medical staff
U p dat e Issue 3, 2013
St. Joseph Health Center
Sepsis Education Video Available Online
HMHP Physician Associates Launch First Patient-Centered Medical Home The Austintown practice is the first primary care medical practice in the area to earn this national distinction. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has recognized Austintown Family Health Center as the area’s first Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH). While they may be the first in the area, they are not the last. According to Rod Neill, director, physician practice management, the goal is for all of the HMHP Physician Associates primary care practices to earn this distinction by 2014. It is not a small goal. Practices recognized as a PCMHs meet a rigorous set of standards that describe clear and specific criteria designed to improve primary care. The PCMH standards require a doctor’s office to organize care around patients, work in teams, coordinate, and track care over time. In a medical home practice, the doctor is the patient’s champion and the practice is the patient’s “home-base” for health and wellness. Working with the staff, doctors lead and coordinate a patient’s overall care. A patient can rely on their doctor to not only treat current health conditions, but also work with them to plan their overall health and wellness, and if needed, coordinate and monitor care from specialists. For patients, having a “medical home” means better access to their doctor. Extended hours, same day appointments, and ease of communication are hallmarks
HMpartners.org
of a PCMH. For example, Austintown Family Health Center uses an electronic health record to maintain a single medical record for each patient. This technology gives patients access to their health information through MyChart, a secure, online service. With MyChart, patients can log into their personal account, from a computer or smart phone, to request an appointment, renew a prescription, view test results, or send a secure message to their doctor or care team member. “We’re always striving to improve care for our patients and it’s exciting to be on the leading-edge and to make a real difference in our patients’ experience,” says Nancy Lesniewski, manager, Austintown Family Health Center.
About The National Committee for Quality Assurance The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. Since its founding in 1990, NCQA has been a central figure in driving improvement throughout the health care system, helping to elevate the issue of health care quality to the top of the national agenda.
A video that gives laypersons a good description of what sepsis is and how to help prevent it is now posted on Humility of Mary Health Partners’ Internet website: HMpartners.org/patientvideos. Sepsis is the body’s reaction to an infection. In severe sepsis, the body’s normal reaction to an infection becomes harmful instead of helpful. If not corrected, it can overwhelm all normal body functions and lead to death. Rhonda Gluckner, sepsis coordinator for HMHP, has been working hard to educate staff and the public about sepsis. Gluckner said the statement at the beginning of the video really sets the stage for what the video is about: 215,000 Americans die every year of a disease that most people have never heard of: Sepsis. “I believe the video is effective in helping people understand that this condition can affect anyone, at any age, at any time – and the devastation it has the potential to cause,” she said. This video is designed for patients and families using easy-to-understand terminology to help define and understand sepsis. It includes two personal stories of two young women affected by sepsis. One survived, but with many physical disabilities. The other one died. Her father created the Sepsis Alliance, which created the video. For more information about HMHP’s sepsis program, call Gluckner at 330-480-2935.