Horn
Physicians Clinic is in the transition of serving patients as a
“Patient-Centered Medical Home” (PCMH).
The term “PCMH” is a new way of practice that promotes the patient to
take active participation in their health.
Under
the Patient Centered Medical Home concept, a stronger partnership is promoted
between patient, healthcare provider, and the assigned care team. This new model assists in delivering more coordinated,
accessible, and higher quality healthcare experience by ensuring that patients’
preventive, acute, and chronic care needs are met. This is done through enhanced communication
and follow-up by the care team assigned to each patient.
Some
key components of the Patient Centered Medical Home include a “healthcare
coach”, a coordinated team approach, and the ability to communicate after hours
with your provider. Gedget Bauer, a
long-time employee of HMH, was hired this fall as a Health Coach for the HPC
Clinics. Her vast responsibilities
include working with “at risk” patient populations on chronic health
management, preventative health, and education.
This is done in conjunction with the care team assigned to each patient. As for the ability to reach a provider after
hours, all providers at the HPC clinics will rotate on-call responsibilities,
which includes responding to patients over the telephone to provide clinical
advice, and/or arranging care during non-office hours.
Various
responsibilities of the assigned care team include: planning each appointment by reviewing
medical records and making sure all required documents are in the chart upon
each visit, follow-through to make sure testing is completed and results are obtained
and shared with patients in a timely manner, follow-up on referrals to other
healthcare specialists, making sure appointments are kept and that specialists
have pertinent patient information before an appointment, and making sure that
a patient’s regular provider receives the specialist’s recommendations. The care team also makes sure that patients understand
the instructions given by providers and are willing to work with patients in
person or over the phone to ensure this.
As
a Patient Centered Medical Home, there is more focus on prevention, education,
and compliance based on a healthcare provider’s recommendations. The overall goals and service at Horn
Physicians Clinics will not change. All
staff are committed to compassionate, patient-centered care through education,
promotion, and encouragement of healthy living, thereby improving quality of
life within the communities HPC clinics serve.
Overall,
the Patient-Centered Medical Home that HPC clinics is transitioning to will put
the patient in the center of the healthcare system and ask them to take
responsibility for their own health. It
will also enhance patients’ personalized care, serve as a guide through the
complex health system, offer better access to care, and teach better problem-solving
strategies for managing chronic health conditions. For an appointment to any of the Horn
Physician Clinics, please call: 364-2514 in Ida Grove, 668-2232 in Odebolt, and
881-4676 in Mapleton.
