so your care plan stays unified. After a hospital stay, we typically see patients within 7 days for a transition-of-care visit to reconcile medications and make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
How is internal medicine different from cardiology or other specialties?
Cardiology, endocrinology, and other specialties are focused on a single organ system (heart, hormones, etc.). Internal medicine is the generalist specialty for adults — we look at how all your organ systems interact. Most patients see an internist as their primary care provider, and the internist refers to specialists only when needed. Per the American College of Physicians, this generalist-first model is associated with lower total cost of care and better continuity.
Are you accepting new patients for internal medicine?
Yes. We are currently accepting new internal medicine patients at our Doral, FL office. Call +1 305 209 0001 or book online at vivacenters.com/appointment. New-patient comprehensive evaluations are scheduled for 60 minutes. Same-week appointments are frequently available, and same-day slots open up regularly for established patients with urgent concerns.
What insurance plans do you accept?
We accept most major insurance plans, including Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Oscar Health, Aetna, Cigna PPO, Humana, UnitedHealthcare, and more. If your plan is not listed, call us at +1 305 209 0001 and we will verify your benefits before your visit. For patients without insurance, we offer transparent self-pay rates with no surprise fees.
Do you offer telehealth for internal medicine?
Yes. Follow-up visits, medication reviews, lab result consultations, and many routine concerns can be handled via HIPAA-secure video visits — no commute required. Telehealth is available throughout Miami-Dade County and across Florida for established patients. New patients typically need one in-person visit first so we can complete a full physical exam, then transition to telehealth for ongoing care.
Does internal medicine require a referral?
No referral is needed to see our internist as a primary care provider. If you have a PPO insurance plan, you can typically schedule directly. HMO plans may require your current PCP to generate a referral, or you may need to designate our internist as your PCP through your insurance — call us and we will help you navigate the process so your visit is covered.