Searching for primary care doctors in Gulfport, MS usually means you want one steady medical home for checkups, refills, and the everyday stuff that comes up. Total Health Urgent Care sits just east in Vancleave, roughly a 40-minute drive up I-10 and Highway 57, and it pairs ongoing primary care with walk-in urgent care under one roof, open every day from 7am to 7pm.
That mix matters more than people expect. A lot of Gulf Coast families bounce between a hard-to-book family doctor and a separate walk-in clinic, and neither one quite fits a busy schedule. Here you get both in the same place, with a named provider who actually practices on the coast.
Key takeaways:
- Primary care is your long-term medical home: wellness visits, checkups, chronic conditions, and refills.
- Total Health Urgent Care offers primary and urgent care together in Vancleave, an easy drive for Gulfport-area and Jackson County residents.
- Walk-ins are welcome and appointments are available, all week long, 7am to 7pm.
- Self-pay is transparent: an office visit runs $130, an X-ray is $75, and student athletes get their school and sports physicals at no cost.
- Most major insurance plans are accepted, and the clinic bills them directly.
What should you look for in a primary care doctor near Gulfport?
The best primary care for your family is the one you can actually reach when you need it, that treats you like a person, and that is upfront about cost. Those three things sort out most of the choice pretty fast. When you compare your options on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, here is a simple checklist worth running through:
- Hours that fit real life. Evenings and weekends beat weekday-only clinics when a kid spikes a fever on a Saturday.
- Same-day and walk-in access, so a sick visit does not wait two weeks.
- Both primary and urgent care in one place, so you are not juggling two clinics and two sets of records.
- On-site lab and X-ray, so you get answers the same visit instead of a second trip.
- Clear, upfront pricing, plus a clinic that takes your insurance and bills it directly.
- A real, named local provider you can build a relationship with over time.
Total Health Urgent Care checks each of those boxes. It is independent and founded by nurse practitioner Jennifer Duncan, with over 25 years in emergency and urgent care medicine.
What does a primary care doctor actually do?
A primary care provider is your first stop for most health needs and your guide for the rest. That covers annual wellness visits, routine checkups, sick visits, medication refills, blood pressure checks, flu shots and vaccines, bloodwork, and health screenings. The point is continuity: one provider who knows your history and catches small problems before they grow.
That continuity is not just nice to have. The American Academy of Family Physicians reports that adults who have a primary care physician run 33 percent lower health care costs. The AAFP describes continuity of care as “the process by which the patient and their physician-led care team are cooperatively involved in ongoing health care management toward the shared goal of safe, high quality, cost-effective medical care.” Put simply, a steady relationship with one clinic tends to keep you healthier and spending less.
At Total Health Urgent Care, that primary care runs alongside on-site lab work and X-ray, plus COVID, flu, and strep testing, so most of what you need happens in one visit.
Can you walk in for primary care, or do you need an appointment?
Both work here. Walk-ins are welcome and appointments are available, which is unusual for primary care and genuinely handy. Traditional family-medicine offices often book weeks out, so a same-day sick visit is tough. Because Total Health Urgent Care runs as a combined urgent and primary care clinic, you can establish ongoing care and still be seen the same day when something flares up.
Being open every day, 7am to 7pm, means you are not stuck waiting for Monday. That helps working parents and anyone across Gautier, Ocean Springs, and Pascagoula who cannot take a weekday afternoon off.
Will primary care take my insurance, or can I self-pay?
Total Health Urgent Care accepts most major health insurance plans and bills them directly, so you are not chasing paperwork. If you are uninsured or between plans, the self-pay pricing is posted plainly, which is rare in this market.
Those prices are current at the time of writing, so it is smart to confirm at check-in. The office visit covers the exam, any referrals, and prescriptions from that visit. No surprise line items after the fact. You can see the full pricing and insurance details before you come in.
Urgent care or a primary care doctor: which do you need?
Reach for primary care when it is ongoing or preventive: an annual physical, a refill, managing blood pressure, or a nagging issue you want tracked over time. Choose urgent care for something new and time-sensitive that is not life-threatening, like a fever, a minor injury, or a possible infection. Because both live under one roof here, you do not have to guess perfectly.
For a medical emergency, such as chest pain, trouble breathing, severe bleeding, or stroke symptoms, call 911 or head straight to the nearest ER. Urgent care is not a substitute for emergency care.
How far is Total Health Urgent Care from Gulfport and the Gulf Coast?
You will find the clinic at 12000 Hwy 57, in Jackson County, right on the Highway 57 corridor that ties the coast together. Gulfport is over in neighboring Harrison County, and I-10 links the two, so the drive is straightforward. Here is roughly what the trip looks like from around the coast:
If you live in the eastern Gulf Coast towns, this is likely one of the closest combined primary and urgent care clinics to you. Gulfport residents willing to make the short hop east get the same walk-in access, transparent pricing, and 7-day hours.
Ready to set up primary care? You can learn more about ongoing primary care, browse the full list of services, or reach the Vancleave team directly to get started.
Frequently asked questions
Are you accepting new patients for primary care?
Yes. The clinic welcomes new primary care patients from Vancleave, Gulfport, and across the Gulf Coast. You can walk in or call ahead to set up a first visit at the Vancleave location. The team answers at (228) 283-5045.
What should I bring to my first primary care visit?
Bring a photo ID, your insurance card if you have one, a list of current medications, and any recent test results or records you can gather. If you are self-pay, plan for the $130 office visit fee.
Do I need a referral to see a primary care provider?
No. Primary care is meant to be your first point of contact in the health system, so you generally do not need a referral to get started, unlike seeing a specialist. You can begin as a walk-in or with an appointment, and if you later need a specialist, your provider can help arrange that referral.
How much does a primary care visit cost without insurance?
The self-pay office visit is $130, which includes the exam, referrals, and prescriptions from that visit. An X-ray, if needed, adds $75. Student athletes pay nothing for their school and sports physicals.
Can I get same-day primary care on the Gulf Coast?
Often, yes. Because primary and urgent care share one clinic that keeps 7am to 7pm hours seven days a week, same-day visits are usually possible even when a traditional family practice is booked out.
What is the difference between family medicine and primary care?
Family medicine is one type of primary care, focused on caring for people of all ages. Primary care is the broader term for your regular, ongoing medical home, which is exactly what Total Health Urgent Care provides alongside walk-in urgent care.
From the team at Total Health Urgent Care, the independent Vancleave clinic founded by Jennifer Duncan, APRN, MSN, FNP-C. Consider this general health information, not a substitute for a visit with your own provider. For a medical emergency, call 911. Questions about setting up primary care? Phone (228) 283-5045 or stop by 12000 Hwy 57 in Vancleave, MS 39565.
