PATIENT CARE
include students working toward master’s and doctoral degrees, pre-doctoral interns and post-doctoral residents. The psychologists also interact with medical residents from pediatrics and family medicine. For many trainees, it’s their first exposure to integrated care. “I tell our trainees that it’s important to listen and meet people where they are,” Carter said. “We need to use our training and knowledge, but it’s important to approach every interaction with a family as a unique interaction, rather than feeling like we’re reading from a script. We need to get to know these families and hear their stories, worries and struggles, and to learn about their lives outside the walls of our clinics and hospital so that we can tailor our recommendations based on their specific needs. Sometimes our work is difficult, but it’s very meaningful and an honor to be present with people when they come to us for their care.”
Ryan Blucker, Ph.D.
changing your diet or exercising. Our job is to assess where families are, help them identify their reasons/motivation to work on some of those things, and assist them in overcoming barriers to behavior change.” Ryan Blucker, Ph.D., is the psychologist at the Super Niños Clinic, located off campus at the Latino Community Development Agency. One of the most important ways that mental health has been integrated into the clinic is through the use of routine mental health screening forms, just as families complete medical forms on their first visit. The forms not only provide information that might need follow-up, but they help to normalize children receiving both medical and mental health services. “That’s at the heart of integrated care — for psychologists and medical providers to work together in a system so that patients and families understand that this is all healthcare,” Blucker said. “When families understand that their children are being screened because everyone who comes to the clinic is screened, it helps to reduce some of the stigma about mental health. I’ve seen a shift among our patients who recognize that this is just a normal part of care. Quite a few families now call the clinic directly and ask for an appointment with me rather than waiting to be referred. That’s an encouraging sign that mental healthcare is not only acceptable, but it’s something that families have been thinking about.” As part of an academic health system, the pediatric psychology team conducts a variety of research studies, often focusing on quality improvement. Current projects include assessing protocols for responding to post-partum depression; studying adjustment issues for families of newly diagnosed cancer patients; and creating strategies to address interpersonal conflict and violence. The team is also active as educators, working with several levels of trainees to prepare them for their careers. They
Matthew Reinersman, M.D., performed OU Health’s first reconstructive surgery using 3D-printed components.
Surgeon Implants 3D-Printed Sternum Thoracic oncologic surgeon Matthew Reinersman, M.D., performed OU Health’s first reconstructive surgery using components generated by 3D printing technology. Reinersman’s patient had her sternum removed as part of a lifesaving cancer surgery, but the resulting gap in the bony structure was a source of pain, making breathing and speaking difficult. The patient had undergone two previous reconstructions, but available materials were not rigid enough
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