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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;”>Many St. Louisans do not have a medical home, or a doctor’s office where they go for regular care. This means many people turn to hospital emergency departments for all of their health care needs. While emergency departments provide excellent care when someone is critically ill, they are not designed to help people stay healthy throughout their lives. “font-family: Verdana;”>
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;”>Members of the St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN) are working with area hospitals to give patients options for non-emergency medical care, regardless of the patient’s ability to pay. Community Referral Coordinators, working for the IHN, are stationed in area emergency departments, helping patients find medical homes at the region’s community health centers. “font-family: Verdana;”>
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;”>“Having a medical home means you have a place to go where the doctors and nurses know your history, your family and your community. You are a part of a team who works to make sure you’re healthy long-term,” says Bethany Johnson-Javois, chief executive officer of the IHN.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;”>Ingrid Manning, the lead referral coordinator for the IHN, is stationed in the emergency department at Christian Hospital Northeast. As a referral coordinator, Manning is one of eight masters-level referral coordinators assigned to area hospitals to help patients who do not have a medical home or a primary care provider.
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in order to receive quality health care. They’ve been taught that
the ER will provide all the health care that they need, including
any tests or checkups, and that is just not true,” says
Manning.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;”>The IHN is a collaborative, non-profit organization that is leading the nation in health care coordination right here in St. Louis.
“mso-spacerun: yes;”> organizations with a total of 19 health center locations and two medical schools, including Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers, Crider Health Center, Family Care Health Centers, Grace Hill Health Centers, Myrtle Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health Centers, Saint Louis County Department of Health, Saint Louis ConnectCare, Saint Louis University School of Medicine and Washington University School of Medicine. “font-family: Verdana;”>
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;”>Through collaboration with local hospitals – Barnes-Jewish Hospital, SSM St. Mary’s Health Center, Christian Hospital, SSM DePaul Health Center, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center, and Saint Louis University Hospital – the Community Referral Coordinator Program has emerged as one of the nation’s most innovative approaches to coordinate increased access to primary care for all residents.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;”>“Once we explain to patients the services available at the community health centers throughout the region, patients are willing to explore primary care as an alternative to extended wait times and limited preventative and urgent care in the ER,” reports Manning.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;”>In the last six months, more than 3,000 patients have accepted appointments at community health centers. “There is no other program of this caliber in the country,” comments Dwayne Butler, IHN board member and chief executive officer of Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;”>The program has been recognized nationally for innovative model in which in the country where hospitals and health centers collaborate and use full-time professionals in the emergency department, helping patients make connections to primary care homes.
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realizing the potential value of increased levels of coordination
across service providers,” explains Johnson-Javois. “This
coordination has the potential to increase the quality of health
outcomes for individuals and to reduce the cost of our health care
system. The health care providers in our region are testing these
principles through the Community Referral Coordinator program and
other initiatives. Continued collaboration is the key to a future
of a better health care for all people.”
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;”>The Community Referral Coordinator Program is funded through the Gateway to Better Health Demonstration Project, awarded to the State of Missouri by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in July 2010. One of the objectives of the Demonstration is to connect patients to primary care homes, which will enhance coordination, quality, and efficiency of health care through patient and provider involvement. “font-family: Verdana;”>
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;”>For those individuals who need a medical home, they can call a community health center close to them for an appointment. To find a health center in the heart of your neighborhood, visit
“http://www.stlouisihn.org/”>
“color: black;”>www.stlouisihn.org
