April 16, 2025
What to Expect from Your First Visit at Advanced Optimal Healthcare
Wondering what your first visit will feel like? Here is what to bring, how the unhurried conversation works, when labs are drawn in the office and how your plan and membership come together in Lutz, FL.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Anilda Ortiz, DNP, APRN, FNP-C. Last updated: October 2026.
Your first visit at Advanced Optimal Healthcare starts with a conversation, not a chart. You sit down with your provider for a longer, unhurried appointment to review your health history, current concerns and goals. Labs may be drawn right in the office, and you leave with a clear plan. Many people begin with a 20-minute complimentary meet and greet in Lutz, FL to ask questions before joining.
Starting Your Primary Care With a Conversation
Visiting a new provider can feel overwhelming. You may be wondering whether anyone will actually listen, or whether the appointment will feel rushed. At Advanced Optimal Healthcare in Lutz, we do things differently. Our goal is for every patient from Lutz, Carrollwood, Northdale, Cheval and the greater Tampa area to feel heard, cared for and supported from day one.
Before you commit to anything, you can schedule a 20-minute complimentary consultation, a meet and greet where we review our services, explain how membership works and answer your questions. It is a chance to see whether the practice is a good fit for you. It is not a medical exam, and your first full visit is scheduled once you decide to join.
Before Your Visit: What to Bring
A little preparation helps your first appointment go further. If you can, bring or send ahead:
- A photo ID and, if you have one, your insurance card, since insurance may still be used for outside labs, imaging, prescriptions and specialists
- A complete list of your medications, vitamins and supplements, with doses
- Recent lab results, imaging reports and records from previous providers
- Names of any specialists you see and your preferred pharmacy
- Your family health history, especially heart disease, diabetes, thyroid disease and cancer
- A short list of the symptoms or questions that matter most to you
Writing your questions down keeps the most important ones from slipping away. The MedlinePlus guide to talking with your health care provider has practical tips for preparing.
What Happens During Your First Appointment
When you arrive, you are seen on time, because we schedule one patient at a time. You will meet with Dr. Ortiz, our founder and family nurse practitioner, who will review your full health history, discuss your current concerns and ask about your goals. Dr. Ortiz has worked in healthcare since 2002 and as a family nurse practitioner since 2011, with more than a decade of experience in diabetes, thyroid and endocrine care.
The visit includes a physical exam and vital signs such as blood pressure and weight. Then the conversation turns to what you want to change: more energy, better sleep, a steadier weight, control of a chronic condition or simply a provider who knows you. There is no rush and no judgment, just a welcoming space to figure out what your body is telling you and how we can help.
Who We Help
We care for adults and families, from young adults to older adults managing several conditions. Common reasons people book their first appointment include:
- Frustration with rushed primary care and short appointments
- Ongoing fatigue, sleep problems or hormone symptoms
- Weight that will not budge despite real effort
- Ongoing support through chronic care and medication management for conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and thyroid disease
- An annual physical exam with a focus on prevention and wellness
- Colds, infections and minor injuries handled through sick visits and acute care
You can see the full range of primary care and wellness services we offer before your visit.
Labs Drawn in Our Office
Depending on your history and symptoms, Dr. Ortiz may order blood work during your first visit. Blood draws happen right in our office, and certain lab tests are run on site, so there is no separate trip to an outside lab. Lab costs are separate from the membership fee, and members receive discounted pricing on labs, imaging and medications, and you will know the reason for each test before anything is drawn.
If fasting is needed for a test such as a lipid panel or fasting glucose, the office will tell you ahead of time. When results come back, you review them together in plain language. Understanding your own numbers, from A1c to thyroid levels, is a big part of how we partner with patients on long-term health.
Building Your Personalized Plan
By the end of your first visit, you will have a plan that fits your life. Depending on your needs, it may include:
- Prescriptions, or adjustments to medications you already take
- Lab and radiology orders, with discounted member pricing where available
- Education on nutrition, activity, sleep and prevention
- Age-appropriate screenings and immunization review
- Coordination with specialists when you need one
- A follow-up date to check progress and adjust the plan
The MedlinePlus overview of health checkups explains why regular preventive visits and screenings matter, even when you feel well.
Telehealth When It Fits Better
Not every visit needs to happen in person. Follow-up conversations, lab reviews and many routine questions can be handled by telehealth, so you can check in from home or work. Some first visits work best in the office, especially when an exam or blood draw is needed, and we will help you choose the right format.
How Membership Works
Advanced Optimal Healthcare is a direct primary care practice. Instead of billing insurance for office visits, the practice charges a flat monthly membership, so there are no copays or deductibles for in-office care. Primary care memberships start at $99 per month, with family plans available, and include unlimited routine and sick visits, longer appointments, direct access by phone, secure text, video chat and email, discounted labs, imaging and medications, preventive exams, and priority scheduling with discounted pricing on wellness services.
Wellness services, from IV drips to body composition care, have their own separate wellness memberships. Membership is billed monthly, can be canceled with 30-day notice and may be HSA eligible. We compare the tiers with you at your complimentary consultation.
What Happens After Your First Visit
Your first visit is the start of an ongoing relationship. Between appointments, members can reach the practice directly by phone, secure text, video chat and email with questions, and you can get seen when you need to for new symptoms. We follow up on lab results, check how new medications are working and adjust your plan over time. If Dr. Ortiz is away, coverage is arranged so your care continues.
Frequently Asked Questions About Your First Visit
How long is the first visit?
Your first full visit is a longer, unhurried appointment designed to cover your complete health history, a physical exam and your goals. We schedule one patient at a time, so you are seen on time and the visit is not cut short. The separate complimentary meet and greet before joining takes about 20 minutes.
Is the complimentary consultation a medical exam?
No, the complimentary consultation is a 20-minute meet and greet, not an exam or treatment visit. It is time to learn about our services, ask how membership works and decide whether the practice is right for you. Your medical evaluation happens at your first full visit after you join.
Do I need to fast before my first appointment?
Usually not, unless you are told otherwise. Some tests, such as a fasting glucose or certain cholesterol panels, are most accurate after fasting, and the office will let you know in advance if your labs require it. Keep taking your regular medications unless your provider gives you different instructions.
Do you take insurance?
The practice does not bill insurance for office visits. As a direct primary care practice, your monthly membership covers office and telehealth visits with no copays or deductibles. Keeping your insurance is still wise for specialists, hospital care, imaging and prescriptions, and membership may be HSA eligible.
Can my family join too?
Yes, family plans are available for adults and families who want to share a membership. Family pricing applies to the Foundational level, and an individual within a family plan may hold the Optimal tier at the Optimal price. We review the options and costs with you at your complimentary consultation.
Can I have my first visit by telehealth?
In some cases, yes. Many follow-ups and consultations work well by telehealth, but a first visit is often best in the office so we can complete a physical exam and draw labs if needed. We will help you decide which format makes sense when you schedule.
Schedule Your First Visit in Lutz, FL
If you are ready for primary care that feels like a partnership, start with a complimentary consultation at Advanced Optimal Healthcare in Lutz, FL. We welcome adults and families from Lutz, Land O' Lakes, Carrollwood and nearby communities. Request your complimentary consultation or call (813) 330-6224.
