The Patient Centered Medical Home Model
The patient-centered medical home is a model of care that puts patients at the forefront of care. PCMHs build better relationships between patients and their clinical care teams. Research shows that PCMHs improve quality and the patient experience, and increase staff satisfaction—while reducing health care costs. Practices that earn recognition have made a commitment to continuous quality improvement and a patient-centered approach to care. Residents work with core clinical faculty and staff to achieve these goals.
Stacy’s Story
Impacting lives one person at a time at University Health
Here is another story of the complexity of Family Medicine care from the journal Annals of Family Medicine. Michelle’s Story is a patient story plus a look at the patients seen over the course of a day within a family medicine residency clinic. It explores the complexity of care and the ability of family medicine physicians to provide the necessary care.
Bess Truman Family Medicine Center at University Health Lakewood Medical Center
Our Family Medicine Residency program was established in 1980 with six resident physicians. In 1982 the Bess Truman Family Medicine Center opened to provide ambulatory medicine education in a continuity clinic setting. The clinic is staffed by clinical faculty, residents, and associated staff. The clinic has an on site phlebotomist, an integrated behaviorist, and a social worker offering comprehensive medical care. Additional team members are Advanced Nurse Practitioners, a PharmD, and students (pharmacy, medical and physician assistants). Their dedication and commitment makes it possible for us to maintain our NCQA (National Committee for Quality Assurance) Level 3 recognized Patient Centered Medical Home status.
Other Clinics
Our residents also see patients in additional clinics staffed by Family Medicine Faculty including Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT), Maternal Care, Exercise is Medicine (EIM) Clinic, Sports Medicine, Dermatology, Procedures, Anticoagulation, Women’s Health and Colposcopy clinics, as well as Pediatrics.
Telehealth
Most of the resident workstations and some exam rooms are now equipped with high resolution web cams, speakers and/or headphones.
In addition to these fixed devices, every resident can use their department provider iPad Pros as well as their own phones to provide these same services.
Our Patients
The clinic at University Health Lakewood Medical Center serves the people of eastern Jackson County, Missouri. There are over 30,000 patient visits per year. Patients may pay with private insurance, use the Truman Discount Plan, or self-pay, but everyone gets the same care.
Our Teams
Residents are members of one of three teams each consisting of 12 residents, 2 Core Faculty, 3 MAs/LPNs, and an RN care manager, with front desk staff and scheduler support.
PCMH Block
This rotation prepares the residents to assume leadership roles in their practices, communities, and the profession of medicine. The Bess Truman Family Medicine Center is the primary site for teaching management and leadership skills, serving as an example on which residents may model their future practices. A Quality Improvement project and presentation is required to improve the quality of care and service delivered to the patient population. The leadership curriculum includes training to provide leadership for clinical practice, hospital medical staff, professional organizations, and community leadership skills to advocate for the public health.