Madigan clinics change names, improve patient access to care

By Tawny M. Dotson/Madigan Healthcare System Strategic Communication Office on December 9, 2011

Has someone recently told you that your appointment will be held in the Jay Clinic? How about the Finch, Bear or Apache Clinic? If so, you are a part of a shift at Madigan Healthcare System toward a Patient-Centered Medical Home model of care.

One of the more visible changes is the creation of smaller teams within each clinic. This is an effort to enhance the continuity of care the patient receives from their provider, a movement patients will begin to see Armywide. The Patient-Centered Medical Home focuses on the small family practice and starts with the patient. Included in the medical home model is a behavioral health specialist, a dietician and a clinical pharmacist.

"We have come to realize that we cannot achieve 100 percent continuity with one PCM with all the patients they have to manage all of the time," said Col. Mark Reeves, a family practice specialist with MEDCOM.

The name changing of teams within some of Madigan's clinics has caused some confusion for patients but, administrators at the hospital are working to ensure patients and staff members know the change in name is not a change in location. In addition, the smaller teams are an effort to enhance care.

To accomplish the PCMH implementation a series of teams are created within each clinic. Those recent changes in clinic team names are as follows: The Family Medicine Department was previously organized by colors. The locations of those teams have not changed, however the names of those teams have. The Gold Team is now the Ibis and Goldfinch Teams in the Family Medicine Clinic. The Green Team is now the Falcons and Eagles Teams on the ground floor of the Medical Mall.

The White Team is now the Swans and Doves Team on the ground floor of the Medical Mall.

The Red Team is now the Robins and Cardinals Team in the Family Medicine Clinic on the ground floor of the Medical Mall.

The Blue Team is now the Jays and Herons Team at the Medical Mall.

The Pediatrics Department at Madigan is now broken up into the Bear, Elk, Moose and Wolf Team. There is no change to location for check in for Pediatrics patients. The Winder Clinic, at 9119 Mill Park Ave. behind the Four Chaplains Memorial, now has the Apache, Chinook and Blackhawk teams. Their locations have not changed. Patients in these clinics will still engage the TRICARE Appointment line, (800) 404-4506, for appointments.

"As you go to these primary care manager and patient centric relationships you don't have to spend as much time trying to learn what the patient's issues are, what their history is," said Lt. Col. Irene Rosen, the chief of Madigan's Family Medicine Department.

Rosen recognized that a significant amount of time can be spent detailing a patient's history and primary care manager continuity can limit or eliminate the need to detail past care since a provider is more aware of each patient assigned to their team.

The transition to PCMH is ongoing. The next step is to work toward National Committee for Quality Assurance recognition as a PCMH center.

The Patient Centered Medical Home is a health care setting that facilitates partnerships between individual patients, and their personal physicians, and when appropriate, the patient's Family. Care is facilitated by registries, information technology, health information exchange and other means to assure that patients get care when and where they need and want it in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.

The NCQA has an evaluation process that Madigan will continue to work toward in the coming years.

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