Vim & Vigor - Winter 2012 - Phelps County Regional Medical Center - (Page 49)
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The
ometimes it takes detective work to figure out the best possible plan for a patient’s care, especially when the patient frequently goes to the emergency department (ED) to seek treatment for nonemergency issues. A group of healthcare providers at Phelps County Regional Medical Center (PCRMC) implemented a program to ensure patients are not only receiving the best care but also the most appropriate care.
Piecing the Puzzle together
Some patient ED visits are for issues that could be better addressed by a primary care physician (PCP) or through different resources, such as a specialist, home-care or hospice. Care managers at PCRMC saw a need to create an initiative to work with people who overuse the ED’s services. “Sometimes we would see patients who would come into the ED up to three times a day,” says Kim Woodson, an ED care manager who has a Master of Social Work. “We knew there had to be a way we could help these individuals, and at the same time determine why they kept coming into the ED for care.” Woodson and several other PCRMC employees, including care managers and registered nurses Barb, Sonya,
Vim & Vigor • Wi nter 2012
Task force provides resources to people who rely on the emergency department for nonemergencies
By Somer overShon
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2012 - Phelps County Regional Medical Center